As a longtime Transformers fan (Going strong since 1984), I was originally stoked about the feature film to be released on July 4. How could it go wrong? You have a 20+ year back story, recognizable characters and Steven Spielberg producing.
It seems that all three of those are the reasons my excitement for this film has left me. Spielberg has put Michael Bay at the helm of it, even after admitting he had no interest in the characters or the plot that has made Transformers the piece of Americana that it is. Only after being told he could do it as an "aliens invades earth" type of movie did he agree to it.
The characters are what drive Transformers. Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Jazz, Megatron and Starscream: These are what people wanted, true to life versions of the characters we grew up with. It's understandable to make a few changes, and I have no problem with Megatron being an alien spacefighter instead of a gun or Bumblebee being a Camaro instead of a Volkswagon Beetle but to turn Megatron from a humanoid type of robot to a chrome version of the Predator just doesn't work. I won't even get started on the new version of Starscream, whose character has always been of a "pretty boy" who is vain about his looks being turned into a mechanical monkey/wasp hybrid.
These aren't the characters we know. This isn't Transformers. This is just another example of Hollywood taking something that people hold dear to them and changing it for the sake of change.
I've exchanged instand messages with one of the screenwriters for the movie and we have talked about that. I can't blame him for changing the story to fit what the director wants, after all, there are a lot of people that would kill to write a script for Bay and Spielberg. If he didn't do it, someone else would. I do have to give Roberto credit for facing the people that are against what he wrote, that takes guts and I applaud him for it.
I will go see it. A lot of people will go see it. But I will go see it knowing that I am not seeing the Transormers I grew up on and have wanted to see in a live action film for 23 years. No, I will go in and pay my seven dollars and sit down in the dark theater and try to enjoy BayFormers.
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5 comments:
We've been talking about Hugo Weaving as Megatron over at Highbrid Nation and to be honest with you I'm having a little trouble wrapping my head around it. I would have loved to have the original voice from the cartoon. Guss I'm just too old school.
I agree on most points, except on Megatron not being a gun and Bumblebee not being a VW. They should have maintained their original forms. Changewhores sicken me. The VW is a small and dependable car, just like bumblebee is a small but dependable robot...the camaro has no such reputation. Megatron uses his size shifting to become a gun so that he can hide in plain sight. In fact, as I recall there was one episode where he sneaks into a military armory disguised as an ordinary gun.
Yep and there were also episodes where they found an underwater city full of frog like creatures and put Spikes brain into a robot.
Oh and let's not forget the disappearing trailer, mass-shifting and the fact that we don't use tapes anymore (Shockwave)
Let's face it, the cartoon worked as a cartoon and AT THE TIME but the movie would have seriously sucked if they'd based it on the storylines of the cartoon.
Things move on and we have to adapt and accept it.
Personally I loved the movie and think it was a great adaptation. After watching it I bought the "best of" DVD of the cartoon episodes. It was nostalgic to see them but I realised how crap the storylines would be now.
Also let's not forget the quality of the cartoon with Bubblebee changing size between car and Robot (when he's a robot there is no way he is the scale of a VW)
Like I said, it was great in the 80s but let's move on.
Nice and funny movie, you are right, a robot would cry for this.
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