Transformers How much can you they change??

[Hotwire]

Was this thread started by Yoda??? Just curious.

 

[DOG LIPS]

Yoda: Up shut the hell, you must.

 

[ragdus]

LOTR movies were far from spot on. That anyone would claim that it interesting at best. All of the Arwen stuff was contrived. Most of the Eowyn storyline was thrust upon her and taken away from other characters. No Shire scourging, both stories regarding the downfall of Saurumon (original and extended DVD versions)... etc.

But I agree the feeling of the book was mostly upheld and I love both the movies and book.

 

[xwolverine2]

the movies are perfect...

i have yet to see the extended stuff... and i only read one chapter from the two towers which was spot on in the movie.

 

[Hotwire]

the movies are perfect...

i have yet to see the extended stuff... and i only read one chapter from the two towers which was spot on in the movie.

He does have a point. I have read the full book (took forever!!!!!!!) A lot of things were left out. Somethings were changed. But ultimately, I loved the finished product.

 

[Boiiinng]

Comparing LOTR (a completely and carefully thought-out adaptation by 3+ writer/directors over 2.5 years of filming and production) to Transformers (a summer blockbuster action-flick by 2 adolescent writers and 1 high-octane sub-par substance director) is like comparing Chipotle to Taco Bell. Sure, they both taste good, but if you really want quality, you have to spend the proper preparation time.

 

[big D Evil]

He does have a point. I have read the full book (took forever!!!!!!!) A lot of things were left out. Somethings were changed. But ultimately, I loved the finished product.

You loved it because they captured the essence of the source material.
Bay has done this not... Yoda

 

[November Rain]

this thread title is like syphillis....only more damaging....

 

[roach]

You loved it because they captured the essence of the source material.
Bay has done this not... Yoda

sure because the essence of the source material can be conveyed in a few leaked pics

 

[big D Evil]

sure because the essence of the source material can be conveyed in a few leaked pics

And for the millionth time:
A script that coincides with the confirmed footage they are shooting AND the info that has been confirmed by Bay, Murphy etc, etc.....

 

[bunk]

Comparing LOTR (a completely and carefully thought-out adaptation by 3+ writer/directors over 2.5 years of filming and production) to Transformers (a summer blockbuster action-flick by 2 adolescent writers and 1 high-octane sub-par substance director) is like comparing Chipotle to Taco Bell. Sure, they both taste good, but if you really want quality, you have to spend the proper preparation time.

You're right, you can't compare making a film from a Tolkien masterpiece and a making a film from a cartoon about toys. I don't care who is writing a directing Transformers, nothing could elevate it to the level of LOTR, there's just has no basis for that.

 

[CFlash]

You're right, you can't compare making a film from a Tolkien masterpiece and a making a film from a cartoon about toys. I don't care who is writing a directing Transformers, nothing could elevate it to the level of LOTR, there's just has no basis for that.

Wiriting ability and prose aside, I've always thought Tolkien's LOTR wasn't all that great. I read the Hobbit and wasn't even able to finish Fellowship. I had probably read way too much before deciding to give Tolkien a chance (Bradbury, Le guinn, Lewis)... and I didn't think it compared favorably.

In any case, if you think about how some of the best movies- sci-fi or otherwise- come from the most simplistic of plots you'd see that Transformers need not be as cheesy or cheesier than the cartoon. Look at Terminator. Look at History of Violence. That's all people are saying.

 

[*Dead*End*]

I normally ignore misspellings, and grammar errors on message boards, because time is a gift, and getting upset over that makes no sense to me [for me], although I agree that this thread title just promotes a sour aftertaste of sorts, but back on topic . . .

. . . the way I personally look at this film to be is like another episode of the original G1 Transformers [mind You: an episode, not a season], about 20, or 22 minutes long. Given that perspective I know I am getting so much more on 7-4-2007.

To illustrate, like some of the early episodes [to those of You who are familliar] with characters like Chip, and Carly, and doomsday devices like the solar needle, ruby crystals, or Earth's core, and or the space bridge etc.

Megatron's fate in the draft-script could lead into something reminiscent of the submarine Decepticon base for the sequels possibly. I don't believe that I'm the only fan who sees enough similarities between say the cartoon, and this new movie, honestly I am very excited to wait, and see.

 

[DOG LIPS]

I would change the thread title, but I think it kind of adds to it's ...charm.





...

 

[CFlash]

I normally ignore misspellings, and grammar errors on message boards, because time is a gift, and getting upset over that makes no sense to me [for me], although I agree that this thread title just promotes a sour aftertaste of sorts, but back on topic . . .

. . . the way I personally look at this film to be is like another episode of the original G1 Transformers [mind You: an episode, not a season], about 20, or 22 minutes long. Given that perspective I know I am getting so much more on 7-4-2007.

To illustrate, like some of the early episodes [to those of You who are familliar] with characters like Chip, and Carly, and doomsday devices like the solar needle, ruby crystals, or Earth's core, and or the space bridge etc.

Megatron's fate in the draft-script could lead into something reminiscent of the submarine Decepticon base for the sequels possibly. I don't believe that I'm the only fan who sees enough similarities between say the cartoon, and this new movie, honestly I am very excited to wait, and see.

That's what I keep telling myself about X3... which I actually liked but NOT as a "final" movie.

Having said that, Bay and his neo-conservative leanings have GOT TO GO. The sequels should be about the Decepticons trying to harness Earth's fossil fuels. And I want to see something EPIC like them completely obliterating the United States Military. Big F***ing Robots could be everything Godzilla 98 wasn't, but should have been.

 

[GhostPoet]

How much can they change?


The evil Autobots crash land on Earth and the vile Optimus Prime is there for one reason...to kill all the humans and horde the energon. Meanwhile, the heroic Decepticons come to the rescue, putting an end to the Autobot menace and bringing Earth into a new age of peace and enlightenment.

 

[CFlash]

How much can they change?


The evil Autobots crash land on Earth and the vile Optimus Prime is there for one reason...to kill all the humans and horde the energon. Meanwhile, the heroic Decepticons come to the rescue, putting an end to the Autobot menace and bringing Earth into a new age of peace and enlightenment.

Or they can make Optimus Prime's Commanding Officer a stodgy old General named Leader-1 and rename Megatron Cy-Kill. It'd still be the same movie... Big F* Robots.

 

[Hotwire]

i welcome change to things that should be changed for the sake of a good movie

Saddly, many here fear change.

 

[CFlash]

Saddly, many here fear change.

No. We fear craptitude.
We all sat through Godzilla 98.

 

[Hotwire]

You loved it because they captured the essence of the source material.
Bay has done this not... Yoda

Do not presume to kow why I do or do not like something! I loved the movies because they were beautifully made. The attention to detail was phenomenal. And for the record, I read the book after seeing the movies.

 

[Hotwire]

I normally ignore misspellings, and grammar errors on message boards, because time is a gift, and getting upset over that makes no sense to me [for me], although I agree that this thread title just promotes a sour aftertaste of sorts, but back on topic . . .

. . . the way I personally look at this film to be is like another episode of the original G1 Transformers [mind You: an episode, not a season], about 20, or 22 minutes long. Given that perspective I know I am getting so much more on 7-4-2007.

To illustrate, like some of the early episodes [to those of You who are familliar] with characters like Chip, and Carly, and doomsday devices like the solar needle, ruby crystals, or Earth's core, and or the space bridge etc.

Megatron's fate in the draft-script could lead into something reminiscent of the submarine Decepticon base for the sequels possibly. I don't believe that I'm the only fan who sees enough similarities between say the cartoon, and this new movie, honestly I am very excited to wait, and see.

Well said, dude. Well said. But if we ignore the errors in grammar, it's only going to encourage them.

 

[The Guard]

TRANSFORMERS is not, in any way, shape or form, going to be GODZILLA 98. And, while we're on the subject of Godzilla..."scary"? I don't recall ever being scared by a Godzilla movie. But then I'm pretty jaded...

LORD OF THE RINGS is probably one of the best examples when talking about adapting any beloved source material to film. Because LOTR is quite possibly the most beloved fantasy series ever written, has spawned many lookalike series, and has inspired fantasy writers for decades. The movies were fantastic. They were, however, not perfect adaptions. They certainly were not perfectly faithful visually, or even storywise. Nevermind the change in structure, the visual changes to characters were not exactly minor in some aspects (Aragorn, the elves, etc). But like others have said, LOTR retains the spirit of Tolkien's mythology.

I don't think anyone's comparing LOTR to Transformers, or comparing them in terms of quality. People are simply using the LOTR film series to make a tired point: change happens, and it's not always bad.

Personally, I don't mind cosmetic changes when it comes to adapting comic book material, even considerably large ones...if they make sense in the context of the movie or the story (Often because said changes kick the crap out of the originals). I don't mind small character changes either, especially if they make sense in the context of the story (I.E, Tim Burton's Batman killed people). That doesn't mean I PREFER what's onscreen to the source material, it just means it doesn't ruin an adaption for me. To me, if a character retains at least a few major aspects of their identifiable characterization aspects, and the mythology resembles the basic mythology and hits all the right points, then I consider it a fairly decent adaption. Is TRANSFORMERS faithful? Like someone else said, that depends on your definition of faithful? If you live under a rock and expect writers and artists not to make creative changes when adapting any material, then you'll likely decide Transformers is not faithful. And that's your right. Bumblebee's not shorter than Jazz. Megatron has spikes. Starscream looks...different. There's not a battle over oil reserves. There are, however giant, shapechanging robots from the planet Cybertron who turn into vehicles with specific names, in some cases specific designs, and specific personalities, waging an interstellar war here on Earth against conquering legions of warlike robots, over energy resources with the aid of someone named Witwicky. The action sure sounds like the kind of action I remember from the show and comics, as do the character interactions. In short, it all sounds a hell of a lot like the Transformers mythos to me. I could care less if it doesn't look or sound exactly like it. Because it's a new take on the mythology.

 

[CFlash]

<snip drivel>There are, however giant, shapechanging robots from the planet Cybertron who turn into vehicles with specific names, in some cases specific designs, and specific personalities, waging an interstellar war here on Earth against conquering legions of warlike robots. I could care less if it doesn't look or sound exactly like it. Because it's a new take on the mythology.

You can substitute Cybertron with Gobotron and you have the same thing that you describe. On the other hand, a lot of the things that you dismiss were at the heart of that Transformers and it is what made it what it was.

 

[The Guard]

Fascinating. It's not "Gobotron", though. It's "Cybertron". Telling me they could have subbed it out changes nothing about what has happened (Hint for those who lack reading comprehension: the planet appears to be called Cybertron). Sure, if we removed all the names, characters, mythology points and anything else resembling Transformers lore, the movie wouldn't resemble it anymore. Wow. What an amazing point to bring up for no particular reason.

And frankly, no, if it was suddenly "Gobotron", you DON'T still have what I described. Because there are still SPECIFIC CHARACTERS and SPECIFIC CHARACTERIZATIONS (as in, the semi truck who leads the merry band is called "Optimus Prime" and has specific characteristics that we recognize about Optimus Prime) in the film that lend itself more to say, "Transformers" than say, "Generic Giant Robots We Can Distance Ourselves From Intellectually In Case The Movie Fails So We Can Say See I Told You So And Whine About How The Real Transformers Is Much Cooler".

I don't recall dismissing anything. Only making statements about changes to the mythology. And only one of the things that you claim I "dismissed" was actually anywhere near the "heart" of "that" Transformers, and that is the battle for oil reserves (or energy resources, which is in the movie anyway), which we may well see in TRANSFORMERS 2.

 

[Oerwinde]

I think he was referring to Gobots. Where giant, shapechanging robots from the planet Gobotron who turn into vehicles with specific names, in some cases specific designs, and specific personalities, wage an interstellar war here on Earth against conquering legions of warlike robots.

Same concept, yet generally considered a garbage series by most people. Transformers is more than just the bare bones.