Courtesy: Shout! Factory/Shout! Factory Kids/Hasbro Studios
Transformers Rescue Bots officially called it a wrap last year after four full seasons on Hub/Discovery Family Channel, and while the series – which is now the longest-running series in the Transformers franchise – is officially done, not all of the series’ episodes have been released on DVD as of yet. Two more DVDs featuring a total of ten more episodes have been released jointly this year via Hasbro Studios and Shout! Factory Kids. The first, Outdoor Adventures, was released January 30, and it is another enjoyable addition to any Transformers fan’s home DVD library. That is proven in part through the DVD’s episodes. This will be discussed shortly. The stories presented within the episodes add even more interest to the DVD and will be discussed a little bit later on. The DVD’s average price point rounds out its most important elements. When it is considered alongside the episodes and their stories, the end result is a DVD that is another enjoyable collection of Transformers Rescue Bots episodes and thankfully not the series’ last.
Transformers Rescue Bots: Outdoor Adventures, the first of two new collections from the longest running series in the history of the Transformers franchise, is an enjoyable new addition to the series’ Thankfully it is also not the only of the series’ episode collections to be released this year. For the sake of this review, the focus will remain on this collection, though. One of the items that make this collection so enjoyable for audiences is its episodes. The episodes all follow the common thread in its title, Outdoor Adventures. The disc’s lead episode, “The Riders of Midwinter” sees the Rescue Bots having to brave some snowy weather in order to help one of Griffin Rock’s citizens deliver warm bread to everybody as part of the island town’s annual winter celebration. “Phantom of the Sea” takes the Rescue Bots onto a high seas time traveling adventure that also presents a love story that reaches across the ages. The ocean theme continues in “Turning The Tide” as the Rescue Bots are introduced to one of Optimus Prime’s old friends during some high seas rescue training. Again, there is that outdoors theme, and in its own original presentation. “A New Hero” sees a young, impetuous Autobot head into not just the outdoors, but outer space in the second half of a two-part story arc. The story arc in question follows the “new recruit” as he has to learn his own tough lessons. ‘Endangered Species’ takes the team to the forests of Griffin Rock to protect a group of endangered birds from a bunch of overzealous birdwatchers whose interests are their own, not the birds. Once more, audiences have another outdoor adventure in another setting different from the DVD’s other presentations. This shows even more why the episodes in whole are so important to note in the DVD’s overall presentation. Each episode follows that common thread of the outdoors, just in its own original fashion. That in itself gives audiences something to appreciate. It is just one of the elements that makes the DVD a welcome addition to any Transformers fan’s collection. The stories within the episodes are just as important to note as the episodes.
The stories are so important to note because each presented a plot separate from one another and because of their overall content. The disc’s lead episode is an original holiday-themed story that is unlike pretty much any other holiday themed TV show’s episodes past or present. It’s not just another story focusing on someone saving Christmas because something happened to Santa. It’s a story about family and friends, and about tradition that also sees the Rescue Bots grow as characters even more. While there is plenty of heartfelt feelings throughout the story, there are also some fun jokes that will put just as much of a smile on audiences’ faces as the story’s more heartfelt content. Things take a distinct turn from there as the compilation progresses into “Phantom of the Sea,” which sees the Rescue Bots go on a time traveling adventure with a little bit of romance. The story is centered on a Griffin Rock legend about a “phantom” ship that appears at certain times just off the island’s coast. In other words, it’s a little bit of sci-fi and a little bit of romance, so it is completely separate in its own way from the rest of the collection’s stories. The addition of a certain familiar character’s influence in the story adds even more interest to its whole. “Turning The Tide” presents invaluable lessons about teamwork, friendship and loyalty as the Rescue Bots meet one of OP’s old friends, and again it is a story that does not repeat at all any of the themes in its counterparts in this collection. “A New Hero” reminds audiences that sometimes, tough decisions must be made in life and we have to get over ourselves through Blur’s own personal journey of self-discovery. Once more, audiences get here a deep message presented in an accessible and original way at least in the bigger picture of this series. To that end, it’s even more interesting and welcome to the whole of the DVD’s presentation. “Endangered Species” presents its own original story that presses the importance of caring for our environment without being preachy in the process. It does this through the process of Boulder discovering a family of birds whose species was thought to be extinct. The result is that a bunch of overzealous individuals (including the town’s self-centered mayor – who is a great caricature of real world politicians) descend on the town and nearly destroy the birds’ home because of their own selfishness. They weren’t respecting the birds, but rather caring about their own selfish interests. It’s a key lesson that, again, is not preachy in its delivery, but hits home and does so hard. It’s also original not only in comparison to the rest of the collection’s episodes, but in comparison to so many other stories out there. There might be similar stories from other shows out there, but odds are, few are so much like this one. Keeping that in mind, its originality makes for even more proof of the importance of the collection’s stories. It’s just one more original story that, when joined with the rest of the collection’s original stories offers even more for audiences to appreciate in this collection. When this is considered along with the fact that the episodes all follow one common thread from first to last, it makes the collection even more impressive. Of course, these two elements together are still not all that makes the DVD a welcome addition to any Transformers fan’s collection. The DVD’s average price point rounds out its most important elements.
The average price point of Transformers Rescue Bots: Outdoor Adventures is almost $11. That is found using prices from Amazon, Target, Best Buy and Shout! Factory. Extensive searching for the title from Wal-Mart turned up nothing on the DVD. Considering that the DVD’s run time is just short of two hours (110 minutes total according to the listed run time), that price is not too bad. So many DVDs from other studios with less content are far more expensive. It still leaves one wishing that Shout! Factory would make a deal with Hasbro Studios to release each of the series’ four seasons in their own standalone sets or the series in whole. It might be a little more expensive than the average price of one of the show’s compilation DVDs, but considering the following that the series built over four seasons and that so many episodes still remain unreleased, odds are audiences would pay the money for full season sets or a full series set. Until then though, paying an average price of $11 for nearly two hours of content is not a bad price to pay. That is proven through the content in the DVD’s stories and the continuity in the episodes featured in the disc. Keeping all of this in mind, Outdoor Adventure still proves to be another welcome addition to any Transformers fan’s collection.
Transformers Rescue Bots: Outdoor Adventures is not the last of the DVDs to feature episodes from the series’ four-season run. Hopefully more than just the one other DVD after this one released this year will see the light of day, too. If not, then at least audiences can have this collection to enjoy. That is due in part to five stories that follow one common theme from start to end in this collection. The stories presented within the episodes add to the collection’s enjoyment. The relatively affordable average price point puts the finishing touch to the DVD’s presentation. Each item is key in its own way to the whole of the DVD’s presentation. All things considered, they make the DVD a group of adventures that any Transformers fan will enjoy going on with the Rescue Bots time and again. It can be ordered online direct via Shout! Factory’s store. More information on this and other titles from Shout! Factory is available online now at:
Website: http://www.shoutfactory.com
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