Transformers Prime: Ultimate Bumblebee (DVD) Review

The Autobots little yellow scout gets a starring role in his own DVD compilation of episodes from the hit Transformers Prime cartoon show.

Bumblebee is easily one of the most well known as best loved characters from pretty much all of the Transformers various incarnations over the years. Originating with the first cartoon show back in the 1980’s, he’s been a member of the Autobot faction through multiple cartoons, comic books and even the big screen adaptations from Michael Bay that really saw his popularity take off with the younger set.

And that’s precisely who the new DVD compilation of BB’s Transformers Prime is aimed at, the younger fans. Now, I say that not because of the inclusions on  the disc, which is a quartet of episodes from the show, but because of what’s not on there.

First, let’s talk about what you will find included in the package though. What there is is pretty sharp and I actually enjoyed the heck out of. Masters and Students, Operation Bumblebee parts one and two, and Deadlok are the four episodes included and all of them are enjoyable. Even as an adult who’s love for the Transformers really begins and ends with the classic animation and comic books (and of course High Moon’s incredible Cybertron game series), these characters are all instantly recognizable. And even though the designs are a melding of the movie bots and the originals, it’s tons of fun to see the like of Optimus Prime and Bumblebee in action, in any form.

All of the episodes are pretty strong and all of them feature the little, yellow bug (or non-bug as the case may be) prominently. It’s probably safe to say that if you’re a fan of any Bumblebee incarnation from across the decades, you will definitely find something to like here with what Shout Factory has put together. While the episodes are good though, I do have a decent sized complaint, and it involves what’s not in the DVD case.

There are zero extras here. Zero, zilch, nada. If you’re looking for something to occupy your time as a fan and maybe hoping for something like a ‘history of’ the character or even just a 3D model, you won’t find it here. Personally, I think this is a pretty big missed opportunity as it could have been really cool to have some Bumblebee-specific features on the disc to make it an all-inclusive look at the character.

As it is, Ultimate Bumblebee is an afternoon of entertainment for fans of any age and probably a disc that could be gone back to many times over for kids who just want to see their favorite character in action. While the latter might not care too much about the no-frills presentation though, the former definitely will and more than likely won’t want to head back to this one more than a few times, if that.

Still, I don’t want to be too hard on Transformers Prime: Ultimate Bumblebee as it’s clearly a DVD that was meant for that younger demographic. It’s just that as an adult fan, I was hoping for so much more than the basic collection of episodes that it is.

At only $9.99 USD, it’s definitely fun though. And the hand-picked selection of episodes is really enjoyable to watch. Also worth noting is that the voices of Peter Cullen and Frank Welker are present and accounted for which brings some serious Transformers history cred to the show. This set also boasts work by Ernie Hudson, Markie Post, Steve Blum and others, so there’s a lot to like in the performances.

Final Thoughts

Whether this one’s your cup of tea or not is really up to you and what you value you put on having a few Bumblebee episodes of Transformers Prime on hand. In the end, that’s really what Ultimate Bumblebee is as it’s lacking any kind of the extras that DVD fans really look for.

With a tiny fee of admittance though, you could do a heck of a lot worse if you’re looking for something to watch for an afternoon and then entertain the little ones with.

As a little bonus for our readers, our friends at Shout Factory has been nice enough to send along a link to the below activity sheets for a little extra fun. Click, download and enjoy!