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Amph The Transformers. More than meets the eye!

Discussion in 'Community' started by HL&S , Jan 7, 2006.

  1. darth-sinister

    darth-sinister Manager Emeritus star 10 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Jun 28, 2001
    That's what I've been saying all along. It is sad when a cartoon designed to sell toys does a better job of it than four live action films.
     
  2. DarthMane2

    DarthMane2 Force Ghost star 5

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    Sep 20, 2003
  3. darth-sinister

    darth-sinister Manager Emeritus star 10 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jun 28, 2001
  4. Adam of Nuchtern

    Adam of Nuchtern Chosen One star 6

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    Sep 2, 2012
    I think the best take-down is from the Dissolve's review:

     
  5. Nobody145

    Nobody145 Force Ghost star 5

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    Feb 9, 2007
    Glad I wasn't planning on seeing this movie in the first place, even before I heard about the ridiculous run-time of nearly three hours. Three movies was already two movies too much. First one wasn't great, but it was definitely better than everything since. Though those toy designs do look kind of nice, but that's probably because they're not the awful CG the live-action movie uses. Look at the Prime cartoon, they had influences from the movies in their designs but all of their characters are actually recognizable from each other!

    I've been keeping up with MTMTE, although the "second season" hasn't been as fun as the first season was so far. Slightly annoyed to see some of the characters backsliding after the character development of the first season, but guess that's a continuing series for you. Funny how much stuff they packed into the Dark Cybertron crossover. The main plot moved along slowly, but it allowed a lot of characters to finally meet up, and Dark Cybertron's events definitely have a big effect on the Lost Light's current crew. Usually those kind of crossovers put most of the normal plots on hold (such as every event tie-in comic from Marvel or DC) then after the event its back to the (usually better) normal plot.

    Its sad when a TV cartoon and a comic are more entertaining and higher quality than an explosion marathon like the live-action movies. The fact that they throw so much money at the movies (and they make so much money, considering the live-action franchise is still going) would leave me more depressed about people's tastes if I weren't already so cynical.
     
  6. Skywalker8921

    Skywalker8921 Jedi Knight star 4

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    Jun 9, 2011
    So presumably the "Transformers branded as fugitives" in the fallout from DOTM explains why Bumblebee is no longer with Sam? I had a feeling there wouldn't be any sort of explanation given onscreen.
     
  7. beezel26

    beezel26 Jedi Master star 7

    Registered:
    May 11, 2003
    You know the voice actor who does Optimus Prime is so old I bet he is a grandpa by now. I bet he must be the awesome grandpa. I mean what kinds of adventures and battles do you think kids will get into with Grandpa Prime leading the way.

    I can only imagine what fun Saturday Night Live would have with him.
     
  8. The2ndQuest

    The2ndQuest Tri-Mod With a Mouth star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Jan 27, 2000
    Yeah, I don't think there's any reference to Sam or any of the other human characters at all. I think, given the 5 year timespan since DOTM, it would mean that not even the president counts as a recurring character- and even he is only referred to by title and not name.

    Other random thoughts:

    Pro:Lockdown is kinda badass- when he shows up you actually do get an "oh ****" reaction out of it.

    Pro: Galvatron enslaves the other generic robots to his will, which at least explains the new Decepticons having no personalities and reflects the relationship with Galvatron and the Sweeps after a fashion.

    Con: Again, no Dinobot setup. Yes, we see dinos early on, but Prime doesn't even know they're in there until he comments "The legends are true"- WHAT legends? We don't even get a single "Me Grimlock badass" line- let alone any Dinobot dialogue. Hound namechecks Slag I think but I don't think they even mention Grimlock's name once.

    Con: You have Decepticons now built on Earth as sports cars- all led by an evil truck, and you DON'T pull the trigger on the obvious Stunticons opportunity? For real? The finale should have totally been a showdown between the Stunticons/Menasor and Dinobots!!!
     
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  9. DarthMane2

    DarthMane2 Force Ghost star 5

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    Sep 20, 2003
    No use pointing out missed opportunites 2nd. The Transformers films are a missed opportunity altogether.
     
  10. The2ndQuest

    The2ndQuest Tri-Mod With a Mouth star 10 Staff Member Manager

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    Jan 27, 2000
    But they were almost there.
     
  11. Nobody145

    Nobody145 Force Ghost star 5

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    Feb 9, 2007
    One of the reviews I read mentioned that. Although honestly, that's nothing new for the live-action movies. Long, dragged out affairs and while they supposedly throw in named characters from other parts of the franchise, they're almost unrecognizable. Like in DotM, Shockwave was there but aside from the one-eye, didn't do anything recognizable as Shockwave. No gun-arm, purple color scheme, I forget if he even talked or just made random noises while riding some giant monster.

    Did the trailers already show all the Dinobots scenes? Which would be pathetic, but again, typical for the live-action series. I still remember Optimus spending half of final battle during the last movie tangled up in wires, rather than, you know, actually fighting.

    Wait, there were legends? Ha, I feel sorry for IDW (do they still bother with comic tie-ins to the live action stuff? I mostly only pay attention to MTMTE and a little bit to the other two series in that continuity) if they try to retcon in more stuff into Transformers history. First it was the Allspark, then the Thirteen and the Fallen, then Sentinel Prime (all while making Megatron look more pathetic with each movie).
     
  12. DarthMane2

    DarthMane2 Force Ghost star 5

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    Sep 20, 2003
    Don't even mention shockwave. Still hurts to much. Great character just completely and entirely wasted. His whole logical perspective on things could have made him a great villain for dotm. Sigh
     
  13. The2ndQuest

    The2ndQuest Tri-Mod With a Mouth star 10 Staff Member Manager

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    Jan 27, 2000
    Lest we not forget Starscream- arguably the most well developed and complex character in the entire franchise- who was at least set up somewhat in the first film for something, then mostly absent in the following films (minus one or two brief scenes that make nods towards only his suck-up-to-Megatron characteristic from the cartoon) before being killed off by Shia LeBouf.
     
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  14. Deputy Rick Grimes

    Deputy Rick Grimes Jedi Grand Master star 6

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    Sep 3, 2012

    Majority of it, yep

    This movie, honestly is the worst movie of 2014 so far.
     
  15. The2ndQuest

    The2ndQuest Tri-Mod With a Mouth star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Jan 27, 2000
    Actually, they don't- you see probably 1/3rd of the Dinobot scenes (or parts of their scenes) in the trailers.

    Basically, Prime frees them from Lockdown's prison ship and gives them the chance to go free if they help the Autobots overcome Galvatron and his 'Cons from acquiring the Seed (more on that later) that will allow him to rebuild his army and wipe out humanity/Earth.

    Grimlock transforms into T-Rex mode and attacks Prime while the others watch. Prime pwns Grimlock, hops on and they all ride out of the valley.

    There's the shot of Prime riding Grimlock smashing through a temple-looking gate that we saw in one of the first TV spots (superbowl i think?).

    Next we see a shot of them plowing through the giant hillside towards the city (which was a pretty cool shot) and eventually entering the city streets.

    Then we get the trailer shots of Prime riding Grimlock through the streets, hopping off as they take on individual enemies.

    After that you get a lot of them vs Decepticons in the city and a lot of them dealing with the return of Lockdown and his ship's magnetic weapon (which picks up metal and them drops the debris as an attack- including bots, Auto, Dino or otherwise), which leads to some rather cool shots of the Dinos clawing at the sides of skyscrappers and the undersides of skywalks to prevent thesmelves from getting sucked up.

    Somewhere in there you get Swoop saving Bee ala the "OMG!" trailer shot.

    Somewhere in there Grimlock threatens Tucci by roaring in his face. After the battle Prime says they are honorable warriors and may go free and they go trotting off into the hillside again.

    Yeah, more backstory added, setting up the main thrust of this supposed trilogy:

    That the Transformers were built and their creators want them back- or, at least, Optimus Prime who is apparently one of several Knights sent out to explore the galaxy for their creators before turning on them (though Prime seems only partially aware of this history- we do see several statues of them inside parts of Lockdown's trophy ship). It is they who hired Lockdown to hunt down Optimus and bring him back. By the end of the movie, Prime takes off into space (using the magic rocket boots he literally is shown having for the first time just after the final battle, moments before he takes off into space) warning his creators that he's coming for them.

    These creators (I'm assuming they're the Quintessons for now, or the movie version but who really knows at this point with the Bayformersverse, ya know? All we know is that they are at least partially organic [we only see their hand] and drive those Grievous Wheelbike ships) are shown in the film's opening (and later more fully explained) to have caused the extinction of the dinosaurs using devices called Seeds which are basically nukes that convert organic matter into what is called by the humans "transformium"to be mined and turned into the Cybertronians.

    As to the "legends"- we aren't given any other information about them (no foreshadowing, no exposition, no nothing) before Optimus says those words

    So, how that fits with the Allspark, the Megatron/Sentinel nonsense, the Primes/Fallen is anyone;s guess but probably doesn't matter because I doubt they'll ever bother to smooth it out in the movies.

    Oh, and did I forget to mention they STILL haven't said what happened to Cybertron after the end of the third movie?

    Also, Galvatron and the new 'Cons only exist because
    Wheelie's sidekick from the 3rd film (whose name I can't even bother to remember) allowed Megatron to upload himself into Galvatron- so basically he just reignited the civil war out of spite for the humans who captured him.
     
  16. Juke Skywalker

    Juke Skywalker Chosen One star 5

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    Mar 27, 2004
    If I had to describe the pacing of this film in water terms, the first two acts are like a light spritz from a spray bottle, and the third act is like being sprayed in the face by a fire hose at point blank range.
     
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  17. JEDI-RISING

    JEDI-RISING Chosen One star 6

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    Apr 15, 2005
    Peter Cullen who voices Optimus Prime is nearly 73.
    As for the film, i don't intend to see it . I hated the last one. I wanted to walk out of it less than half way through. These films are title "Transformers" but all the characters we get to know are the humans.....and they're complete morons. Seriously i 've heard for over a decade how terrible Jar Jar Binks is. Seriously? have you seen a Transformers movie?! The only character who wasn't Uber-Annoying was probably Josh Duhamel. Megatron is supposed to be the villain. How many lines did he have in 3 movies?! 4? Bumblebee didn't talk. Optimus was the only Transformer we remotely get to know. On top of that the battle's in the last two movies went on WAY WAY WAY too long.
    Oh it made 41 million yesterday. Probably will out-earn Captain America: The Winter Soldier and X-Men. facepalm.
     
  18. I Are The Internets

    I Are The Internets Shelf of Shame Host star 9 VIP - Game Host

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    Nov 20, 2012
    This is the greatest post I have ever read by you. Thank you for lightening up my day as always.
     
  19. Deputy Rick Grimes

    Deputy Rick Grimes Jedi Grand Master star 6

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    Sep 3, 2012

    More than likely going to make $100 million

    Doesn't deserve that.
     
  20. darth-sinister

    darth-sinister Manager Emeritus star 10 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Jun 28, 2001
    Bay's so caught up in his idea of what they should look like that he misses everything by leaps and bounds. Both in design and characterization. I'd rather have Optimus and Megatron look like this than what's in the movies.

    [​IMG]
     
  21. beezel26

    beezel26 Jedi Master star 7

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    May 11, 2003
    It would be a good movie if they had introduced the dinobots earlier. They could have had so much with them on the ship. Instead its five minutes of air time. It made the film from a movie into a transformers tv show episode. The Autobots meet the Dinobots.

    oh and honestly they should have had the combaticons and the dino bots go against them and battle it out in China.
     
  22. I Are The Internets

    I Are The Internets Shelf of Shame Host star 9 VIP - Game Host

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    Nov 20, 2012
    I'll see this eventually. Really, it depends on the word of mouth. I enjoyed DotM a lot actually.
     
  23. darth-sinister

    darth-sinister Manager Emeritus star 10 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Jun 28, 2001
    The best time to introduce the Dinobots was in "Revenge Of The Fallen". They could have been guarding the Matrix and the Tomb of the Primes, but were in stasis for years and then are woken up, thus allowing them to help out against the Decepticons, particularly when the Constructicons form Devastator.
     
  24. beezel26

    beezel26 Jedi Master star 7

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    May 11, 2003
    But they would have been dead. The combaticons should have been a creation of the company and Galvatron should have pushed them to form Devastor.
     
  25. I Are The Internets

    I Are The Internets Shelf of Shame Host star 9 VIP - Game Host

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    Nov 20, 2012
    So is Unicron in this?