Transformers the Movie

**jebus** · 26/07/2007, 1:42 PM

Just saw Bohspartisan saying he was going to go see this at the weekend in the Simpsons movie thread and I'd just like to warn himself and any others interested in this movie to go in with very, very low expectations. It's not made for the fanboys of the 80s cartoon is all I'll say, well that and the robots look terrible, especially when fighting

**paul_oshea** · 26/07/2007, 1:48 PM

Transformers, robots in disguise.

**shakermaker1982** · 26/07/2007, 1:54 PM

Megan Fox is the major highlight!!!

**BohsPartisan** · 26/07/2007, 2:00 PM

Originally Posted by jebus

Just saw Bohspartisan saying he was going to go see this at the weekend in the Simpsons movie thread and I'd just like to warn himself and any others interested in this movie to go in with very, very low expectations. It's not made for the fanboys of the 80s cartoon is all I'll say, well that and the robots look terrible, especially when fighting

Really? Liked the look of the robots in the trailer I saw and in photos. I know someone who went to see it and liked and who like me was a fan of the cartoon (and the original animated Movie - which I hear could be the inspiration behind the sequel.) it so I will be very dissapointed if its not good. Was dissapointed that bumblebee is not to be a VW Beetle alright but am glad Bay didn't try to recreate authentic 80's Megatron. I mean he was this huge robot, bigger than starscreem but when he transformed he was this little gun he could fit in starscreem's hand.
Prime looks pretty good and its the same actor doing the voice!

"Autobots wage their battle to defeat the evil forces of...THE DECEPTICONS!"

**jebus** · 26/07/2007, 2:08 PM

Well it being a Michael Bay movie there is the spinning camera shot with the sun glaring in the background whilst the movie's couple realise they are in love, and the 'America is great' speech aswell

Stone and Parker had it right in Team America, how the **** this guy gets to keep making movies is beyond me. Transformers is passable, not a complete failure, but as a fan of the original series and movie I was very disappointed

**BohsPartisan** · 26/07/2007, 2:18 PM

I'll let you know what I think at the weekend.

**paul_oshea** · 26/07/2007, 2:46 PM

Well it being a Michael Bay movie there is the spinning camera shot with the sun glaring in the background whilst the movie's couple realise they are in love, and the 'America is great' speech aswell

Stone and Parker had it right in Team America, how the **** this guy gets to keep making movies is beyond me. Transformers is passable, not a complete failure, but as a fan of the original series and movie I was very disappointed

It seems like these guys just jump on the 80's remake bandwagon to make lots of money. They dont care about what they make, just so long as they pick a thing that was big in the 80's and then through it on the big screen ( sometimes again ) and it has no connection to the original and real thing. All in the name of cotton rectangle pieces.

**shakermaker1982** · 26/07/2007, 2:46 PM

I went to the preview last Saturday and would give it 2.5 stars out of 5. It's cheesy and dumb but was very disappointed in Megatron. The action sequences are fast, maybe Bay speeded it up so that the viewer cannot really get a good view of the robots.

**Neish** · 26/07/2007, 7:15 PM

Originally Posted by shakermaker1982

Megan Fox is the major highlight!!!

You mean this Megan fox?
http://static.zooomr.com/images/761264_6226c3d1e6_o.jpg
http://www.whosdatedwho.com/pictures/U3E4U1.jpg

Didn't know she was in that, she used to be on a show on Rte called Hope & Faith. Tasty

**Raheny Red** · 27/07/2007, 11:17 AM

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

Transformers, robots in disguise.

Transformers, robots in the skys - always thought that as a kid

**paul_oshea** · 27/07/2007, 11:21 AM

Transformers, robots in the skys - always thought that as a kid

that could make for a great thread red, things from songs etc that what you they meant till you read the lyrics or googled whatever. i have loads but cant think off hand!!

**BohsPartisan** · 29/07/2007, 6:44 PM

Originally Posted by jebus

It's not made for the fanboys of the 80s cartoon is all I'll say, well that and the robots look terrible, especially when fighting

Well Jebus, I have to say I couldn't disagree with you more. Transformers is an amazing movie (once you're not expecting a deep and meaningfull plot). The Robots were amazing. Definitely a satisfied fanboy of the 80's cartoon here and might I add any of my friends from those days (we all went to the cartoon movie together) I've spoken to love it too. Prime looked awesome. I'm baffled as to how anyone wouldn't like this.
In a sequel I'd like to se a bit more of the Decepticons though.
There were plenty of knowing "in" references for fanboys "You've failed me again Starscream" etc.
Won't spoil it for anyone who hasn't been but lets just say the final battle is one of the most action packed pieces of cinema you will ever see. Looking forward to the inevitable sequel. Actualy, looking forward to going to see it again during the week!
My reccomendation, screw The Simpsons, "If you only see one movie this summer" etc. etc.

**jebus** · 29/07/2007, 7:14 PM

In fairness outside of the Starscream line, and the ol' 'Autobots Role Out' I didn't see much that connected with the old TV show. There were far too little Autobots and Decepticons, Megatron looked terrible, Starscream wasn't Starscream and SPOILER: we've been told Cybertron is no more. Plus there was too much of the time spent on the humans

**BohsPartisan** · 29/07/2007, 9:31 PM

The movie wouldn't have worked if you didn't have strong human characters. You can't do in a live action movie what you can in a cartoon. Have you looked at the cartoon movie recently. While I love watching it, it really doesn't make any sense. There had to be a certain amount of reimagining but I think Bay got the balance right.
On the fanboy stuff, There was also the line "one shall stand one shall fall" which is right out of the cartoon movie. I don't know whats not to like.
It works as a movie, the fanboys are happy (100% of the ones I know) and Megan Fox is, well, a fox.
More than meets the eye.

The following is from the IMDB:

Producer Don Murphy decided, after listening to feedback from Transformers fans, to use the voices from the "Transformers" (1984) (and its spin-off The Transformers: The Movie (1986)). Veteran voice actors Peter Cullen and Frank Welker, who provided the voices for the iconic Transformer leaders Optimus Prime (Cullen) and Megatron (Welker), were auditioned personally by director Michael Bay, who feared that their aged voices would be noticeable. Cullen was confirmed to reprise his role, but Welker's voice had aged too much and besides didn't suit Megatron's new alien look, and so Hugo Weaving took the role of Megatron. However, Welker reprises his role as Megatron in Transformers: The Game (2007) (VG).

The fact that Bumblebee speaks through his radio is a nod to the Junkions in the animated movie, who learned to speak by, and spoke entirely in the style of, television Broadcasts and commercials.

When Sam is talking to Mikaela in the car he says "you're more than meets the eye," a nod to the toy line's slogan "more than meets the eye."

In terms of characterization all the Autobots in this film are based on their Generation One incarnations. However, their alternate modes have undergone modern interpretations and overhauls for a realistic portrayal in the live-action film; in particular, all their modes, except for Optimus Prime's Peterbilt truck and Barricade's Saleen S281E Ford Mustang, are now owned by General Motors as part of a tie-in deal.

The character of Arcee was included in the script, but poor fan reaction caused her to be cut out and replaced with Ironhide.

Megatron's classic alternate mode was a Walther P38 pistol, but Hasbro the owners, and official distributors of the toyline stated that they would not produce a gun of any kind for their characters (it's also illegal to make replica toy guns in several jurisdictions).

The Decepticon Soundwave was originally in the script, but was replaced with Blackout (who had originally been named Vortex, and later Incinerator). He is to appear in the film's sequel

According to Lorenzo di Bonaventura, working out the transformations was done with the help of a mathematical equation, which explained where each of the parts of the robot went when it become a vehicle.

When Bumblebee introduces himself to Sam and Mikaela, speaking through the radio, he plays the sound bite, "Across the immense gulf of space"; the voice is that of Orson Welles from his infamous 1939 radio broadcast "The War of the Worlds." Wells provided the voice of the planet devouring transformer named Unicron in _Transformers: The Movie, The (1986)_ which was Welles' final film performance.

The Transformers have been given a new design that reflects their alien origin. According to 'Lorenzo Di Bonaventura' , during the design process, Optimus Prime was designed in CGI in his classic boxy look (as seen in the 1984 series), but he looked "fake and silly." So now, heavily stressed in their looks are advanced kinematics, realistic engineering and thousands of body parts (which all move during transformations and produce a better impression of mass). The Transformers were created with a mix of groundbreaking computer-generated imagery (by Industrial Light and Magic) and ten close-up props (by KNB Effects). The props built include Optimus Prime's head, Bumblebee's robot mode, Megatron's legs and Blackout's feet.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0418279/trivia

**micls** · 29/07/2007, 10:38 PM

I thought it was great.....but didnt watch the original series. Entertaining, funny and well worth seeing imo

**Dodge** · 29/07/2007, 10:44 PM

Enjoyed it myself, as did missus. Wouldn't be a fanboy but have found memories of the TV series and a friend of mine is convinced the original Transformers movie is the greatest film of all time...

A few Bayisms in there but easily his best

**GavinZac** · 30/07/2007, 12:11 AM

Originally Posted by Dodge

is convinced the original Transformers movie is the greatest film of all time...

it is one of the. it even has eric idle, leonard nemoy and orson welles
1986 VERSION SPOILER: how many movies kill off the kids' hero after 20 minutes, and his successor not long after?

the new one was enjoyable, though as a massive geek i couldnt help but compare this rather shallow storyline to the one built up over years by the series/animated movie. there was a fair bit of hollywood to it aswell that had me thinking "damn it, bay's missed the point again" about halfway through but once the robots come more into play, most fans will be appeased, and i think kids/suffering girlfriends will enjoy themselves.

oh, and as someone pointed out elsewhere, "giant fighting space robots + megan fox = watchable, any day"

**tetsujin1979** · 30/07/2007, 9:42 AM

saw it on Friday night, and definitely enjoyed it
took a little too long for the giant space robots to make their presence felt, but once they came into it, the film took off
apart from a few lines that seemed out of character from optimus prime, they really did nail the original

after the twin disappointments of Spider-Man 3 and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Die Hard and Transformers have restored my faith in the summer blockbuster. For this year anyway