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Hasbro Explains The Need For New Characters In TRANSFORMERS 4!!
The Kidd here...
I think there's a certain level of cautious optimism to Michael Bay returning for at least one more TRANSFORMERS flick, and by starting anew with an entirely new cast of characters, there's hope that maybe he'll finally get serious (as seen in the massive action sequences towards the end of DARK OF THE MOON) and deliver a movie for the franchise that doesn't insult our intelligence as we watch it. Perhaps he can make something that doesn't look and feel so stupid.
Cutting the cord on Shia LaBeouf and the rest of the characters we've lived with for three films in order to create distance for the next film makes sense... but doing the same with the robots that have become synonamous with TRANSFORMERS on any level? Well, that doesn't make a whole lot of sense.
Potentially no Optimus Prime... no Bumblebee... what gives? What is the meaning behind all of this? Weren't they the least objectionable aspects of Bay's first three films?
Maybe, but they seem to have plateaued for Hasbro, who wants to inject some new blood into the franchise in order to inject some new revenue in their balance sheets.
At the UBS Best Of Americas 2012 Conference (via TFW2005), Brian Goldner, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hasbro, explained that, while TRANSFORMERS 3 may have done well at the box office, the film did nothing for their toy sales. "...it’s because of same characters in all three movies. This is why Transformers 4 will have a new cast of [robot] characters and it will be a story revolving around these new characters."
So... if we want to see the Autobots and Decepticons we've become familiar with over the years to the point that TRANSFORMERS means something to many of us, we have to go out and drop some coin on buying up their toys, so you know we like them enough to keep incorporating them into future films...?
It certainly looks that way, which looks like a one-way ticket to disaster, if you ask me.
I've got my fingers crossed that the direction of the next film isn't being directed by toy sales, but that might not be enough.
-Billy Donnelly
"The Infamous Billy The Kidd"
Follow me on Twitter.
Readers Talkback
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Sept. 13, 2012, 10:24 a.m. CST
Possibly along the lines of "Beast Wars"? Organic robots would be uber cool.
by cozy
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Someone kill this guy...now...seriously.
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With the second half of the TRANSFORMER ANIMATED MOVIE, and it SUCKED LARGE MONKEY BALLS! SO no I have no faith in this . .at all . .. ALL HAIL MEGATRON!
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Sept. 13, 2012, 10:26 a.m. CST
I think there's a certain level of cautious optimism to Michael Bay returning for at least one more TRANSFORMERS flick
by MrWug
Amongst whom? And based on what?
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Calling for the death of someone is hatespeech, regardless of how many ropey films they've made. Are there any mods who can delete this hateful comment?
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Sept. 13, 2012, 10:30 a.m. CST
I agree: didn't work in 1986...won't work in 201whenever the next bullshit movie comes out.
by tylerzero
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Sept. 13, 2012, 10:30 a.m. CST
Arise Rodimus Prime! Ok, wow, you were terrible, can we get Optimus back.
by shutupfanboy
Ok, he wasn't terrible, he just wasn't Prime and no one knew who he was other than some punk robot who liked to hang out with little kids and go fishing as well as be a pain in the ass. The fact they made him emo after the movie was interesting, but not necessarily a good idea.
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I'm still desperately hoping that at the last minute we'll get a repeat of that scenario where the director and all their prepwork gets pushed aside and they reboot the franchise from square 1 with a whole new crew. If you ask me, it's the best case scenario right now.
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Doing a Transformers movie without Optimus Prime is like doing a Justice League movie without Superman.
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Sept. 13, 2012, 10:31 a.m. CST
You know, I actually didn't think the Transformers movies were all that horrible, for a franchise based on 1980's toys
by wcolbert
I never cared about Transformers. I was born in the 80's. I still never watched the shows. I guess I watched Beast Wars a bit in the late 90's. That's about it. So I really didn't have any bar set for Transformers. The concept is idiotic to begin with, so why hold any huge expectations for a film about talking, transforming space vehicles? that said...given that, I found the movies entertaining enough. not spectacular, but not as bad as people go on about. Michael Bay has never been one to give you intelligent and compelling drama - he makes movies with explosions and hot girls. That's what he does. One should know that's all they should expect, and nothing more, before they even walk in the door. I suppose if I had some attachment to the Transformers from childhood I might see it differently. But I never saw the appeal. the films were the first time I even enjoyed anything Transformers related.
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Sept. 13, 2012, 10:32 a.m. CST
Wasn't this always about the toys? Even as a cartoon?
by kindofabigdeal
They should just give us our Beast Wars movie. Or how about, wait for it,....a prequel that's darker and grittier? It could be called Transformers: Rise of the Decepticons
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Sept. 13, 2012, 10:33 a.m. CST
The Rise of Cy-Kill ... GoBots are part of the Transformers/Hasbro universe after all...
by MoneyGrabSequel
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No need to bring in brand new Autobots; just bring in Grimlock & the rest of the Dinobots.
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Sept. 13, 2012, 10:35 a.m. CST
that's a failed movie waiting to happen if they ditch main (robot) characters...
by darthadv
the film/story should be able to breathe on its own, without the need for it to be a 2-3 hour commercial for merchandise, mimicking the original cartoons' purpose... granted, merchandise sales has been a given/expected byproduct of big movies of this type for quite a while, but this is the tail wagging the dog... there's got to be a balance they can find
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And their success at the box office frankly baffles me.
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Sept. 13, 2012, 10:36 a.m. CST
If we didn't buy toys to the characters we know, why would we buy some for ones that we don't?
by kindofabigdeal
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Sept. 13, 2012, 10:37 a.m. CST
To quote Ray Arnold in Jurassic Park: "It could've been worse, John. A lot worse."
by wcolbert
Don't get me wrong. The movies weren't particularly GOOD - but I judge a film based on what it set out to be rather than what I wanted it to be. This was only ever going to be a movie about transforming space robots, explosions, and hot girls. That's it. So with those expectations in mind, I went in and wasn't disappointed - I knew what it'd be. I don't see any way 1980's toys can be THAT interesting anyway. Now, if the Transformers had started off as some kind of alien probe that self replicates and mutates like a biological entity, and had evolved over millions of years and many planets into this state, that'd be more interesting. I guess that could be the back story before they got to Cybertron. It'd make more sense.
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Sure you probably only had one Darth Vader... And hey these Transformers are supposed to be advanced technology... Surely someone in the marketing dept might have been able to put 2 and 2 together to figure out that you can upgrade and redevelop your existing toys ? No ? Well your film and toy company deserve to fail then...
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I thought we all knew that.
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Hey Hasbro, the movie was a huge hit but your toy sales are stagnant? Hmmm...tell you what, shut the fuck up then about how the producers should proceed with the next movie. THAT ISN'T WHAT'S WRONG. Maybe Michael Bay should sit in on your meetings and teach you how to design and distribute toys kids actually want to play with. Watching Hasbro commit slow motion suicide this year with the GI Joe, Star Wars and Transformers lines has been more tragi-comical than any movie that has come out in the last 10 years.
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I had money to spend on some of the DOTM toys, but you guys shipped the last of the wave off to Asia, ensuring me that a Human Alliance Soundwave would only be mine if I paid $80+ to some guy in Beijing. Plus, the DOTM wave didn't help matters by being lopsided with Bumblebee vehicles, not to mention Skids and Mudflap, which just sat there on shelves when Bay decided to scrap their planned appearance. Hasbro didn't do enough to put the new film's characters into toy form. Many of us wanted a full Autobot squadron, with Que and Enzo, but we never got them. Or for that matter, a trailer that would fit Leader Class Optimus Prime.
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It find it really sad that Hasbro is making the call to potentially eliminate what was actually good about the movies based upon their absolute ineptitude for selling and creating their toys. If I walked into my local Target or Walmart, I would find a literal ton of Bumblebee toys that aren't selling. They haven't sold well since the first movie, so why over saturate the market? The quality of their toys have significantly gone down since the second movie. They've introduced gimmicks that just don't work, and they refuse to learn from their mistakes. It's amazing to me that Hasbro has no idea how to market these toys. It's not rocket science. These are honestly simple questions that need to be asked and answered before they go and make a dramatic change in the cast of robots, that everyone wants to see more of.
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Sept. 13, 2012, 10:39 a.m. CST
fuck him hard. the movies are bad. why not just re-imagine the original characters (i.e. give them new not-shitty designs?)
by chifforobe
The entire Transformers franchise was designed to sell toys from the start, like He-Man, so we can't blame them. But kids will not buy shitty new robots-- just like they didn't buy their favorite robots with the SHITTY FUCKING DESIGNS that cursed these films. Make Optimus and Bumblebee look cool, for a change, and kids will buy them. I promise!
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Sept. 13, 2012, 10:39 a.m. CST
You Mean: Hasbro Explains Why They Need More Toys to Sell to Make Money???
by truedog67
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That way you're too busy ruining that franchise to fuck up other potentally good movies. And thank god Brett Ratner has only made two movies in five years and his next one could be Rush Hour 4. So he's not fucking up good movies either. Thankfully Paul W.S. Anderson isn't interested in ruining good movies. He's happy making shit. Although I'm still pissed that he ruined Death Race. In the right hands that could've been awesome. Instead of a race from NY to LA, where you get points for killing people, you get The Running Man in cars.
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...none. Imagine a photo-realistic CGI film of red hot robot-on-robot action set on Cybertron? I'd be totally in.
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Sept. 13, 2012, 10:48 a.m. CST
When you say "he's raping ninja turtles"...I just picture
by wcolbert
I just picture him with Leo, face down in the mud, his hand over Leo's mouth going "shhh....shhhhh.....this is happening. This is going to happen. Just let it happen." as we hear Leo's muffled crying. Yep. Sounds about right. But hey, at least he's not DIRECTING it. And they have (so they say) taken what people have said into account and are re-writing.
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Transformers is about a group of giant robots from some robot planet who speak perfect english and seamlessly change into cars, planes, boats and dinosaurs. The whole premise is an insult to our intelligence.
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I almost choked on my breakfast when I read your comment. Kudos.
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Sept. 13, 2012, 11 a.m. CST
Just reboot the fucking thing, fire Bay and hire someone who will do G1 justice
by photoboy
Optimus Prime's voice was the least objectionable thing in the series, the rest was fucking awful, in particular the robot designs. Until Prime looks like this: http://fav.me/d4qnwbt the series will continue to be worthless. They don't need new characters, they just need to do the existing characters properly.
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Sept. 13, 2012, 11:04 a.m. CST
Who are you nerds trying to kid? You'll all go watch this one, just like you watched the first three, then bitch about another one being made.
by loafroaster
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Sept. 13, 2012, 11:06 a.m. CST
Do an R rated Transformers movie based on the Dr.Smoov videos
by Yamato
Make Prime a bit nuts and very foul mouthed. Rename Cup and Bumblebee to Shitpiece and Goldbug. :P
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Hear me out on this... You want to save flagging Transformers toy sales? Anatomically accurate, life sized, Megan Fox doll. Or, if you want to do DSotM route, do that Rose Whitley whatever her name is lingerie model girl too. Fathers around the world would be standing in line for days and days to get their Transformer obsessed sons these toys!
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Rodimus Prime coming back baby!
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I was excited about the first one and lined right up to watch it. I enjoyed it enough, even probably defended it and it's Bayfulness through the lambasting it took on the boards. 2 sucked giant metal balls, but I gave it a pass because of the "writers strike". But the ice was getting thin. I stayed home for 3 because of the bad taste two still left in my mouth, but I grabbed the Blu Ray. I watched it with hope that it was at least as good as some reviewers were saying. But in all honesty, after the first 15 minutes of set up, which I actually found intriguing , the movie devolved into this montage of people running left and right, up and down, and things being blown up every other minute. It got SO monotonous that nothing even closely made me care one iota for anything happening on screen. No visual stunned me for I did not even GET what the hell the point of any of it was and why it was even happening, then I realised that I had also been asking the one question I had asked through all the other movies as well, WHERE are the ROBOTS? When does this END? So, I GIVE UP Michael Bay, I GIVE UP.
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"I've got my fingers crossed that the direction of the next film isn't being directed by toy sales, but that might not be enough." All the Transformer films have been directed by toy sales, thats not going to change.
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Sept. 13, 2012, 11:19 a.m. CST
With all the other prequels out there I was just wondering if thats how Bay was gonna screw it up even more?
by Mathwee Matt Pimsakul
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Sept. 13, 2012, 11:33 a.m. CST
Kidd, you hope the next film isn't guided by toy sales???
by Lone Fox
That's EXACTLY what Hasbro said the reason is for introducing new characters! Jesus, they couldn't be more explicit.
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COWABUNGAAAAAAAA
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Your example of Hasbro making a mistake having 1Million Bumblebees in stock, doesn't fit. How do you think that kind of volume got there in the first place. It's been years since the first movie came out. Do you think store shelves just leave low selling stock around to see if it will sell later? Each toy shelf is an absolute premium. If you don't sell like gangbusters, you get bumped down. Anyway... ask a 7 year old who Bumblebee is. I'll bet you none of them have even seen the movie, but they know who bumble bee is. That's the affect of genius marketing. Are the toys waning in their popularity? Probably. The original toys didn't last this long. It's just their natural time to fade away. The generation of kids that bought them are moving on. Maybe it's time for some adults to move on too. I think a 4th movie is utterly pointless.
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There has never been more truth spoken.
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Optimus Cock. Megacock. Bumblecock. Cock. Starcock. Soundcock. Sidecock. Shockcock (my fav). Telecock 1. Vagina Supreme. Pussyplex. Trypticock. Cocker. Cockinator. Cockulus. You're welcome Hasbro.
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for the love of god, do something different. add some mystery, let me guess at whats going happen.
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Sept. 13, 2012, 11:46 a.m. CST
I've got my fingers crossed that the direction of the next film isn't being directed by toy sales...
by bagwanbob
Hasbro's a TOY COMPANY. It's a movie about TOY ROBOTS. What else could it be? We live in a Capitalist society, kiddies. Like it or not, the ONLY value of anything in a society based on money is the value of profit it makes. While individuals might feel differently, the bottom line for ANY corporation is "HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN WE GET TO BUY THIS SHIT?" And as long as we stand in line paying 15 bucks a shot for toy commercials and movies made by people that treat us like idiots, it's never going to change...
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Best transformers episode ever was when Metroplex, Omega Supreme and Optimus were all standing next to each other. Optimus looked like a flea. course maybe I was just dreaming that happened, its been so frigging long I can't remember. In all seriousness, getting rid of the human characters is fine, cause they all stunk, but no Optimus and this goes down hill quick.
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The movie are not made for kids. They were made for teenagers and adults. I won't let my kids watch any of the Transformers movies because they are inappropriate for anyone under 13. Who buys toys for teenagers, at that point it iphones gift cards and video games. Note: I let then watch G1 on Netflix and they love it.
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but I always thought he would've been an intriguing choice to direct a Transformer movie.
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...they're also not appropriate for anyone OVER sixteen. Puerile, is the word I like to use. PUERILE adj. 1. Belonging to childhood; juvenile. 2. Immature; childish.
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Sept. 13, 2012, 11:57 a.m. CST
ALSO, as far as the movies being, really, just 2+ hour long toy commercials...
by Mikey Wood
...of COURSE they are. Do you guys look at the cartoons so fondly that you forget that's ALL that they were TOO?
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This is a perfect reminder of why theses movie are made and who they are made for. This should also help you remember that no one involved cares what you think of the finished product.
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Sept. 13, 2012, 12:02 p.m. CST
This is the same strategy that ruined the franchise in the 80's.
by ganymede3010
Without Optimus Prime and Megatron this franchise can not and will not grow beyond where it currently stands. There's no robot in the Transformers universe that can match Optimus Prime in any aspect what so ever. So who ever they select as his predecessor is destined to fail because they'll never be able to live up to the standard which is Optimus Prime. Ehren Krueger has demonstrated that he really know's nothing about the character traits of the Transformers themselves. It's a travesty to see such a remarkable and complex character such as Starscream be turned into a ass kissing submissive coward. In actuality, he is ruthless, fearsome, calculating, and always knew when to pick his battles. I can't until the day we get a real Transformers movie, where all of the characters are treated with a modicum of respect.
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Jesus Christ! Bury it! Can't believe i'm saying this about a "Michael Bay Movie" but parts of the first were enjoyable, but then the rest got too overbearing and repetitive. Michael Bay, you've made your money, so piss off and enjoy life on a desert island somewhere.
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This is no different than the movie in the 80s. They [SPOILER ALERT] killed off the old characters and came in with the new...because that's what Hasbro wanted. I feel Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime and Galvatron coming on. Are Judd Nelson and Leonard Nimoy busy?
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Truer words never spoken.
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Please reboot this festering piece of shit.
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Yup. Gotta gree with that. From Transformers to GI Joe to the Inhumanoids, and on and on and on. When you're a kid, or an adult who's caught up in the disposable pop culture, it's sometimes not so easy to see that. And those are EXACTLY the crowds that keep the Capitalist gears greased. Which is also, obviously, the same crowd that movies like Transformers,GI Joe, and pretty muich everything else (admittedly with a few exceptions) are geared towards. The rest of us who might wander into a movie like this are not even the cherry on the Sundae...we're nothing but one of the sprinkles at the very most. As long as people are hooked into disposable consumerism, there will always be shit like this to pander to (read: exploit) them under the guise of "making them feel like a kid again." Whether it's 3,000 dollar light saber replicas, Lord of the Rings Happy meals, or endless movies about fighting toys from outer space, the motivation's exactly the same. It's all geared towards non-thinking sheeple for whom the opening of a wallet is simply a reflex action...
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Reading that article makes me think that people are just pure stupid. I saw Transformers, Hated it!. I saw the Second one, I wanted to kill someone for my money! I decided to spend the money on myself than go see the third one! So why on earth is everyone still hoping they're going to get it right a 4th time...? The problem was never the actors or the robots. The problem has always been the Script and Michael Bay.
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Sept. 13, 2012, 12:32 p.m. CST
cautious optimism? FUCK YOU, KIDD! Inbred idiot, Bay made three godawful films, each worst than the last. TF = SHIT, FUCK YOU.
by golden tribw
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Sept. 13, 2012, 12:34 p.m. CST
Cautious optimism? Kidd = inbred idiot??? Bay made three godawful films, each worst than the last. TF is deplorable shite and you're a sad moron for letting him get away with it.
by golden tribw
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Sept. 13, 2012, 12:34 p.m. CST
The toys don't sell because they're garbage and too damn expensive.
by nephilim138
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Sept. 13, 2012, 12:34 p.m. CST
damn, my first comment didnt show up for so long I thought it was auto-censored
by golden tribw
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Sept. 13, 2012, 12:35 p.m. CST
The last halves of 1 and 3 were quite good. Exactly what you WANT from a Bay movie
by Adelai Niska
But you have to sit thru the first halves of those movies, and 2 was a clusterfuck from beginning to end.
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Sept. 13, 2012, 12:36 p.m. CST
Return of the Jedi was all about toy sales too hence the Ewoks
by nephilim138
It's a shame when the powers involved can't let a movie be a movie without worrying about retarded tie ins and bullshit.
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Sept. 13, 2012, 12:37 p.m. CST
there's hope that maybe Michael Bay will finally get serious?
by knowthyself
Are you fucking HIGH? Michael Bay getting serious? Okay after THREE transformer films we can assume he's not going to change his formula or style of film making. It'll be a Bay film, so stop pretending it will be anything else but. BTW Dark of the Moon had amazing action sequences. That final act is fucking nuts.
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Sept. 13, 2012, 12:37 p.m. CST
I bet, if someone edited the best bits of all 3 movies together there would be an AWESOME 90 minute movie in there
by Adelai Niska
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Hey Hasbro/Tomy/Takara, I have an idea why the toys didn't sell. Maybe because they cheap ugly plastic pieces of shit. Maybe it's also because the designs for the movie Transformers are butt fucking ugly as well.
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Sept. 13, 2012, 12:39 p.m. CST
I admit both Transformers sequels had horrible titles.
by knowthyself
Rise of the Fallen and Dark of the Moon. Half thoughts passing off as titles.
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Sept. 13, 2012, 1 p.m. CST
Make no mistake - Toy sales are the only reason Cars 2 was ever made.
by EastcoastAvenger
The story was terrible. It lost the heart of the first movie. With Transformers 3 we finally got a halfway decent flick. But no toy sales. All I can say is I hope there is someone over at Hasbro who is old enough to remember what happened the last time Optimus was put out of the picture and replaced with another Prime leader.
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Are they really just going to call it Transformers 4?
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My favorite Transformers as a kid... Even if they were kinda goofy.
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It had to be done.
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= Nipples on Batman = Flaming Batman
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just sitting there...buzzing away.....
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tiny url 9qh67ss
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Sept. 13, 2012, 1:45 p.m. CST
Didn't The Kidd work here when Dark of the Moon was released?
by SUPERJIM
...deliver a movie for the franchise that doesn't insult our intelligence as we watch it.
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....I remember rave reviews from every staff member here which made me go and see it against my better judgement. That day convinced me that this place sells good reviews and they still owe me the £20 or whatever it cost me to go see it.
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Sept. 13, 2012, 1:51 p.m. CST
yes, let's all start bashing a movie that is 2 years away
by Uncle Pooky
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Sept. 13, 2012, 1:54 p.m. CST
Well, if it's indeed 1986 all over again, this is where Ultra Magnus has to show up...
by Bill C.
And, to be honest, I wouldn't be surprised at all if they did indeed go all TF:TM and kill off Prime YET AGAIN after using him as the bridge between the existing Autobots and the incoming new ones.
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1. The designs were ridiculously bad. Just really, really, really bad. Instead of keeping it simple/sleek it looks like they went out of their way to make each character as complicated and f'd up as possible. Megatron looks like a little 4 year old kid scribbled something with crayon and then crumpled up the paper. Makes you wonder what the hell they were thinking. You can't root for a character if you can't even tell which one is which. And it's hard to like something that's so ugly. 2. There was nothing cool about the AUtobots. The Transformer "characters" where one dimensional and often just silly/stupid/annoying. Why would you buy something when you don't have anything emotionally invested in it? 3. The fight scenes were pretty cgi wise but hardly epic. Partly because the designs where so complicated and shitty that you couldn't tell what was going on, partly because you didn't really care enough about the Autobots to want to root for them, partly because the stories weren't really about the Autobots anyway and partly because the pacing, choreography and directing were lacking. Kids want to recreate battle/fight scenes and relive the near defeats and the comeback and the emotional roller coaster etc that a good fight ought'a have. 4. If the stories are "good enough" for kids (and some adults) not to reject the movies outright, they will go see a movie again and again for the explosions and pretty cgi. However, just because a movie makes a shit load of money doesn't mean that makes the kid want to live in that universe. The reason why people go to conventions dressed up as Trek or Star Wars or Anime characters is because they want to be a part of that universe. The Transformers movies did nothing in that regard. Introducing new characters ain't gonna get the job done.
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Trust me man, we can bash this one in hindsight! We don't need to wait 2 years to bash this obvious dogshit!
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Sept. 13, 2012, 2:29 p.m. CST
Man the art direction of battle for cybertron was great but wtf with the hardly any ammo bullshit?
by UltraTron
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Sept. 13, 2012, 2:30 p.m. CST
They should do a film based on the comic THE WAR WITHIN...
by Mikey Wood
...It's like an OPTIMUS: YEAR ONE story. Very, very cool.
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Sept. 13, 2012, 2:30 p.m. CST
If they can turn into that hot chick from transformers 2 then I want them all to be hot chicks. Fembot battle!
by UltraTron
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You guys can't run a spell-check before posting something?
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He said everything I was going to say. Great minds think alike, my friend.
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I hate the Transformers films, and I can't stand Michael Bay's continual rape of my child hood. And to make even more of these garbage fest without Optimus Prime or the robots that made Transformers well Transformers is STUPID!
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Sept. 13, 2012, 2:58 p.m. CST
Want to sell toys to kids? Stop trying to sell toy designs that were cool 30 years ago.
by Randall Luttenberg
Unless, of course, you're trying to sell toys to nostalgic adults, which isn't Hasbro's market. Sure, some toys are evergreen classics that stand the test of time and are rediscovered generation after generation. But Transformers isn't evergreen, Transformers was a novel twist on action figures back in the day. They were interesting enough for a new movie to revitalize the toys for a season or two 30 years later. That's about it. By now, Hasbro has milked this cash cow more than dry, and it doesn't matter how hard they yank and twist, there ain't more than a drop or two left. They'll try to repeat the formula, it's what they do. Eventually, though, after Easy Bake the Movie, The Yahtzee Chronicles, and Play Doh 2: Fuzzy Pumper Boogaloo have come and left their steaming little piles under the Christmas tree, someone in Rhode Island is gonna have to A) come up with a new idea for a toy (or pay a design house for an idea), B) buy a small startup company with a cool toy or interesting patent, or C) find something at the Tokyo or Nuremberg toy shows that hasn't made it to the States yet. In other words, someday soon someone at Hasbro is gonna hafta work for a living again. Given the above news about T4, however, apparently not today.
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The Transformers movies had "characters"? I don't remember that. I remember caricatures, but not characters. I don't see how this is going to be any different.
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If the characters looked like the classic versions and acted like the classic versions, and had more screen time than the T&A, then we'd be on to something.
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Sept. 13, 2012, 3:23 p.m. CST
they should make a film based on what everyone in this thread wants
by Uncle Pooky
because there is quite the collection of experts in here
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yeah,I did it.
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Sept. 13, 2012, 3:26 p.m. CST
watching john turturro's ass in a thong in IMAX was enough punishment for me
by julia
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Nor any of the Warner Brothers classic Looney Toons. The ones that won Emmy's, etc... Neither way Scooby-Doo. Nor Tom & Jerry. The Flintstones. Jetsons. Hong Kong Phuey. Which takes nothing away from the Go-Bots, Transformers, He-Man, etc, etc...of the world. Hell, I loved Robotech and Star Blazers and yet I'm pretty sure Robotech was a toy at the same time it was a cartoon? (this was before it was all called anime by the way - at least in the states anyway) As with anything else creative...motivation is secondary to the results. It's only when the results are bad that the motivation need be questioned. No one questions where Transformers came from as a story concept but if real filmmakers instead of full-grown adult children made these movies, they might actually be watchable instead of just toy-inspired batshit crazy ADHD spectacles.
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Who watches this crap?
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Sept. 13, 2012, 3:49 p.m. CST
I will never understand getting bent by a director's treatment of a franchise
by MoistMuskyCamelToe
I mean, -really-? Don't like Michael Bay's style? Then don't watch his movies. I'm sorry if the Transformers is a franchise you love and you don't like where he took it, but obviously many people did and frankly I don't think you'd have seen any Transformers movies without his involvement. If you think for one moment that a director with a multi-million dollar budget gets to call of the shots, including casting, story, effects, etc,. you are out of your fucking mind. No one, not even Spielberg, gets total control. It's all compromise because the buck literally does not stop with them. Frankly I'm fucking amazed they can pull anything remotely coherent together. I couldn't do it, and neither could you. Don't like Shyamalan? Don't watch his movies. Same for Lucas and Jackson. Exercise your economic authority and don't spend your money on them. If anything, come to accept that Hollywood does not dictate movies, the general masses do with their spending. Not their fault if the masses want to lap up saccharine movies.
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It's already been stated: the reason why Hasbro's T-former sales weren't great is because the design of the movie characters (and the toy tie-ins) sucked. There are still leftover toys from Revenge of the Fallen at Toys R Us! However, anytime they release anything that is more in line with the original toys (Classics, Generations) they sell out - to both adults and children. Transformers Prime toys are selling extremely well right now, and those designs are like a Hybrid of Animated and Bayformer... but better executed than Bay ever could. Also, the original Transformers are evergreen and classic, no question. There's a reason why there was a massive outcry over the whole "Flames on Optimus" deal. It wasn't just a small group of adults who were upset. By the way, Hasbro is most definitely in the business of selling toys to nostalgic adults - ever heard of the Masterpiece line? They sell out completely anytime Hasbro releases them here in the States. You should also look up a "little" event called Botcon.
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Shame Bay is doing this one. It should have taken place 50 years in the future with the grandson of Sam, Daniel, and his favorite Transformer, Rodimus Prime whom Optimus has taken under his wing. Unicron attacks. Directed by Spielberg.
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Even though the RotF Devastator design sucked ass, I still probably would have picked up the toys if they actually made a version where the Constructicons transformed and joined up. But Hasbro totally dropped the ball on that one. They only released a a tiny version where they all looked like crap and a regular sized version where the individual Constructicons were only in their vehicle forms.
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was the voice actors for the Transformers. Even Hugo Weaving did a fine job as Megatron. Also, making Bumblebee a Camaro was actually a pretty good idea as well.
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Animated, of course, with designs based on the Gen 1 characters. That would make some serious bank.
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(the one with the Puscifer music) was superior to every single one of Bay's films.
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for those who missed it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-huDrDiMwJU
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I'll celebrate the release of the 4th the way I did the first three, by watching my DVD copy of the animated "Transformers: The Movie". Cheesy Stan Bush songs and all, I will always love that movie.
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Yes that Puscifer FoC trailer gave me goosebumps the first time I saw it. I have yet to pick up the game though. I just don't play as much as I used to to justify spending $60 on release date when it'll most likely be half that price a couple months down the road. Got WFC for like $12 used from Gamefly a couple months after it was initially released. Same goes for all games these days though</p> As far as Hasbro's sales - they have no one to blame but themselves - overproduction of certain molds, repetition of repaints, shitty distributing, anticpated waves/characters never getting a US release, deluxe figures getting smaller while prices increase - all their own fault. I picked up a lot of movie 1 and ROTF figures, didn't pick up one from DOTM for myself. They lost me and until they get back to the Classics/Universe/Generations line I won't be back. Prime figures are ok but I haven't picked any up. I got used to the look of the movie designs but think a nice hybrid of those and G1 should be the look for the movies going forward
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Sept. 13, 2012, 5:53 p.m. CST
Here's an idea Hasbro. Each character, ONE toy. Like it used to be.
by Farrokh
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...they just admitted. They only make these movies (and probably any movie for that matter) to sell toys. Thanks George Lucas for ruining the movie industry and unleashing this garbage on us!
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The moment I walked out of the first Transformers movie never to consider watching another
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Sept. 13, 2012, 6:25 p.m. CST
I'll explain to Hasbro: This needs a new director, screenwriter(s), production designers,
by Bedknobs and Boomsticks
casting director (why the fuck they didn't get Frank Welker for Megatron is incomprehensible). Just make use the setting and time period of the GI cartoons, with a blend of the comic book storylines, and the design and more adult sensibility of the High Moon studios games (well, adult in comparison to the original toon and the Bayformers movies).
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Sept. 13, 2012, 6:29 p.m. CST
The sad thing is the Prime show costs a fraction of what these movies do...
by CreamCheeseAlchemist
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Sept. 13, 2012, 6:37 p.m. CST
I want them to bring back the Indian guy who was working in a butchers to save up enough money to get new teeth
by Joe
That's the dream!
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Yet u all are upset over toy sales????? HUH?????
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Yes, let's see Michael Bay finally deliver that serious Transformers movie we've all been hoping for. Maybe he can parlay that success into producing a highbrow, nuanced take on Gummi Bears or Jem and the Holograms. And come to think of it, where the fuck is my 3-hour, NC-17-with-tits-and-gore epic version of Playmobil?!
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I've been reading this site for years, getting a kick out of Harry, Moriarty (before he left) and all of you. It's been one entertaining read after another. Nothing has ever motivated me enough to register and to write anything until now. I am compelled to state the following: FUCK MICHAEL BAY He is a dickless bastard and shouldn't be allowed to spend one more nanosecond ruining Transformers, film, or the minds of countless movie-goers. He really is the scum that forms in the mouth of a diseased yak. You might think it sad that THIS of all things got me to register and comment, but I had to say it. FUCK MICHAEL BAY. FUCK HIM IN THE FUCKING HEAD. That is all.
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Sept. 13, 2012, 7:37 p.m. CST
Characters I'd like to see- Here's my list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_original_GoBots
by Broderick
So suck on that
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from the third movie, I know I was.
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Sept. 13, 2012, 9:06 p.m. CST
As an 80's child and huge Transformers G1 fan since 84, i've had A LOT of emotional investment in waiting for the movies to come out.
by Sean
When i heard Bay was going to direct, i was cautiously optimistic. If he brought what he did with The Rock to Transformers (brutal, disciplined but inventive action choreography and direction) then awesome, it'll work. If it's the shaky, immature, A.D.D bullshit we've come to know for the majority of his career, then we're fucked. Maybe i'm partly tinged with the nostalgia and excitement of finally seeing a live action Transformers film but i loved the 1st one and still mostly do. Yeah...there were too many humans and too much wasted time on sub plots that should have been cut. Much as Rachael Taylor is gorgeous and John Voight is good, their entire roles weren't needed. Nor was Anthony Anderson and much of Turturro's performance, well that was on another planet. Being a G1 purist, the film designs never really sat well with me. I understand they can't look as blocky as the cartoon because that wouldn't be credible, but they also made the film characters way too complicated, busy and garish. While there have been some awesome action scenes in the trilogy, a lot of them were choreographed so badly that you can't tell who was who. It wasn't perfect...but i made do with it. Despite those flaws, i, like so many of you made the gamble to see Transformers 2 and 3...even despite how bad things got with the series, just curious to see if maybe this time, Bay redeems himself and he gets it right. I find it really hard to talk about Revenge Of The Fallen without wanting to throw up. Jesus Christ. Dark Of The Moon, though still flawed, (humans, imbecillic humour)) had some great stuff, some fantastic, relentless action. And Bay reigned back in the disciplined directing style he had in The Rock! But anyway...while i see the need to reboot the franchise, (much as i hate reboots) Bay just isn't the guy for it. To discard the characters we all know and love is...it can't be done. You simply cannot leave Optimus Prime out of it. He IS Transformers. I still see Revenge Of The Fallen toys on the shelves 3 years later and that saddens me, given what i remember seeing on the shelves as a kid, desperately hunting for Megatron and never finding him. I remember getting Optimus at my 6th birthday party, still one of my best presents ever. I wish for a film that respects G1 properly, that is perhaps primarily centred on Cybertron, with minimal humans. But also consider that all of that CGI work is expensive and bloody time consuming. Silly as some critics might think Transformers is, it has a mythos and it is still a very important part of our geek lives. Still...i still have issues with myself, the guilt attached for continually serving myself up for punishment by going to see Transformers 2, then 3 after all of those flaws. Wonder if anyone else feels the same as i do? I couldn't stay away from seeing another Transformers installment on screen...yet i knew that my ticket sale would just encourage Bay to churn out more of the same formula, shitty toilet humour and all. It's a terrible position to be in but Christ, this is what we do if we keep coming back for more.
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Do you live in NC?
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WHA? No wonder Obama got elected...fucking losers.
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No I don't. You do?
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Sept. 14, 2012, 12:43 a.m. CST
Because making a movie for the sake of marketing worked so well for
by Phategod2
Batman & Robin & Joel Shumacher.
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Sept. 14, 2012, 1:17 a.m. CST
Optimus Prime is a little bitch and Megatron is a whiney pussy
by WINONA_RYDERS_PUSSY_JUICE
Bumblebee is cool but the songs on the radio gimmick is played out. Introduce a brand new cast of robots, see if I give a fuck. I'll still watch it because Michael Bay is one of the best action directors that ever lived.
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I can't hear "cautious optimism" without thinking of the Penny Arcade strip where Gabe says "What if Krispy Kreme teamed up with some guy's asshole to put shit in donuts? Would you be cautiously optimistic?" And to Hasbro, I completely agree with everybody who is saying the toys aren't selling because THE DESIGNS SUCK!
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I was stuck in traffic today behind a car with J-DUB as their license plate. I just thought it was weird seeing it here. I had to ask. Thanks.
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Damn these movies to hell. At least we true fans have the awesome War for Cybertron / Fall of Cybertron games. Those capture the magical 80s feeling with a modern shine. Simply stunning.
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Hell, make a movie base on Transformers Prime, already that would kick those Bayformers ass, and I bet they would sell a bunch of toys
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Sept. 14, 2012, 4:01 a.m. CST
I'm all for railing against a dumb idea when it's a dumb idea. I'm firmly in the fuck Battleship camp...after 1,000 reasons in the final product but first for making a movie out of a board game.
by Sean
You could argue that the line between a board game and an 80's action figure line is non existant...but fuck it, i'll defend the Transformers love. Christ...planes and cars that turn into gun toting robots that beat the shit out of each other...what isn't there to love for a guy? Some things have not aged well in our years, some things may not have much depth to them either but for 80's kids like me, like Star Wars, Spielberg family films and AAALLLL those things from Harry on down to us talkbackers declare great enthusiasm for...they formulated the early days of our geek lives and kickstarted our creative imaginations. Seriously, you really don't have any business being in a place like this to shit on an IP like this, even if its a fucking toy.
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Sept. 14, 2012, 4:41 a.m. CST
Hasbro needs to explain why they went with Michael Bay for the movies when there's better people for the job
by albert comin
When there's better entertaiment makers like Brad Bird, Joe Johnson or Gore Verbinski who would be far better fits for a Transformer movie.
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Why can't the current characters all re-format/scan another alt mode? That way we get new look bots but the same characters people already know and love. Simple. <br> <br>I remember when they shifted characters in the 86 movie. That was the exact time I lost interest and stopped buying the toys.. because with the exception of Galvatron, Unicron and Cyclonus the rest of the new characters were shit.
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They aren't very good.
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Sept. 14, 2012, 6:57 a.m. CST
Hasbro Has it Backwards!! Movies are over-sexed to sell toys.
by Michael D. Vander Vorste
Kids are not buying toys because the movies are not kids movies.!! If Hasbro wants to sell toys, make a 'G' rated movie that the kids can go to and enjoy. I'm a parent of young kids who like transformers. We own the original cartoon on DVD, and they watch it all the time. Still. But I can't let them watch a movie that is basically about Shia's sexual encounters and a few robots. Give us a good 'pixar' quality movie I can take my kids to, and Transformer toys will FLY off the shelves.
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Sept. 14, 2012, 7:23 a.m. CST
its definitely gonna have a lot of BOOOSHMOOSHHHSCRESHCHCHCHCHCHCCRUUCHHHHBLAMMMMM
by Balkin Flabgurter
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Sept. 14, 2012, 7:25 a.m. CST
then an auto-bot flies by and.. BOOMMCHUHCHINGCHECHUH, then more BLOOOOOSSSHHHHBLAMMMOOOWACKKKSSSCRASSHHHHHWEHHF
by Balkin Flabgurter
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Sept. 14, 2012, 7:26 a.m. CST
then an auto-bot will fly by..and JERJUNGJINGWRINGCHENK, then more BLOOOMMMCRASHHHSPLAMMMMCRECHHHHWHAFFF
by Balkin Flabgurter
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Yes, I realize the point of those new character names went completely over my head.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1N91LyATF0
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Sept. 14, 2012, 9:23 a.m. CST
The movie rakes in almost a bilion $$$$ and they're worried about toys?
by damiz707
Greedy fucks
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Sept. 14, 2012, 10:48 a.m. CST
A more succinct explanation than any I've read...
by Randall Luttenberg
Even the original movie ideas are just mindless explosions and CGI! Why does every other movie have to look like a video game and make me feel like a moron?
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Dunno why the first post tanked. From Cracked.com: http://www.cracked.com/article_19012_5-hollywood-secrets-that-explain-why-so-many-movies-suck.html EVERYTHING IS SIMPLIFIED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL MARKET The Complaint: "Even the original movie ideas are just mindless explosions and CGI! Why does every other movie have to look like a video game and make me feel like a moron?" The Problem: If you're reading this, then those movies weren't made with you in mind. They were made for the international box office (Transformers 2 made $400 million overseas, for instance). Now, before you even have a chance to think it, we are not saying foreign audiences are stupid. The movies made in their home countries, for them, are no doubt just as deep and thoughtful as any Best Picture winner. No doubt. What we're saying is that to make a movie that appeals equally to American, Japanese, Korean, German and Mexican teenagers, you need to simplify that shit down to things they all understand equally. Anything dealing with, say, the subtle trials and hardships of everyday life in the American Midwest is going to be totally lost on someone from the other side of the planet. But there is one thing that everyone in the world can understand and sympathize with, no matter what their culture or ethnicity: The need to run away if you are being chased by giant robots. Forget math -- robot threat is the universal language. Likewise, foreign audiences also aren't as picky about good writing (a lot of it will be lost in the translation to subtitles anyway) or clever comedy (which is highly culturally specific). So if you're a studio executive who is choosing between financing a poignant coming of age film about an orphan ranch hand in East Texas or a film about a giant radioactive thunderstorm that gives people superpowers, chances are you're not going to go with the poignancy. For Example ... Everybody chuckled at how over-the-top stupid 2012 was. And it did a "meh" $166 million in American box office. Overseas? It made $604 million. "Yah! Ve liken das tidal waves unt der evil vice fuhrer." By the way, it was that lust for foreign currency, not a sudden loss in patriotism, that was behind the G.I. Joe movie replacing its "all-American hero" with a multinational group of soldiers with a strangely American task force name.
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Dunno why the first post tanked. From Cracked.com: http://www.cracked.com/article_19012_5-hollywood-secrets-that-explain-why-so-many-movies-suck.html EVERYTHING IS SIMPLIFIED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL MARKET The Complaint: "Even the original movie ideas are just mindless explosions and CGI! Why does every other movie have to look like a video game and make me feel like a moron?" The Problem: If you're reading this, then those movies weren't made with you in mind. They were made for the international box office (Transformers 2 made $400 million overseas, for instance). Now, before you even have a chance to think it, we are not saying foreign audiences are stupid. The movies made in their home countries, for them, are no doubt just as deep and thoughtful as any Best Picture winner. No doubt. What we're saying is that to make a movie that appeals equally to American, Japanese, Korean, German and Mexican teenagers, you need to simplify that shit down to things they all understand equally. Anything dealing with, say, the subtle trials and hardships of everyday life in the American Midwest is going to be totally lost on someone from the other side of the planet. But there is one thing that everyone in the world can understand and sympathize with, no matter what their culture or ethnicity: The need to run away if you are being chased by giant robots. Forget math -- robot threat is the universal language. Likewise, foreign audiences also aren't as picky about good writing (a lot of it will be lost in the translation to subtitles anyway) or clever comedy (which is highly culturally specific). So if you're a studio executive who is choosing between financing a poignant coming of age film about an orphan ranch hand in East Texas or a film about a giant radioactive thunderstorm that gives people superpowers, chances are you're not going to go with the poignancy. For Example ... Everybody chuckled at how over-the-top stupid 2012 was. And it did a "meh" $166 million in American box office. Overseas? It made $604 million. "Yah! Ve liken das tidal waves unt der evil vice fuhrer." By the way, it was that lust for foreign currency, not a sudden loss in patriotism, that was behind the G.I. Joe movie replacing its "all-American hero" with a multinational group of soldiers with a strangely American task force name.
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Sept. 14, 2012, 10:58 a.m. CST
So much for looking like I know what I'm doing. Everything seemed simpler at 2400 baud.
by Randall Luttenberg
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Sept. 14, 2012, 11:16 a.m. CST
I've got my fingers crossed that the direction of the next film isn't being directed by toy sales, but that might not be enough.
by apersonofinterest
ummm.....It's a movie based on Hasbro toys. Of course the direction of the movie will be based on toy sales.
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enough with this robot shit
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Sept. 14, 2012, 1:43 p.m. CST
(Yawn)..........still waiting for MACROSS BITCHES!!!
by the Green Gargantua
mecha > sentient robots
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Fuck! I'm sick of Bay and this assprick franchise. Give it 5 yrs and then do a new one with a real director. Transformers deserves it.
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I'm all for ass and titties and splosions and shit, don't EVER think otherwise. But those movies were TOO stupid and pointless. I have to draw the line somewhere for the love of God.
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Sept. 14, 2012, 2:42 p.m. CST
If anyone thinks this is the top talkback because of TF...
by UltimaRex
They are not paying attention. This is the top talkback WE ALL HATE BAY. Full force. Every single one of us. Damn you Michael Bay.
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Obama got elected because McCain was a disaster waiting to happen. And he'll get re-elected because Romney is a fuckup who can't even look after his own pet dog let alone the USA. Sad but true. Deal with it.
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It's going to be so funny coming back here to see people complaining about how crap Transformers 4 is. If you're stupid enough to keep going and seeing these shitty movies then you really should lose your right to complain. But that won't happen. The first three Transformers movies are terrible. The same hack Director is involved; the result will be the same. You can't really say you haven't beren warned.
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I haven't enjoyed any of them. I willingly saw the first because I loved the old Transformers as a kid, though I was very skeptical of Bay for reasons that no one here is a stranger to. I got dragged to go see the 2nd due to a social outing and went to see the 3rd because so few movies are shot IN 3D. No more. NO. MORE. I'm done with Bay and his movies forever. Shame on me indeed.
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Sept. 15, 2012, 12:57 a.m. CST
Never wanted to be one of those people, but screw it. FUCK YOU MICHAEL BAY YOU PIECE OF SHIT!!
by theblackvegtable
Ahhh eases the pain
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and focus on Shitta LaBitch. Kids don't get attached to the robot characters and thus won't buy the toys. Plus what everyone else has said is true-- butt-ugly, indistinguishable robot designs and content that is inappropriate for kids-- that doesn't help either. But Hasbro's Goldner and Aaron Archer are apparently too stupid to realize this. I've been baffled as to why they never reign Bay in, especially if they're getting the short end of the stick on this deal like this article implies.
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Doesn't it though? Maybe if enough of us say it, Michael Bay will go back to Mordor....
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Sept. 15, 2012, 3:35 a.m. CST
Good to know these guys are putting Story and Character first.
by Knuckleduster
What's that? Oh, it's all about toy sales? Okay then. Big budget movies are nothing but shameless corporate product these days. Better to spend my hard-earned money on real movies and let these "blockbusters" go the way of John Carter and Battleship.
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Certainly does! Actually when I first heard of no Optimus I got pretty excited cause I thought they might do the Rodimus Prime story line. Then I just remember its Michael Bay so there no way in hell they'll do anything that cool (And if they did he'd change everything and make it crap).
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Nov. 7, 2012, 5:07 p.m. CST
Yes, we all know how well the new 1986 TF:Animated Movie toys sold...
by Kremzeek
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