Transformers (franchise)

[JBC]

I've been catching up on Transformers this week as I never saw the third or fourth movies. I haven't forgotten that they are based on children's cartoons, so there's a chance I may enjoy them unlike the rest of the internet. I suspect many people expect too much considering the source material. I forgot how much I loved the property when I was little. I've seen the first two movies but they had alot of human elements to them, which is not at all a part of the series I've ever enjoyed. Due to this, the films failed to renew my interest but were fun roller coaster rides.

That said, to begin I'm watching the Transformers Prime series. It is really great so far & is CG animated like Beast Wars. Prime's successor series Robots In Disguise is set to debut on Cartoon Network next month so it's a good time for me to be catching up. As well, I'm really glad to see that Beast Wars is available in a DVD set. Totally getting that.

I was planning on buying one of those portable Gaems brand cases soon to renew my interest in last gen's consoles. My PS3 has been unplugged & going to waste for months now & yet there are still plenty of cheap titles I never tried out. I suppose I'll pick up the first two Cybertron games since the online reviews say they are pretty decent. I love rail shooters so it sucks that the Wii's spinoff Cybertron Adventures has pretty low scores.

[dan76]

Cybertron Adventures is a great rail shooter. Dont let the poor reviews put you off! It's just a shame theres no online leaderboards.

I can't stand the films, loved the original cartoon from the 80's, haven't seen any of the newer cartoons.

[Damocles]

I have almost total apathy regarding the Transformer movies. Almost. I truly hate Shia Lebouf.

[JBC]

Well, the good news is I don't think he's in them anymore.

I'll still give Cybertron Adventures a go. I don't put alot of faith in reviews or scores. Plenty of stuff I've had a good time with has been trashed by critics.

[Obiwanshinobi]

I don't care about the franchise, but the PS2 2004 Transformers game by Melbourne House is notable for some of the most impressive visuals ever seen on that-gen consoles. Not tech demo way, but there's something of a playable game in there.

[Sly Cherry Chunks]

Yes, that Melbourne House game was excellent, much better than War for Cybertron. I have an unopened copy of Fall of Cybertron sat around waiting to be played, too.

Transformers: Prime is absolute fucking shit. Great toys, though.

[JBC]

Transformers: Prime is absolute fucking shit. Great toys, though.

The show? I've watched five episodes & think it's frickin' great so far. The visual side is just amazing. Very clean & great action.

[CMoon]

I haven't forgotten that they are based on children's cartoons, so there's a chance I may enjoy them unlike the rest of the internet. I suspect many people expect too much considering the source material.

I don't know if you meant this the way it reads, but just because something is intended for a younger audience doesn't mean it has any excuse to be lazy or insipid. Maybe you meant, many of us expect too much because Transformers was just a medium for selling toys? OK, now I agree with this sentiment.

[JBC]

I suspect many people expect too much considering the source material.

Maybe you meant, many of us expect too much because Transformers was just a medium for selling toys? OK, now I agree with this sentiment.

Yes, that. It gets 'big colorful robots fighting each other' right & that's all you can really ask.

[cicada88]

Are any of the original or recent Transformers animation series any good?

[JBC]

I really loved Beast Wars as a kid. It was very weird for the time. No humans, just machines & the primitive world they were on had all kinds of crazy stuff going on. It's pretty cheesy going back over it today on YouTube & the visuals are hella dated. Still, I love early CG animation in the same way I can still appreciate Virtua Fighter's or Tekken's visuals.

The newer CG series Prime is very pretty in that department. I'd put it a notch above that Green Lantern show from a couple years back.

I can't really attest for the traditional or cel shaded series as I either haven't seen them or can't remember. I was 3 years old when the original series first aired.

[Astraea FGA Mk. I]

I was coerced into going to the first Michael Bay transformers movie in a theater. I don't even remember the last 15 minutes of the movie as it induced a trance that I assume was to tolerate the extreme psychological torment, probably similar to someone actively being tortured. My buddy missed this sequence due to his bladder and my account of what happened was simply that I had no recollection. He went to the movie again the next day on his own and I have not seen him since.
This is all true except that the above is exaggerated for effect.

[BIL]

Yes, that. It gets 'big colorful robots fighting each other' right & that's all you can really ask.

Dark of the Moon doesn't. Not a decent robot fight in the whole thing. It's mostly sweaty douchefaces running in circles around the big robots going "OHHH NONONONO" to hilarious effect. Can't remember the first two and can't bring myself to see the fourth, I'm wary of all the sweaty douchefaces on the cover.

The Animated Movie is always fun.

"Megatron, is that you?!" "Here's a hint." *MURDER*

[MommysBestGames]

I don't care about the franchise, but the PS2 2004 Transformers game by Melbourne House is notable for some of the most impressive visuals ever seen on that-gen consoles. Not tech demo way, but there's something of a playable game in there.

Agreed, that PS2 Transformers game was great! I loved being able to transform back and forth smoothly and having a giant open world. Seeing a point on a distant hill and trying to get up there--it was super feeling. And the upgrades opened up the world nicely.

[Ghegs]

I don't care about the franchise, but the PS2 2004 Transformers game by Melbourne House is notable for some of the most impressive visuals ever seen on that-gen consoles. Not tech demo way, but there's something of a playable game in there.

Agreed, that PS2 Transformers game was great! I loved being able to transform back and forth smoothly and having a giant open world. Seeing a point on a distant hill and trying to get up there--it was super feeling. And the upgrades opened up the world nicely.

Also, you can blast away Moai statues so you can pretend Optimus Prime has teamed up with Vic Viper against the Bacterion army.

[Mischief Maker]

I suspect many people expect too much considering the source material.

Maybe you meant, many of us expect too much because Transformers was just a medium for selling toys? OK, now I agree with this sentiment.

Yes, that. It gets 'big colorful robots fighting each other' right & that's all you can really ask.

No Pacific Rim got "big colorful robots fighting" right. The transformers movies are an absolute mess when it comes to action scenes. The best description I heard for them was "like junkyards fucking."

Besides that, since when do children's movies have to range between a bladder-punishing 2.5-3 hours long like they're frigging Laurence of Arabia? Since when are children's movies all about lingering ass shots on glycerine-soaked hotties? Since when do children's movies have horiffic scenes of dismemberment and immolation? Oh, whoops! Wrong bad movie using "kids movie" as an excuse for that last one!

[JBC]

As a lifelong Kaiju fan I found Pacific Rim to be embarassing myself. I haven't seen the third or fourth Transformers yet, what I know is based on the first two. I really just like the CG cartoons & some of the classic toys. I'm gonna try to pick up that rail shooter today.

[Pointman]

The transformers movies are an absolute mess when it comes to action scenes. The best description I heard for them was "like junkyards fucking."

My favourite description of them is that they are like watching someone jangle a bunch of keys around your face for 2 hours.

They are fun for what they are, just don't expect any coherent storyline in any one of them. My only real gripe with them is the depiction of Optimus Prime, the essence of the character is all wrong. Since when did one of the most noble individuals in the known universe...

Spoiler

want to execute other Transformers and murder humans?

If I was Peter Cullen I'd refuse to do the voice work until the character was rewritten.

[broken harbour]

The problem with the Transformers movies is that they can't decide what they are... Sci Fi? Action? Comedy? They try to be everything to everyone and so they come out just mediocre. What they are is big dumb fun, and if that's all you expect, then they are enjoyable. Though way, waaaaaay too long.

Editors Note: I have not seen the 4th one.

I would like to see an actual, serious take on the franchise using the same technology and art direction though, could be epic if done correctly. (The newest Godzilla being a good example of a big epic monster movie done mostly correctly).

[JBC]

I would like to see an actual, serious take on the franchise using the same technology and art direction though, could be epic if done correctly. (The newest Godzilla being a good example of a big epic monster movie done mostly correctly).

Me too. I'd like to see them take it off world & just focus on the robots. Maybe a Cybertron focused prequel would be the closest we can expect from the current line.

[Sly Cherry Chunks]

Id forgotten about this: Did anyone try the Jagex Transformers MMO? No real game modes besides death match, but a nice varied bunch of characters that all played their own way (I liked that sniper). Then it was suddenly cancelled quite late into open beta. It was in a pretty impressive state before the plug was pulled.