The 1980s was a strange decade in America, wasn't it? Politics and world issues aside---I'm looking at this from a pop cultural standpoint. Awful music was in abundance, and the clothes were even worse. The American 80s were all about spending; buying more useless crap than we needed, and reveling in excess.

What a great time to be a kid, right?

Well, that's what I was at the time. My first real memories took place in that decade, from birthday parties at Chuck E. Cheese's (which is now a shell of its former self, I might add) to the year I received a Nintendo for Christmas (also now a shell of its former self). However, nothing compared to my fondest memory of the 80s: the Holy Day of Rest.

Saturday morning, of course!

"Calvin & Hobbes" is copyright Bill Watterson.

Needless to say, this was a hit with the kids...literally no one was safe from the tidal wave of popularity this show recieved. I had my little collection of toys (I mean action figures!), I had the pajamas; even the occasional Transformers-themed birthday party (a virtual rite-of-passage). It's funny too…for as much as I remember about it, the show didn't run much past three seasons, total (1984-1997, R.I.P). Like most other shows, it exploded in popularity and trickled away. Even though The Transformers have re-surfaced in many new and different incarnations lately (least of all, that God-awful Armada show), the original started the trend. Long story short: there was nothing else like it at the time, period. The first couple of years were great in themselves, but then...it happened.

Transformers: The Movie.

After the first two seasons had finished, a new power was unleashed onto young audiences in 1986. At the height of popularity, the inevitable movie-tie-in-with-the-cartoon was in theaters, and I was there. You could be sure that of all the events of the 1980s, I had to be there. I still remember it, of course. My older cousins took my brother and I out to lunch, and then to a nearby movie theater for the afternoon showing. Let me tell you, there wasn't a happier 8-year old on the planet that day.

Anyway, the movie rocked. It still rocks. Although I didn't know it at the time, there was a pretty high-profile cast for the voice talent: Orson Welles, Leonard Nimoy, Casey Kasem, Eric Idle, Scatman Crothers, and many more. The artwork was pretty decent too…although it wasn't on the level of say, Akira (released the following year), it wasn't bad for a movie based on a TV show. However, the devastating events that took place in the movie (*sob*…poor Optimus) were far from over, as the TV show kept going. Season 3 was the of The Transformers, and picked up where the movie left off. Although now I see it as the clever marketing ploy it really was, I was pretty excited back then.

Season 3 took the show in a much different direction. The year was now 2006, and a new leader was in charge. No longer were the Autobots mainly on Earth…having reclaimed their hope planet of Cybertron, they also frequently left the planet for new and exotic locations. There were many changes to the feel of the series (it felt even more like classic sci-fi than before), but it still had the same qualities as before: cool characters and stuff blowing up. Anyway, the season stated off with a bang…a friggin' five-part story (truly an epic for kids) that wrapped up the fallout from the movie. A darker side of the show was explored, right from the beginning: one of the opening scenes shows the evil Decepticons fighting over the last remaining pieces of Energon (their chief source of power), each wanting it all to themselves. There were several great stories yet to be told, but the third season was the last hurrah for the show. However, technology marches on, and DVD once again saves the day for folks looking to rekindle their youth.

Transformers: Season Three (Part 1) is the long-winded new release from Rhino Home Video. It collects the first half of the final season…there are sixteen episodes presented on three discs, as well as a few bonus features. These are presented in a similar manner to the other box sets from Rhino, cool packaging, good audio and video, and (most importantly) the shows themselves, exactly as we remember them. Below you'll find a list of the episodes found on this box set, and further down is the DVD review itself. "Transformers…roll out!"

Disc One:
Five Faces of Darkness (Part One):
This episode keeps things going on a number of levels: it not only recaps the movie itself, but establishes a new direction for the series. The Autobots are enjoying the fruits of victory, and celebrate on their home planet. On the other hand, the Decepticons are left on the burnt-out planet, Char, and have little else to do but survive. They gather what little Energon they can find, and search for a new leader. An Autobot search party investigates Char, and are eventually found and attacked by the Decepticons.

Five Faces of Darkness (Part Two):
The Autobot search party narrowly escapes, and Rodimus Prime is presumed dead. However, he is only unconscious and recovers upon returning to Cybertron. The Decepticons discover that Galvatron, their leader, is still alive…he isn't happy, though. The Quintissons are also re-introduced (they played a part in the movie), and attempt to blow up Quintessa with some Autobots still remaining on the planet's surface. The Autobots may or may not have escaped in time…stay tuned!

Five Faces of Darkness (Part Three):
The Quintissons attempt to side with the Decepticons, who will be supplied with limitless Energon if they agree to destroy the Autobots. This establishes a great sense of danger, as the Autobots really seem to be in over their heads. Trouble is brewing, folks!

Five Faces of Darkness (Part Four):
Regrouped and restored, the Deceptions begin a major attack on the Autobots, who were mostly stranded on a strange planet. The mysterious past of the Quintissons is also revealed, and this episode goes into a bit of an origin story. Back in the present, the Decepticons move on to the home planet of Cybertron for the next stage of their attack.

Five Faces of Darkness (Part Five):
A new force in unleashed, as giant a Decepticon, named Trypticon, causes major destruction on Earth, and heads toward Autobot City. The Autobots' final defenses are needed to protect the Transformation Cog, but the Quintissons pull a fast one, and betray Galvatron and the Decepticons. What a bunch of jerks! Still, all is not lost---the story continues…

The Killing Jar:
Kinapped by Quinitssons, Ultra Magnus (leader of the Autobots) and a few others are subject to behavioral experiments. More trouble is on the horizon, as the ship they're in is badly damaged and headed towards a black hole.

Chaos:
Several Autobots investigate the destruction of a shuttle, and discover the cause of the accident: Death Crystals. They must travel to the planet of the Crystals' origin, and destroy the remaining ones. One of the Autobots in the search party, Kup, has been to the planet before, and must prepare himself in dealing with his past experiences.

Disc Two:
Dark Awakening:
See, this is the episode that made me pee myself as a kid...it's still pretty awesome today. A team of Autobots investigate the burial grounds of those killed in the Great War, and young Daniel (the human) finds Optimus Prime, former leader of the Autobots. Rodimus Prime passes the Matrix (a source of power) back to Optimus, the original holder.

Surprise Party:
Daniel and Wheelie learn more about Ultra Magnus, admiring his bravery during battle. They search for more information about him and plan to throw a "birthday" party in his honor, but Decepticons are keeping a close eye on them from close by. They are both kidnapped, and the storage asteroid they were travelling on is sent hurtling towards Cybertron.

Madman's Paradise:
Daniel becomes bored at an Autobot Peace Summit, and goes exploring. He and Grimlock find a chamber used by the Quintissons, who designed it to get rid of criminals. The chamber becomes activated, and they are transported to a strange and unusual new world.

Webworld:
The Decepticons threaten to revolt against their leader if he does not keep his temper under control. A Quintisson tricks one of the Decepticons into luring their leader to a planet where the mentally unstable are sent for treatment. Does he fall for it?

Carnage In C-Minor:
After a comet is destroyed , a new weapon gets the attention of both the Autobots and Decepticons, and they each try and harness its power. It seems that this new weapon is sound-based, and Galvatron quickly devises a plot to make use of it, with the help of Soundwave.

Forever Is A Long Time Coming:
The inevitable time-travel story, this involves a gate to Cybertron 11 million years in the past. Activated by a Quintisson scientist, the Autobots fail in their attempt to stop hism While the gate is open, one of the past inhabitants slips through, which may cause a rift in the space-time continuum.

Fight Or Flee:
A tranquil new world is discovered by the Decepticons. This new planet is rich in energy, but inhabited by peaceful Autobots who had fled many years in the past. This peaceful planet must prepare itself for the incoming attack from the power-hungry Decepticons, before their power sources are stolen.

Disc Three:
Thief In The Night:
Trypticon and Octane devise a plot to gain more energy for themselves, by performing tasks for the leader of the oil-producing planet of Carbomya. The leader wants more than they expected, and orders the two Decepticons to steal various national monuments from other countries.

Starscream's Ghost:
My favorite Decepticon, Starscream, is discovered in the Crypt of Cybertron. Well, his ghost, that is. The ghost has typically evil ideas in mind, and plans to take over as the new leader, overthrowing Galvatron. He takes over the body of Octane, and his plan seems to be a reality. A solid way to end the first half of this season.

Overall, not a bad run. There were some really awesome episodes in here, and only the occasional clunker. The thing I lover the most about The Transformers is how well the episodes hold up. While there's a bit of embarrassing dialogue here and there (it was the mid-80s, after all), the stories are pretty darn interesting for "a kid's show". Many of these, in particular, reminded be of the original Star Trek, as The Next Generation would not begin for another few years. These are all still pretty entertaining, and should be a good time for sci-fi and animation fans. Season 3 looked to be headed in the right direction, as the second half of the season would prove to be the final part of this series. With the rest of the season soon to come, let's see how Season Three: Part 1 stacked up:

Video:
These episodes look really good. They've been digitally remastered by Rhino, and look very clean. The colors are bright and clear, and the darker scenes stand up well too. The animation and art quality really improved since the first season, and it shows. While a flag was raised when I saw that seven episodes were each on the first two discs (as opposed to other season sets, where they were more spread out), they seem to be compressed very well. There's a bit of edge enhancement and pixellation at times, but it's very minor. In addition, there's also some dirt and scratches that show from time to time, but the source elements are probably to blame for this. All things considered, these episodes look great…Transformers fans will be pleasantly surprised with Rhino's efforts.

Audio:
The audio also fares well here. Like the other seasons, Rhino offers several choices for the discerning viewer: a new 5.1 remix, 2.0 stereo, and "the Original Broadcast sound", which appears to be mono. Each sounded nice and clear…while purists may want to stick with the original sound mix, the 5.1 track is great! There's not a ton of LFE activity here, but surrounds are used, and it helps the action scenes a lot. Still, I remember these as being mono, so I wouldn't mind listening to that either. Kudos to Rhino, for giving us a choice here!

Extras:
Well, this is half of a season, so there's roughly half the extras. What we do get is pretty good, but it's a little lacking. First of all, my favorite extras here were the original Public Service Announcements (about 5 mins.). Different Transformers provide safety tips for young kids…you know, stay in school, don't do drugs and all that ("Knowing is half the battle!"). These were pretty cheesy, but most definitely in a good way…they brought back a lot of memories, and I'm glad they were on here. Also included is coverage from Botcon 2003 (28 mins.), a gathering of fans in the typical convention setting. As expected, some of these folks are very, um, fanatic. A solid 80% of the population seen was of the male variety, although the ladies were represented on occasion. It was also nice to see some of the artists, and tons of original merchandise (which really took me back). This would probably be more fun to see if you were there, but it's here for your viewing pleasure. Last but not least are Historical Trailers (4 mins.), which help to recap some of the groups in the series. It's also nice to see this history on there too…Rhino could have easily just thrown the episodes on there by themselves.

Menu design and presentation:
The menus and presentation were both fantastic, as usual. 3-D menus are used, and really look good…although it may have been more appropriate to make the more "classic"-looking, these are designed nicely. Navigation is also nicely done. The packaging itself also deserves special mention…like the others, it comes in a silvery digipak box, with colorful artwork from the series on the insides. A booklet is also included, with episode recaps and general information. Also like the other season sets, you get two collectible animation cels, which are a nice touch. This is a good value for your money, and a must-have for any Transformers fan.

Should anything else have been included?
Although the extras were a little thin, it was only the first half of a season, so there probably wasn't as much to pick and choose from. Still, I would have liked to see more artwork, or footage of the original animation tests. Also, this is a general nitpick, but this whole "part one" season division is a little confusing. Wouldn't it have been easier to release each season in its entirety?

Classic show, excellent DVD release. For animation fans, this one's a no-brainer…pick up Season Three: Part 1 immediately! This box set from Rhino is worth the money, and is definitely Highly Recommended. They've done a great job so far, and here's hoping the trend continues. I'm glad a studio has really given some of the classic cartoons of the 80s the respect they deserve, and The Transformers deserved it more than any other. The 80s was a strange decade, no doubt…but this set will bring back some great memories for a lot of people. Pull up a chair, grab a bowl of sugar cereal, and relive the magic of Saturday morning all over again.