Transformers What if the movie's not crap?

[nosebleed.]

Maybe some people are just a little more open minded than others?

I grew up watching Transformers....and I actually like the changes that are being done in this film.

All the Transformers look tougher, more alien. And the Decepticons look very sinister. Much more than their old G1 counter-parts.

Depends on what subject you're talking about. If you mean that people are more open minded to this particular movie then yeah...of course some people are more open minded. I feel that people who are for this movie, for the reasons that Transformers was nothing more than a cartoon, could be more open mnded about expanding the franchise to a more sci-fi/fantasy series with more epic scope than just pretty explosions and rotating camera shots.

As for the Decepticons looking blatantly evil...does that make it more realistic? In reality, when do evil factions actually look evil? The excuse of making this more than a 2 hour long toy commercial/live-action-cartoon is sort of defeated, to me, if they make the Decepticons and Autobots even more contrasted in their affiliation than the cartoon.

 

[gkokujin]

whats there to teach? when i was a kid i watched tv and if i saw something cool i watched it again.
when i saw a good comicbook in the stores i read it. whats there to teach?

you are not forcing it right?

do you have kids? if so would you let them watch just anything "they thought was cool"?

the substance of todays tv shows namely the dialogue is so much different from when i was a child.

 

[Stikmann]

Depends on what subject you're talking about. If you mean that people are more open minded to this particular movie then yeah...of course some people are more open minded. I feel that people who are for this movie, for the reasons that Transformers was nothing more than a cartoon, could be more open mnded about expanding the franchise to a more sci-fi/fantasy series with more epic scope than just pretty explosions and rotating camera shots.

As for the Decepticons looking blatantly evil...does that make it more realistic? In reality, when do evil factions actually look evil? The excuse of making this more than a 2 hour long toy commercial/live-action-cartoon is sort of defeated, to me, if they make the Decepticons and Autobots even more contrasted in their affiliation than the cartoon.

Hey, I can't speak for anyone else but I'm WAAAYY open minded about expanding the franchise (just didn't EXPECT it). When I heard way back that they were going to be making a live-action movie based on the TF's, I ran to my wife all geeked out and gitty. I was yelling, "THIS could be HUGE!!! This could be....like STAR WARS!!!! This could be the next really really big franchise!!". Then, as details started filtering out I though...Hm...well..okay...maybe not. I'm still very satisfied with what it appears to be. I doubt any TF fan is close minded about expanding the franchise. What fan wouldn't want an amazing epic that sets the standard? But judging by the history of the franchise, that would be expecting way to much. To me anyway. Is that low expectations? Maybe. But there's nothing in the past that would indicate that we should have high ones. To me, they look like they're being faithful (enough) to the original TF's that made me love them in the first place. That's all I could ask for. Although, I do admit, if I were a Starscream lover (I've never really cared for the character), I'd be a bit disappointed in his movie look. Looks a bit like Waspinator to me. I feel it's a shame that a lot of the fans feel burned. But again; Based on the history of the franchise, don't see why they'd expect anything of epic proportions.

 

[CFlash]

How could you possibly know now what her reaction would be to such a movie? You have no idea if 20 years from now she’ll look back and find some sort of deep meaning or connection to her childhood cartoons. Most people don’t. Not on the level as some of the fans here, anyway. That doesn’t mean that they don’t cherish them or remember them fondly.

If Spiderman had never been a comic book…if the character had been created and shown for the first time in Spiderman & His Amazing Friends, I’d have no problem whatsoever with M. Bay making a movie based on him. There was about the same level of “depth” there in that cartoon as in the original TF cartoons. I LOVED Spiderman & His Amazing Friends when I was a kid. But I don’t have any sort of emotional connection to it now as an adult. If he altered the character (from the cartoon), I’d probably think that it looks stupid or whatever but I wouldn’t be so militant and belligerent about it. The original property is still there. Still on dvd or in toy-form to enjoy whenever I want it. And if a new generation wants to enjoy the new version, who am I to try to stop that? Who am I to say “their” version is rubbish because it’s not exactly like “MY” version? As if I even have a version. We don’t own this property. It doesn’t matter how much time or money we may or may not have dumped into it…we don’t own it. They’re not desecrating the memory of my childhood dog in the movie... It’s not a personal attack. So many fans seem to believe they’re owed something. That’s something I don’t understand.

I’m not trying to argue with you or insult you in anyway. If you love the TF’s that much, more power to you. I’m just trying to say (going WAAAAYYYYY back to my original post) that I don’t think calling the movie TINO is all that justified. But hey, if that what some want to do, have at it!

You sure like to mischaracterize people. "Militant?" Come on now. Dude, I think you know more about Transformers than I do. I stopped watching after season 3.

"Most people?" "How would I know what my daughter would think 20 years from now?" You think ANYONE would love a 7foot Pikachu with a cool black and yellow flame-painted suit. You're nuts. You act like Transformers is alone in the universe of adaptations. This has happened before. Godzilla 98 is the ultimate example (there are many others).

Funny you bring up Spider-man and his Amazing Friends. I found Sam Raimi's interpretation of Spider-man, from ACTOR-CHOICE to whole-vibe to be very consistent with both Spider/Amazing Friends AND the 1970's cartoon (whose theme song he snuck into the movie). He managed to cover every base in a brilliant way. That's why his movie made over 1 billion (1 billion!) dollars while many other adaptation movies suffer or are happy to break even.

Why do some fans act the way they do? Well, for me personally, Transformers is possibly the ONLY movie next to Episode 1, that I have waited my whole life to see. I've always thought a serious adaptation of it could rival Terminator in sci-fi goodness. I don't want RobotJox... but I also don't want a movie that manages to be dumber, less relevant, cliched and hokey than an afterschool kid's cartoon. That's exactly what this movie seems to be.

 

[CFlash]

Hey, I can't speak for anyone else but I'm WAAAYY open minded about expanding the franchise (just didn't EXPECT it). When I heard way back that they were going to be making a live-action movie based on the TF's, I ran to my wife all geeked out and gitty. I was yelling, "THIS could be HUGE!!! This could be....like STAR WARS!!!! This could be the next really really big franchise!!". Then, as details started filtering out I though...Hm...well..okay...maybe not. I'm still very satisfied with what it appears to be. I doubt any TF fan is close minded about expanding the franchise. What fan wouldn't want an amazing epic that sets the standard? But judging by the history of the franchise, that would be expecting way to much. To me anyway. Is that low expectations? Maybe. But there's nothing in the past that would indicate that we should have high ones. To me, they look like they're being faithful (enough) to the original TF's that made me love them in the first place. That's all I could ask for. Although, I do admit, if I were a Starscream lover (I've never really cared for the character), I'd be a bit disappointed in his movie look. Looks a bit like Waspinator to me. I feel it's a shame that a lot of the fans feel burned. But again; Based on the history of the franchise, don't see why they'd expect anything of epic proportions.

I understand what you're saying... and I tend to agree. I think your last line there is key. I don't think there's anything particularly great about Spider-man's history. But like everyone else in the USA I grew up with him, used to wear his underoos..... and I was flabbergasted with the brilliant way he was brought to the big screen.

7 years ago, I could have told any LOTR geek the same exact thing as you say in your last sentence. Based on the history, the cartoons that had already been made, the abridged adapted novels etc, 80 Years of being ignored by pop culture. Why would they expect anything epic and well-made??? But, that's exactly what they got. Lucky bastards.

 

[CFlash]

Depends on what subject you're talking about. If you mean that people are more open minded to this particular movie then yeah...of course some people are more open minded. I feel that people who are for this movie, for the reasons that Transformers was nothing more than a cartoon, could be more open mnded about expanding the franchise to a more sci-fi/fantasy series with more epic scope than just pretty explosions and rotating camera shots.

As for the Decepticons looking blatantly evil...does that make it more realistic? In reality, when do evil factions actually look evil? The excuse of making this more than a 2 hour long toy commercial/live-action-cartoon is sort of defeated, to me, if they make the Decepticons and Autobots even more contrasted in their affiliation than the cartoon.

Dude, some people couldn't care less if it was a Gobots adaptation that was being made. As long as the name Autobots, Decepticons, Optimus Prime were in there. In fact, I don't know how anyone can look at the "evil looking" Decepticon monsters in this movie and NOT compare it to Gobots. That's 100% Gobots. The people you're arguing against just want to to see Big F*ing robots on the screen.

They're probably the same ones that wanted to see JUST a super-huge, green CGI lizard on the screen and were quite happy with what they got back in 98.

 

[Stikmann]

You sure like to mischaracterize people. "Militant?" Come on now. Dude, I think you know more about Transformers than I do. I stopped watching after season 3.

"Most people?" "How would I know what my daughter would think 20 years from now?" You think ANYONE would love a 7foot Pikachu with a cool black and yellow flame-painted suit. You're nuts. You act like Transformers is alone in the universe of adaptations. This has happened before. Godzilla 98 is the ultimate example (there are many others).

Funny you bring up Spider-man and his Amazing Friends. I found Sam Raimi's interpretation of Spider-man, from ACTOR-CHOICE to whole-vibe to be very consistent with both Spider/Amazing Friends AND the 1970's cartoon (whose theme song he snuck into the movie). He managed to cover every base in a brilliant way. That's why his movie made over 1 billion (1 billion!) dollars while many other adaptation movies suffer or are happy to break even.

Why do some fans act the way they do? Well, for me personally, Transformers is possibly the ONLY movie next to Episode 1, that I have waited my whole life to see. I've always thought a serious adaptation of it could rival Terminator in sci-fi goodness. I don't want RobotJox... but I also don't want a movie that manages to be dumber, less relevant, cliched and hokey than an afterschool kid's cartoon. That's exactly what this movie seems to be.

My point wasn't that your daughter might actually like a 7 foot Pikachu. My point is that most people move on from their childhood passions and told take them as seriously as adults. Clearly, some do (that's why I'm here)...but most don't. I guess I wasn't clear enough on that.

Also...yeah, I find many of the hardcore fans (not just of the TF's) to be quite militant in their beliefs. I forget if it was this board or another where someone said that the producers of this new movie were "raping thier childhood". C'mon! That's just crazy. (and no...I'm not suggesting you said or feel that way). But you're not new to these boards...I'd find it pretty surprising if you haven't come across fans of this nature. It didn't take me long to see examples of it.

I am curious though....you say that the movie seems to be dumber, less relevant, cliched and hokey than an afterschool kid's cartoon. How so? I haven't read the entire script...so if you have, you know more than me...so I have no idea. But if you're refering to the TF cartoons...how were they more relevant that the upcoming movie? I mean, couldn't some 8 or 9 year old walk into the theater and fall in love with Optimus Prime and or Bumblebee just as much as you did back when you were a kid? From what I can tell, the characters are at least as "deep" as they were in the old cartoons.

 

[Stikmann]

I understand what you're saying... and I tend to agree. I think your last line there is key. I don't think there's anything particularly great about Spider-man's history. But like everyone else in the USA I grew up with him, used to wear his underoos..... and I was flabbergasted with the brilliant way he was brought to the big screen.

7 years ago, I could have told any LOTR geek the same exact thing as you say in your last sentence. Based on the history, the cartoons that had already been made, the abridged adapted novels etc, 80 Years of being ignored by pop culture. Why would they expect anything epic and well-made??? But, that's exactly what they got. Lucky bastards.

Lucky indeed. That's the thing. If somehow the powers that be found a Peter Jackson-esque film maker that happened to have a passion for the TF's, we TF fans could have been just as lucky. But unfortunately, that didn't happen. I've never seen a Bay movie that I've actually liked...but I do like some of the visuals in his movies. So I'm hoping for some really good ones.

I don't think I'm looking for a Gobots movie with TF names though. I'm really liking how the Autobots look. I've always been an Autobot fan far more than a Decepticon one. Other than Starscream, the Deceps have almost all been interchangable (Not including Megatron, of course) to me. For me, the TF's have always been about the Autobots...they've always mattered more. Other than the fact that Bumblebee can't talk (which I do find annoying), the Autobot characters seem to hit pretty close to the mark with ones I grew up with.

 

[CFlash]

<snip>
I am curious though....you say that the movie seems to be dumber, less relevant, cliched and hokey than an afterschool kid's cartoon. How so? I haven't read the entire script...so if you have, you know more than me...so I have no idea. But if you're refering to the TF cartoons...how were they more relevant that the upcoming movie? I mean, couldn't some 8 or 9 year old walk into the theater and fall in love with Optimus Prime and or Bumblebee just as much as you did back when you were a kid? From what I can tell, the characters are at least as "deep" as they were in the old cartoons.

Transformers, was never about the "Search for Magic Thing." That's what Gobots was about. Heck, that's what He-man was about. While the Creation Matrix (original comic book) or Leadership Matrix (86 Movie) or AllSpark (later comic books) did play a part, Transformers was originally and its core ALL ABOUT the siphoning of Earth natural resources for Energon. Given what's going on in the world today, I find it absolutely incredible that they didn't pursue that storyline.

This movie has none of that. The plot device is simple... and, astonishingly, straight from Gobots. That comparison has been beaten to death... but it's true.

P.S.
That and I (on a personal level) can't f*ing stomach Bumblebee being a dumb souped up hot-rod. (or him towering over Jazz for that matter). It's so cliched.

The original writers could have made any of the hot-rod Autobots (there were more than a few) the Primary human liason character. Knight Rider was big at the time. So was Dukes, Starkey and Hutch, Automan, (all featured souped up muscle cars). But they chose the old bug from the previous decade. I think, for a reason. (edit: no I don't care that Move-BB is not a VW... he could have been a gazillion other cars too-- just not a pimpmobile). So, yes, Movie Bumblbee is more cliched (and thus dumber) than an afterschool cartoon from 1983.

 

[The Kid]

NO way.

Any parent who decides to introduce their children to classic cartoon characters through bad live action interpretations like space jam, should be shot.

 

[jdre_124]

They couldnt do that entire thing with the siphoning of Earth's natural resources otherwise we would have that garbage and controversy that 300 had with the current situation in Iraq. Except with less Persians

 

[CFlash]

They couldnt do that entire thing with the siphoning of Earth's natural resources otherwise we would have that garbage and controversy that 300 had with the current situation in Iraq. Except with less Persians

Funny. While watching 300 it was the Persians I attributed to George Bush and his administration- not the reverse. (not that I'm saying today's Islamic fundamentalists equal the noble Greeks.... although, come to think of it, the Spartans were kinda d-icks too)

Anyway, 300 is all kinds of great. Great great great. If this movie is half as good it will be an accomplishment on Bay's part.

 

[gkokujin]

the propaganda is winning.

I am starting to highly anticipate this movie.

 

[Anti-Moderator]

Great! You should go see it twice!!!

 

[Still A ThorFan]

What'll be the overall atmosphere around here if this movie isn't as it's predicted to be? What if it's awesome and kicks our asses? Will its detractors suck bay's- I mean, will some of you lot admit it?

This is a very good question and I'll be honest. In a perfect world the movie would be closer to the cartoon in any way possible but naturally that is not possible. I accept that. So, if the movie is simply good I will be happy and would love to see some sequels.

I never bad mouthed Bay like others have, my concern was just remaining as close to the cartoon as possible, but again I accept that won't or ever will happen with comic to film transitions.

 

[GhostPoet]

Depends on what subject you're talking about. If you mean that people are more open minded to this particular movie then yeah...of course some people are more open minded. I feel that people who are for this movie, for the reasons that Transformers was nothing more than a cartoon, could be more open mnded about expanding the franchise to a more sci-fi/fantasy series with more epic scope than just pretty explosions and rotating camera shots.

As for the Decepticons looking blatantly evil...does that make it more realistic? In reality, when do evil factions actually look evil? The excuse of making this more than a 2 hour long toy commercial/live-action-cartoon is sort of defeated, to me, if they make the Decepticons and Autobots even more contrasted in their affiliation than the cartoon.

I think the one thing that would break the film for me would be changes made to their personalities. That's the one thing that stays pretty consistant in all the different transformers spin-offs. You can change the looks all ya like...that's fine...that's what transformers is. "Change" But if the personaltiies change...then it's no longer Transformers. If you call a character Prime...he better act like it. The appearance can be altered as long as the character dynamics still exist.

 

[GhostPoet]

They couldnt do that entire thing with the siphoning of Earth's natural resources otherwise we would have that garbage and controversy that 300 had with the current situation in Iraq. Except with less Persians

Wow, I think people are reading too much into 300.

 

[GhostPoet]

Oh my.
I think my IQ just suddenly dropped below room tempature.......

 

[Dr Lee]

Can't someone please delete and Ban Spidey form this forum for the rest of time?