Battlebots Reboot Ep. 1 (TV) Review

An hyped room with flashing lights and giant cage arena in the middle, the new Battlebots reboot is a jacked-up, adrenaline fueled ride in robotic battle. Six episode mini-series, this Battlebots is a tournament to see which robot is the biggest, baddest in the ring.

Set up in a massive bullet-proof box, the Battle Box, two robots battle to the death. Each battle is 3 minutes long and ends with either one of the robot’s destruction or time expiration. If time expires, the match is reviewed by the judges to determine a victor. Factors to determine the winner are damage, aggression, strategy, and control. A tournament where the winners continue on and losers might get the chance to redeem themselves via a wildcard draw.

The first episode featured the following battles (no spoilers):

• Icewave vs. Razorback

• Wrecks vs. Plan X

• Warhead vs. Bite Force

• Warrior Clan vs. Nightmare

Better technology and better funding have made this the battle arena you always wanted from the original show. Carnage and destruction are center stage in this reboot. Each battle takes up about ten minutes from introducing the two robotics teams and their robots to the end of the battle.

The show does a great job highlighting the robots as well as the team behind them. There are a lot of veterans from the original series and learning about their histories adds to the show’s excitement.

Final Thoughts

The first episode was filled with epic destruction, impressive mechanics, and just total robotic butchery. This mini-series appears to be a solid reboot of the original that highlights the team behind the robots as much as the battles themselves. A gleeful mix of fun and annihilation, Battlebots will be a great replacement for your Sunday night entertainment.

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