Transformers Energon: The Ultimate Collection

An impressive blend of the Transformers' elaborate mythology and computer-generated animation--a first in the history of the series--Transformers: Energon delivers plenty of robot-in-disguise action while remaining largely true to the characters and storylines. Picking up where Transformers: Armada left off, Energon finds the Autobots and their eternal nemeses; the Decepticons, in the midst of an uneasy truce while mining for energon, their primary power source. The appearance of the evil Alpha Q and his Terrorcons, who have come to Earth to also harvest energon, breaks the alliance as the Decepticons join with Alpha Q in the attack against the Autobots and their human allies. The conflict eventually resurrects some of the franchise's most powerful characters, including Megatron, Starscream and Unicron, which leads to a showdown on the Transformers' home planet, Cybertron. Complicated? Not particularly, since most episodes are structured around elaborate fights between the opposing forces, though a working knowledge of who's who and which side they're on does help when the characters start to build into the dozens. But ultimately, the battles are the engine that drives Transformers: Energon, and they're well animated (the CGI adds considerable layers of details) and as exciting as fans of the series might hope. A worthwhile addition to Transformers history, Energon will please first-timers and should also keep all but the most die-hard, change-resistant veteran viewers entertained. Sadly, no extras are featured in the seven-disc set, which compiles all 52 episodes of the series. --Paul Gaita