Really underwhelmed

Discussion in 'Transformers Movie Discussion' started by MrNiceGuy, Mar 11, 2017.

  1. Galvatross

    Galvatross Dom Dom, Yes Yes Veteran

    Joined:
    Aug 24, 2013
    Posts:
    7,394
    Trophy Points:
    292
    Likes:
    +10,825
    Dead serious. The idea that the Transformers movies are bastardizations of the source material is one of the biggest myths in the fandom.

    Autobots coming to Earth and befriending the Witwickies, Megatron as the tyrannical Decepticon leader whose maniacal plans get defeated every episode (film in this case), Optimus Prime as the noble leader of the Autobots (sure, he kills his enemies, but so did G1 Optimus, and the Movie universe is a much more violent place than the cartoons), Transformers being built by the Quintessons to be a race of slaves, and so much more are right out of the source material.

    Dark of the Moon is like The Ultimate Doom mixed with Megatron's Master Plan, and like CKPRIME pointed out Megatron "dethroning" Abraham Lincoln is straight out of Atlantis, Arise!

    Age of Extinction has alien bounty hunters capturing the Autobots for the mysterious Creators, just like in Five Faces of Darkness Part I alien bounty hunters are hunting the Autobots for the Quintessons.

    The fifth film has Optimus seemingly being controlled for evil purposes, perhaps by the Quintessons, just like Dark Awakening had the Quintessons control Optimus Prime for evil purposes. It also has Arthurian legend and wizardry, just like a few different episodes and comics.

    I could go on and on and on.

    "Playing dumb?" "Willfully dense?" LOL there's a wide variety of designs in the movies.

    We've had the skeletal, alien designs which people bitched for years about. We've seen the more human-like robot modes of more recent films, which people have been bitching about. There's the futuristic, sleek designs of the KSI robots, which people bitched about. There are cartoonish designs, like the Stupid Drones and now Sqweeks, which people also bitch about. There are primal designs like the Dynasty of Primes and Dinobots.

    Again, have you seen the film yet? Because this is the summary of what we know specifically about the Knights

    1)They were crusaders who (some at least) once used Lockdown's ship to travel the universe.
    2)Lockdown was capturing the Knights ALIVE to bring back to the Quintessons, and he had captured every Knight known to be alive in the universe except for Optimus before AOE (but see this thread http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/theory-time-megatron-is-a-knight.1000698/ ).
    3) Megatron, as I predicted in that thread over two years ago, appears to be a Knight.
    4) Steelbane is the "First Knight."
    5) Dragonstorm is at the very least connected to the Knights if not the Last Knight himself.

    At the very least let's watch the movie first before jumping to conclusions about the Knights being a rip off of anything.

    Have you read any of the set visit reports from Collider and other websites or the synopsis that came with the Super Bowl spot? Because that's literally what it sounds like. More about the Quintessons and Transformer origins. Humans and Transformer conflicts having escalated. Cade being a friend to all Autobots. More about the Knights. Optimus in space.

    Which is funny, because while I do like all of the films, I think at this point in time the first film is the one that has the least stuff I like in it. The score is great, it does the robots in disguise stuff well, it has a small robot cast, and the Sector 7 stuff is cool, but as a Transformers fan for a few decades it is certainly not the film closest to what I want in a live action Transformers film. If other people think differently there's nothing wrong with that. We all have our preferences.

    It's not "drinking the kool-aid." It's more like seeing a trailer and getting legitimately impressed. I was not expecting that at all. I'd expect either something along the lines of the 2007 or DOTM teasers or generic action scenes with few robots. What we got was something different altogether with TONS of robots. We had never gotten something like that at that point in post-production. It was actually better than I thought it would be.
     
    • Like Like x 7
  2. Moy

    Moy Constructicons!

    Joined:
    Jun 22, 2007
    Posts:
    11,216
    News Credits:
    11
    Trophy Points:
    362
    Likes:
    +5,976
    A few things bother me to some extent, for instance the mini dinos, a mohawk on a cybertronian and grimlocks latest scene.

    On the positive side there's still so much we haven't seen so I'll given it time.
     
  3. MrNiceGuy

    MrNiceGuy Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 22, 2017
    Posts:
    746
    Trophy Points:
    172
    Likes:
    +898
    Yeah, well, that was the point. It wasn't supposed to be "all-out." And that first proper trailer for the first movie was eerie and ominous, not so much action-based. Then there's the third movie trailer which promised the world with an epic alien invasion and everything coming to a head.

    So you want a strong independent female lead, some homeless girl who still has the time to put on makeup for the camera? Megatron being a little bitch and talked down to by a little girl? Cashgrabs and shoe-horned in sidekicks? Made up OC characters like Dragonstorm?
    That's what you were waiting for in a Transformers movie?

    I'll point out I have been trying to avoid spoilers, so my info is patchy. I will go see the movie in theatres, likely. I've seen the previous four. I'm roped in.
     
    Last edited: Mar 16, 2017
    • Like Like x 1
  4. MrNiceGuy

    MrNiceGuy Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 22, 2017
    Posts:
    746
    Trophy Points:
    172
    Likes:
    +898
    Also, weren't you complaining that the G1 cartoon was stupid? Because this is looking more and more like the G1 cartoon. Kid sidekicks, silly stuff like King Arthur, kids mouthing off at bad guys... etc
     
    • Like Like x 1
  5. Galvatross

    Galvatross Dom Dom, Yes Yes Veteran

    Joined:
    Aug 24, 2013
    Posts:
    7,394
    Trophy Points:
    292
    Likes:
    +10,825
    I don't think there's a single film that's the Transformers film I've been waiting for. There isn't a Transformers film that entirely matches my inner vision. However, I am certainly open minded as far as what Transformers films can be because I am not going to view my vision but another person's vision. Frankly, I enjoy seeing visions of Transformers different than my own.

    Also, who says Megatron's a bitch in this one? We've literally seen seconds of him on screen and not his entire presence in the film. Also, Megatron faces down humans in one way or another in all of the films.

    And since when has Transformers or any big budget Hollywood production not been made to make money? And how are new characters in the brand a bad thing?

    I don't know if this is aimed at me, but I wasn't complaining the G1 cartoon was stupid (and I love G1) so much as the brand itself is ridiculous and over-the-top. Those things in Transformers come with the territory. Reality has never been the main selling point of the brand, nor should it be. Transformers should be ridiculous; it's talking alien robots that turn into machinery and mechanical animals and what not. Transformers should be able to have the things you just mentioned and more. Also, since when have the films not had the cartoonish things that come with the brand? They have from 2007 to the present.
     
    • Like Like x 2
  6. Cosbydaf

    Cosbydaf Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 13, 2007
    Posts:
    3,339
    Trophy Points:
    312
    Likes:
    +7,979
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
    • Like Like x 2
  7. Galvatross

    Galvatross Dom Dom, Yes Yes Veteran

    Joined:
    Aug 24, 2013
    Posts:
    7,394
    Trophy Points:
    292
    Likes:
    +10,825
    I was talking more in terms of the main story and characters overall. However, the Blenderbot is awesome. The problem with Devastator's anatomy is that you don't see enough of it. He should have used his assets as huge, dual maces against the Autobots in some crazy action. Transformers with hair is nothing new, and the cartoonish robots like the Stupid Drones are perfectly at home in the brand.

    And I still stand by my claim. Most of the fan ideas for film stories I see running around are focused more on nostalgia for 1984, 1986, 2007, etc. than on actually making movies for the general public. That and bringing back dead characters needlessly. Then there's the fans who hate one or more of the movies, so they make up these imaginary replacement films in their heads that don't improve upon the films they think are so terrible; most of the time these imaginary replacement films are much worse and not better.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  8. MrNiceGuy

    MrNiceGuy Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 22, 2017
    Posts:
    746
    Trophy Points:
    172
    Likes:
    +898
    I should have added before in reply to your comment about continuing plotlines, randomly making Galvatron Megatron again isn't continuing anything. It's a retcon. Is he even made of transformium anymore? I bet they won't explain it.

    also, baby dinobots and tie-fighter rip-offs. that's a thing.

    Little different when it's some punk-nosed little girl mouthing off at the supreme overlord of destruction. Kinda takes away any sort of menace he might have had.

    And new characters aren't bad, hell Blackout and Barricade were awesome with what little screentime they had. I just don't have much faith in these movies anymore. These trailers have been a poor showing, and it feels like they're trying to cash in on "Logan" vibes with this girl.

    Still, you make some good points. I'm finding it hard to argue with you, though I want to.
    Let's just wait for the movie to actually be released, then we'll hash it out.
     
    Last edited: Mar 17, 2017
  9. Star Cracker

    Star Cracker Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 27, 2003
    Posts:
    1,175
    Trophy Points:
    262
    Likes:
    +104
    Behold: The real life inspiration for the alternate mode of the Mighty Megatron, G1 style!
    [​IMG]
     
  10. CKPRIME

    CKPRIME Banned

    Joined:
    Aug 20, 2011
    Posts:
    4,137
    News Credits:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    222
    Likes:
    +2,516
    So what? I don't get this criticism, it doesn't make sense. How does anyone at all confronting a supreme evil badass do anything to take away the menace. Maybe if Megatron runs away after she yells at him then you would have a point, but you don't know how that scene ends, you have almost no context.

    Princess Leia insulted Darth Vader to his face, did that take away any of his menace? Do people say "Darth Vader let some chick insult him, what a pussy!"?
     
    • Like Like x 2
  11. Autobot Burnout

    Autobot Burnout ...and I'll whisper "No."

    Joined:
    Sep 18, 2008
    Posts:
    45,102
    News Credits:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    467
    Location:
    [REDACTED]
    Likes:
    +40,126
    Yeah but Leia was also Vader's daughter so there's kind of a different dynamic going on there.
     
  12. CKPRIME

    CKPRIME Banned

    Joined:
    Aug 20, 2011
    Posts:
    4,137
    News Credits:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    222
    Likes:
    +2,516
    There's nothing about that in the film though, it highly questions George Lucas had even thought of that yet. So it will be ok if a few years from now it turns of Izzy is Megatron's daughter?
     
    • Like Like x 2
  13. Ash from Carolina

    Ash from Carolina Junior Smeghead

    Joined:
    Mar 24, 2007
    Posts:
    15,966
    Trophy Points:
    337
    Likes:
    +3,232
    I thought after the first underwhelming trailer that marketing would really step up their game. But ouch this new marketing is even more underwhelming. Someone on You Tube said it seemed more like PSA than a movie trailer, I thought it seemed like a PSA combined with an ad for some video game series I wouldn't be interested in. Just didn't feel like they were selling a movie much less going okay you haven't liked the movies so far but this time will be different.

    Then again maybe I'm just underwhelmed all together by Transformers lately. I've given up hope that the movies could ever be anything I could enjoy outside of a few action scenes. I've pretty much given up any hope on a cartoon series I could enjoy. Even the toys don't seem to be generating the excitement they once did since it's mostly just improvements on previous CHUG releases and characters I don't know. Haven't read comic books in years so I don't know if the comic books have any magic to them or not.

    Just seems like all the movie excitement is wrapped up in the superheroes this year. Guardians of the Galaxy vol 2 marketing has me feeling shut and take my money. Got my fingers cross our friendly neighborhood Spider Man can have good movies again. As much as I hated Man of Steel and Batman v Superman if I'm being honest I'd have to admit that the Wonder Woman marketing team is really selling me on the idea that maybe Wonder Woman is where my opinion on the DC live action films will change.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  14. Autobot Burnout

    Autobot Burnout ...and I'll whisper "No."

    Joined:
    Sep 18, 2008
    Posts:
    45,102
    News Credits:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    467
    Location:
    [REDACTED]
    Likes:
    +40,126
    Star Wars Episodes 1-3 and 4-6 were largely already planned out before any of them got made, in the roughest sense possible. 1-3 is the rise and fall of Anakin Skywalker, while 4-6 was his son Luke coming back and redeeming his father, who actually is the one who finishes off the Emperor. Of the two trilogies, only the second got made because it arguably is the more exciting half of the Skywalker Family Drama, but as it does start out on Ep 4, literally at the halfway point of what Lucas planned, the existence of episodes 1-3 in terms of major plot elements was still accounted for to explain the rise of the Empire and Anakin's fall to the Dark Side.

    Leia was Luke's twin sister from the start - surely you've heard of the whole incest contoversy where they kiss before finding out they're brother and sister, right? - and given Force powers, it's likely Vader knew Leia was both his daughter and on that ship. In fact, it makes more sense why he'd even BE around on that ship ambush in the first place rather than delegating it to underlings or whatever - how else to ensure your long lost daughter doen't get roughed up by your goons than to personally escort her around, even if she's spitting insults at your face because she hates your guts for going evil?

    ...please GOD tell me you are not seriously asking this question, as if Megatron being the father of a human is not a completely horrible idea for infinite reasons just to win an internet argument.
     
    Last edited: Mar 18, 2017
  15. CKPRIME

    CKPRIME Banned

    Joined:
    Aug 20, 2011
    Posts:
    4,137
    News Credits:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    222
    Likes:
    +2,516
    I know George Lucas claims he had it all planned out ahead of time, but I call bullshit on that. The "incest controversy" is a good example why. Why would he build up sexual tension between Luke and Leia when he knew they were brother and sister. Return of the Jedi makes it clear Vader had no idea until Luke metaphorically spilled the beans. In fact the character of Darth Vader changes from 4 to 5. In episode 4 he was a glorified thug who people openly questioned and mocked. He is clearly subordinate to Tarkin, Leai points this out. It's not until 5 where he becomes the right hand of the Emperor that no one dares questions. You can say "Well it's because of this... or it's because of that..." But that is just people going back after the fact to try justify the change.

    No, it wasn't serious. I was trying to point out your ridiculous attempt to justify why it's ok for Leia to call out Darth Vader because they are father/daughter.
     
    • Like Like x 2
  16. Autobot Burnout

    Autobot Burnout ...and I'll whisper "No."

    Joined:
    Sep 18, 2008
    Posts:
    45,102
    News Credits:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    467
    Location:
    [REDACTED]
    Likes:
    +40,126
    Because in the context of the film, they didn't know they were twins? And just because they kissed the one time doesn't remove the fact all of that got dropped when they figured out they were siblings and Leia then went after Han Solo.

    Vader literally says "I am your father" in Ep 5, Empire Strikes Back. Also his last name is Skywalker and was given to his aunt and uncle to be raised at the end of ep 3, to set the stage for ep 4, so it isn't exactly that hard to logic out that conclusion. Leia, having been adopted by a completely different family, would have had a different last name name and thus not nearly as much obvious connection.

    Yes. The dude who runs the Death Star is somehow more important than the Emperor's right hand Sith Lord. Sure.
    Oh, so exactly like how AoE completely sidestepped the fact the first 3 TF films established the AllSpark created all of Cybertronian life, by instead introducing 'The Creators' who basically did the exact same thing in an incredibly more inefficent manner, seeing as how the AllSpark had no problem creating new transformers from transformium-free machines like an Escalde, a vending machine, and an X-Box in the first film.

    Or how TF5 clearly is implying the presence of cybertonians on Earth literally through al of human history in a far greater role than ROTF implied...and yet the Decepticons couldn't find their own boss frozen at the top of the planet they were crawling all over...for thousands of years, or in Hoover Dam for over 70. When all they ultimately even needed to DO was waltz onto a human army base/Air Force One and hack the national security network in 2007. As in somehow, they easily compromised NASA, yet coudn't get anybody into a giant concrete wall which during the 60s would have been far less secure than the all-important space race.

    Oh, so the part where he doesn't immediately force choke her like the guy he just force choked in the same scene moments before for talking back at him is insubstantial then.
     
  17. Cryptwire

    Cryptwire Cybertronian Engineer/Sniper

    Joined:
    Mar 28, 2010
    Posts:
    1,507
    News Credits:
    3
    Trophy Points:
    262
    Location:
    Restored & Unified Cybertron
    Likes:
    +1,309
    "Grimlock go back to your hole!"

    i know. i've seen that line in the trailer. i guess i have to see in what context Kade said that line. i know i know it was when Kade was telling Grimlock to release the car from his mouth. but we've yet to see if Grimlock is once again like Bumblebee's relationship with Sam, is treated as a pet, locked up in the house garage in his alt mode.

    bay did say Grimlock was going to have some personality in this movie so i assumed & hoping it would be more or less the version of Grimlock in RiD2015 which i enjoy.

    not really a big fan of sentient and sapient Cybertronians being treated as pets by humans, locked up in a garage in their alt mode/s, locked up in a hangar in their alt mode/s.
     
  18. CKPRIME

    CKPRIME Banned

    Joined:
    Aug 20, 2011
    Posts:
    4,137
    News Credits:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    222
    Likes:
    +2,516
    Yes, but the man who had it all planned out ahead of time would know they were related. Now George Lucas isn't a great writer, but I'm not sure that's something he would set up just to throw away two movies later.

    Yes, that's what I was talking about. He knew he was Luke's father but he had know idea he was Leia's father until the confrontation with Luke.

    Thank's for giving my support to my position.

    I fail to see how that is relevant. I don't think anyone claimed AoE was planned out from the beginning of the Transformers movie series.

    So what? Megatron literally rips Jazz in half. We can't say he doesn't blow a bunch of other Cybertronians away before that scene in TLK. It's doesn't take anything away from my original point that that particular criticism of Megatron is weak.
     
  19. BumblebeeFan71

    BumblebeeFan71 Loyal Starscream Follower

    Joined:
    Oct 26, 2015
    Posts:
    1,529
    Trophy Points:
    197
    Location:
    Wherever Optimus' Trailer disappers to.
    Likes:
    +838
    YouTube (Legacy):
    But it makes sense with Grimlock than it did with Bumblebee. Grimlock's mindset literally works like a dog's, he works off a primal instinct. This is simply because of his low IQ which has been a thing for a while. Heck even back in the 1986 movie Grimlock acted like a dog. If you recall, he stuck his head up front, begging Kup to tell him more stories as Kup was shoving him away and referring to him as "dumb animal."

    With Bumblebee we all knew he didn't have a dog's mindset, so seeing Sam shout and scold him to get back in the garage was annoying because you knew Bumblebee wasn't just a simple pet. In the case of Grimlock, it comes off as more amusing since we understand the mindset and Cade's actions are perfectly understandable. This goes back to the previous film to why Optimus had to fight Grimlock, because of Grimlock's primal state of mind, Optimus had to show his dominance in battle, much like male animals do.
     
    • Like Like x 3
  20. Wolfguard

    Wolfguard Your own personal Jesus.

    Joined:
    Apr 29, 2004
    Posts:
    4,601
    Trophy Points:
    312
    Location:
    Planet California
    Likes:
    +1,999
    Uuuuuh...yeah.

    No.

    I understand Lucas likes to make this claim that he had it all planned out like this from the beginning, but there's quite a bit that goes against that. All of it from his own pen-to-paper drafts. Here's just one example of what I'm talking about:

    ‘The Adventures Of Luke Starkiller’: Peter Mayhew releases pages from his 1976 Star Wars script

    And there's no way I'll ever believe that Leia was always intended to be Luke's sister. As was stated, there's sexual tension between Luke and Leia in both ANH, and ESB. I honestly believe that Leia was intended to be a non-related Force-user. Re: Yoda's claim, "...there is another." Funny that only he considered that and not Obi Wan who knew of BOTH, as was demonstrated in the later-written prequels.

    And the claim that Vader was mostly a "thug" for Tarkin (and the not-seen Emperor) in ANH is also valid. While I would say both Vader and Tarkin are equally the primary antagonists in ANH, the references to the Emperor make THAT more of a plausible movie set-up for a future plot device than the "brother-sister" connection which seemingly came out of NOWHERE even in 1983.
     
    Last edited: Mar 18, 2017
    • Like Like x 1