Transformers: Age of Extinction - in theaters June 27, 2014

[taksraven]

Yeah well, it *is* going to happen. AND there is already speculation about where the franchise will go now that Bay isn't doing anymore.....

[kaiotheforsaken]

Time will tell with Bay, I know what he says, but iirc he said the same after 2. Nolan said the same after Dark Knight came out. It seems like it's a common line in Hollywood. I know Bay says he wants to do some small indy film, but the guys bread and butter is action. If they offer to cut him a big enough check (and he gets a chance to get w/e small film he wants underway) I think he could be swayed back.

For these huge popcorn spectacle type flicks, I'm not sure who you could even hire that could top Bay. Also, since it looks like a reboot isn't the direction any sequels will go at this time, Bay still may be the best bet. What is really needed is some serious writers (though Orci and Kurtzman who penned 1 and 2, DO write some damn fine movies).

[mikeszekely]

With half the cast killed off in DotM,

I'm hoping Bay stays gone, and we get a reboot. A live-action Transformers movie where a cab over engine truck turns into a boxy robot without a mouth. Where characters that aren't named "Optimus" look like their G1 counterparts... or at least have the same color scheme! A movie where none of the characters look like 100,000 bits of scrap metal randomly glued into a vaguely humanoid shape.

[eugimon]

With half the cast killed off in DotM,

I'm hoping Bay stays gone, and we get a reboot. A live-action Transformers movie where a cab over engine truck turns into a boxy robot without a mouth. Where characters that aren't named "Optimus" look like their G1 counterparts... or at least have the same color scheme! A movie where none of the characters look like 100,000 bits of scrap metal randomly glued into a vaguely humanoid shape.

I'm hoping for the same thing. but the opposite.

[RD Blade]

If we get a reboot, I hope it takes place in the 80's. Then the sequels can progressively jump forward a few years. That way the series will play to every generation of Transformers fan. I hoped the same thing in 2005. We all know how that turned out.

[kaiotheforsaken]

With half the cast killed off in DotM,

I'm hoping Bay stays gone, and we get a reboot. A live-action Transformers movie where a cab over engine truck turns into a boxy robot without a mouth. Where characters that aren't named "Optimus" look like their G1 counterparts... or at least have the same color scheme! A movie where none of the characters look like 100,000 bits of scrap metal randomly glued into a vaguely humanoid shape.

I'm with Eugimon on this one, there is no way boxy G1-style robots is going to fly in a live action movie, especially with an audience that enjoys what we already have. These robots feel real, I would hate to see them go back on that. It's also been said (the quote is in the TF3 thread) that a reboot isn't gonna happen. While plans change, it makes sense, a reboot implies the series isn't doing well enough so it needs a reinvention. Now plenty of TF fans may not like the Bayverse, but the amount of money these films pulls in says it all. There is no need for a reboot.

Hasbro and Paramount would be out of their minds rebooting a series with an appeal that is much broader than Transformers has ever been before. Why risk alienating those people that help make these movies near billion dollar earners. Appeasing a fraction of the old fandom isn't worth the financial risk.

Additionally, there are plenty of characters from the shows (and comics) that can be used. As I mentioned in the TF3 thread, we only ever had 1 seeker, we never saw the coneheads, anything Unicron reformatted could be used regardless. Galvatron could just be out for vengeance after the repeated defeats of the Decepticons. They can easily continue the continuity in this universe, and I genuinely hope they do.

[azrael]

Time will tell with Bay, I know what he says, but iirc he said the same after 2. Nolan said the same after Dark Knight came out. It seems like it's a common line in Hollywood.

Nolan never said The Dark Knight would be his last, but that he needed a story to make him emotionally invested in making a 3rd movie cuz not many franchises seem to do well with their 3rd movie.

[Hikuro]

I think it's to early to tell what's going on, yes there will be a 4th movie according to Don Murphy, but everything is rumor mill only.

[aerocombatpilot]

I think it's to early to tell what's going on, yes there will be a 4th movie according to Don Murphy, but everything is rumor mill only.

Maybe Transformers 4 will be a prequel set on Cybertron! One can always hope!!

[anime52k8]

If the next transformers movie doesn't continue where DotM left off then I think they should do a series of micro-continuity transformers movies with guest directors. Think about it; we could have a dark, serious, mind-F*ck transformers movie directed by Christopher Nolan; a Steam-punk transformers with Guillermo del Toro; Zombie horror transformers with Robert Rodriquez... The possibilities are endless.

[Keith]

No zombie robots, ST:TNG already ruined that idea for decades to come.

[taksraven]

How about the next live action film being a remake of the original TF movie from the 80's? I'm sure that most of us would love to see Unicron.

And it should fit into continuity?

Edited July 7, 2011 by taksraven

[peter]

I'm with Eugimon on this one, there is no way boxy G1-style robots is going to fly in a live action movie, especially with an audience that enjoys what we already have. These robots feel real, I would hate to see them go back on that. It's also been said (the quote is in the TF3 thread) that a reboot isn't gonna happen. While plans change, it makes sense, a reboot implies the series isn't doing well enough so it needs a reinvention. Now plenty of TF fans may not like the Bayverse, but the amount of money these films pulls in says it all. There is no need for a reboot.

Hasbro and Paramount would be out of their minds rebooting a series with an appeal that is much broader than Transformers has ever been before. Why risk alienating those people that help make these movies near billion dollar earners. Appeasing a fraction of the old fandom isn't worth the financial risk.

Additionally, there are plenty of characters from the shows (and comics) that can be used. As I mentioned in the TF3 thread, we only ever had 1 seeker, we never saw the coneheads, anything Unicron reformatted could be used regardless. Galvatron could just be out for vengeance after the repeated defeats of the Decepticons. They can easily continue the continuity in this universe, and I genuinely hope they do.

Are you kidding me? I think they can make G1 Optimus look pretty awesome:

I know this is a comic book, but damn:

If Uchu Senkan Yamato can be made into live action, and pretty much keep the ship looking generally the same as it did in the '80's anime, the same can be done with Generation 1 designs of Transformers.

The MP series of transformers is there for a reason, because there are fans that want it....at least I do anyway

Edited July 7, 2011 by peter

[eugimon]

Some things like fine when it's drawn. But g1 prime looks like a guy wearing a baseball cap inside a refrigerator box because that's what the toy technology 30 years ago could manage.

Besides, for the millions of NEW fans that have made Transformers a huge and successful franchise, Prime looks just fine the way he is.

[mikeszekely]

the millions of NEW fans

I really hate those guys.

[eugimon]

I really hate those guys.

yeah, transformers was so much better when it was languishing d-league franchise, relegated to comics.

[peter]

This is what you're describing:

This is what he looks like today, basically the same design, but new and improved. Why can't he look like this in a live-action movie?

[RD Blade]

The millions of new fans would have still gotten on board with a G1 Prime if it was done right. Movie Sideswipe (aside from being the wrong color) is a good example of old style TFs modernized.

[eugimon]

This is what you're describing:

This is what he looks like today, basically the same design, but new and improved. Why can't he look like this in a live-action movie?

because he still looks like a guy with a baseball cap wearing a box.

I LIKE that movie Prime doesn't look like an elaborate cosplay costume.

[eugimon]

The millions of new fans would have still gotten on board with a G1 Prime if it was done right. Movie Sideswipe (aside from being the wrong color) is a good example of old style TFs modernized.

Maybe. Sure. But that's not what we're talking about. We're talking about reboot a successful franchise because a handful of vocal fanboys can't stop talking, endlessly, about how butt hurt they are.

This just reminds me of all the hipsters standing around talking about how much they hate [insert name of some popular band] now that their music is popular. Thanks to the popularity of the movies, Transformers are being enjoyed by millions of fans, fans that aren't 30 year old virgins who live in their parent's basements. We have more toy lines, shows, games, books, comics... more of *everything* than at any point in the franchise history.

So, I'm sorry if you guys can't find something in there to be happy about. Personally, I'm thrilled. The vast majority of us are enjoying the hell out of this Transformers rejuvenation.

[peter]

yeah, transformers was so much better when it was languishing d-league franchise, relegated to comics.

The original series entertained me as a child, as most original fans will attest. I guess a lot of the current Bayformers fans were still hanging in their daddy's ballsacs when the original came out. When the IDW comics came out, I had hopes that the series would eventually find it's way to theatres again. Then came Michael Bay and everything was tits up from there. So you're absolutely right, it was way better as a languishing d-league franchise, relegated to comics.

[eugimon]

The original series entertained me as a child, as most original fans will attest. I guess a lot of the current Bayformers fans were still hanging in their daddy's ballsacs when the original came out. When the IDW comics came out, I had hopes that the series would eventually find it's way to theatres again. Then came Michael Bay and everything was tits up from there. So you're absolutely right, it was way better as a languishing d-league franchise, relegated to comics.

Rar, I hate it when people like things other than what I like! Rar!

[peter]

because he still looks like a guy with a baseball cap wearing a box.

I LIKE that movie Prime doesn't look like an elaborate cosplay costume.

That's funny, I see a truck that transforms into a robot....Movie prime looks like random metal scraps glued together. WTF is he supposed to be doing here anyway:

Looks like there should be a caption saying "Hey buddy, let's be friends!"

I mean seriously, even the hardcore Bay fans have to agree this has got to be one of the stupidest poses of all time.

Edited July 7, 2011 by peter

[peter]

Maybe. Sure. But that's not what we're talking about.

Acutally, that's exactly what we were talking about.

[mikeszekely]

yeah, transformers was so much better when it was languishing d-league franchise, relegated to comics.

"Ironhide is popular, right? Let's put Ironhide in our movie. What's he turn into? A van? Van's are lame, he's a truck now. A black truck. Ironhide is red? That's stupid, no one drives red trucks anymore. Black is the new red. Now make sure he doesn't look like a robot that turns into a truck. No one will believe that. Make him look like you put a truck into a blender. Like that will it blend guy, he's hardcore! And this guy? He's... um... screw it, the suits at Hasbro can name him. Just call him Fred in the script. It doesn't matter, none of these guys have any personality anyway."

You're right, it's so much better now.

We have more toy lines, shows, games, books, comics... more of *everything* than at any point in the franchise history.

We have the same number of toy lines (two). We've had Universe/Classics/Universe 2.0/Generations/RTS since 2002, and that line has run concurrently with whatever the current show or movie was. We actually have fewer right now, because we used to have Alternators and Titanium. And that assumes we still count Generations as active even though I've seen exactly one new figure on the shelves in six months as most retailers prepped themselves for the inevitable glut of movie crap. Shows? Animated got canned, and was replaced by the more movie-ish and much duller Prime. Comics? Dreamwave got the Transformers license in 2002, and IDW started their G1 series in 2005. Sure, IDW publishes comics based on the movie-verse, but we've been enjoying Transformers well before the first Bay film. Books? We've got six, three of them movie adaptations. iBooks (the publisher, not the Apple ebook store) published at least four books set in the Dreamwave G1 series. And games? I'll grant you that there's more, but more isn't always better. None of the movie-verse games are better than the PS2 game based on Armada. And while Hasbro might consider War for Cybertron part of the Prime universe, it definitely took its design cues from G1. It's good because, in addition to being a solid shooter, it's everything that the movie-verse is NOT.

[peter]

"Ironhide is popular, right? Let's put Ironhide in our movie. What's he turn into? A van? Van's are lame, he's a truck now. A black truck. Ironhide is red? That's stupid, no one drives red trucks anymore. Black is the new red. Now make sure he doesn't look like a robot that turns into a truck. No one will believe that. Make him look like you put a truck into a blender. Like that will it blend guy, he's hardcore! And this guy? He's... um... screw it, the suits at Hasbro can name him. Just call him Fred in the script. It doesn't matter, none of these guys have any personality anyway."

You're right, it's so much better now.

We have the same number of toy lines (two). We've had Universe/Classics/Universe 2.0/Generations/RTS since 2002, and that line has run concurrently with whatever the current show or movie was. We actually have fewer right now, because we used to have Alternators and Titanium. And that assumes we still count Generations as active even though I've seen exactly one new figure on the shelves in six months as most retailers prepped themselves for the inevitable glut of movie crap. Shows? Animated got canned, and was replaced by the more movie-ish and much duller Prime. Comics? Dreamwave got the Transformers license in 2002, and IDW started their G1 series in 2005. Sure, IDW publishes comics based on the movie-verse, but we've been enjoying Transformers well before the first Bay film. Books? We've got six, three of them movie adaptations. iBooks (the publisher, not the Apple ebook store) published at least four books set in the Dreamwave G1 series. And games? I'll grant you that there's more, but more isn't always better. None of the movie-verse games are better than the PS2 game based on Armada. And while Hasbro might consider War for Cybertron part of the Prime universe, it definitely took its design cues from G1. It's good because, in addition to being a solid shooter, it's everything that the movie-verse is NOT.

Apologies, I said IDW, but meant Dreamwave....

Ultra Magnus...this one was so awesome:

[Kanedas Bike]

Transformers as they appeared in the original G1 carton, movie or many comic adaptions would not translate well into a live action format.

With the way CG and even practical effects have evolved I seriously doubt the movie-going public would have made the Transformer live-action films as monetarily successful as they've been.

And don't forget that's why big budget blockbusters get made, not to satisfy the wants and needs of fanboys and girls. Hell, Serenity was a great example of that, it was a good show as Firefly and by a wing and a prayer got a theater release. As well liked as it was by fans and I think critics it didn't make the coin to continue the franchise in TV or movie form.

Sorry to all of the old-school fans, or fans of the old-school, that want to see Prime in all his G1 goodness, either from the cartoons or movies it just won't get butts into the seats. Stylized like Dreamwave or IDW or not.

Better of for worse you might as well cozy up to "Bay-formers" or similar designs or just let go of hope of seeing the type of Transformers movies you seem to want so badly.

And if part 4 gets made, or if they re-boot for the love of God I hope they don't put another screaming nerd in the lead role (looking at you Shia).

-b.

[eugimon]

"Ironhide is popular, right? Let's put Ironhide in our movie. What's he turn into? A van? Van's are lame, he's a truck now. A black truck. Ironhide is red? That's stupid, no one drives red trucks anymore. Black is the new red. Now make sure he doesn't look like a robot that turns into a truck. No one will believe that. Make him look like you put a truck into a blender. Like that will it blend guy, he's hardcore! And this guy? He's... um... screw it, the suits at Hasbro can name him. Just call him Fred in the script. It doesn't matter, none of these guys have any personality anyway."

You're right, it's so much better now.

Yeah... so much worse than, let's kill him to sell more toys! Let's kill all of them! Why, to sell more toys! Kill them, kill them for no reason!

Or, hey, SS is popular, let's paint him blue, lets give him new wings, lets paint him orange, money!

Really? That's your big complaint?

We have the same number of toy lines (two). We've had Universe/Classics/Universe 2.0/Generations/RTS since 2002, and that line has run concurrently with whatever the current show or movie was. We actually have fewer right now, because we used to have Alternators and Titanium. And that assumes we still count Generations as active even though I've seen exactly one new figure on the shelves in six months as most retailers prepped themselves for the inevitable glut of movie crap. Shows? Animated got canned, and was replaced by the more movie-ish and much duller Prime. Comics? Dreamwave got the Transformers license in 2002, and IDW started their G1 series in 2005. Sure, IDW publishes comics based on the movie-verse, but we've been enjoying Transformers well before the first Bay film. Books? We've got six, three of them movie adaptations. iBooks (the publisher, not the Apple ebook store) published at least four books set in the Dreamwave G1 series. And games? I'll grant you that there's more, but more isn't always better. None of the movie-verse games are better than the PS2 game based on Armada. And while Hasbro might consider War for Cybertron part of the Prime universe, it definitely took its design cues from G1. It's good because, in addition to being a solid shooter, it's everything that the movie-verse is NOT.

And before Animated was what? Exactly. And before WFC was what? And how well were those pre-movie comics selling?

Look, if you guys want to go back to the good old days where only hardcore fans were allowed, go for it and the only new content was rehashing g1 or dubbed Japanese universe stuff... go for it. Have fun.. they're still producing g1/g2 comics for you guys and you're still getting G1 toys in the MP line. You still have all the content you had pre-movies. Back when you all agree things were better. So enjoy.

Me, I'm having more fun with transformers now.

[peter]

Transformers as they appeared in the original G1 carton, movie or many comic adaptions would not translate well into a live action format.

With the way CG and even practical effects have evolved I seriously doubt the movie-going public would have made the Transformer live-action films as monetarily successful as they've been.

And don't forget that's why big budget blockbusters get made, not to satisfy the wants and needs of fanboys and girls. Hell, Serenity was a great example of that, it was a good show as Firefly and by a wing and a prayer got a theater release. As well liked as it was by fans and I think critics it didn't make the coin to continue the franchise in TV or movie form.

Sorry to all of the old-school fans, or fans of the old-school, that want to see Prime in all his G1 goodness, either from the cartoons or movies it just won't get butts into the seats. Stylized like Dreamwave or IDW or not.

Better of for worse you might as well cozy up to "Bay-formers" or similar designs or just let go of hope of seeing the type of Transformers movies you seem to want so badly.

And if part 4 gets made, or if they re-boot for the love of God I hope they don't put another screaming nerd in the lead role (looking at you Shia).

-b.

The unfortunate thing is everything you said is true. We'll probably never see G1 Prime in live action unless it's made by the fans (Dr. Smoov is heading that direction right?).

Speaking of Firefly, the guy that played Wash was in DOTM right? Firefly was an awsome series and Serenity was a pretty good movie....want more but it will never happen.

[peter]

Yeah... so much worse than, let's kill him to sell more toys! Let's kill all of them! Why, to sell more toys! Kill them, kill them for no reason!

Or, hey, SS is popular, let's paint him blue, lets give him new wings, lets paint him orange, money!

Really? That's your big complaint?

And before Animated was what? Exactly. And before WFC was what? And how well were those pre-movie comics selling?

Look, if you guys want to go back to the good old days where only hardcore fans were allowed, go for it and the only new content was rehashing g1 or dubbed Japanese universe stuff... go for it. Have fun.. they're still producing g1/g2 comics for you guys and you're still getting G1 toys in the MP line. You still have all the content you had pre-movies. Back when you all agree things were better. So enjoy.

Me, I'm having more fun with transformers now.

Wow, haha, do your Cornflakes taste good with mikeszekely's pee in it? Take it easy man, just because the new designs are ugly, doesn't mean to have to get your panties in a bunch.

Edited July 7, 2011 by peter

[Kanedas Bike]

The unfortunate thing is everything you said is true. We'll probably never see G1 Prime in live action unless it's made by the fans (Dr. Smoov is heading that direction right?).

Speaking of Firefly, the guy that played Wash was in DOTM right? Firefly was an awsome series and Serenity was a pretty good movie....want more but it will never happen.

Not sure who Dr. Smoov is, but there are some talented folks out their that are capable of putting together fan-made films, or at least clips of CG vehicles transforming like their G1 counterparts.

And yeah, Wash was in DOTM, and his character was a huge waste of space. It does suck about Firefly and Serenity.

Re: the Bay Transformer films I really wanted to just sit back and enjoy them for what they were. The actual designs don't bother me - but the non-plot and intellectually insulting characters (human and robot) made it so damn hard to really like the movies, this despite having some favorites like Bumblebee and Prime (from the combined 15 minutes of him actually being bad-ass).

Re: G1 - I'd love to have a nice Blu-ray release of the Transformers: The Movie.

-b.

[mikeszekely]

Really? That's your big complaint?

My big complaint is that some cgi turds, lacking in personality and occasionally even names, beating on each other while stuff explodes in the background, is the first thing people are going to think of now when they hear "Transformers."

Me, I'm having more fun with transformers now.

See, I don't actually have a problem with that. To each his own, right?

But I could do without the condensation

Rar, I hate it when people like things other than what I like! Rar!

or the derision

Thanks to the popularity of the movies, Transformers are being enjoyed by millions of fans, fans that aren't 30 year old virgins who live in their parent's basements.

of those I generally get along with but happen to disagree with on this point. I liked Beast Wars, Animated, and War for Cybertron. I'm open to new directions and takes on Transformers if they don't suck. But it doesn't mean that I am going to like whatever crap they stick the Transformers brand on any more than I'm going to like bacon-flavored dog treats in place of actual bacon.

[anime52k8]

But I could do without the condensation

Same here, The bottle of Coke I'm drinking is so wet right now I can barely even hold it.

Edited July 7, 2011 by anime52k8

[kaiotheforsaken]

Wow, haha, do your Cornflakes taste good with mikeszekely's pee in it? Take it easy man, just because the new designs are ugly, doesn't mean to have to get your panties in a bunch.

YOU thinking the designs are ugly doesn't equate to them being ugly. The funny thing is, I would bet there are more people who like the designs of the movie-verse than don't.

The whole argument is moot at this point anyways, at least as far as Don Murphy is concerned "What happens next? Certainly not a reboot. We haven't lost the Transformers. They didn't grow up or become expensive like Toby Maguire. I don't know what happens next. I'm pretty sure there will be a second trilogy. I am pretty sure it will kick ass. And I am pretty sure some of you will hate it because it wasn't all bots."

The odds of anyone getting anything resembling G1 (or those semi fugly comic versions) is slim to none, and the odds of seeing Bays efforts just forgotten are slim. As I mentioned somewhere before (this thread or the TF3 one) they aren't going to re-invent the wheel to appease some oldschool holdouts. These movies make craptons of money as they are, there is no reason for them to try and deviate much from the formula.

[peter]

YOU thinking the designs are ugly doesn't equate to them being ugly. The funny thing is, I would bet there are more people who like the designs of the movie-verse than don't.

The whole argument is moot at this point anyways, at least as far as Don Murphy is concerned "What happens next? Certainly not a reboot. We haven't lost the Transformers. They didn't grow up or become expensive like Toby Maguire. I don't know what happens next. I'm pretty sure there will be a second trilogy. I am pretty sure it will kick ass. And I am pretty sure some of you will hate it because it wasn't all bots."

The odds of anyone getting anything resembling G1 (or those semi fugly comic versions) is slim to none, and the odds of seeing Bays efforts just forgotten are slim. As I mentioned somewhere before (this thread or the TF3 one) they aren't going to re-invent the wheel to appease some oldschool holdouts. These movies make craptons of money as they are, there is no reason for them to try and deviate much from the formula.

I stand corrected, I think they're ugly, doesn't mean their ugly. And you're right, doesn't matter if I think they're ugly, or they ARE ugly, or if more than 50% of the world thinks they're hot or not, they made money despite the fact that the movies were full of plot-holes etc (essentially, the movies were crappy.....sorry, I meant to say I thought they were crappy), and $$ is all that matters. I think I've said that already, and I've agreed on that point.

Anyway, they're ugly.

Edited July 7, 2011 by peter