TRANSFORMERS - Trailer Out Now.

[Tyrant]

   The lovely thing about this movie is that Pak and I will probably deluge ourselves with TF cartoons and the movie before we go see it, and the movie will STILL rock because it's so different.

    Anyone else going to go postal during the movie when Optimus speaks for the first time?  I'm so excited.

   *leaks tremendous amounts of fan-girl energy onto this thread*

[sarcasm_made_Easy]

i thought it was REALLY Adam's, if you know what i mean.  It really seemed like his point of view. and since he had written the first draft it seemed to me almost like a good bye

[Andrew1911]

The money shot is a Transformer walking over a little girl. Yep. It's shit.

That's not a nice thing to call a little girl.

... Wha?

Seriously though, fanboys need to calm down. "We've only seen a split second, or concept art, or brief glimpses, or snapshots of any given transformer, and we hate them all! Boycot this movie until we get an Optimus that looks like a Megazord!"

I will reserve judgment until, you know, the movie comes out and such, and I've actually seen it. Can't wait.

... The hell? I'm not a fanboy of Transformers. I just hate Michael Bay. I like Transformers. From what I've seen of the concepts and script, it's going to be shit. Michael Bay has a nasty habit of turning good scripts into awful movies. The trailer has an extremely serious vibe. Far from what the original show was about.

[torgosPizza]

... The hell? I'm not a fanboy of Transformers. I just hate Michael Bay. I like Transformers. From what I've seen of the concepts and script, it's going to be shit. Michael Bay has a nasty habit of turning good scripts into awful movies. The trailer has an extremely serious vibe. Far from what the original show was about.

I wasn't calling you a fanboy per se, but your comments seem to echo that of many die-hard Gen1 fanatics. My apologies.

However you can't judge anything on the script; every script that's been reviewed has been an early draft. I only know this because for a while I was keeping tabs. Unfortunately a lot of scripts end up getting changed during production anyway - there are people whose full-time job is to keep track of any changes and to go back-and-forth through the script to make sure they don't destroy continuity. Which sometimes, still happens despite their best effort.

I completely agree with you though that Bay has a habit of making shite. This is not news. But usually when Spielberg has a say in things the results are much more formidable. I'm not too sure about your opinion of the show not being serious - sure it was a cartoon, but like most cartoons they always find a way of making serious observations about our world while being entertaining at the same time.

And I think that it's okay if the vibe of the movie differs from the cartoon. I'm grown up now, I can handle serious movies, and I tend to like the ones that are serious but don't take themselves "too seriously," if you know what I mean. I know it's a cliche argument at this point, but if people want a movie that's 100% true to the movie... well, it was already made, in 1986, and just came out on a sweet special edition DVD. One I must pick up STILL, if you can believe that.

[sarcasm_made_Easy]

well as long as megatron can still turn into a handgun proving that hand guns truly are evil.  after all that is clearly the message they were trying to get across. 

[kodiakthejuggler]

... The hell? I'm not a fanboy of Transformers. I just hate Michael Bay. I like Transformers. From what I've seen of the concepts and script, it's going to be shit. Michael Bay has a nasty habit of turning good scripts into awful movies. The trailer has an extremely serious vibe. Far from what the original show was about.

I wasn't calling you a fanboy per se, but your comments seem to echo that of many die-hard Gen1 fanatics. My apologies.

However you can't judge anything on the script; every script that's been reviewed has been an early draft. I only know this because for a while I was keeping tabs. Unfortunately a lot of scripts end up getting changed during production anyway - there are people whose full-time job is to keep track of any changes and to go back-and-forth through the script to make sure they don't destroy continuity. Which sometimes, still happens despite their best effort.

I completely agree with you though that Bay has a habit of making shite. This is not news. But usually when Spielberg has a say in things the results are much more formidable. I'm not too sure about your opinion of the show not being serious - sure it was a cartoon, but like most cartoons they always find a way of making serious observations about our world while being entertaining at the same time.

And I think that it's okay if the vibe of the movie differs from the cartoon. I'm grown up now, I can handle serious movies, and I tend to like the ones that are serious but don't take themselves "too seriously," if you know what I mean. I know it's a cliche argument at this point, but if people want a movie that's 100% true to the movie... well, it was already made, in 1986, and just came out on a sweet special edition DVD. One I must pick up STILL, if you can believe that.

All seriousness aside, we're talking about a movie that features alien robots that transform themselves into vehicles and such to appear normal to human eyes. A movie that's based on a cartoon for kids created to help sell toys. We have to look at this movie from the perspective of a child. Personally, I'm really looking forward to seeing alien transforming robots come to earth to continue their war. I'm not going to hold it against Bay if he can't meet my expectations. Heck, he has no idea who I am, nor does he have much of an idea what those who loved The Transformers as kids are like, or what they'd like to see in a live-action version of their beloved childhood TV show.

[Jinto]

1) A movie that's based on a cartoon for kids created to help sell toys. We have to look at this movie from the perspective of a child.

2)Personally, I'm really looking forward to seeing alien transforming robots come to earth to continue their war. I'm not going to hold it against Bay if he can't meet my expectations. Heck, he has no idea who I am, nor does he have much of an idea what those who loved The Transformers as kids are like, or what they'd like to see in a live-action version of their beloved childhood TV show.

1) No we don't. We were kids when we watched it, but now we're grown up and (should) have higher standards.

2) If Bay has no idea what people want to see in a movie based on what amounts to a cultural icon, then instead of forgiving him if he sits on his duff, how about he get off said duff and go research what people would like to see in this movie? Or is that asking too much?

I certainly hope since Spielberg is producing this that he'll have a lot of say in how things pan out, but I'm not holding my breath. I want this movie to be good, and I'm gonna go see it no matter what, but they're changing entirely too much that doesn't even need changing.

a) They're landing (looks like individually, in pods or something) directly from space as they just get here, huh? Had this been any other generic, never before seen robots-come-to-earth-and-fight story, then I could buy the whole "we got just lucky enough to get warning by seeing a glimpse of them from that Mars rover. But for Transformers? uhhh... they came in a ship, and it was a long friggin' time ago when they did. So why does the movie not start with someone finding the Ark in an archeological dig or after a recent eruption or something related to the original storyline? Can anyone explain this absurdity?

b) I can live with some updates to character/vehicle designs. Cybertron form? eh, ok sure why not. They had to have some kind of native form before choosing one of local flavor. Different local forms? Soundwave as a cassette deck doesn't fit the modern times anymore. I admit that it would be a bit of a stretch to make him an ipod or something (well, maybe an iPod w/ one of those boom-box sized speaker bases you can plug the iPod into), but that in no way excuses some of these idiotic choices. (actually I think they ditched Soundwave. not sure though.) I mean really, let's face it, we all thought they were stupid for not making Bumblebee a bug (you know.. bees.. insects... they're bugs. DUH!). But OK, fine, I can see how some whiney German automakers made a fuss and kept that from happening because these Hollywood execs don't mind bending over like sissies and taking it where the sun don't shine... (we can invade countries at will, but apparently can't tell some automaker to buzz off if they don't like an already, long-established character design. that is so arse-backwards, it's not even funny.) ...but a Mustang? COME ON! There's an abundance of small, economy style cars out there to keep in theme with that character being one of the smallest, and least powerful of the Autobots. You know, the little guy who's in touch with the common (hu)man. PICK ONE! ARGH!!

OK, I could go on, but I'll stop and lower my risk of heart attack or seizure now.

BTW:
-Has everyone watched the writer interviews on the official page?
-And has everyone heard about the "viral marketing website"?
In case you haven't, it can be found here: http://www.sectorseven.org/

[sarcasm_made_Easy]

if you cant accept change why are you even planning on seeing a movie which makes no promises to be the same?

[Jinto]

I never said I can't accept change. I voiced my disapproval of some of the changes, and gave a few examples. There's reasonable changes, and then there's unnecessary, way-out-in-left-field changes, and I want to know how far they do, or do not, cross the line throughout the entire movie.

Besides. It's Transformers. And Peter Cullen is the voice of Optimus Prime once again. Do I really need any further reason, despite how the movie turns out overall?

[Pak-Man]

And there's your proof that the director's finding out what the fans want. Bay's said in a couple interviews that he has to balance making a good movie that anyone can enjoy with making a movie that the fans can enjoy. The inclusion of Mr. Cullen as Optimus is a pretty darn big peace offering, considering they sacrificed a big "real" celebrity name they could have slapped on the poster. :^)

[Tyrant]

  Amen, Pak.

  Plus, let's not pretend that anything deep and profound was ever happening in TFs. It's about giant alien robots waging a civil war on Earth with humans trapped in the middle. What's the movie about?

  Giant alien robots waging a civil war on Earth with humans trapped in the middle.

I'd say the changes are mostly cosmetic at best.

[Jinto]

Hey, I may not need any further reason than 1) It's Transformers, and 2) Peter Cullen, to go see this movie, but that's still no excuse for Bay to "stop there and go no further" in researching what the fans want to see. That's merely the way to make a bad movie that sells on a few good points alone. It's not the way to make an actual good movie. We can only hope that the changes are mostly cosmetic (the difference between the Ark arriving millions of years ago, and the robots arriving in 'pods' or something in the modern day is not a mere cosmetic change though), but I still reserve the right to remain grumpy and offended even as I go to see this possible train wreck occur! 

[sarcasm_made_Easy]

the difference between the Ark arriving millions of years ago, and the robots arriving in 'pods' or something in the modern day is not a mere cosmetic change though

How so?  Either way you still end up with aliens looking like firetrucks and what have you trying bash one another heads in since despite their robotic targeting cant hit the broadside of the barn with their blasters. 

[Pak-Man]

the difference between the Ark arriving millions of years ago, and the robots arriving in 'pods' or something in the modern day is not a mere cosmetic change though

How so?  Either way you still end up with aliens looking like firetrucks and what have you trying bash one another heads in since despite their robotic targeting cant hit the broadside of the barn with their blasters. 

And it doesn't matter when they do. :^) When a Transformer gets hit by another TF's blast, it seems to  be the equivalent of a slap in the face. :^)

[sarcasm_made_Easy]

Yeah TF is like GI JOE, you really dont want anyone to die, good guys or bad guys,  the show would be just less interesting without that one charectars uniqueness.  Thats why GI joe had all those "nondescript" cobra robots that blew up at the drop of a hat.