There's a really annoying trend going on among the transfan community and I've decided to finally say something about it. Ever since news of the movie had hit the front pages of such sites as Seibertron.com and TFW2005.com, there has been a great deal of accusation between fans regarding those who were the first fans being 'Stuck in the 80's'. Much of this accusation originates from those who compare everything to the G1 series. As a G1 First Fan myself, I'm just as guilty as the other 20/30+ who remember the series as it came out on TV and later the silver screen. First off, I can't imagine anyone who appreciates science fiction to be so narrow-minded that all they talk about are the 'good old days'. Certainly G1 was a really fun series, that there were some keen moments, great lines and well-defined characters. Just like the Original Star Trek, G1 was the springboard for all other Transformers series-which are more numerous than I'd care to list here. Not one G1 fan that I know of would pass up the opportunity to see a new series filled with fabulous storylines, engagine characters and so much action that it wears you out. Who could resist such a concept? Beast Wars certainly fit that bill more than well enough. But as for the movie and following concept characters, there's been a lot of complaining about this, that and whatnot. Many people are shocked at what they see; the characters not at all the familiar faces most of us grew up with-they're like old friends. I think this should be expected. However, accusing people of being so narrow-minded that they are 'stuck in the 80's' is an unfair call. it's not that the First Fans are 'stuck in the 80's', but that everything they see is measured against the very thing that inspired them to be Transformers fans.
I like to keep an open mind. I'm hoping the movie'll be good, and I actually don't mind the liberties taken. If the movie takes itself seriously and doesn't fall into the ridicoulus parody trap, we could have a good sci fi flick. On the other hand, I'm a big Capcom fan, and Street Fighter was the biggest kick in the nuts Hollywood could give the SF franchise. But you could tell that SFTM was gonna be a piece of crap before the movie even came out . I don't get that vibe with TF. (yet?) We'll see after the trailer.
Usually the people who get accused of being stuck in the '80s are the ones who are stuck in the '80s.
I guess I'll forever be stuck in the 80's, because G1 is the line I care most about. This new stuff is cool (for the most part), but I really love the original toys. I don't care if they were mostly bricks. They were FUN, interesting, and cool. I find them that way still, today. As long as that holds true to me, I personally see nothing wrong with being "stuck in the 80's".
There's a difference between people whose favorite line is G1 and people who doggedly insist that everything but G1 is utter crap for nonsensical reasons. These are the people who are so tainted by idealistic memories that they insist reissues suck because they're smaller and have less diecast than the original toys and are furious at the notion of Megatron not being a gun or Soundwave not being a tape deck in every Transformers line.
Agreed. KidDynamite hit it right on the nose. I too am fairly stuck in the 80s.. well as far as music goes. But there are fans who think if it isn't exactly a toy from g1 it is utter crap and should be burned. Me I like variety. To be honest before I got back into collecting I saw a BW toy commercial. I thought "Animals? Transformers are supposed to be cars and trucks and such. Aw that is crap." But after I actually saw an episode I learned to like it. I loved it in fact. It got me back into collecting and loving TFs again. I was once like these people.. but I evolved. Just because it isn't exactly like Gen 1 doesn't mean it is crap. To me as long as it is robots that turn into cars and planes (or animals) and such I'm fine.
G1 was my first toy love. Renee T was my first girlfriend. Both were right for the time. but I love my wife and like the toys a lot better today. -Tony!
I love G1 for the memories it brought and the fact that it had so many gimmicks and it had almost all the gimmicks that future lines had. Example, when G1 first came out the only gimmick was "transforming" which was followed in all lines but none more so that R.I.D and ironically Hasbro's latest line's (Classic) only gimmick (so far) is simply transforming. Another example, G1 also had its share of "minicons" but without the extra feature gimmicks that Armada's minicons had.
The 80's hold such good memories, but we are in 2006 and the movie will def. be a 2006 movie that is going to have 2006 rockin qualities.
So am I believe it or not, that's part of the reason my DVD collection consists in part of old 80's cartoon. And like rattrap my music tastes pretty much stop at the 80's. It's unfortunate but there are fans like rattrap007 described, I've seen of of them post here and on other boards I thought the toys were crap the first time and almost thought the show was crap the first time When I first saw Beasties (Beast Wars) back in the late 90's. I was turned off when I saw it was Transformers related. As I connected Transformers to G1 and to me G1 was a cornball 80's cartoon that I liked as a kid. But I gave it a chance and enjoyed
The tiny, tiny percentage of fans who aggressively spew hatred at anything not G1 are nearly extinct. See the smoldering remains of alt.toys.transformers.classics.moderated if you'd like to know more. My suggestion would be to ignore those who continue to act in that fashion - they'll eventually disappear. Just because someone has a strong G1 preference doesn't mean they should be attacked either. I wish we could all be a bit more inclusive of others in this regard.
this should be in everyone's sig by default. or at least appear as a pop up everytime a stupid geewuner attempts a ridiculous post in the movie forum.
I was borned in late 80s (1986), so I am more of liking everything that's 80s and early 90s. First time I watch BW I thought it was weird at first, espacially seeing Primal had a mouth, after a few episodes I started to catch up with them and willing to be spanked by my dad just for it ! When it comes to the movie, it is still the same old "to-each-their-own" thing. Not from this forum, but there was a time I lost my nerves as 2 people kept bitching about Micheal Bay. I don't think he's a good director but pushing all the blame on him, like he actually did the images of them, was downright absurd. In the end I got warned by the admin for "chasing the most elite collectors away" . I like the progress the movie taking now, I will wait untill the trailer, or the movie comes out next year to judge it myself.
What REALLY irks me about the "stuck in the 80's" group a.k.a. Geewunners Is that there are some who post with the assertion that G1 ends after season 2 and that any post movie characters are G2
I loved the 80's, best part of my youth , put that's past. I can add another wrinkle (pun intended). A big part of me feels that "G1" never ended, there are just different alternative TF Universes. Somewhere at the center of it all is "Optimus/Convoy/Primal" fighting Megatron. That will never change, cannot be changed and will not be changed no matter what happens in the future.
I don't think you can say it any better than KidDynamite did. I will always like G1 best. I also love the Cybertron toys. I love the Beast Wars show. When BW first came out I was deffinitely a "This iz krap, Prime>Primal, trukk not munkky!" kind of guy, then I learned if you just keep an open mind every series has had some great things (yeah, even Armada )
I am optimistic beyond reproach; heck when I first caught the premier of Beast Wars I was hooked back into the world of Transformers after my G2 phase had ended. I had originaly intended to like the movie, but not collect the toys; I wanted to just focus on filling in holes from my other collections and no longer get the latest figures. Much to my surprise and my wallets dismay the images of the Protoforms made me want the toyline despite my attempts to escape; personally I don't see the geewunners mentality very clearly, I can't understand why some collectors would want to limit themselves and be trapped forever in a viscious circle of MtMTE, Ultimate Doom, TF:TM and Season Three and then go all the way back to the beginning again just to enjoy what's been watched and memorized since the carefree days of youth. Or the mentality of everything after G1 is utter tripe, or even the reasons behind some of the collecting habits of those who refuse to buy anything past 1986. You can't enjoy your hobby if all you do is limit what you'll like and cut everything else adrift like old dead wood; I mean how can you smile again with the same joy you felt upon first opening that vintage G1 Prime if you're constantly worrying/ragging on the stuff they did to him when he was turn into a Powermaster? I may be stuck in the 80's a little because I can't find too many good cartoons worth watching these days, but then again I don't let it consume my hobby to the point that everything else is beneath my notice.
Armada IMO was much better than Energon. TYhe last 13 episodes are amongst some of the best in TF historyand how do we forget the ever lovable and easily affordable MINICONS. I was born in 75. I remember the very first airing of G1 on a Sunday on the Commander Tom show. (it was a channel 7 show from buffalo broadcast in Toronto) Anyway I loved G1 and still do. Although most episodes are basic the richness of the character and the animation quality still hold up. I forgot about TF during my teen years but then stumbled onto BW and got hooked again. I guess Im one of the lucky ones that can enjoy TF in any incarnation. Bottom line is I feel very sorry for the people who can't just let go and enjoy the simple fact that we are getting a movie. I'm not saying the movie will rock or bomb, I dont have a crystal ball to predict the future but I can say that the fact that this isn't G1 will play a non factor to the movies success. If you get all the die hard GEEWUNNERS together to watch the movie they will only amount to less that $1000 in ticket sales. Thanx Transbot90210
