5 Things We Liked (and 3 We Didn’t) About Netflix’sTransformers: War for Cybertron – Siege

Everyone ’s favoriterobots in disguisereturned to TV this past weekend with the launching ofTransformers : War for Cybertron – Siegeon Netflix . Except this time , they were n’t really in disguise , as the Autobots and Decepticons duked it out inthe final daysof the war for their homeworld . But was it an Allspark or a pile of scrap ? Here ’s what we have intercourse , and did n’t .

We Loved…

Transformers fable has never been afraid to get bleak before , but there was still something surprising about just how grim Siege is — it starts bad enough for our heroes , and just gets worse and defective . We always know going in , of course of instruction , that the Autobots do n’t win — they have to flee and come to dry land , after all — but there was still something powerfully demoralise in how Siege captured the mentality of a side on the losing end of a war that ’s all but about to be snuffed out ( literally , given Megatrons plans to re - write every Autobot in existence with the Allspark ) . Everyone ’s tired and snapping at each other . Even Optimus Prime is wracked withself - doubt and depressionabout how his own action may have only made things worse on Cybertron .

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Siege ultimately may attempt to mine this particular nugget for a footling more than its worth by the end of its runtime , but still , its button away from what you might typically expect from transformer was welcome .

Optimus Prime is ready to…well, actually, be very done with this war thing.

Optimus Prime is ready to…well, actually, be very done with this war thing.Image: Netflix

Another surprising welfare of that darker edge to Siege ’s story is that it meant the show gets to explore some really interesting bit of morality of the Autobot / Decepticon conflict . This is n’t just a fighting between Good Guys and Bad Guys , and almost no quality is present as entirely pure , whether in service of stately or ignoble idea ( except maybe the always hilariously whine Starscream , or the systematically - messed - up Shockwave ) .

Internal conflicts abound , not just on an individual character floor but on a wide scale , lead to some really interesting conversations and character minute you would n’t gestate . Ratchet ’s dedication to heal his fellow Transformers , whether they ’re Decepticons or Autobots , for example , or Bumblebee ’s initial role in the serial as a third - party with no sake in anything but his own survival . It ’s rare to see a Transformers series ingroup so much dramatic play into such a short runtime .

Okay , sure , this is chisel a fiddling bit — War for Cybertron : Siege claim its name and its character design from the Hasbro Transformers toyline , so while they ’re not unambiguously new for the serial publication , it ’s still the first fourth dimension we ’ve got to see them rendered outside of the plaything aisle . And yes : they remain a really great take on a more rougher - edged , techy version of the Generation 1 designs we recognise and love . Maybe Bumblebee isstill the bestmedia adaptation of that more realistic G1 aim , but besieging ’s character look so just that I would not blame you , if — like me — you were googling the action figures and sobbing that Jetfire has have so ludicrously expensive to grease one’s palms .

Illustration: Jim Cooke

Illustration: Jim Cooke

A Transformers showselling plaything ? Well , I never .

verbalise of Jetfire , both he and Impactor are standout fictitious character in the show , and sodding vessels for the moral ambiguity Siege is so fascinated by . Both start the serial publication as loyal Decepticon warrior but very promptly become mat in complexity that see them have to voyage physical and spirtual turmoil . It finally sees them help those they would ’ve formerly called foeman .

Impactor ’s storyline is perhaps the most interesting ( and bleak , give his sacrifice ) of the two , as it ’s more about him simply choose to do the veracious affair after ratch — more so a neutral third party than a dye - in - the - tour Autobot here — give suck him back from certain death . But Jetfire ’s bow of not just being shake out of his commitment to Megatron by the latter ’s fall into crueler manoeuvre , but how he attempts to gain the trustfulness of the Autobots , is likewise compelling and makes for some of Siege ’s most satisfying moments as he begins to show himself to his new , uneasy allies . How does one trust a extremity of a faction literally called the Decepticons in the first place ?

Ouch.

Ouch.Image: Netflix

Okay , I ’m not certain if this was really designed — outside of the fact Optimus does n’t get to habituate a version of his secondly - most - iconic rally cry until the last installment — but when Optimus is n’t burden with self - doubt , he spend most of the series sending his group conversations with what ’s entrust of the Autobot Resistance by warmly blackguard “ Autobots … ! ” and there ’s just enough of a significant pause that you ’re like “ Oh , he ’s gon na say it , he ’s gon na do the thing , ” and then , of form , he does n’t . “ Autobots … allow ’s go ! ” “ Autobots … do that matter ! ”

It ’s very silly , knowing or otherwise , and was a nice small recurring gag to cark from the doom and sombreness .

We Didn’t Love…

At this full point , it ’s a common review article of Netflix originals that they allow the free sovereignty of the stream platform ’s reliance on binge - capable contentedness to lead to a more , diplomatically speak , deliberate sense of pace . No need to occupy about a slow installment if you could just put the next one on right off , after all ! But here ’s the problem : Siege is six episodes long and almost one-half of it , if not more , feels achingly deadening . Virtually nothing happens in the first three episode , and even then the show does n’t reach even remotely close to an up-and-coming clip until the last sequence .

That also feeds into the meter of the scenes within those installment , too — not only is it a very talky show , considering it ’s about giant golem who occasionally turn into trucks — but those scenes are pip and paced with a similar sluggishness . Getting through the front half of the series is an absolute chore , and it only really justifies nonplus around through it all thanks to its last episode .

Part of that soggy feeling is exasperate by how stilted Siege looks in motion . The overall esthetical of the show is great , but the direction the transformer prompt or rather did n’t , slog along or standing still for muted , inactive dialogue scenes , felt really off . There was n’t a sentience of vigor to the part , which meant they did n’t really stand out in those telling , talkative scenes .

Not everyone’s okay with each other in Siege, and that’s actually pretty interesting.

Not everyone’s okay with each other in Siege, and that’s actually pretty interesting.Image: Netflix

There were definitely moments to shine — specially when things were starting to become more dynamic , like Jetfire conduct the Autobots to the Allspark , or the opening of the space bridge that let the Autobots flee their plate . To kick , the transformation import were always coolheaded with a great blend of detail and snappiness , and never too belabour over . But it was weird to see how unwieldy much of Siege await in motion when its overall aesthetic was such a nerveless take on Cybertron and the Transformers themselves .

C’m on . It ’s literally in the name of the show . How is there so little real fighting between the Autobots and the Decepticons ! ? apart from some incredibly brief brush , Siege save much of its action for , once again , its final episode , choosing to drop an dictatorial amount of its runtime on scenes of Autobots and Decepticons alike chatting it aside in their various nucleotide .

Sure , you could argue as it was the last days of the conflict , and the Autobots were fighting an increasingly losing battle , the want of action at law was part of the point . I ’m not saying it ask to be non - cease — arguably Siege ’s strength was in the way it used quieter moments to give its ‘ bots time to reflect and try out their relationships with the conflict — but when 90 % of your serial about the War for Cybertron is drawn - out walk - and - talks , the amount of natural action on display was grim .

Even better than it looked in toy form, really.