Topic: New Transformers Article

[bustin98]

http://www.aint-it-cool-news.com/display.cgi?id=23105



Now I'm really excited to see this movie.

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Cool beans

[TerraEsperZ]

Not to sound cynical, but seeing your response to the Neo G1/Redux Astrotrain from the previous board, I would have pegged you as being against anything that went against the old cartoon/comic, and it sounds like the new movie is a complete reimagining of the Transformers concept. Me, I'm really eager to see something *different* for once, which we haven't seen since Beast Wars and Beast Machines. Which is a shame when you consider that the franchise is centered around the idea of *change*.



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"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably." [...] The first time any man's freedom is trodden on, we're all damaged. - Captain Jean-Luc Picard



B*tch, meet reality. Reality, meet b*tch. - Me

[bustin98]

Its really only cartoons that I feel any sort of protection over. I have given up on movies retaining any amount of the original story long ago. Too many comic book movies have come and gone for that.



I saw the new Soundwave on the shelf the other day. Stealth bomber. I wish I had the money to pick it up, looks pretty cool.

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Cool beans

[TerraEsperZ]

There might be hope for you yet lad !



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"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably." [...] The first time any man's freedom is trodden on, we're all damaged. - Captain Jean-Luc Picard



B*tch, meet reality. Reality, meet b*tch. - Me

[JonLeung]

I can accept the fact that they're "more angular" (though with some exceptions, I don't think most of the cartoon characters really were), but I find it odd that there's supposedly not much red on Optimus.



It may be a design idea and far from finalized, but in just about every version of non-Beast Wars Transformers, Optimus Prime has always been mostly red.  It's iconic...it'd be like if Superman or Spider-Man didn't have red (Man In Black Superman and Symbiote Suit Spider-Man are exceptions for particular times, of course).

[TerraEsperZ]

I think it's safe to expect the movie designs to be extremely divorced from their toy inspiration since Hasbro has little to no say in the matter.



It's like any movie based on a cartoon, comic or game; the director ultimately does what he wants. If he's a fan of the original material or thinks it will sell better based on recognition, he's go for a more faithful adaptation. Otherwise he'll do what he wants and just slap on the name as an afterthought. Which is what risks happening with the movie.



Now, despite how negative that seemed I'm still eager to see the movie, if only to finally see a truely original take on the Transformers concept, but even if it ends up being a truely rotten film with no redeeming qualities, it won't affect my memories of my enjoyment of the current comics.



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"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably." [...] The first time any man's freedom is trodden on, we're all damaged. - Captain Jean-Luc Picard



B*tch, meet reality. Reality, meet b*tch. - Me

[JonLeung]

There will at least be giant transforming robots (though without mass-shifting, I guess no more "giant" than a vehicle "unfolded" and standing upright would be) and those robots will be fighting.  On the big screen.  That alone is awesome.  Because it has the Transformers name attached to it, I don't think it's too much to ask that Optimus be red.  Honestly.

[TerraEsperZ]

Considering the possible yet unconfirmed cast of Transformers and their alt-modes that was uncovered not long ago, having Prime red is the least of the movie's problems.



Here is what was said (still unconfirmed, but apparently fits well with what was found by the guy from AICN who visited Michael Bay):



AUTOBOTS



Optimus Prime (semi)

Ratchet (ambulance, not an emergency vehicle or firetruck)

Ironhide (pickup truck)

Jazz (sports car)

Bumblebee (Chevrolet Camaro, possibly a '70s/'80s model)



DECEPTICONS



Megatron (tank, presumably)

Starscream (F-22)

Vortex (helicopter)

Soundwave (bastard version - a.k.a Kennywave)

Scorponok (minion)

Brawl (police car)

Devestator (tank)

Bonecrusher (Mine clearing vehicle)



And the thread at http://www.transformerslive.com/board/showthread.php?t=2783 is where I found this and it contains numerous links to the sources of ths info. Suspect, but if true things are definitely going to be different.



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"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably." [...] The first time any man's freedom is trodden on, we're all damaged. - Captain Jean-Luc Picard



B*tch, meet reality. Reality, meet b*tch. - Me

[JonLeung]

Though Bumblebee really should be a VW bug, old or new, I guess the Autobots are overall okay.  Not so sure why Bumblebee is so specific...I don't follow car models like most guys, oddly, so I have no idea what a Camaro is, at least not by memory.



I figured Megatron should be a tank, he could at least still kind of resemble his G1 cartoon Megatron form, aside from tank treads.  Or he could be like the G2 comic/toy form which was a tank, just not brightly coloured.  Of course there have been many different forms of Decepticon leaders named Megatron (so is therefore less iconic) and Bay may be out to do his own thing but hopefully the voice and personality scream "Megatron" no matter what he looks like.



I guess it's too early for full confirmation of anything, but at the moment the list isn't consistently decriptive.  What do they mean by "bastard version - Kennywave"?  Why is Scorponok just a "minion", and even if so, can't they just say "scorpion", which was pretty much mentioned outright in the Aint-It-Cool-News report on one animatic sequence?  How is an ambulance not an emergency vehicle, or is this some kind of semantics thing?  Why is a police car a Decepticon?  Why two Decepticon tanks?  If there are to be similar forms they should've had another jet which could've been Thundercracker and/or Skywarp.  And another gripe, wasn't Bonecrusher one of the Constructicons which made up Devastator?  That may be a minor one, even if Devastator is as great as he's always made out to be, but Bonecrusher as a mine-clearing vehicle...what exactly is a mine-clearing vehicle and why is it that?  Are they expecting a lot of land mines in this movie?



The Autobots aren't too bad, like I said, but they have more Decepticons and they've taken more liberty with them.  I certainly hope that I like Starscream and Soundwave, because they have personalities (yes, even "unchrasamatic" Soundwave) that are memorable.



You may begin your "OMG G1 IS OVERRATED STOP WEARING THOSE G1 TINTED GLASSES G1 ANIMATION MAKES ME PUKE" retort/rant now, Terra.

[TerraEsperZ]

Ah, come on, I'm not that bad, am I ?



Seriously, in this case, I'm realy anticipating a big transforming robots movie, not really a Transformers one. It's clear that fundamental differences are going to be there, such as Brawl being a police car instead of a tank, and Devastator beign a robot on his own instead of a fusion of all 6 constructicons. As for Soundwave or should I say Kennywave (WTF?), rumors are that he might be made to turn into a cassette player or something similar without changing size. Who knows what that means (giant cassette player? mini-soundwave?).



And despite finding the old cartoon really childish in execution, I still really like their characterization and prefer them over those of the old comic for the most part. It's just that as with everything, some people are incapable of accepting changes, even when it's a good thing. You have any idea how many people hated Beast Wars because it featured biological animal alt-modes, without even caring about the writing, the great voice cast or the countless G1 hommages? Nostalgia is not bad, as long as you can refrain from losing all objectivity over it. I find Transformers: The Movie really entertaining and great fun with a bitching soundtrack, but objectively it was a really messy movie with cheesy music that was evidently aimed at introducing as many new toys as possible. See, balancing the two is possible



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"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably." [...] The first time any man's freedom is trodden on, we're all damaged. - Captain Jean-Luc Picard



B*tch, meet reality. Reality, meet b*tch. - Me