Transformers (Limited Edition 6-Movie Steelbook Collection): 4K UHD Review

While all the live-action Transformers films have previously been released on 4K UHD, this week Paramount delivered a beautiful new collection of the first six films, each in their own exclusively designed steelbook case and housed in a magnetically sealed case. The timing of this release of course aligns perfectly with next week’s theatrical release of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. Included in the 12-disk set are Transformers, Revenge of the Fallen, Dark of the Moon, Age of Extinction, The Last Knight and Bumblebee. Included are bonus content disks on Blu-ray. The features are available on 4K only, not Blu-ray.

The Transformers franchise has been a very mixed bag for me. While I love the first film and enjoyed Dark of the Moon and Bumblebee, I found the 2^nd, 4^th and 5^th films to be a total mess. You can read my review of the theatrical releases of Age of Extinction and The Last Knight. Still, Michael Bay has always been able to deliver an incredible looking film, which benefits from a 4K release. The Transformers saga is no exception.

Originally released back in 2017, I never got around to checking out the films in 4K. I still had each of the films on Blu-ray. Having given the entire series a refresher for the first time in years, my feelings on each installment have gone unchanged. One exception is that I feel Dark of the Moon is even better than I gave it credit for. Most notably for the action sequences which are truly impressive. Bumblebee took the series in a smaller yet more effective direction and wound up being probably the best Transformers film to date. It was also the first film not to be directed by Bay himself.

One of the things that I found most surprising is how well the CGI has held up over the past sixteen years from the original film. Technology is constantly advancing and things from just a few years ago don’t always hold up. That goes to show just how cutting edge these films were. Upscaled to 2160p with Dolby Vision and the details are even more impressive. While the visual effects improved over the course of the sequels, they still felt consistent. The Transformers films have always been a global event with the action taking place all over the world. Bay knows how to shoot his locations (and explosions). From the downtown action in the first and third films, to the desert locations throughout. The environments really pop in 4K.

The Dolby Atmos track is a major step-up to from 5.1 audio from the Blu-rays. The Transformers films have a very recognizable audio style when it comes to not just the score, but also the robot transformations. While the 5.1 audio did the job, the Atmos track simply ads to it. While the sequels got worse as they went along in terms of the story (or lack of story) the, visual and audio components were always getting better. You could say the same with the 4K releases of the films.

If you are a fan of the Transformers franchise and don’t already own the films in 4K, this set is sure to make you happy.

TRANSFORMERS

Disc 1 – 4K Ultra HD

• Feature Film
• Commentary by director Michael Bay

Disc 2 – Blu-ray

• Our World
• Their War
• More Than Meets The Eye

TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN

Disc 1 – 4K Ultra HD

• Feature Film
• Commentary by Michael Bay, Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman

Disc 2 – Blu-ray

• The Human Factor: Exacting Revenge of the Fallen
• A Day with Bay: Tokyo
• 25 Years of TRANSFORMERS
• NEST: TRANSFORMER Data Hub
• Deconstructing Visual Bayhem
• Deleted/Alternate Scenes
• The AllSpark Experiment
• Giant Effing Movie
• Linkin Park – New Divide
• The Matrix of Marketing

TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON

Disc 1 – 4K Ultra HD

• Feature Film

Disc 2 – Blu-ray

• Above and Beyond: Exploring Dark of the Moon
• Uncharted Territory: NASA’s Future Then and Now
• Deconstructing Chicago: Multi-Angle Sequences
• The Art of Cybertron
• The Dark of the Moon Archive
• The Matrix of Marketing

TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION

Disc 1 – 4K Ultra HD

• Feature Film

Disc 2 – Blu-ray

• Bay on Action
• Evolution Within Extinction—The Making of TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION
• Just Another Giant Effin’ Movie
• A Spark of Design
• T.J. Miller: Farm Hippie
• Trailers

TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KNIGHT

Disc 1 – 4K Ultra HD

• Feature Film

Disc 2 – Blu-ray

• Merging Mythologies
• Climbing the Ranks
• The Royal Treatment: TRANSFORMERS in the UK
• Motors and Magic
• Alien Landscape: Cybertron
• One More Giant Effin’ Movie

BUMBLEBEE

Disc 1 – 4K Ultra HD

• Feature Film

Disc 2 – Blu-ray

• Feature Film
• Sector 7 Archive
• Deleted and Extended Scenes
• Outtakes
• Bee Vision: The TRANSFORMERS Robots of Cybertron
• Bringing BUMBLEBEE to the Big Screen

By: Marc Ferman