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Obi Wan's Ghost · Sep 3, 2006, 12:39 PM

Can you believe that Bumblebee isn't a VW Beetle anymore? He's a Camaro!

Starscream is still around, Optimus Prime is still around too. BUT they got rid of Soundwave

!!!!!!! and no matter how hard I look I can't find any reference to Megatron in any of the interviews, leaks and previews!

Chuckit · Sep 3, 2006, 01:07 PM

You didn't see this coming?

Obi Wan's Ghost · Sep 3, 2006, 01:15 PM

Originally Posted by Chuckit

You didn't see this coming?

No

Bumblebee being a Camaro makes no sense. There are still VW Beetles being made.

And Soundwave could have been a games console or iPod Hifi or something like that.

Oversoul · Sep 3, 2006, 01:18 PM

The complaints don't stop there. Have you seen what the concept art for the movie look like?

Megatron

Toy Prototype Images

Coming from Michael Bay, did you expect anything less?

Lateralus · Sep 3, 2006, 01:31 PM

Originally Posted by Oversoul

Megatron

the_glassman · Sep 3, 2006, 01:35 PM

Jazz is now a freaking Pontiac Solstice! It's going to be like on large GM commercial.

turtle777 · Sep 3, 2006, 01:49 PM

Glad I'm not a fan.

-t

Obi Wan's Ghost · Sep 3, 2006, 02:58 PM

Originally Posted by Oversoul

The complaints don't stop there. Have you seen what the concept art for the movie look like?

Megatron

Toy Prototype Images

Coming from Michael Bay, did you expect anything less?

What happened to all the clean lines? Can the toys even TRANSFORM anymore? It looks like they don't. Looks like they are action figures with lots of metal bits hanging off them.

MindFad · Sep 3, 2006, 03:06 PM

For all the bots that don't appear, that's obviously what sequels are for.

Obi Wan's Ghost · Sep 3, 2006, 03:21 PM

Originally Posted by MindFad

For all the bots that don't appear, that's obviously what sequels are for.

I want time travel in the sequel. The Dinobots go back in time to fight real dinosaurs. They make the dinosaurs extinct.

Dark Helmet · Sep 3, 2006, 03:32 PM

I think they all look really tight! They are all great redesigns.

Ghoser777 · Sep 4, 2006, 12:05 AM

Nooooooo!™

- - e r i k - - · Sep 4, 2006, 02:00 AM

Oh Noes! My childhood!

Seriously. It's Transformers. It's not like someone did a techno remix of Beethoven or anything.

IceEnclosure · Sep 4, 2006, 02:11 AM

Originally Posted by - - e r i k - -

It's not like someone did a techno remix of Beethoven or anything.

and if they did, it would probably be a big hit in Europe, with billions of dollars in sales of ringtones too.

- - e r i k - - · Sep 4, 2006, 02:14 AM

True dat™

Obi Wan's Ghost · Sep 4, 2006, 04:27 AM

Stop that trademark thing™

ajprice · Sep 4, 2006, 04:59 AM

I'm as much of an original Transformers fan as anyone, but the old transformers in a new film it was never likely to happen. Megatron as a handgun got changed ages ago because people suddenly thought it wouldn't be a good idea to have toys that look like guns. Apparently the Transformers fanbase refused to give anything away about the original Transformers designs to Bay and Co., so the designs are new.

Bumblebee isn't a Beetle because VW Group didn't want any of their products to feature in or promote a film about war. Yes there is a lot of GM metal in the film, but there is a Decepticon Ford Mustang police car, and probably other non GM cars. Product placement is unfortunately a part of modern films (the new Bond film is a great big game of 'Spot the Sony and Sony Ericsson product').

I think the new designs need a bit more time and to see more pictures for them to sink in for me, they look cool, but at the minute there's not much of a Transformers look to them, and a lot of Terminator/Predator/Alien style, all very intricate, technical and spiny looking. They might grow on me though.

SirCastor · Sep 4, 2006, 05:01 AM

It's been mentioned many times that this Transformers is not G1, it's not Beast Wars, it's not Beast Machines, It's not Cybertron, it's not Armada, it's not any of those. It's... well, I think it's messed up, if it's any consolation, I stumbled across this prop image that claims to be bumblebee...

ajprice · Sep 4, 2006, 05:41 AM

SirCastor, yes that's Bumblebee, here he/it is standing up.

Link

Obi Wan's Ghost · Sep 4, 2006, 05:57 AM

Originally Posted by ajprice

SirCastor, yes that's Bumblebee, here he/it is standing up.

Link

They all look like ugly robot insectoids now

lavar78 · Sep 4, 2006, 06:41 AM

More importantly, a special edition 2-disc DVD of Transformers: The Movie will be released in November to celebrate its 20th (!) anniversary. Widescreen!

Mediaman_12 · Sep 4, 2006, 06:56 AM

What the hell! The robot on them Citroën ad's looks more like a 'Transformer' than these things. If the robot isn't going to have obvious 'car bits' then you may as well have them 'morphing' from one to the other like the thing in T2.

Mediaman_12 · Sep 4, 2006, 06:56 AM

:dp:

Obi Wan's Ghost · Sep 4, 2006, 08:29 AM

Originally Posted by Mediaman_12

What the hell! The robot on them Citroën ad's looks more like a 'Transformer' than these things. If the robot isn't going to have obvious 'car bits' then you may as well have them 'morphing' from one to the other like the thing in T2.

The guy who made the Citroen ads is making Halo

Adam Betts · Sep 4, 2006, 08:50 AM

Michael Bay is one of a hack director and this is coming from someone who enjoyed his early works (The Rock, Armageddon and Bad Boys.)

Bay's recent films are nothing but horrible. I have very little faith in this movie other than visual dept.

Obi Wan's Ghost · Sep 4, 2006, 09:07 AM

There's a write up of lots of on set stuff at AICN right now.

demograph68 · Sep 4, 2006, 09:14 AM

Originally Posted by Adam Betts

Michael Bay is one of a hack director and this is coming from someone who enjoyed his early works (The Rock, Armageddon and Bad Boys.)

Oh why Adam? Why?!?

Wiskedjak · Sep 4, 2006, 10:23 AM

Flickr pool of pics from the set:
Flickr: The Transformers Movie Pool

lavar78 · Sep 4, 2006, 10:45 AM

Originally Posted by demograph68

Oh why Adam? Why?!?

SirCastor · Sep 4, 2006, 10:54 AM

BTW, did any expect that they would actually get this right? Seriously, this is 2006 (2007 when the thing comes out.) I'm pretty sure it's against the law to bring something back from the proverbial dead unless you're going to completely screw it up.

For anyone who missed it

Rev-O · Sep 4, 2006, 01:14 PM

I may actually go see this movie just to watch the transformations and the mecha action. The designs actually have my interest. I actually thought transformers were completely idiotic when they came out, so I have zero fond memories of them (although I do like the Dino-bots).
I am sympathetic to the outrage going on here though. I can imagine if they took a show that I had very fond memories of and ruined it with a hack job crap fest of a movie, just like they did with Mission Impossible.

lavar78 · Sep 4, 2006, 01:27 PM

Originally Posted by Rev-O

I actually thought transformers were completely idiotic when they came out, so I have zero fond memories of them (although I do like the Dino-bots).

You can't be serious!? I can understand not liking the cartoon, but not liking one of the most brilliant concepts in the history of toys? That's amazing!

Obi Wan's Ghost · Sep 4, 2006, 01:42 PM

Originally Posted by lavar78

You can't be serious!? I can understand not liking the cartoon, but not liking one of the most brilliant concepts in the history of toys? That's amazing!

The toys back then where made out of die-cast metal. They were AWESOME in a way I can't describe. So were the Star Wars, GI Joe and He-man toys of the early 80s. I really can't express how sorry I feel for children today because their toys are crap.

At least they have better console gaming and internet

Rev-O · Sep 4, 2006, 05:49 PM

Originally Posted by lavar78

You can't be serious!? I can understand not liking the cartoon, but not liking one of the most brilliant concepts in the history of toys? That's amazing!

If they made a Transformer named Keg-o-tron that probably would have captivated me at the time the transformers first hit the market, because I was developing a fondness for beer at that time

I was a bit too old for transformers. I was aware of them, and looked at them in toy stores because I thought the concept was kinda nifty, but the exectution I thought poor. I consider them to be one of the most brilliant concepts in misleading packaging. The cardboard would have an awesome action picture of this impressive robot, but when you opened it up and played with it, you had a choice between a lame looking (insert vehicle here) or a robot with about 4 points of articulation. At least the dino-bots were dinosaurs, which makes them cool, but changing a dino-bot from dino to bot yields the same lame idiotic looking robot with a couple points of articulation.

lavar78 · Sep 4, 2006, 05:59 PM

Originally Posted by Rev-O

If they made a Transformer named Keg-o-tron that probably would have captivated me at the time the transformers first hit the market, because I was developing a fondness for beer at that time

I was a bit too old for transformers.

OK, I guess you get a pass, old man.

I was aware of them, and looked at them in toy stores because I thought the concept was kinda nifty, but the exectution I thought poor. I consider them to be one of the most brilliant concepts in misleading packaging. The cardboard would have an awesome action picture of this impressive robot, but when you opened it up and played with it, you had a choice between a lame looking (insert vehicle here) or a robot with about 4 points of articulation. At least the dino-bots were dinosaurs, which makes them cool, but changing a dino-bot from dino to bot yields the same lame idiotic looking robot with a couple points of articulation.

I'll give you that the robots weren't the best-looking things (but it was the early '80s!). OTOH, I don't see what was lame about the vehicles at all. They still look great to me. I thought they made the correct choice to make the vehicle look as realistic as possible at the expense of the robot form. Hell, most of their disguise forms were perfect (Megatron first and foremost).

Adam Betts · Sep 4, 2006, 06:35 PM

Originally Posted by demograph68

Oh why Adam? Why?!?

I know Armageddon is so over the top but it does have some original entertainment. I love Bay's cinematography for those three films. It got old fast after that though.

SirCastor · Sep 4, 2006, 06:37 PM

Originally Posted by Rev-O

If they made a Transformer named Keg-o-tron that probably would have captivated me at the time the transformers first hit the market, because I was developing a fondness for beer at that time

I was a bit too old for transformers. I was aware of them, and looked at them in toy stores because I thought the concept was kinda nifty, but the exectution I thought poor. I consider them to be one of the most brilliant concepts in misleading packaging. The cardboard would have an awesome action picture of this impressive robot, but when you opened it up and played with it, you had a choice between a lame looking (insert vehicle here) or a robot with about 4 points of articulation. At least the dino-bots were dinosaurs, which makes them cool, but changing a dino-bot from dino to bot yields the same lame idiotic looking robot with a couple points of articulation.

Oh man, you should have seen Action Masters. It was a Transformer line that came out at the end of the 1st generation. Transformers that didn't transform. They were really just posable cartoon action figures.

Beastwars toys which came a few years later generally had 9-16 points of articulation. They were pretty cool once the show got rolling.

olePigeon · Sep 4, 2006, 07:06 PM

I heard Optimus Prime is an Dodge Ram and the Constructicons are voiced by The Village People.

RAILhead · Sep 4, 2006, 07:13 PM

The ONLY thing I can think of regarding the design, is that *maybe* if you were to actually try and take a car, guts and all, and turn it into a robot, it would end up looking similar to the concept drawings. I mean, the various panels, framing, etc.

I don't know.

I'm grasping at straws.

Jazz should be a Porsche.

Dakar · Sep 5, 2006, 07:09 AM

I've been following this for some time, and let me tell you, the more that I know, the less that I like it. Right now the only real positive I can think of is that the Original Optimus Prime will be voicing said character, and that they're trying to get the original Megatron as well.

Otherwise, **** GM, **** anime Megatron, and Bumblebee & Jazz have modern equivalents to their models, USE THEM.

Eug · Sep 5, 2006, 07:21 AM

Originally Posted by IceEnclosure

and if they did, it would probably be a big hit in Europe, with billions of dollars in sales of ringtones too.

mitchell_pgh · Sep 5, 2006, 07:58 AM

It's simply unfortunate that directors and writers fancy themselves revisionists of fantastic stories.

I'm happy to see updates (yes, it is the 2000's so they shouldn't be mimicking vehicles from over 20 years ago), but that doesn't give them license to change the fundamental story. If a car was a beetle back then, it should be a 2006 beetle for the movie.

How frustrating. Next thing you know, they won't transform, they will be fighting the government from terrorists, you won't recognize any of the characters, and they will be defending the earth from a giant meteor!

Eug · Sep 5, 2006, 08:29 AM

Originally Posted by mitchell_pgh

It's simply unfortunate that directors and writers fancy themselves revisionists of fantastic stories.

I'm happy to see updates (yes, it is the 2000's so they shouldn't be mimicking vehicles from over 20 years ago), but that doesn't give them license to change the fundamental story. If a car was a beetle back then, it should be a 2006 beetle for the movie.

How frustrating. Next thing you know, they won't transform, they will be fighting the government from terrorists, you won't recognize any of the characters, and they will be defending the earth from a giant meteor!

If this movie were aimed at only the hardcore Transformers fans, then it would never get made at all.

Landos Mustache · Sep 5, 2006, 09:26 AM

I really don't see the problem. I have TONS and TONS of transformers and they were my favorite toys as a kid. When I saw the transformers movie I was blown away by the redesigns and loved them after the shock wore off.

When I grew out of the toys I noticed the later ones were pretty cheesy as they were gaudy colours and all had water guns attached to their arms.

The later TV show were they were a small number of dinosaurs/rino's/aps was alright but it felt like too much of a departure as there was no humans in it and rather repetitive.

I don't know how else they could have re-designed them to make them more modern without freaking people out.

I mean notice the size issues in the TV show? Megatron was a huge robot that when he became a gun shrunk by 80%, same goes for Soundwave and many others.

In this movie if Bubblebee was still an old VW bug 95% of kids/teens would think the following...

Bubblebee:
1) Why is he an olden day car?
2) Is a Mexican driving him?
3) Why is he so slow with a loud engine?

Shockwave:
1) What is a walkman?

Megatron:
1) Why is he a gun that can't do anything special? All the other transformers have guns anyway.

I think they did the best they could with the redesigns. Megatron looks absolutely scary and bad ass and I never thought I would be happy with any redesign again. The amount of detail in all of them is astounding considering many are full size anamatronic robots and CG.

Now I am no Michael Bay fan as Armageddon, The Rock were ass films that were takey and overly patriotic.

I did however LOVE the action scenes in The Island. The car chaise with those train wheels falling off is the coolest car chaise I have ever seen. Yes the movie was still sorta corny but it was what it was and I am not sure anyone could have done much better with the same script.

Now when Michael was approached with Transformers he wasn't totally interested until he decided that if he did it the movie would try to be realistic much as the last Batman movie was.

Meaning it would no longer be a kids movie with robots running around saving/destroying earth. He wants to make it feel as if it is believable which Batman Begins did especially compared to the previous ones.

Now the movie is going to get a fair share of bitching because they now have a Plazma TV and iPod transformer but at the time a Walkman must have seemed just as odd.

I am not too concerned about the script as long as the action is cool and the movie looks good. I mean when you come down to it is a bunch of robots from another planet running around shooting each other so I don't know what else one can be looking for.