From kendrick@io.com Tue Nov 14 10:33:22 CST 1995
Article: 26003 of alt.toys.transformers
Path: news.io.com!io.com!not-for-mail
From: kendrick@io.com (Kendrick Kerwin Chua)
Newsgroups: alt.toys.transformers
Subject: TF Weekday 11/14 - Money Is Everything
Date: 14 Nov 1995 10:32:34 -0600
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TF Weekday Nov 14 1995 - Money is Everything

The EI/AD: The Re-Creator, a molecular restructuring device which
disassembles any object at any range, and puts it back together fully
healed and fully repaired! Available wherever Lego(tm) brand blocks are sold!

The plot: Dirk Manus is running from Hun-Grrr in his ship, calling for
help. The Technobots chase Hungy away (and accidentally shoot down
Manus). When Faireborn arrives, Manus introduces his charming self after
hiding some contraband cargo. When the man warns of a secret Quint base
on a Saturnine moon, Computron figures he's telling the truth. But
Faireborn won't let him out of her sight, and they dance the night
away... But when Manus goes to dig up the Re-Creator later, Faireborn
discovers him. He ties her up and flies off to deal with the Quints,
along with Scattershot, Strafe, and Lightspeed who don't know Faireborn's
been tied up. Manus and the Technos are ambushed again in orbit of the
moon by all the Terrorcons. Manus deals with the Quints, but his ship is
bombed and his money is fake. Faced down by very angry Technobots, and
then by Sharkticons, Faireborn appears to blast all the bad guys and belt
Manus a good punch. But Manus takes advantage of the situation, pulling
at Faireborn's heartstrings and her gun too, and the Technobots are too
damaged to fight or form Computron. But when Manus finally deals again
with the Quints, he turns the tables by using the Re-Creator to instantly
repair the Technos. Computron stomps Abominus, and the Quints run away.
Everybody goes back to Earth, where Manus tries to run away with the
confiscated money again... Only this time it's Faireborn who's left him
with fakes.

The characters: Finally! An episode with the elements that makes
Transformers strong and memorable... The characters! Ever notice how
wonderfully balanced Comp and Abby are? One thinks too much, and the
other not at all. Abominus would probably bomb any fight with any other
combiner team, and Computron is too busy thinking to even take on
somebody who's so brute and unrelenting as Devastator or Predaking. As
far as the Technobots go, they're uniquely suited to each other as well.
Nosecone's slow methods are a perfect contrast to Afterburner's
impatience. Strafe shoots before asking questions, and Lightspeed is the
dreamer. And Scattershot keeps them all in line, which keeps HIMSELF out
of trouble. The Terrorcons are not quite as well fleshed out, but at
least they all get cool lines. Hun-Grrr is always talking about food, and
Cutthroat is a squawking, chattering terror. Funny how Blot says he feels
sick after being repaired and disinfected by the Re-Creator. Manus' last
name literally means 'hand.' He's a very tactile guy, pawing all over
Marissa and basically depending on manipulation (in every sense of the
word) to get his way. Too bad the romance between Dirk and Marissa feels
forced and unnatural, but hey, this is a kid's show. Besides, I know a
lot of Transformers fans who wouldn't know romance if it came through
their window tied to a brick (*rim-SHOT*). And once again, we have the
creepy but totally non-threatening Quintessons around. And darn it, no
gratutious leaders or recurring characters! An entire episode that just
focuses on the two teams! Isn't that something?

The plot holes: Hide! It's the return of the evil Flying Autobots!
Actually, seeing as how the Technobots were created by a Grimlock with
artificially inflated intelligence equal to or superior to Computron's,
flying Technobots is marginally acceptable to me. Just wish they'd make
up their minds wheter the Terrorcons are working for Galvatron or for the
Quitnessons. Maybe this episode happens in the middle of an implicit
Quint/Con alliance, but that's really doubtful.
   And how can you have an episode titled 'Money is Everything' and not
have Swindle in it? What were they thinking?

Moving pictures: Nice animation, really anime-style even if they do use a
few cheap short-cuts (look at the alien dancers in the restaraunt on
Earth, or the Quintesson faces for examples of that.) Nicely done merging
sequences, which are very techie and very Japanese... Besides glowing
effects and lots of sparks flying, when the gestalt heads are revealed
their eyes glow with the energy of combined intelligence (whatever that
means). NICE transforms for the individual Terros and Technos, even if
they can't make up their minds about colors... Watch when Afterburner
first makes a landing on the Saturnine moon; he flips over and folds up
into his cycle mode like it's totally natural, a lot like the smooth
Skyraider transforms from the second season. Hun-Grrr's transform is
nicely done too, with oversized front claws popping up out of nowhere and
his legs rearing up to become the two dragon heads. Lots of metallic
sheen and pin-prick light gleaming here too.

The cuts: Can't tell. First time I've seen the episode. Definitely not
the last.

Toys they should reissue: I don't know about new Technobots, but I'm
certainly ready for new Terrorcons that actually look like their animal
modes. The flaw in the original Terrocon design was that each robot
needed to be part of the combiner team; Hun-Grrr's posability was a
serendipitous accident. Make Blot look like a gorilla (instead of a...
uh... a THING with arms and legs) and decide whether Sinnertwin is a
dragon or a dog, and then we'll talk.

Quotables:
"Hit 'em high, Nosecone! Hit 'em high!"
"After consideration... perhaps a flanking maneuver would be more..."
"Hit 'em hard!" *VROOOOOOM* CLANG
"I wish you would listen once in a while..."

"Unlikeable dry-skinned biped."

"FOOD!!!!!"

"Blot! Come here!" (I don't know why I've included this line in the
quotables. It's not particularly funny or memorable or establishing by
itself, but I have a particular fondness for the old Warner Bros. dog
Belvedere, with the Southern general for a master who always yelled
'Belvedere! Come here, boy!' and I wonder if 'Blot! Come here!' won't
become as much of a cult classic quote. If there is such a thing.)

"Probability of Terrorcon victory over Computron: four-point-one percent."

KKC, is feeling much better today, thank you for asking. Although I
probably should make a token appearance at work sometime this week, maybe
Thursday or Friday sometime in the morning, just to check my overstuffed
mailbox.
--
Kendrick Kerwin Chua - "London? You put the Eiffel Tower back... in London?!"
kendrick@io.com - WTB: 1980s Transformers, US and Japanese, and GIJoe figures
Necronomcon FAQ home page at http://www.io.com/~kendrick/necronomicon or anon
FTP at io.com:/pub/usr/kendrick -Personal home at http://www.io.com/~kendrick