Awesome. Gimme pre-orders. I think I might take Air Razor as well, maybe Huffer too. Even Inferno is cool. This is so awesome.

 

So first off, none of the statis pods would have been opened or introduced in the first movie. Only the original ship crews on both sides. I feel like introducing new characters mid-film would be silly. So the second would basically begin with a whole slew of pods falling down (due to events from the first film). Upon crash landing, some of the pods shields would go down, leaving them vulnerable to signals from the predacons to reprogram them to predacons. However, neither maximal nor predacon from the ship crew will arrive to these pods in person. So this film will largley focus on these new characters (Tigatron, Airazor, Silverbolt, Blackarachnia, Inferno, Quickstrike) who are trapped alone, still getting their bearings, so time will be spent getting to know them.

These are the characters who are going to be trapped with Rampage. New to the world, still working out what their own alligences mean, trying to survive homocidal maniac crap. I also see Airazor's intro episode playing a factor, with Tigatron trying to figure out how to get her spark online before rampage comes and basically eats her protoform. Rhinox is instructing him from afar, and we get some spark mythology this way.

Silverbolt will first meet up with the predacons and trust them implicitly, travelling with blackarachnia, quickstrike and inferno, believing he belongs with them. We can see Silverbolt establishing a connection with Blackarachnia at this point, while also being turned off by the predacons actions he travels with, along with the instructions he gets from megatron.

In the meantime, Megatron is pulling the strings, setting up how he is going to get Rampage under his control. The Airazor plotline will be important to explaining to the audiences sparks, so that gets set up nicely.

The focus on the new characters allows us to introduce them without the film feeling too cramped, as we are going to give less time to the established characters. They'll be a bit more sidelined to make space for the new ones, guiding them through.

We'll also obviously get backstory on rampage with Primal, flushing out the story a bit more.

Edit: I should also add that in my first film, Dinobot doesn't change sides until the end of the film. So in the sequel, Rattrap and Dinobot would be sent to provide backup to the new recruits, so they would be travelling together trying to reach the landing zone for the pods. They'll have a few combat scenes with some movie 1 predacons on their way, but this is how we are going to give them a chance to build up their famous rapport as well.

Edit 2: Once I start putting thought into these things, the ideas keep coming.

So the opening of the film is all the pods are coming down. Both sides sends a flyer and a backup to get to the pods. Primal carries Cheetor, while Terrorsaur carries Scorponok. Neither side truly knows what they are dealing with yet. The four confront one another in order to reach the first pod first, but Rampage emerges, catching all four off guard. He literally murders Terrorsaur and Scorponok, while bringing Cheetor on the brink of death and severely injuring Primal. Primal barely escapes with Cheetor, abandoning the rest of the pods. Cheetor and Primal need repairs, Rhinox co-ordinates from base (providing Tigatron with help to get Airazor online as described), while Rattrap and Dinobot must go on foot together to provide backup. This sets Rampage up as a horrifying threat, takes movie 1 movies out of the focus and puts them in the background, gives Primal a good reason to monologue aboutr Rampages origins, as he fears for Cheetor's life

Edit 3: So I think we would actually have Rampage eating sparks. This does a few things. First, we'd actually watch him eat Terrorsaur and Scorponok's sparks, establishing a difference between a damaged and a murdered character. Second, it emphasizes the importance of the spark and makes it a focal point of the movie, tying a bunch of stuff together, while adding tension in saving Airazor, who at this time is just an exposed spark. Third, once we learn that Rampages spark is immortal, we would get a line of how Rampage just enjoys rubbing that in the face of his victims, that their sparks are so fragile, making him just truly sadistic. Finally, once again, it adds to the ending when Megatron, ironically, uses Rampages obsession with sparks and the immortality of his own against him. It really emphasizes this.

So anyway, this is my pitch for a Rampage-focused sequel film.

 

I have to admit, that may be my least favorite episode of the series.

 

I'm anxious to see full sets of shots on Ultramagnus. It's probably going to come down to the vehicle mode for me. If the trailer has been reworked to be more g1, I'm in. But if it's just an earth mode cab with the same trailer, I'll probably skip. I already have too Siege Magnuses as is. (No, one's not the Netflix version. They're both stock retail, I just converted the inner robot of one to be minimus Ambus.)

 

Since they would probably stick to just one mold I’d vote for a slight retool of Fasttrack!

 

I thought Megatron acting the part of a big game hunter was hilarious. Made it worth it for me.

 

They all look pretty good, but particularly interested in Ractonite as it's a new character. Have any of the Fossilizers/skeletal Kingdom figures revealed so far been anything other than Predacons? I've got a bit of head canon going for them to be another rogue group of Predacons, not necessarily aligned with Megatron.
I liked the Siege Ultra Magnus well enough that I'll probably buy the earth mode version, unless it somehow looks significantly worse.

 

Just start Beast Wars at season 2. Read a quick recap of season 1 of need be. Seasons 2 and 3 are great, and I didn't feel lost skipping 1.

 

Strangely, I didn't pay much attention to your reference to TNG in my first read-through. But after watching a few BW episodes you suggested, I was surprised at how much it reminded me of the Star Trek show. I wish I could say that's a good thing, but in my case, it's not. Years ago one of my good friends loved TNG, so I've seen most (if not all) of the episodes, at least in part. There's something about the manner in which the stories were delivered, and in the way that the actors behaved, that reminded me of theatre rather than cinema. I'm not sure I can adequately describe this quality, but I think it is generally regarded in good favor by TNG fans. Unfortunately it's something that gets under my skin.

It's like when little kids role-play with their friends or siblings. Everyone feels their role is the most important, so they sort of "take the stage" for their parts. They don't act so much as they perform, and they don't converse so much as make speeches, as if they're talking to an audience instead of each other. There are odd pauses when the "scenes" shift, and even mundane activities are made to seem much more significant than they are. I remember a theatre student in my college honors geology class who would "take the stage" when asking a question of the professor, or when contributing during field outings. I found the guy intolerably pretentious and really wanted to punch him in the mouth. I don't like peacocks and attention-seekers.

Oddly, that's the impression I'm getting watching BW. It's really difficult for me to convey, but it reminds me a lot of TNG. It has a stage-theatre feel to it.

Anyway, I thought I'd just share those early impressions, considering I made the connection with TNG, a show that you also hold in high regard. I don't mean to make it sound like I'm Trekker-bashing. I loved the original series as a kid, but never adopted TNG despite considerable repeated exposure... mainly because of this "theatre feel" that I was describing. Regardless, I intend to continue with my Beast Wars experiment to see where it leads. I finished Double Jeopardy earlier but haven't begun Gorilla Warfare.

 

Officially my favorite CHUG subline ever.

 

It should be everyone's least favorite episode.






That, or the nuclear fart episode...

 

Glad you got what you got wanted. I'll be getting him also but my excitement for him has dwindled due to my nitpicky especially the chest plate coloring. Hopefully more pics and higher resolution will make me like him again. As of now, Siege UM still looks better in my eyes and the KO BPF version makes it even more special.

Agreed. Back in 2001, I kept on thinking RID UM had that beast looking alt.mode which was too bad a$$ to be earth vehicle, lol. So with Siege UM advertised as a Cybertronian vehicle, that reinforced my initial thinking. Since then, I always view the RID UM alt.mode as his Cybertronian form. My only regret, I just wish they give the Siege version a full RID robot mode as well and that would justify getting the Earth mode UM.

 

So first off, thank you for engaging! I'm surprised you've made it as far as you did so quickly, I was expecting maybe you'd watch an episode a day to make it easier to get through, so you're defintely far ahead where I was expecting. I didn't even really think you'd start today at all! Jumping right in there!

Your explanation about how it feels theatrical... I think it's fair to say that both shows, through it's writing, seem to draw inspiration from not just theatre but Shakespear. So it's possible that you are picking up on that. It's interesting though that you draw that connection, because I also feel like Beast Wars and Star Trek have a similar feel, but it wasn't the theater I was thinking, but more so the crews. The Maximals feel like a starfleet crew to me. Primal to me feels like a starfleet captain, a band of explorers stuck in a warzone. Always looking to diplomacy first. I really like that about the show, but I wasn't thinking in terms of style overall, so you may have picked up on some notes I hadn't thought of.

It's interesting that you've seen so much TNG but haven't liked it. Definitely a sign that our personal tastes are different. Oddly enough though, I also find the original series is also quite "theatre-stagey", so I find it interesting that you aren't a fan of that from TNG but like it in TOS.

Please do continue sharing your thoughts. Like it or not, I am enjoying your approach. And if you find you are sitll not enjoying it at all, feel free to stop at this point. You've made it past what I'd consider the worst. You haven't gotten to the best, but if you aren't enjoying it at all yet, I think at this point it is safe to say that it's just not for you.

 

Computer... enhance...



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yeah I agree, needs less blue on the chest plate. But otherwise this is going to be a great CHUG Magnus in my eyes.

 

I think the original Star Trek still holds appeal only because I watched it as a kid-- I haven't seen a single episode as an adult. I loved the more recent movie reboot, but that doesn't really count, because it has a completely different feel. You're on to something with the "crew" aspect, though-- there is a strong similarity there.

But yes, I had downtime today to watch a couple of shows (it helped that I had already watched the first three or four episodes of BW). I had recently posted asking about TF series that I should catch up on-- if I hadn't seen them before-- and of course the BW fans piped up. I had tentatively given up on it altogether until you provided a bit more insight and suggested I give it a closer look. I am struggling with the presentation of it, but the character interaction is better than in other TF shows. Most are strictly plot-driven, but BW at least gives some attention to character development, which is nice.

If I'm honest, I've held off on re-watching G1 S1 and S2 for fear I would find it unappealing. Part of me worries that my adult brain is just too critical for it now, and I don't want to ruin a childhood favorite. I think I could enjoy S1 again, but I know for certain I would dislike several S2 episodes, and I didn't like much of the '86 movie and most of S3 the first time through as a kid. The toys were what really kept me interested, and it's the MPs and MP-styled 3P figures that truly interest me now. But I still like the genre as a whole and enjoy learning more about it.

If I hang in there through your recommended first-season episodes, I'll check out season 2 as others have suggested. I can't guarantee I'll take to it, but regardless it will be nice to know more about it for future discussions on this forum.

 

I've watched all Star Trek as an adult, several times over. TOS is uneven, but it's highs are quite high and aged exceptionally well.

I'm glad you are enjoying the character interactions. That is absolutely something Beast Wars excells at, and it remains strong in that regard throughout the whole series. Season 2 in particular has some very strong character development. Yeah, if you watch the ones I suggested, nothing in season 2 will be confusing, as all the ones you are skipping are purely self-contained. I'd say if at some point the show truly starts to click for you, go back and watch them. Some are better than others, obviously, but the character interactions and development are always strong.

Season 2, don't skip anything. In the whole season there are only two episodes I'd say are weak (the first episode and the fourth), but even those two have some important plot elements.

Regarding G1, I also watched that as a kid, the reruns, though I was very young at the time. As an adult, when rewatching, I personally did not think it aged nearly as well as Beast Wars. Yes, the animation in Beast Wars clearly aged, but the dialogue and plot-lines aged as well as any show from the 90s, such as Batman the Animated seires.

 

I need an inferno and this will do very nicely. I also need an Ultra Magnus and i think this looks better than the last one did. 
Might get Huffer but haven\'t really got any interest in Dinobot 

 

Huffer is a must, I was worried 3P would have already salted the fields with several MP style iterations. But this Huff looks perfect. Bonus the shield is not necessary. I really want to see Pipes, who I know is going to be available in like...12 months.



The Triceratops Fossilizer looks a tad ugly from this distance. I want to see more.


Airrazer...hrmmm If they somehow manage to make the alt look decent that will be amazing. She has to do the impossible. What is she holding?



The Nemesis is on the background on these boxes people. You know what that suggests...

 

I'd definitely want to see PIPES.

"THE LOW ROAD"? I thought I was gonna die when I first saw that episode.

"OH NO... NOT THAT! AHHHH!.... (FART)"