Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2000) User Reviews

The Last Good Transformers Series

[SamiCybertron · 7/10 · 7 April 2007]

After the Success of Beast Machines, The Animal transformers series had finally finished along with the original G1 story that started back in 1984. Around 2001, there were rumors on the internet saying that there was gonna be a New CGI TF series, the rumors were fake sadly. But this is what happened.

The Latest Transformers series came along. Just called "Robots In Disguise" The Toyline went back to its vehicle mode idea from the original transformers series. However some changes were made.

The Autobots stayed as they were but the Decepticons however weren't available in the series till later in the middle. So instead we got "The Predacons" back into transformers, Most of the toys and characters were composed of Repaints of Classic Transformers introduced in the late 1990s and of course 1 or 2 Beast wars toys.

It was pretty unusual.

Anyway, The TV series follows the same idea of the Autobot/Decepticon-Predacon battles. and The series actually is pretty well done...

It is in fact and anime exported from Japan and dubbed in English which we didn't know, lol. The Series was dubbed by Geneon (Mahoromatic, Gungrave, Cowboy Bebop, Heat Guy J, etc) and the actors did a pretty good job with the voice work in this series, and I especially like the script work in this series, Its pretty close to the G1 and Beast Wars scripts as our gonna get so be grateful ;) A lot of people say its Lame, Poor and just not worth watching. Well anyone who says that needs to give them self a good punch in the jaw and realise that this was the Last great Transformers series to come along in the 21st century.

and Believe me, This series is got pretty funny jokes and sometimes doesn't have the time to get too serious.

Sadly the series ended in 2002 and then the Unicron Trilogy began which complety took transformers a turn for the worst.

Bottom line...This is a fun, Enjoyable and Great Transformers show which shows you how great Transformers can be without the serious tone which Beast wars and G1 took. Go and Buy the Show on DVD or download the episodes and Enjoy the show ^_^

Robots In Disguise

[Terryfan · 8/10 · 23 March 2015]

As a long time fan of the Transformers this one is perhaps the most underrated series and often times the forgotten one.

Transformers: Robots In Disguise is the first Anime Transformers series to be dubbed for an American network.

The story line features Optimus Prime and his Autobots facing off against Megatron leader of the Predacons and Decepticons as they battle on Earth.

For this series the Autobots Include: Optimus Prime, The Autobot Brothers Sideburn,X-Brawn and Prowl, Ultra Magnus, Team Bullet Train: Railspike, Rapid Run, Midnight Express Spy Changers: Hot Shot, R.E.V., Crosswise, W.A.R.S., Ironhide, and Mirage.

The Decepticons and Predacons include: Megatron, Sky Byte, Slapper, Gas Skunk, Dark Scream. Decepticons: Scourge, Mega-Octane, Armorhide, Movor, Ro-Tor and Rollbar who together form Ruination.

The series was taken from Car Robots in Japan and dub to Transformers Robots In Disguise. The Animation style is hand drawn and each character design is very good with attention to detail for the Transformers. The backgrounds are creative as well.

The voice acting is entertaining and with a good cast such as Neil Kaplan,Daniel Riordan, Daran Norris, Peter Spellos, Steve Blum, Kim Strauss, Robert Axelrod, Michael McConnohie, Bob Papenbrook, Keith Diamond and many more.

The cast does a interesting job with bringing the characters to life for the US fans and they each bring something special to the Transformers.

The Series is also known for it humor and sometimes it reminds me of Looney Tunes which isn't a bad thing at all since I love Looney Tunes.

It just a shame the series was only for one season and it is under looked when it should be given it's own DVD by now.

It's more than meets the eye and an entertaining series too it feels like Transformers

A little-known but enjoyable chapter of the Transformers saga

[q_leo_rahman · 7/10 · 29 November 2015]

The Transformers saga – thirty years of a war between shapeshifting alien robots, the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons – has had many iterations in its history. It's gone from a fun adventurous cartoon in the 1980s, to a live-action series of brutal war films. This particular show is perhaps the most little-known chapter of the whole saga, but is able to stand on its own as an enjoyable work in its own right.

This show was one of the first Japanese TF shows to be brought over to the US; it was part of the anime boom that occurred in the 1990s and 2000s. It features all the trademarks of the anime genre: power- ups, a rival to the hero, a ton of goofy comedy from both the heroes and villains, and gradual escalation into a climactic final battle. However, these trademarks are scripted fairly well and generally provide maximum entertainment, and the characters acquire enough screen time and development to stand out as basic but distinct. Two of the most memorable characters in the show are the evil clone Scourge and the bumbling henchman Sky-Byte; one is a legitimately menacing threat to all around him, and the other is a lovable oaf that endears himself with his comic antics.

However, because the show is basic anime it can come off as predictable and dull, and also Transformers (which is basically robots beating up each other) is an acquired taste that only a specific group of people (generally fans who grew up with the TF cartoons/toys) can enjoy. Still, if you are able to overlook these issues, you will be able to greatly enjoy yourself with this show.

All In all, this was a truly underrated part of Transformers, and one that deserves more love.

RID is very entertaining

[kinzokutaka · 19 February 2003]

Every time the latest iteration of Transformers comes out, old-skoolers like me immediately run out and disparage it for not being as good as the last. As a big G1 fan, I can honestly say that the guys who did the translating and voice work for RID did a fantastic job. They took something very foreign, Japanese, and weird (and I say this as a die-hard anime fan) and reworked it into something extremely funny and entertaining. No, it's not as serious as TFBM, and since they didn't have control over storylines like they did with Beast Wars, the character development was dictated by decisions made in Japan. Nonetheless, the finished product looks good and is a blast to watch. The voice actor for Sky-Byte must have garnered the envy of all the other VAs for getting the best lines and funniest dialogue and emotional rampages. No, RID isn't self-possessed and serious. But it *is* entertaining and fun, and for a show about giant robots, I don't think that's such a bad thing.

Little more beyond silly funny laughs

[xamtaro · 6/10 · 8 August 2009]

If Beast Machines was "Transformers on philosophy" this show is "Transformers on happy fuel". From the get go, Transformers:Robots in Disguise came across as more of a comedy than any other Transformers show ever was.

Now, i am not lambasting this show for being funny. The original cartoon had its funny episodes and so did Beast Wars. This show's humour however is not only overdone and terribly handled, but it is in all the wrong places, ALL THE TIME. This show was obviously written as a comedy series first, and then had elements of sci/fi robot action thrown in. Seeing the Autobots and Predacons duke it out in this series is less like seeing the conflict between Autobots and Decepticons in the original cartoon, and more like Bugs Bunny Vs Yosamite Sam. THe first few episodes were perfect in keeping with the sci/fi adventure feel of Transformers, but after than, everything descends into a laugh-a-minute. An autobot flirts with a red sports car every episode, Predacons whine like schoolgirls and over-the-top lameness typical of comedic Japanese anime(see huge sweat drops and super deformed characters/chibi) get thrown into even the most serious and emotionally charged scenes, thereby ruining whatever impact those scenes were meant to have.

If the humour works, i would have no qualms. Problem is, it doesn't work. This show cannot seem to decide if its a serious sci/fi adventure or a slapstick comedic spoof with the genre going into either extremes multiple times(and at all the wrong times) in a single episode. The scripting is very juvenile, more in line with Pokemon and Powerpuff girls than Transformers. In attempting to give a more serious tone to the series halfway through by the addition of the Decepticons and Scourge and an entire story arc involving some ancient Transformer, it in fact causes the entire series' already meandering plot to get even more convoluted.

The humorously and sometimes painfully childish story is not the only thing that does not quite work. The animation is only mediocre; the bright vivid pastel colors and limited frame rate make it on par with other Saturday morning kids' anime like Digimon or Beyblade. The character designs for the humans also carry that typical "for children" anime art style. Thankfully, the usual animation short cuts are only used sparingly and the series maintains a consistent level of art detail throughout.

To add to the overall childish look and feel, the transformers now sport "special powers" akin to the special powers in digimon or Dragonball. They shoot, laser/missiles/fire/plasma etc, while SHOUTING OUT the name of their attacks and striking "cool" poses. Even doing something as normal as taking out a gun and shooting at the enemy requires the autobot to proudly declare "LASER BLASTER!!!" before striking a stock footage pose and shooting a laser beam. Later characters sport such ludicrously sounding "attacks" as "Hurricane Kick" and "Tsunami blast".

Thankfully, an excellent cast that delivered spot on professional voice acting, saved this show from spiraling into down the drain hole. Too bad about the material they had to work with, or this series could have been so much more than it currently is.

Fans would enjoy the sleek re-designs of many classic characters. Plus, the bright pastel colors, slapstick(though misplaced) humour and good clean action would no doubt make this a hit with the younger crowd. But compared with what came before(Beast Machines, Beast Wars, G1 and the comics) this show falls short on many levels, never really living up to its potential. There really isn't more to this than meets the eye.

Super Review on Transformers Robots

[emailtonoeljohn · 9/10 · 7 June 2012]

Last day I visited one toy website. It is toy arena.com and I found a varieties of transformers toys in that website. All among that I like Transformers Robots in Disguise (Car Robots) Landfill.

You can get that product by visiting this website

HTTP://www.toy arena.com/product _ info.p h p/transformers-robots- disguise- car- robots-landfill-p-1681 (no space)

(C-018, C-019, C-020, C-021) Transformers: Car Robots Build King multi- pack. This item is brand new and factory sealed. With the Transformers back at full force after the Beast Wars, Transformers went back to their roots in the follow-up line aptly named, Car Robots, better known in the US as RID, Robots in Disguise.

Cybertron Build Masters, C-018 Build Boy, C-019 Build Hurricane, C-020 Build Typhoon, and C-021 Build Cyclone, are the popular Cybertron Build Masters that combines together to form Build King, in three different forms. Build King, is known as Landfill in RID and is a popular and unique Transformer combiner due to his ability to have three different ways to combine, similar to Scramble City combiners. This is not the Build King gift set, C-022, but the multi-pack that includes all four of the individual members of Build Masters.

This is the best!

[aalgc · 10/10 · 13 July 2009]

If it weren't for robots in disguise, i never would have come to the realm of transformers! this series has very good combiners, like rail racer, landfill and omega prime.

Optimus is way better as a fire truck, which shows that he goes, to protect people! I also love megatron/galvatron he looks wicked, changes into 6/10 different forms, instead of just a jet or a gun, i must say, i do like the original, but this is great for entertainment. making the preadacons, witless and stupid was an excellent idea, it made megatron look all the more powerful, but also slightly dumb for picking numb sculls as his henchmen..... but don't all the great classics have failures as bad guys, we like things to be unfair and disadvantaged, just look at how more powerful and clever Galvatron was. If it weren't for this great show, i never would've looked at TF in the first place.

Neither among the best or worst of the Transformers shows...

[TheLittleSongbird · 5/10 · 11 October 2013]

A relatively entertaining show that is not that bad but could have done with improvements. From a personal perspective, it's not the waste of time that is described in some reviews(though the complaints do have validity), but some of the favourable commentators really need to relax, last time I checked there isn't a rule about everybody having to like the show and any other opinion is wrong, isn't that what the word "opinion" means. There are things that Robots in Disguise does have in its favour. The character designs are nice and sleek, while the music is catchy and in keeping with the tone of the show and the jokes do tickle the funny-bone, complete with some clever subtle references to the original show. Sky-Byte is a cool character, Kelly is likable enough and Scourge is very interesting here(at least Robots in Disguise knew what to do with him, which is more than can be said for Cybertron). Not all the characters fare as well, Megatron has been much more menacing and authoritative before and since, here he comes across as too dumbed-down and too much of a clown.

The rest of the characters have a uniqueness to them but are not particularly interesting, Tow-Line is too monotonous and Dorrie Dutton is annoying and often pointless. The voice acting doesn't really work either, Barry Stigler as Scourge and Peter Spellos as Sky-Byte the only ones that properly stand out in a good way, the rest range from overdone(David Riordan's Megatron) and bored-sounding(Lex Lang's Tow-Line). The jokes are funny but could have been better placed and maybe not used as much, at times it felt like overkill which interfered with the tone. The story lines could have had more complexity and did feel on the juvenile side, it's not quite as bloated as the Unicron Trilogy Transformers shows but there is too much of a filler-feel with Robots in Disguise. And not all the animation is consistent, the sleek character designs and vivid pastel colours are nice, but the static backgrounds, the tendency to look too over-saturated(could have used more foreboding colours) and lack of fluidity, not so much.

Overall, Robots in Disguise is better than Energon, Cyberton and especially Armada-the three parts of the Unicron Trilogy, and not really worth bothering with-, also Beast Machines(but only just), but for better shows in the franchise look to the original 1984 show, Beast Wars, Prime and Animated. From a personal point of view, Robots of Disguise is not a bad show but it fell short. 5/10 Bethany

TRANSFORMERS ARE BACK IN A BIG WAY!!!

[Rattrap007 · 9 September 2001]

I am a TF fan I loved Generation 1 (the original series from the 80s), Beast Wars, but didn't care much for Beast Machines.

In this series, the Autobots are back. This series takes place in the year 2000/01. It takes place on Earth but possibly a alternate version sing none of the Gen1 characters are in this show. It is a dubbed version of the series Car Robots in Japan.

Basically involves Megatron kidnaps a young boy's (Koji) father. He is the foremost expert on energy. Megatron does this so he can learn the location for energy theft and his agenda. Out to stop him are Optimus Prime and the Autobots.

Optimus Prime this time around transforms into a fire truck. His voice is remenisint of G1 Prime. Some of the other major players are:

X-Brawn who transform into a Mercades SUV and talks like a southerner (Hey it works). His younger brother Prowl, a Diablo police car, who is the serious one of the three. And the youngest Sideburn. He is a young kid who wants nothing more than to chase the girls, well red sports cars that he THINKS are girls.

They are later joined by 3 trains that can also merge into a giant gestault robot, 4 construction vehicles that also form a gestault, 6 ninja expert robots know as the spychangers, and two more autobots.

Megs also has his lackies. There is SkyByte the giant robotic shark, Slapper the frog, Darkscream, and Gasskunk a giant robotic skunk. Later they are joined by Decepticons.

The voice work so far has been very well done. It can be kiddish at some points, but it does work for the scenes.

For example, in one scene X-Brawn pretends to run off on an errand so he can get the jump on Slapper. Slapper shouts asking X-Brawn what he should do till he gets back. X-Brawn shouts that Slapper should measure his tounge or something. A moment later Slapper says "42 feet 3 inches! That's impressive." Sure a little kiddish but it was still funny.

Overall it is a very worth addition to the name Transformers.

Looks like some of you people need a new life....

[frewpy · 26 January 2002]

I don't understand why alot of people are bashing Robots in Disguise. I am one of the biggest fans of the original Transformers series, and I know this dosen't compare to the original, but you can take it many ways..

Try this on for size:

After G1 Optimus Prime and the Autobots returned to Cybertron(sometime before 2001, when this new show takes place)to fight G1 Megatron and the Decepticons, R.I.D. Optimus Prime (from around the time Beast Machines ended) was sent back in time to watch over the earth. This would explain stasis pods, references to the vehicons,ect....

Now, so they wouldn't be detected by the other Autobots, they took their earth vehicle forms and remain hidden until they know that other Autobots have left the planet. (Two different Primes running into each other would more than likely have some sort of effect on time) Same with Megatron and the Predicons.

Now, that might make R.I.D. fit a little better. So, the lines can be a little cheesy, and and some of the names are kinda BLAH...... but some other great anime have been known to have some bad names. (i.e. Ranma 1/2 with Shampoo, Cologne, and Mousse?) Don't get me wrong, I love Ranma 1/2. But a name is a name. This new show is not as bad as some people think. It was made to target kids. Now, if you have to sit there and write 500 words to explain why you don't like this show, you definatly need to get a life. Yeah, I'm sitting here writing this, but I do other things besides spending all my time engrossed in bashing kiddie shows. IT'S A KIDDIE SHOW, SO GET OVER IT....

As Sean Connery would say, "Losers always whine about their best, winners go home and (BLEEP) the prom queen!"

[MaxZorin · 26 November 2001]

ROBOTS IN DISGUISE. THE TRANSFORMERS. Why is everyone being so critical of this new series?

OK, so Optimus isn't a semi truck. BIG FREAKIN DEAL! You should be happy he's not a gorilla for once (even though I had no problem with that, what would a semi truck be doing hanging out with a rhino and a cheetah in a show called Beast Wars). Optimus is still awesome, his new voice is just fine and he looks sweet. He's still a great leader and cares about his commrades.

And leave Megatron alone! So what if he looks like a Terrorcon when he turns into his two headed dragon mode! His robot mode looks just like the Epyon Gundam from Gundam Wing. Just look at the two, they both turn into two headed dragons for crying out loud. His voice is mean and a lot more threatening than people give credit.

I like the new Scourge, he's an evil Optimus Prime! He's not the G1 loser we remember with *PINK* fingernails and those lousy Sweeps! Scourge and his Decepticons (formerly known as Combaticons to us G1ers) are great. Ruination is a cool name, so what if Bruticus is a dog now. Remember, this is a series for KIDS.

Kids today live off of, sigh, crap like Digimon and Pokemon. Robots in Disguise targets today's kids. However, there are plenty of moments and characters for us G1 fans to appreciate and enjoy. Look at Ultra Magnus, he's way cooler than the old Magnus who always got beat up. This Magnus is a bad ass, and he's a creation of Alpha Trion. If that ain't a G1 reference for old fans, I don't know what is. There are even references for Beast Wars fans, with stasis pods and slapsticky bumbling Predacons.

Who wouldn't like a singing Sky-Byte?! That's the anime touch for you, a bit of silliness. If you ask me, this new series is just fine. Don't call it G1. Don't call it Beast Wars. It is it's own entity. It's like Gundam Wing or Gundam X to Mobile Suit Gundam; an alternate universe series. Just kick back and have a few laughs!

At least it's better than beast machines

[mastrolilli · 19 March 2003]

Old transformer fans like me have unfortunately fallen into a trap. We remember the original so fondly that anything else seems bad. In fact, it takes an excellent product like beast wars to even make us forgive a TF series for existing.

Sadly, RID isn't excellent like beast wars, so old fans will think they won't like it. Truth be told, the show isn't that bad. The writing is childish because it was meant for pokemon-buying kids, and the producers were at least kind enough to use some stuff from previous series, like the flying shark from the japanese Beast Wars, the combaticons and Ruination's ability to "scramble" from G1, and the stasis pods from Beast Wars.

Fortunately the show doesn't take itself seriously, something that already makes it better than Armada and Beast Machines. In fact, this show has enough personality that I may consider adding it to my collection if someone ever ports it to DVD, after I get the original and japanese episodes of course. Someone should seriously try to bring Beast Wars and Beast Wars II (not Beast Machines) on DVD!!

Bottom line is if you don't take it too seriously, you'll probably like it, and that's the truth.

A filler series...

[Lacrox · 18 August 2002]

First off here is a brief explanation of how this series came to be - After the success of Beast Wars : Transformers in America, it was transferred to Japan, where it was redubbed and did just as well. A few years passed and the Japanese audience began craving more Transformer goodness, so Car Robots (later known as Robots in Disguise) was created. To cash in, on the Beast Wars craze of the time the creators set this series in an alternate universe, allowing them to have Autobots, Predacons and Decepticons. The reason many of the names have carried over from the original series is because if they are not used they will be lost to other companies (as an example Rodimus Prime was lost a while ago and is now known as Rodimus Major).

Now, what alot of people tend to forget is that this series had to compete with Pokemon and Digimon, it was also made in another language so many of the jokes dont exactly cross over and it was made with a younger audience in mind rather then those of us who grew up with the original series.

So with all that in mind I begin my review - The two biggest flaws as I see it with Robots in Disguise (RiD) is rather weak voice acting, and the weaknesses of the villains. In many TV series animated or not the 'bad-guys' are either very-smart equal to the hero/s or smarter...or...stronger than the hero/s. In RiD the villains are both stupid and weak, a flying skunk versus an SUV or a flying shark against a firetruck aren't my idea of fair.

So overall I rate this series fairly low when compared to Transformers Beast Wars, and the Original Series, but that isn't what is meant to be rated against. So, as a stand-alone series using Transformers for the core of its story and competing with the like of Digimon and Pokemon, I give it a 6.5 out of 10. If you want Transformers, wait for the next series Armada (due out 23 August, 2002), if you want a fun slapstick series for younger viewers check out Transformers : Robots in Disguise.

Very reminiscent of the original Transformers, with a slightly more Japanese flavor...

[snabald · 9 September 2001]

If you are a fan of the original Transformers, you will more than likely enjoy this show as well. Many characters are very similar to their first generation counterparts. The voice acting is well done (especially considering the fact that this was originally a Japanese show and has been re-dubbed for American audiences). Fans of the original should be pleased with this updated version of their favorite robots in Disguise, and first-timers will get to marvel at the awesomeness that is The Transformers!

The New Season was One of the Best

[barryhulagon · 4 February 2002]

I have to highly disagree with people who dissed the latest Transformers. While it wasn't as modern and current as I would have liked, I thought the scripts, voice actors and productions were like old times and fun to watch. From what I understand they were number one in the ratings for their timeslot all week and on the Saturday morning shows. I hope it comes back for another season!

This Was Just Too Bizarre

[Blair_K · 21 June 2003]

Okay, I stumbled upon the American version of this series and thought, wow, someone must have been on some bad drugs when they wrote this. For all its similarity to the original version of the series, its differences were just odd. Like that little girl who told the teams what to do. Then, poor old Grimlok was now part of the Build Team, which looked like the old Constructicons. This one didn't last long, thank goodness.

How did this ever get into production?

[Tabitha Lenox · 15 January 2002]

I grew up with 70's and 80's cartoons. I remember very well the "real" transformers. This is definitley not them! I don't know who these imposters are but they are not Optimus Prime and Megatron! Who ever came up with this idea has no business in the animation industry!

Simply awful.

[Ayatollah · 30 January 2003]

Although I only ever watched a few episodes of this series, I must say that every one I watched was atrocious. There was some plot, but I don't exactly remember what it was. I think it had something to do with collecting pieces of a puzzle. The Predacons and Decepticons are weak, non-threatening buffoons. The Autobots are valiant warriors who never give up and always manage to beat the band of idiots and recover their puzzle pieces. It's a good thing this series is over, because it sucked.

It isn't the G1 TF but I think it's okay

[Merkal · 17 March 2002]

Based on seeking a Divx version of the first episode "Battle Protocol" I can say the this about the new TF series. The new Optimus Prime and Megatron are okay. I like the new Fire Truck design of Prime, voice was okay too. I don't like the design of the Predacons. Didn't they belong in Beastwars? Character don't behave like they once did. Just big words but the point behind it seems to go by me. The weapons are cool though.

I dislike the animation style. To much Pokemon like, to simple. From what I understand it's standard Japenese style. I prefer the US style, the style Disney uses. Characters are actually moving. Some shots where more slide shows then animation.

Music and sound, I don't know didn't notice much or any music at all.

Story, it took Megatron 20 minutes to capture the scientist. There was to much fighting. Little happens to the story in one episode. This way it takes 5 to 8 episodes before the story ends.

Conclusion, if it would air here I wouldn't mind missing a few eps. Give me G1 or Beastwars.

Totally trashy but oh-so-much-fun!

[mrbenn84 · 1 August 2001]

For anybody who hasn't seen this yet, and I take that as most of the world, this is the GREATEST Transformers series to date! Fire Convoy (a.k.a Optimus Prime) leads the heroic Autobots in an apocalyptic battle against the evil, but mighty, Destrons (Japanese name for Decepticons). It takes place in a fictional city somewhere in Japan I presume (I've only ever seen the untranslated version) and from what my friends and I can figure out, the shows are self-contained (apart from the overall link of on-going battle, kidnapped scientist and a surprisingly annoying tourist woman whose vehicles end up trashed in each episode during one of the many fight sequences) and are all to do with the trials and tribulations of being a transforming vehicle (or animal, in the case of the Destrons) and, in the case of Convoy, an effective leader to a group of heroes.

The funniest episode to date (and probably of the whole series) saw a group of the Destrons forced to take community service in order to join the Autobots. The sight of Black Convoy, who destroyed half of the city only an episode before, sweeping leaves and muttering about his apparent fall from power (he's just this huge mecha! HUGE!) is one of the best moments I have witnessed on TV in a long time.

Let's hope Hasbro (is that who still makes the show?) pick up on the obvious market for this new version of the already popular toy and TV series and start dubbing it right away. We need more of this on our Saturday morning shows soon!!

Oh my goodness

[mentor397 · 27 September 2001]

I know Transformers. I like Transformers. This is not Transformers. Time and time again, they have released new things they call Transformers only to have them fall even faster than the original. I have my theories on why the first show failed. I have my theories on why the original toy line failed. They're a heckuva lot different than the reasons this show will fail. The acting sucks. The voices suck. The background sucks. The art's not too bad. Oh, and the stories suck. This just follows the trend of even more inane shows catering to children now. Take my advice, go and rent the originals, if you can find them, or order the shows online. They're far, far better than this crap.

A Filler. That's It.

[docwatson_21 · 10 September 2002]

After Transformers ended, there was Beast Wars. After Beast Wars, there was Beast Machines. Now, there is Robots In Disguise, a story that combines original Transformers and Beast Wars. Actually, R.I.D. is nothing more than a dubbed over version of the Japanese show CAR ROBOTS. This was done to buy extra time to create the new series (Transformers: Armada, which came out in August.) As a Transformers show, this is really lackluster. Bad plots and stupid characters are what caused the fans to riot in this case. I give it 6.5 of 10.

One more thing... R.I.D. may be one of the worst Transformers shows (if not THE worst), but the toys based on the TV show characters are some of the best I have ever seen.

it aint the 80s but its close enough

[bwravage · 1 December 2001]

after reading the comments of the others on this page i felt i had to sign up and add by two energon cubes. first off yeah its craptacular but its a kiddie anime. never really ment to be taken seriously. plus it was 17 years that the originals came to america. so for a bit of nostalgia for the older fans that have dealt with all the BS put out by the TRUKK NOT MONKEY fans they decide to bring over Car Robots. Which is fine by me. I missed out on some of the old toys because i was just born and the nostalgia to me is fine.

Bad

[Lord_Drukore · 4 July 2002]

First off, I want to state that I KNOW that these aren't supposed to be the same characters. That Megatron and Optimus aren't supposed to be the G1 versions. Second, I know this is supposed to be set in an Alternate Universe. I AM a true Transfan. I also understand the series is targeted for kids, but seeing as I am not one any longer, I do not judge series on what I might have thought of them 15 yrs ago, I judge them on what I think of them now.

All in all, Robots in Disguise is a poorly written, poorly voiced show. Sure it has it's pros, but they are in the form of characters, not plots or acting.

Pros: Scourge (though the name sucks, hes the only reason I ever watch it) The Decepticon Commandoes (the remade Combaticons) Ultra Magnus

The Cons: Poor Voice Acting: Most of the voices seem completely out of place, or monotone and lifeless.

Animation: In theory, this should have been a well animated series...and it does look nice when the characters are just standing there talking. But the action is either the same badly animated repeated scenes, or stiff, and barely moving. There is rarely any fluid animation in this series.

Predacons: The Predacons are failed attempts at a group of Waspinators. Waspinator was funny, in his stupidity. THese Predacons are to imbicilic for our own good...how could they possibly not have been stopped by the Autobots by the end of the fifth episode? THey have almost no fighting skills, they have no intelligence, and they friggen animals.

The Humans: Kai (I believe his name is) is ok...I mean, G1 had Daniel, Spike, and Sparkplug. Even Beast Wars had the primitive humans. It's not Kai that I have a problem with...its the green haired woman in almost every episode. What were the developers smoking when they thought up her character? She is something that needs to be wiped out of not only every episode, but our collective conciousness as well.

The Plots: Over half the series is the same thing...get energy, stop the Predacons. While that was pretty much the same basic story behind G1 eps (at least in the early seasons), they were done with characters that an interest could be taken in, and by characters with intelligence. Even then, the G1 eps of this same nature usually had some sort of twist, even if it were a minor one, that kept things interesting. In RiD...every energy extraction mission is the exact same (except for the location), and ends more because of Predacon stupidity than Autobot skill.

I've heard that the Japanese version of this, Car Robots, is much better...it would have to be, I can't see it being much worse. RiD is such a horrible series...I really hope Armada wipes the bad taste out of our mouths (it is an American created concept after all, and not based on an existing Japanese TF series)

A great addition to the Transformer Universe.

[delaneysean · 30 September 2001]

Transformers: Robots in Disguise is a great step in the evolution of Transformers. People have wanted to see a return to the original vehicles since we left the original series so many years ago. Well we asked and we received. The animation is far superior to the original, as it originally aired in Japan.

The only 80's cartoon that has survived into the 21st century and I couldn't be happier. It's obvious Hasbro is listening to the fans and so Transformers will never die.