HOME | DD

Description
Transformers Prime Beast Hunters: Predacons Rising (2013)
Director: Vinton Heuck, Scooter Tidwell, Todd Waterman
Studio: Hasbro Studios

Cast:
Peter Cullen
Will Friedle
Kevin Michael Richardson
Jeffrey Combs
Michael Ironside
Sumalee Montano
Nolan North
James Horan
Darren Norris
Steve Blum
Frank Welker
John Noble

Transformers Prime Beast Hunters: Predacons Rising tells the story after the finale of Transformers Prime where the Autobots back on Cybertron have to face Unicron one last time as he takes control of Megatron's body.

In going with my reposted review for the Transformers Prime cartoon, we have its movie, Transformers Prime Beast Hunters: Predacons Rising (which I will be calling Predacons Rising for the sake of keeping it simple), the TV movie set after the finale of Prime and which serves as the ultimate final chapter of the series before Robots in Disguise (2015).

Now for those who have not yet read my reviews for the Transformers cartoons (please check them out if you have not), Transformers: Prime is what I consider one of the best Transformers shows of the franchise if not the best, and is in stiff competition with Transformers: Animated as my favorite of the franchise. Everything from the mature tone, exciting action, interesting and cool depictions of iconic characters, its overarching story, all make it a Transformers show that has since been highly regarded and a more than worthy addition to the Transformers brand.

Now as for its movie, Predacons Rising, its a movie that have always enjoyed way back when it was still fresh and after my most recent rewatch, I can certainly say it has improved with time for me personally and possible spoiler for my eventual ranking, might even surpass the 2007 film despite the importance that film has for me. But this movie is not only a great TV movie continuation of an amazing show but also serves as a brilliant finale to an amazing show, so let's roll into it!

Pun intended.

POSITIVES

I enjoy how this movie carries on from the ending of the show with the Autobots now having returned to Cybetron and having the planet restored but yet unable to create new life and as such, we have an entire movie that is primarily set on Cybertron which helps make it stand out from the show which was mostly on Earth. As such, we are also able to revisit the great characters on both the Autobots and Decepticons with Bumblebee now having his voice back and getting a nice proof of concept of Bumblebee as a leader in Optimus's absense and before the sequel series Robots in Disguise which was mainly about Bumblebee being a team leader and this movie serving as somewhat of a prelude to that. The other Autobots in the cast also get their moments to shine from the show like Smokescreen, Bulkhead, and especially Optimus, and even the Decepticon Knock Out who later becomes an ally to the Autobots towards the end.

Unicron makes his return in this final outing and in his return, he revives and takes over the body of Megatron after the latter's death at the end of the show and though not directly stated, his upgraded Megatron form is clearly inspired by Galvatron and its such a badass look as well as his utilization in the story as the main antagonist further cements why Unicron is a true foe to be feared whether Autobot or Decepticon, and even Megatron is great as he begins to undergo this change in character as he's being hijacked and used as a puppet by Unicron and once the evil is vanquished, Megatron decides to give up his old ways and blood feud, which serves nicely as an end for his character's story.

In addition to Predating from the show's third season, the movie also introduces two new Predacons to the cast, Skylynx and Darksteel, who are both awesome characters that perfectly tow the line between being humorous goons and formidable and monstrous foes with their dragon and Griffin modes and their inclusion further accentuates the already established badassery of Predaking when in action.

Just like in the show, the voice acting is always on point and greatly fits each character and excels in the emotion and excitement.

Speaking of action, the show has always been a master at providing some of the most visceral and intense action and fight scenes in all of Transformers, and the movie is of no exception to that notion as the fights are just as engaging and tense as they are in the show and the way the movie continuously makes each one more intense and exciting than the last all the way to its final battle is something that is not to be taken for granted.

Something I forgot to mention in my review of the show was how amazing and almost cinematic the show's music is. Not just the show's main instrumental theme which is a damn good piece of music on its own and perfectly fits the show but the other musical pieces during the intense action and the handful of emotional moments are truly incredible in how they help compliment the accompanying scene and make for a great listen.

And finally the way the movie ends with Optimus giving what is possibly his best moment of the show and the way his character goes out is nothing short of amazing and an ending that on rewatch, I nearly got goosebumps from. Everything from all the main Autobots plus Knock Out spectating it all to Peter Cullen's forever iconic vocal performance in Optimus's final narration to the truly awe inspiring visuals illustrating Optimus's sacrifice to restore new life to Cybertron make this one of the most unforgettable moments of the Prime series and arguably of the franchise and was quite the high note to end on!

NEGATIVES *

*Now this is a movie that I think is almost flawless and one where any criticisms I have with it are just small nitpicks.

As much as I love everything in this movie, there is one part that confuses me.....

What happened to Shockwave? When Unicron resurrects the army of zombie Predacons, Shockwave stands his ground and then gets surrounded and presumably devoured and ripped apart by them. However in a later scene with Predaking fighting Skylynx and Darksteel in an act of dominance, Shockwave just appears alive and well, spectating the scene and then after the scene, he's just gone. First, how did he survive let alone escape the Predacon zonbies offscreen? Second, what was the point of having him survive if he was just going to disappear with no explanation on where he went afterwards? They could have just had him get killed by them and then cut his final scene entirely for the sake of consistency. Would it suck if Shockwave died, sure but at least it would make sense on why he would be gone rather than just having him still be alive but yet no longer present.

Again, minor nitpick in an otherwise awesome movie.

FINAL THOUGHTS

As a fan of Transformers Prime, this movie delivered on everything as a grand finale. This is a movie that never ceases to be just as good as the show its following up from and is a brilliant companion piece to it. However, this is a movie where watching the show is mandatory in order to fully understand the context, story and characters here and because both are awesome. If you're a fan of Transformers Prime, you already know this movie is great but if you're just learning about Prime for the first time for whatever reason, better late than never, go watch the show and then finish it off with the epicness that is Predacons Rising!

10/10

What do you think of Transformers Prime Beast Hunters: Predacons Rising?

Description
Transformers Prime Beast Hunters: Predacons Rising (2013)
Director: Vinton Heuck, Scooter Tidwell, Todd Waterman
Studio: Hasbro Studios

Cast:
Peter Cullen
Will Friedle
Kevin Michael Richardson
Jeffrey Combs
Michael Ironside
Sumalee Montano
Nolan North
James Horan
Darren Norris
Steve Blum
Frank Welker
John Noble

Transformers Prime Beast Hunters: Predacons Rising tells the story after the finale of Transformers Prime where the Autobots back on Cybertron have to face Unicron one last time as he takes control of Megatron's body.

In going with my reposted review for the Transformers Prime cartoon, we have its movie, Transformers Prime Beast Hunters: Predacons Rising (which I will be calling Predacons Rising for the sake of keeping it simple), the TV movie set after the finale of Prime and which serves as the ultimate final chapter of the series before Robots in Disguise (2015).

Now for those who have not yet read my reviews for the Transformers cartoons (please check them out if you have not), Transformers: Prime is what I consider one of the best Transformers shows of the franchise if not the best, and is in stiff competition with Transformers: Animated as my favorite of the franchise. Everything from the mature tone, exciting action, interesting and cool depictions of iconic characters, its overarching story, all make it a Transformers show that has since been highly regarded and a more than worthy addition to the Transformers brand.

Now as for its movie, Predacons Rising, its a movie that have always enjoyed way back when it was still fresh and after my most recent rewatch, I can certainly say it has improved with time for me personally and possible spoiler for my eventual ranking, might even surpass the 2007 film despite the importance that film has for me. But this movie is not only a great TV movie continuation of an amazing show but also serves as a brilliant finale to an amazing show, so let's roll into it!

Pun intended.

POSITIVES

I enjoy how this movie carries on from the ending of the show with the Autobots now having returned to Cybetron and having the planet restored but yet unable to create new life and as such, we have an entire movie that is primarily set on Cybertron which helps make it stand out from the show which was mostly on Earth. As such, we are also able to revisit the great characters on both the Autobots and Decepticons with Bumblebee now having his voice back and getting a nice proof of concept of Bumblebee as a leader in Optimus's absense and before the sequel series Robots in Disguise which was mainly about Bumblebee being a team leader and this movie serving as somewhat of a prelude to that. The other Autobots in the cast also get their moments to shine from the show like Smokescreen, Bulkhead, and especially Optimus, and even the Decepticon Knock Out who later becomes an ally to the Autobots towards the end.

Unicron makes his return in this final outing and in his return, he revives and takes over the body of Megatron after the latter's death at the end of the show and though not directly stated, his upgraded Megatron form is clearly inspired by Galvatron and its such a badass look as well as his utilization in the story as the main antagonist further cements why Unicron is a true foe to be feared whether Autobot or Decepticon, and even Megatron is great as he begins to undergo this change in character as he's being hijacked and used as a puppet by Unicron and once the evil is vanquished, Megatron decides to give up his old ways and blood feud, which serves nicely as an end for his character's story.

In addition to Predating from the show's third season, the movie also introduces two new Predacons to the cast, Skylynx and Darksteel, who are both awesome characters that perfectly tow the line between being humorous goons and formidable and monstrous foes with their dragon and Griffin modes and their inclusion further accentuates the already established badassery of Predaking when in action.

Just like in the show, the voice acting is always on point and greatly fits each character and excels in the emotion and excitement.

Speaking of action, the show has always been a master at providing some of the most visceral and intense action and fight scenes in all of Transformers, and the movie is of no exception to that notion as the fights are just as engaging and tense as they are in the show and the way the movie continuously makes each one more intense and exciting than the last all the way to its final battle is something that is not to be taken for granted.

Something I forgot to mention in my review of the show was how amazing and almost cinematic the show's music is. Not just the show's main instrumental theme which is a damn good piece of music on its own and perfectly fits the show but the other musical pieces during the intense action and the handful of emotional moments are truly incredible in how they help compliment the accompanying scene and make for a great listen.

And finally the way the movie ends with Optimus giving what is possibly his best moment of the show and the way his character goes out is nothing short of amazing and an ending that on rewatch, I nearly got goosebumps from. Everything from all the main Autobots plus Knock Out spectating it all to Peter Cullen's forever iconic vocal performance in Optimus's final narration to the truly awe inspiring visuals illustrating Optimus's sacrifice to restore new life to Cybertron make this one of the most unforgettable moments of the Prime series and arguably of the franchise and was quite the high note to end on!

NEGATIVES *

*Now this is a movie that I think is almost flawless and one where any criticisms I have with it are just small nitpicks.

As much as I love everything in this movie, there is one part that confuses me.....

What happened to Shockwave? When Unicron resurrects the army of zombie Predacons, Shockwave stands his ground and then gets surrounded and presumably devoured and ripped apart by them. However in a later scene with Predaking fighting Skylynx and Darksteel in an act of dominance, Shockwave just appears alive and well, spectating the scene and then after the scene, he's just gone. First, how did he survive let alone escape the Predacon zonbies offscreen? Second, what was the point of having him survive if he was just going to disappear with no explanation on where he went afterwards? They could have just had him get killed by them and then cut his final scene entirely for the sake of consistency. Would it suck if Shockwave died, sure but at least it would make sense on why he would be gone rather than just having him still be alive but yet no longer present.

Again, minor nitpick in an otherwise awesome movie.

FINAL THOUGHTS

As a fan of Transformers Prime, this movie delivered on everything as a grand finale. This is a movie that never ceases to be just as good as the show its following up from and is a brilliant companion piece to it. However, this is a movie where watching the show is mandatory in order to fully understand the context, story and characters here and because both are awesome. If you're a fan of Transformers Prime, you already know this movie is great but if you're just learning about Prime for the first time for whatever reason, better late than never, go watch the show and then finish it off with the epicness that is Predacons Rising!

10/10

What do you think of Transformers Prime Beast Hunters: Predacons Rising?