And your 2007 Transformers are...

[CrayolaSmoker]

AUTOBOTS
Optimus Prime
Bumblebee
Jazz
Ratchet
Ironhide

DECEPTICONS
Megatron
Starscream
Brawl
Bonecrusher
Barricade
Skorpinok
Frenzy
Blackout

And yes, Megatron will insult Starscream. 

Oh yeah, they're also gonna have a "Write a line for Optimus Prime" contest starting in a couple weeks.  I'm gonna submit, "Megatron.  Starscream.  Get a room already."

[ATB]

What does this mean? is this who will be in the movie?

Either way: NO SOUNDWAVE?

And what about the well respected, but not particularly popular Hound?

DINOBOTS?

[pr0ner]

AUTOBOTS
Optimus Prime
Bumblebee
Jazz
Ratchet
Ironhide

DECEPTICONS
Megatron
Starscream
Brawl
Bonecrusher
Barricade
Skorpinok
Frenzy
Blackout

And yes, Megatron will insult Starscream. 

Oh yeah, they're also gonna have a "Write a line for Optimus Prime" contest starting in a couple weeks.  I'm gonna submit, "Megatron.  Starscream.  Get a room already."

I like their choices, but I feel like there's almost too few Transformers in the film.  Especially since the sides aren't evened out.

And that "Write a line for Optimus Prime" contest is superb.  "You've got the touch, Bumblebee".

[Nth Power]

Is that a complete list or only a known list?

Too bad no Soundwave.  That means no Ravage or Laserbeak.

Bumblebee is also a Camaro this time around.  No more VW Bug.  :icon_sad:

[Scott]

Not enough Autobots for me, and I don't like the Decepticon choices at all.  There are far to many newer ones, like Scorpinok and Blackout.  Hopefully there will be more cameos then what's listed.  I imagine there will be, as they'll want to sell a lot of toys.

[cirdan]

Yeah, Volkswagen won't hand out a license for the bug's likeness.

It would have been nice to see both Soundwave and Shockwave on the Decepticon list.

I'm missing Wheeljack and Prowl on the Autobot list. And what happened to Jetfire? I guess he's too Robotech.

No doubt, the 1980s are long gone...

- David

[GGMark]

i cant believe they chose no soundwave, and I think VW should get thier heads out of thier butts, and let them use the bug.  All these other companies are rleassing offical cars now for older transoformers.  VW is missing the boat on this one.

[Farscry]

Too bad no Soundwave.  That means no Ravage or Laserbeak.

Kids today wouldn't know what an audiocassette is. And it'd be hard to figure out how to transform a CD into Ravage or Laserbeak.

[Zarkon]

Soundwave as an mp3 player and the other two as SD memory cards.

Duh.

[Destructor]

Soundwave as an mp3 player and the other two as SD memory cards.

Duh.

That's either the smartest thing I've ever read about Transformers, or a push to completely wreck my childhood memories. I'm not sure yet. 

[CrayolaSmoker]

Is that a complete list or only a known list?

Complete list.

And if you hear the screenwriters talk, the new Beetle doesn't work for Bumblebee.  It's Spike's first car, one he's incredibly excited to own.  Make him a Mini Cooper.  Still has the small/cute thing going, but is far more macho than the new Beetle.  Unless Spike's gay, in which case the new Beetle works wonderfully.

[CrayolaSmoker]

Soundwave as an mp3 player and the other two as SD memory cards.

Duh.

Since they've established there'll be no mass changes in this Transformers universe that'd make Soundwave incredibly tiny.  Tinier than Ravage and Laserbeak were back in the day!  I veto your decision on the behalf of all Children of the 80s. 

[disarm]

Oh yeah, they're also gonna have a "Write a line for Optimus Prime" contest starting in a couple weeks.  I'm gonna submit, "Megatron.  Starscream.  Get a room already."

there's one classis line from the first movie that i think Prime should be obligated to say, from the big standoff against Megatron in the beginning..."One shall stand, and one shall fall."

Soundwave as an mp3 player and the other two as SD memory cards.

Duh.

That's either the smartest thing I've ever read about Transformers, or a push to completely wreck my childhood memories. I'm not sure yet. 

it's not going to happen...at least not in the movie.  michael bay has specifically stated that he won't do anything like that because he refuses to implement any Transformers that have to decrease in size when they transform...everything has to maintain some degree of realism, so a giant robot shrinking down to the size of an mp3 player is out of the question.

[Nth Power]

My memory is a little fuzzy, but wasn't Frenzy a cassette tape?

[Zarkon]

Which is why Soundwave isn't in then.  But...what about Megatron?  He became a freaking PISTOL.

[Nth Power]

I found this on Wikipedia :

A boom-box Decepticon, whose transformation is rumored to involve "stretching", leaving him with a four foot tall robot mode and who appeared in a February 2006 version of the script as Soundwave. Extreme fan backlash over the character has led to the character being renamed and Soundwave being held over until a sequel, where Murphy said at a recent fan con "...we can get him right." The character was rumored to be renamed Soundbyte, but this has recently been dismissed by official sources. The character now seems most likely to have been renamed as Frenzy, after the G1 character who was a minion of Soundwave.

So I guess Frenzy is the new mini-me Soundwave. Hmmm...I wonder what the real Soundwave will look like?

[disarm]

Which is why Soundwave isn't in then.  But...what about Megatron?  He became a freaking PISTOL.

the Megatron in the movie is based off his 'Generation 2' model where he transformed into an armored tank.  as far as i can remember, Soundwave was pretty much always a radio/cassette player in the popular tv/toy lines of the 80s...he only took on other forms in some of the more obscure or more recent storylines.

[ATB]

Since they've established there'll be no mass changes in this Transformers universe that'd make Soundwave incredibly tiny.[/quote]

Bzzt! There's definitely an epsiode of the Transformers where Soundwave transforms into a Walkman sized player right outside Autobot headquarters and Spike picks him up and takes him in not realizing of course that he's a decepticon...despite the icon right on the front of it.

So proportion was never really an issue.  Also (was it Blaster?) also transformed into a boombox who could be carried on the shoulder.

[EngineNo9]

Since they've established there'll be no mass changes in this Transformers universe that'd make Soundwave incredibly tiny.

Bzzt! There's definitely an epsiode of the Transformers where Soundwave transforms into a Walkman sized player right outside Autobot headquarters and Spike picks him up and takes him in not realizing of course that he's a decepticon...despite the icon right on the front of it.

So proportion was never really an issue.  Also (was it Blaster?) also transformed into a boombox who could be carried on the shoulder.

Yes, but as they said, for this Transformer's universe (in the movie) there will not be any crazy mass/size changes like there were in the cartoons. 

[CeeKay]

[Knightshade Dragon]

You uh...wanna toss me some full size links for those homie?

[Knightshade Dragon]

Since they've established there'll be no mass changes in this Transformers universe that'd make Soundwave incredibly tiny.

Bzzt! There's definitely an epsiode of the Transformers where Soundwave transforms into a Walkman sized player right outside Autobot headquarters and Spike picks him up and takes him in not realizing of course that he's a decepticon...despite the icon right on the front of it.

So proportion was never really an issue.  Also (was it Blaster?) also transformed into a boombox who could be carried on the shoulder.

Episode 2 or 3 I believe.  Wow...I'm a dork.

[CeeKay]

You uh...wanna toss me some full size links for those homie?

You can try here.  In the one with the 4 different vehicles we have Ironside (black truck), Optimus (3 guesses which one is him), Ratchet (Hummer) and Bumblebee (not the VW).

[wonderpug]

So...the Decepticons have two tanks, but only one jet fighter...  That sure sounds like the main cast from the cartoon.

The Autobots look like they're going to have a cameo in the next Fast & the Furious movie.   Bumblebee in robot form, I...I'm just speechless.  How is Bumblebee supposed to give any comic relief when he looks like a monster.  And would it have killed them to make Ratchet an ambulance?  Honestly?

Ironhide as a truck, I can live with that, but why not make him red?  What's the harm?

And back to Bumblebee's robot form.  Besides the color, his robot form gives no hint as to what his vehicle form is.  These aren't supposed to just look like robots, they're supposed to have windshields on their chest, or doors as wings, or headlights on their feet, or T-rex arms sticking out of their weird back-flaps.  AGH!

This is just going to get more and more painful, I know it.

[Fellow]

I know it's already been said, but... No Soundwave??? Damn it!

[CeeKay]

And back to Bumblebee's robot form.  Besides the color, his robot form gives no hint as to what his vehicle form is.  These aren't supposed to just look like robots, they're supposed to have windshields on their chest, or doors as wings, or headlights on their feet, or T-rex arms sticking out of their weird back-flaps.  AGH!

This is just going to get more and more painful, I know it.

You can see the front end of Bumblebee's vehicle form on his chest.  The still shot looks weird but I really have to see Bumblebee in motion to decide if it's bad or good.  The moment they said it was live action I knew there'd be changes to the looks and threw out my expectations of this being the old Transformers I grew up with (pre Transformers the movie) and started looking forward to a hopefully exciting check your brain at the door popcorn summer movie.

As for no Soundwave, did they say that this was the definite list?  Could they be holding back some surprises?

[wonderpug]

Latest rumors and pics, I offer no claim as to what's true or fake:

Jazz:


Optimus arm:


Some of Optimus' head:


Ultra Magnus and Cliffjumper:

[EngineNo9]

Latest rumors and pics, I offer no claim as to what's true or fake:
Ultra Magnus and Cliffjumper:

I think they could have tried a little harder on those two.  They look...like like cheap little toys! 

[disarm]

Latest rumors and pics, I offer no claim as to what's true or fake:
Ultra Magnus and Cliffjumper:

I think they could have tried a little harder on those two.  They look...like like cheap little toys! 

i think i still have those packed away in a shoebox somewhere.  i'm not sure if i should be proud or ashamed...

[wonderpug]

It's as if millions of childhood memories cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced.







I guess I should hold off judgement until I see them walking and talking, but I just don't understand the style that they're going for. 

[CeeKay]

I guess I should hold off judgement until I see them walking and talking, but I just don't understand the style that they're going for. 

I think they're going for realism.  Honestly, if they went CGI with the old looks, I think they would look rather silly in action.

[wonderpug]

I guess I should hold off judgement until I see them walking and talking, but I just don't understand the style that they're going for. 

I think they're going for realism.  Honestly, if they went CGI with the old looks, I think they would look rather silly in action.

There's realism, and then there's style choice.

I'd rather they looked more like this:


Now, I don't mean they have to resemble the original designs as much as that picture does (although it would be nice).  What I mean is, on that white Optimus you can see smokestacks, the grill on the front, the fuel tanks on the legs...he looks like a robot made out of a semi truck.

With the style they're going for:


Looking at the robot form you've got no idea what he is.  He looks more like a Matrix squid than a helicopter turned robot.


I don't mean to come across as an unyielding fanboy of the originals that won't accept anything but a CGI remake of the original movie.  I could probably get used to the new Optimus robot form, especially with the original voice.

I'm just worried is all, I really want this to be a decent movie!

[EngineNo9]

I agree with you, wonderpug.  I think this style of overly detailed and jaggy edges looks more like something from Armored Core than Transformers.  I saw that CG test footage of the old-school Optimus Prime and it looked both realistic/believeable as well as true to the Transformers canon. 

[attachment deleted by admin]

[wonderpug]

For the love of--

Supposedly this is the toy prototype for Starscream:

[Scott]

Ugh, what a disappointment all of this is so far. 

Then again, just finally saw the Rebirth episodes of the first generation transformers with my kids this weekend.  I hadn't seen the Headmasters stuff before.  What a way to ruin that timeline.  I'll just pretend that never happened .

[wonderpug]

I take back what I said about not being able to tell what kind of vehicle these new Transformers are when they're in robot mode--at least for the toy versions.



Is that a helicopter strapped to your back or are you just happy to see me?

[hitbyambulance]

*@&#ing michael *@&#ing bay is directing... did anyone actually believe he would stay true to the source material?

[whiteboyskim]

I think this shot pretty much summarizes literally every film Michael Bay has ever made (excluding Pearl Harbor) so please examine it and tell me how the giant robot aspect would be shot any differently. I love Transformers, and I get a kick out of Michael Bay's films. Personally, I think it could be a fun take on the series. In the meantime, we have the 20th anniversary DVD of The Defining Moment of the 80's Guy Generation coming in November. The Death of Optimus Prime in all its glory.

[wonderpug]

I hadn't seen this yet, a 20 minute video interview with Tom DeSanto and Don Murphy talking about the movie.  Seems like they're the ones pushing to keep things true to our childhood memories.  In the interview they compare these early reactions to Transformers to the reaction to when they were working on the first X-men movie.  People were apalled when they found out how Wolverine's costume was going to change, but most people ended up liking how he turned out.  In the interview they try to reassure us that the changes in the Transformers are going to be the same kind of thing: departing from the original but staying true to the spirit of the material and the characters.

I was only partially won over until their closing message, which was pretty much speaking directly to all the skeptics like myself:

People have seen this stolen snapshot, or this 2d rendering, or this early prototype of a toy someone took from Hasbro's vault or whatever, great.  I'm asking everybody, until you actually see one of the vehicles transform into one of the characters, and in a 3-dimensional rendering, walk, hold your opinion.  Until you actually see a Transformer in the way we're trying to bring it to you, hold your opinion.  If it doesn't blow you away, then everyone can go back to hating it, you know?  But I'm convinced, and I think Tom's convinced that once you see what ILM is doing, a lot of people's concerns and fears will be (restive? rested? He kind of mumbles here, but you get the gist).

I said earlier in the thread that I'd hold off complete judgment on the new forms until I saw the robots walking and talking, so hopefully everything really will look ok once we see them in action.

They've just bumped me up to "cautiously hopeful."

Oh, and they said that Frank Welker, the original voice for Megatron, is definitely still a possibility, but Michael Bay has not yet gotten to the point where he needs to make a decision.