Tag Archives: tarantulas (bw)

‘Beast Wars’ Review #40 – ‘Crossing the Rubicon’

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Hello everyone! 🙂

Welcome to ‘Bradley’s Basement’ blog and I’m Tim Bradley!

Here we are on another updated review on a ‘Beast Wars: Transformers’ episode! It’s time to check out the episode ‘Crossing the Rubicon’, a Season 3 episode about Blackarachnia. In the episode, Blackarachnia’s life is in danger when she attempts to use the Transmetal driver she acquired from Depth Charge in ‘Feral Scream’ to upgrade her body. Will the Maximals be able to save Blackarachnia’s life whilst the Predacons, led by Tarantulas, attack the Maximals’ base to disrupt the procedure? The first time I saw ‘Crossing the Rubicon’ was on Volume 3 of the four official VHS releases of ‘Beast Wars’ containing Season 3 episodes that had never been shown before via GMTV in the UK. I’ve also seen ‘Crossing the Rubicon’ in the ‘Beast Wars’ 15th anniversary DVD box set, and it can now be seen on YouTube. We’re getting close to the end of the ‘Beast Wars’ series, as there are three more stories after this one. Hopefully, I’ll be able to complete my updated reviews on ‘Beast Wars’ by the time we get to Early Bank Holiday Monday in the UK in May. Continue reading →

‘Beast Wars’ Review #39 – ‘Go with the Flow’

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Hello everyone! 🙂

Welcome to ‘Bradley’s Basement’ blog and I’m Tim Bradley!

It’s Easter Monday today, and how fitting that I’m sharing another updated review on a ‘Beast Wars: Transformers’ episode, as I used to enjoy watching ‘Beast Wars’ on GMTV as a kid over the Easter Holidays, Bank Holidays and October half-terms from 1998 to 1999. Today, we’re checking out the episode ‘Go with the Flow’, a Season 3 episode where Rattrap and Depth Charge have to work together to save Una, a proto-human girl, who gets kidnapped by the Predacons to help finish Megatron’s deadly disruptor ray weapon that will be used to destroy the Maximals and their makeshift base whilst protecting the Autobots’ Ark. The first time I saw ‘Go with the Flow’ was on Volume 3 of the four official VHS releases of ‘Beast Wars’ containing Season 3 episodes that had never been shown before via GMTV in the UK. I’ve also seen ‘Go with the Flow’ in the ‘Beast Wars’ 15th anniversary DVD box set, and it can now be seen on YouTube. Can Rattrap and Depth Charge save Una and stop the Predacons at the same time? Or will the Predacons finds themselves unwittingly defeated by an unexpected enemy? Continue reading →

‘Beast Wars’ Review #36 – ‘Cutting Edge’

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Hello everyone! 🙂

Welcome to ‘Bradley’s Basement’ blog and I’m Tim Bradley!

Let’s check out another episode of Season 3 of ‘Beast Wars: Transformers’ today! It’s time for ‘Cutting Edge’, an episode where the Maximals help a couple of children named Una and Chak who have been attacked by a fleet of Cyber-Raptors, created by Megatron, and they need to get back to their tribe. This episode also showcases Blackarachnia and Cheetor as characters, as they’re ordered by Optimus Primal to escort the children back to their tribe. In the UK, ‘Cutting Edge’ was released in the first of four official VHS volumes of ‘Beast Wars’ when Season 3 wasn’t being shown on GMTV. It was the third episode presented in Volume 1, following ‘Deep Metal’ and ‘Changing of the Guard’. The episode was later re-released in a special ‘Beast Wars’ Volume 1 UK DVD release, which included the three-part story ‘The Agenda’, ‘Optimal Situation’, ‘Deep Metal’, ‘Changing of the Guard’ and ‘Cutting Edge’. I’ve also seen ‘Cutting Edge’ in the ‘Beast Wars’ 15th anniversary DVD box set, and it can now be seen on YouTube. Is this an episode that will showcase what will happen in the next story, which is a two-parter? Why has Megatron specifically created this fleet of Cyber-Raptors and what technology has he been using? Continue reading →

‘Beast Wars’ Review #33 – ‘Optimal Situation’

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Hello everyone! 🙂

Welcome to ‘Bradley’s Basement’ blog and I’m Tim Bradley!

It’s the beginning of the end, as we come to the third and final season of ‘Beast Wars: Transformers’. I’ve greatly enjoyed sharing my updated reviews on the ‘Beast Wars’ episodes over the past year. Today, we’re checking out the first episode of Season 3 called ‘Optimal Situation’, which is a follow-up to the three-part story ‘The Agenda’ at the end of Season 2. Season 3 was never shown on GMTV in the UK, as the episodes were released on official VHS tapes instead. ‘Optimal Situation’ got its own VHS tape and was exclusively available with a ‘Beast Wars’ toy that you could purchase from Toys ‘R’ Us. That’s how I purchased my copy of ‘Optimal Situation’ from Toys ‘R’ Us in the UK. I later saw ‘Optimal Situation’ in a special ‘Beast Wars’ Volume 1 UK DVD release for Christmas in 2001, I believe. As well as ‘The Agenda’ and ‘Optimal Situation’, it also contained ‘Deep Metal’, ‘Changing of the Guard’ and ‘Cutting Edge’, which I’ll be sharing my updated reviews on soon. I also saw ‘Optimal Situation’ in the ‘Beast Wars’ 15th anniversary DVD box set, and it can now be seen on YouTube. Will the Maximals win, defeat Megatron and save Optimus Prime of the Autobots? Continue reading →

‘Beast Wars’ Review #32 – ‘The Agenda’

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Hello everyone! 🙂

Welcome to ‘Bradley’s Basement’ blog and I’m Tim Bradley!

Here we are on the season finale of Season 2 of ‘Beast Wars: Transformers’, and it happens to be a three-part story called ‘The Agenda’. The first time I saw this three-part story was on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of the October half-term week of 1999 in the UK via GMTV. I recorded all three episodes on VHS, which I enjoyed seeing repeatedly during the October half-term week. I later saw ‘The Agenda’ on an official VHS tape. I saw the story again on a special ‘Beast Wars’ Volume 1 UK DVD release, which contained ‘The Agenda’, ‘Optimal Situation’, ‘Deep Metal’, ‘Changing of the Guard’ and ‘Cutting Edge’. I saw ‘The Agenda’ in the ‘Beast Wars’ 15th anniversary DVD box set and it can now be seen on YouTube. The Maximals are hoping to return to Cybertron in this story. But their hopes may be curtailed in this story when Megatron’s agenda becomes unveiled. There are some surprise guest appearances of classic ‘Transformers’ characters in this story. Can the Maximals stop Megatron in his plans, which could end everything as we know it? Continue reading →

‘Beast Wars’ Review #30 – ‘Code of Hero’

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Hello everyone! 🙂

Welcome to ‘Bradley’s Basement’ blog and I’m Tim Bradley!

We’re getting close to the end of Season 2 of ‘Beast Wars: Transformers’. How fast time flies when you’re having fun? 😀 In today’s instalment, we have a very significant exit for one of the best and well-loved characters in the ‘Beast Wars’ TV series as well as ‘Transformers’ in general. It’s time for ‘Code of Hero’, an episode where Dinobot makes the decision to fully oppose against Megatron and his tyranny when he attempts to destroy a valley containing proto-humans (Neanderthals). Dinobot ends up fighting against the Predacons, including Megatron, on his own whilst the Maximals are on their way to help him. The first time I saw this ‘Beast Wars’ episode was via GMTV and it was on the Monday of the October half-term week of 1999 in the UK. I had this episode recorded on VHS, which I saw repeatedly during that October half-term. I later saw the episode on an official VHS tape as well as in the ‘Beast Wars’ 15th anniversary DVD box set. The episode is currently available on YouTube for everyone to enjoy! Continue reading →

‘Beast Wars’ Review #29 – ‘Bad Spark’

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Hello everyone! 🙂

Welcome to ‘Bradley’s Basement’ blog and I’m Tim Bradley!

In today’s instalment of the ‘Beast Wars: Transformers’ series, we have the introduction of a new Predacon character called Rampage in the episode ‘Bad Spark’. This episode also features Silverbolt and Blackarachnia teaming up with each other after they got caught in an energon storm during a battle for Protoform X (Rampage) between the Maximals and the Predacons. Silverbolt and Blackarachnia continue to form feelings for each other, following on from when they first met in ‘Tangled Web’. Will this develop into a blossoming romance between a Maximal and a Predacon? I saw this episode as part of a double bill of ‘Beast Wars’ episodes on August Bank Holiday Monday in 1999 via GMTV. I also saw this episode after seeing ‘Other Visits – Part 2’ on the same August Bank Holiday Monday. I had the episode recorded on VHS via GMTV in the morning before it was later released on an official VHS tape as well as in the ‘Beast Wars’ 15th anniversary DVD box set. Now the episode is currently available on YouTube for everyone to enjoy! Continue reading →

‘Beast Wars’ Review #28 – ‘Other Visits’

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Hello everyone! 🙂

Welcome to ‘Bradley’s Basement’ blog and I’m Tim Bradley!

Here we are back with another ‘Beast Wars: Transformers’ story and it happens to be a two-parter featuring the return of the mysterious aliens that almost scorched the planet Earth in ‘Other Voices’ at the end of Season 1. It’s time for ‘Other Visits’, a story where we see the return of Tigatron and Airazor. It’s also a story where the aliens form a unique base in the heart of a huge valley, one that Megatron attempts to take control of using the alien golden disc. I saw this two-parter over the course of two Bank Holiday Mondays. I saw ‘Part 1’ as the second episode of a double bill over Spring Bank Holiday Monday in May 1999 and I saw ‘Part 2’ as the first episode of a double bill over August Bank Holiday Monday in 1999. It was very exciting for me to wait in-between the two episodes for the cliffhanger to be resolved. And this was all recorded on VHS for me via GMTV in the morning. ‘Other Visits’ was later released on an official VHS tape as well as on DVD and is currently available on YouTube for everyone to enjoy! Continue reading →

‘Beast Wars’ Review #27 – ‘Maximal, No More’

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Hello everyone! 🙂

Welcome to ‘Bradley’s Basement’ blog and I’m Tim Bradley!

Let’s return to another ‘Beast Wars: Transformers’ episode where we check out the Season 2 episode ‘Maximal, No More’. This is the fifth episode in Season 2 of ‘Beast Wars’ and it’s the fourth in the season. In the episode, Dinobot finds himself put to the test where he must decide whether he’s going to be a Maximal or a Predacon. He initially rejoins the Predacons, thinking Megatron will achieve a great victory in his agenda. But his loyalty is tested, especially when he’s made to destroy a Maximal comrade. Who could that be? 😀 I first saw ‘Maximal, No More’ as part of a double bill of episodes on Spring Bank Holiday Monday in May 1999. This was on GMTV early in the morning. The episode was later released on an official VHS tape as well as on DVD and is currently available on YouTube for everyone to see it. Is ‘Maximal, No More’ a great instalment in the ‘Beast Wars’ TV series featuring Dinobot as a Transformers character? Continue reading →

‘Beast Wars’ Review #26 – ‘Tangled Web’

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Hello everyone! 🙂

Welcome to ‘Bradley’s Basement’ blog and I’m Tim Bradley!

It’s the New Year and we’re continuing where we left off in Season 2 of ‘Beast Wars: Transformers’. Hopefully, I’ll have finished updating the rest of my ‘Beast Wars’ reviews by May. 🙂 Anyway, let’s check out, ‘Tangled Web’, the fourth episode in Season 2 of ‘Beast Wars’ and the third story in the season. In this episode, Tarantulas, Blackarachnia and Quickstrike are sent on a mission by their Predacon leader Megatron to build a refuelling station in a cavern full of Energon cubes. Rattrap and Silverbolt of the Maximals are sent to investigate a signal that leads them to Tarantulas, Blackarachnia and Quickstrike. I saw ‘Tangled Web’ after seeing ‘Part 2’ of ‘Coming of the Fuzors’ via GMTV on Early Bank Holiday Monday in May 1999. The episode was later released on an official VHS tape as well as on DVD and is currently available on YouTube for everyone to see it. Is ‘Tangled Web’ a worthwhile episode to check out in Season 2 of ‘Beast Wars’ or is it a fairly average filler episode? Continue reading →