We are trying to make a huge worldwide box office success based on Transformers. I hope you'll like it no matter what.

Let me just replace one word and everyone will get my take on this.

We are trying to make a huge worldwide box office success based on Catwoman. I hope you'll like it no matter what.

 

Post-movie discussion has its own disadvantages. Most notably the lack of access to a time machine (and rocket cars to a lesser degree :redface: ).

Plus the thread title was very clear, I thought.  

Other than that I'm just praying "Don's side" calls heads because I'd rather see an adaptation rather than a completely new mythos with a few nods.

 

If Megatron sounds anything like Welker I will be pissed. He was great for cheesy '80s plot of the day villain, but in a millenial action movie you need something better. But Cullen is a damn good Prime, and I hope to hear his voice.

 

My greatest fear is that this movie will ultimately be nothing more than an attempt to cash in on the name & popularity of the Transformers, but be as unrecognizable to the source material as Catwoman, Batman Returns, Batman & Robin or LXG all were. Or like Tim Burton's thankfully-aborted Superman movie where Superman wore all black, couldn't fly and got around in a super-car.

That goes beyond the voice actors debate, but the whole "let's do something totally different with no ties to the past" notion that they keep mentioning.

 

As long as Wheelie isnt in the movie, I'll be happy no matter what...

(that is not true - but is it funny regardless)

laugh now.

 

I think Nevermore captured my gut reaction...

I'm slightly worried.

I can understand what's going on, and saddly - it's all about the ego. People want to put their own "stamp" on a project and say "hey, I did this". Well, sometimes that involves saying "hey, I destroyed something really cool". Does this movie have the potential to be awesome? Absolutely.

Will it? ......

The whole argument over Cullen and Welker should be a non issue IMHO. These are iconic voices to a generation. It is possible to recreate a mythology and still pay tribute to the roots. Spider-Man's films rebooted the mythology... but you know, it felt like Spider-Man. The character's heart beat inside the suit. If the producers and writers can't find the heart of Prime and Megatron (and the other Transformers) - then this will be just another big FX movie.. with no soul.

The story isn't that hard to get.. really. I mean, Sunbow created a catchy little tune that told you everything you needed to know.

Transformers... Robots in Disguise.
Autobots wage their battle to destroy the evil forces of the Decepticons.

There's your story  

I don't know... I will remain hopeful, but I'm going to be looking to get another copy of "More Than Meets The Eye" on DVD.

 

They had me at "Transformers".

 

 

Basically What your take is:
The movie people want this to be more like an "Ultimate" G1 story as opposed to a G1 "2099" story like RID, Armadacon.

 

How can you compare catwoman to the transformer situation they wanted to cash in on the comic craze but they had to make it an elseworlds story because of the 'bat' embargo that went into effect thanx to the batman begins movie. In other words they couldn't include batman making it imo a bad idea no matter who directed/produced/wrote or stared in the first place.

The Spiderman movie is much more comprable no legal issues to contend with just many, many artistic and personal changes to give the property the best chance at success in a new media. Simillarily the proposed changes angered its established "rabble rabble" rabid fanbase and was a huge success dare I say, because of it.

 

You have to look at the motivation behind the whole "ask the fans" approach Don Murphy took. He said in one of his interviews that he did it partly to avoid making the mistake he did with League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, which ended up getting negative reactions from fans of the comic for not being "true" to it. I don't know the details of that, as I never read the comic, but the overall reasoning behind setting up the TF Movie forums is clear.

However, this line of thinking is different because apparently, all he could gather from the (rabidly vocal) fan base is that "Cullen and Welker are necessary or at least would be a good thing." Nothing regarding characterizations, nothing regarding storyline besides big robots tearing each other apart.

Can we say that we've failed as fans to really get the point across as to what would make this movie successful to the general public, as well as satisfactory to the fans of the original series? Too much bickering, and all we're left with as a unified message is that two of the original voice actors would satiate a zealous minority, while being generally a "good but not critical" element to the rest of us. That is downright pathetic.

However, I do think that the "heart and soul" of Transformers will be preserved as well as the core was for X-Men. In that movie, it was "spectacular people with mutant powers battling each other over freedom and equality." In Transformers, it will be "Giant Robots in Disguise battling each other over energy and the safety of the humans." That's all it needs to be a good film, and I honestly think there's nothing that can detract from that because when all's said and done, there is nothing else for us to really care about as a group.

All of the pointless debate and ranting on message forums has just proven that the only thing we can agree on is "big robots fighting and turning into stuff." Everything else seems to be a rabid attachment from a minority number of the fans, that will not make or break the movie as a whole.

So yeah, I'm excited whichever route they choose to go, I just hope that once the direction is set they'll all pursue that one wholeheartedly and not allow the partisanhood to divide their efforts in making this film (something I really don't see happening).

 

original voices

Since there's no way in hell Megatron will ever be a gun the very least they could do is give us the original voices.
If you're not a Transformers fan I doubt George Clooney doing the voice will get you to go see the movie.
And on that note...remember Hollywood thought star power alone would save the Batman franchise and we ended up with 'Batman & Robin'.

 

Okay, if the camp that wants what was in the past to stay in the past, then why use the names Optimus Prime and Megatron at all? That's just as much of the mythos as anything. Hell, why even call the movie "Transformers"? Why not make "The Brave Little Toaster 3 - Mission to Pluto"?

This thing is almost guaranteed to turn out like the live action Super Mario Bros. movie.

 

I agree that the voice thing isnt my biggest concern. However Kullen and Welker were both great voice actors who embodied to very powerful personalities with ease. I disagree with the post that put down g1 Megatrons voice. He was the best Megatron in my opinion, and he was also the scariest.

 

Because people identify Optimus Prime and Megatron to transformers.And people are using that what was in the past to stay in the past TOO litterally.All it means is to NOT expect the Live Action movie to be G1 rehashed

 

You better start playing the lottery if you can see the future so well

I think that the people who attend this movie with the intention to enjoy it will.

 

I'm not liking this "Burtonesque" attitude.

 

See, overall I expect the worst because Michael Bay has made nothing but the very worst out of Hollywood. As far as my tastes in film go, the films I find to be the absolute worst have happend to come from Michael Bay. Yes, it's all a matter of taste, but for people like me who can't stand what Michael Bay makes, it would take elements like old voice actors and recognizable character designs to get us to even go to the film. Without anything familiar to look forward to, i really have no reason to waste any of my time with this production because it's just going to be another overbloated slam-bang action thriller Michael Bay schlock-fest.

 

Hmmmm

Shaun,

People CAN have opinions (of which I am in the same camp) that are not glared over in rose colored glasses.

Of course no one wants G1 "rehashed." Much of the original series (like most things of the 80's) would not begin to even hold candle to what mature audiences expect in a movie.

That being said, it is OK for people to want G1 in this movie. But G1 with Beast Wars quality script writing and voice acting. And to be honest, there are some eps of G1 to this day that shine through.

If you want to disagree with someone, that's cool. But can we knock off the   ?

I WANT:

G1
G1 with upated alt modes.
G1 with a kick ass, compelling story.
G1 with visuals that make me fall out of my seat.
Peter Cullen IS Optimus Prime.

I just DO NOT get all this BEEP about how we cannot expect G1 and should just expect whatever comes along.

Spider-Man was G1, so to speak. I mean, honestly, how many people here think that the Spider-Man movies would have been the success they have been if it screwed with the essence of what it means to be Spider-Man?

Hmmmm ... thinks Sam Raimi need to go over and have a chat with all the Transformer folks.  

 

Myth, Etc.

That's my fear. All glitter, no substance.

Not to sound too Joseph Campbell/George Lucas, but all the "Mythical" stuff is vital to the brand.

If there's a story that relates to the human condition, you don't even need human characters, as Pixar keeps proving. Hell, isn't Cars coming out soon?

G1's "Warrior School," for example, is a story about a peaceful hero, forced to fight a homicidal, merciless villain, not "The Ambulance Guy and the Gun Guy Have a Big Fight."

The fight is worthless without a reason to fight. That they're giant, transforming robots is incidental. Ratchet's unwillingness to fight Megatron clashes with his need to save his comrades, and that's where the action is.

Arrg! I'm venting like a fanboy! Crap!

We'll all have to wait and see. More than anything else, a good story would impress the hell out of me. Don't screw with the stuff that clearly works, and don't make characters with one dimension.

 

blahblahblahCullenandWelkerblahblahblah



Seriously this is like the third or fourth thread in a week that has devolved into back and forth about the damn VAs...and Murphy hails this as the one thing all the fandom agrees on?  

 

You could ask those same question for any line after g1 and its as simple as this: Use it or lose it EX. dont use the name shockwave for x amount of years you lose the right to it