A Transformers Thread

I'm feeling super mixed on it because it feels like two extremes mashed together. On one side, a science fantasy epic full of action and worldbuilding. On the other, an Illumination-style "jingle the keys for an hour to give the parents a break" comedy full of quippy MCU humor and Current Year celebrity stunt casting. Like, for everything it seems to be doing right, it's doing something wrong.

The animation and aesthetics are amazing, but the voice acting and humor is... not great. So you're getting stuff like the gorgeous, epic shots of Megatron discovering and appropriating the Decepticon symbol with bottom-of-the-barrel "well that just happened" jokes, or Bumblebee making lame-ass jokes while brutally killing enemies.

And that makes me wonder how they'll handle a story that's implicitly going to be a tragedy in which Megatron is radicalized into Robo-Stalin while Optimus is forced to become a military leader waging war against his best friend. Hopefully it's just a bad trailer and the actual movie is a little less schizophrenic in tone. If nothing else, it's gonna provide a lot of really cool new lore and aesthetic vibes for the series, and that's always a plus.

Did I just see BlackArachnia in the trailer?

It's either her or Airachnid.

Edited by chasemaddigan on Apr 18th 2024 at 2:29:06 PM

Either Blackarachnia or Airachnid's a win TBH. Maybe someday they'll actually meet.

I'm surprised there hasn't been more grumbling, there's a pretty solidly positive reception all around. I figured the more cartoonish CGI would ruffle feathers. You still have people whining about "MCU Humor!" or the like but what are you gonna do.

I'm also worried about the humour.

And this is from someone who's not 100% burned out on MCU humour.

That being said, we've seen Megatron evil, we've seen Megatron stop being evil, but this will be the first time (in animation that is) we get a look at a Megatron who's nowhere near close to the monster he'll eventually become.

I admit, the inherent tragedy of the whole thing is fascinating.

Also, I caught the Black Arachnia / Airachnid as well. Maybe they should just call her Black Airachnid?

.....I feel like this version of Bumblebee is going to make people glad Bumblebee was immediately shot in the face in Skybound.

I have no hesitation of saying this'll probably be the worst version of Bumblebee ever. The trailer makes him seem like every horrible cliche of obnoxious comic relief kid-appeal characters rolled into one. But something also makes me suspect he's not nearly as screen-hogging and in-your-face in the actual movie as the trailer implies.

I mean I got a laugh out of him booking it while the three other heroes where standing around sizing up the situation.

It's interesting how many aspects of Bumblebee they've put into him. He's got Goldbug's face for a helmet and his more recent "Stingers".

Edited by ShirowShirow on Apr 18th 2024 at 7:14:46 PM

I don't even recognize Hemsworth in this, he sounds so different.

Also is that Arcee or Elita-1?

Edited by slimcoder on Apr 18th 2024 at 12:16:45 PM

That was legitimately funny. I do wish they'd gone with a Wild Card character for the fourth person.

Someone like Ratchet or Ironhide would probably be obvious, but when does Bluestreak get his day in the spotlight?

I mean there's always the chance that at the end of the movie they'll reveal the B stands for Barricade or Brawl or Bitstream or something for a big Fake Out.

It's confirmed to be Elita One.

B stands for Bumper!

"I am Wreck-Gar! I dare to be stupid!"

Oh no. That's way too wild.

I should point out I only watched "Beast Wars" and "Transformers Animated" more than the other Transformers series.

Also what exactly happens to the driver when the Transformer they're in transforms from vehicle to robot? They don't get crushed like in the RiffTrax intro, do they?

Edited by wooden-ladybug93 on Apr 18th 2024 at 6:48:02 AM

I think the ability to keep a smaller being inside them unharmed while transforming does exist to an extent. A good example is in Prime, where Bulkhead goes from car mode to robot mode after leaving a Ground Bridge portal, and stands up... only to realize Miko's inside his chest. And she's totally fine, apart from being nauseous from the movement.

I am not keen on the dialog.

I'm more keen on the dialogue than whatever the fuck Rise of Beasts had with its cookie cutter "Everything you know is about to change" and "The Vagueness is coming".

Edited by Ghilz on Apr 18th 2024 at 8:17:35 AM

You know, I think this is the first time we'll get to see the early days of Prime and Megatron's friendship.

We've heard about it in the continuities where it was a thing, and kinda see it renewed in Earthspark, but now we're seeing them when they were both young and idealistic.

That's an interesting thing to get a look at.

IDW (In so much as it was less a friendship and more a sorta respect) & the Aligned novels... so no it isn't.

Rise of the Beasts' biggest problem was that it seems to indicate there were at least two other movies between it and Bumblebee... but those don't exist. So we go from a charming "Girl and her robot" story to suddenly space Satan and his armies menacing earth. Oh and the Autobots have already arrived on Earth, but the Decepticons are nowhere to be seen because... reasons.

It's main problem was that it was crap and the titular beasts are basically guest stars into the movie they are named after. Like, never mind it left plots unsolved by not having sequels. The fact that the movie on its own is super mid. And the trailer did its damndest by making it sound even worse than it has by having Primal spew the most generic cookie cutter trailer bait lines in existence.

Like two more movies wouldn't have made Rise of Beast suddenly good.

Edited by Ghilz on Apr 18th 2024 at 8:34:53 AM

X4

Let me amend that. This is the first time we get to see it on screen, rather than in a comic or a novel.

I'm mixed on this film, as I said before, and like most of you have stated.

This one could either be a really great origin, or shit the pot something fierce.

But it's also the first Animated Transformers movie since....do I even need to say it?

That's a big thing, but it's also a lot of pressure. I'm sure they're not even going to try and surpass the 1986 film because that would be like getting in a fist fight with the sun: an impossible and utterly pointless act that just leaves you burned.

Like, fighting Unicron makes more sense than trying to be better than the 1986 film. And he ain't even real.

Edited by HandsomeRob on Apr 18th 2024 at 5:37:00 AM

This is also not correct

TF Prime Predacons Rising

Beast Wars Special Super Lifeform Transformers

Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger!

Edited by Ghilz on Apr 18th 2024 at 8:47:04 AM

x6 The film seems almost like an adaptation of a section of the Transformers: The Covenant of Primus, specifically the Quintesson's enslavement of Cybertron and the rebellion. It even seems to use the plot point that Cybertronians were initially unaware they could transform.

I think the implication is some of them can't transform while others can. Probably borrowing into IDW's Functionist thing.

Also surprised by how many nods to Prime this has? The goons look like Vehicon, we have an airarchnid who looks really close to her Prime model.