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First Draft of The Transformers Movie 86 at TFNation 2022

Transformers News: First Draft of The Transformers Movie 86 at TFNation 2022
Date: Monday, August 22nd 2022 7:36pm CDT
Categories: Cartoon News, Event News
Posted by: Sabrblade

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Views: 109,316

A week ago, TFNation 2022 was held in the United Kingdom, whereat Transformers uber-fans Jim Sorenson and Chris McFeely held a very special presentation on the Saturday night of August 13, which was followed by an extra panel the next day on Sunday, August 14.

This presentation was, without a doubt, the event of the weekend. Back in June, Chris held a livestream on YouTube in which he momentarily hyped up this event as "one of the most important panels ever held at a Transformers convention." He later made this post on his YouTube community portal, which featured the following promotional art:

Transformers News: Re: TFTM: The First Draft @ TFNation 2022

To cut to the chase, Jim and Chris held a live presentation of the long lost, original, very first draft script of Transformers: The Movie (1986) written by Ron Friedman!

For about 12 years, this original script was thought to have been lost to time and gone for good. But about two years ago in the summer of 2020, G1 cartoon writer Flint Dille was going through his storage and unearthed this long lost script. Jim Sorenson then flew out to Los Angeles and spent the next week scanning as much of the script as he could. And now, after all these years, Jim and Chris have finally made the contents of this lost piece of Transformers known to the public!

At the presentation, they provided an in-depth summary of the script's events, accompanied by brand new artwork created especially for the occasion. While the artwork is unofficial, it provided visual illustrations of several events described by Friedman's script, each interpreted by the artists who drew them. Said artists included Ed Pirrie, Andy Turnbull, James Marsh, and Kris Carter.

While I, myself, was not present at the event, live updates were provided through both the TFWiki Discord server (most notably from uses Jacob McBaggins, Broadside, and Greeby) and the Twitter of James Bach. It is from these sources that I have compiled the following full report of the presentation.

---

By and large, the script is only vaguely resemblant to the final version of the movie. Some broad strokes are similar, but the biggest differences lie in the details. In fact, Flint Dille has previously gone on record calling this script "incoherent". As you will soon begin to see, "incoherent" is the kindest word one could use to describe it, as it honestly feels like Friedman just made up as he went along.

This script draft was first written in August 1984, before the first episode of the G1 cartoon had even aired. Literally right after the final episode of Season 1, "Heavy Metal War", had been written. Season 2 hadn't even been conceptualized yet. No date is given for when it takes place. Not 2005, not the 1980s, nothing.

The story begins with the Battle of Autobot City. Except, it's not Autobot City, but just a steel mill. The Constructicons steal some steel ore from carts around the plant to build siege towers to attack the place. The Autobots who defend the steel mill are (from left to right):
  • Hot Rod – Depicted here using the earliest known design by Floro Dery.
  • Tanker – Grizzled old Autobot who's missing an eye, transforms into a Sherman tank.
  • Magnus – Not "Ultra" Magnus. Drawn here in Floro Dery's early design that was later used for Orion Pax before the Diaclone Powered Convoy toy was decided to represent him.
  • Arcee – Field medic, shown here in an early Floro Dery design.
  • Wheeljack – Very sexist and misogynistic toward Arcee throughout the entire script, which is played for "comedy".
Transformers News: Re: TFTM: The First Draft @ TFNation 2022

As the Decepticons continue their attack on the steel mill, three of them combine into a cannon that begins to shoot "fire snow" at the Autobots. What is fire snow? Napalm. Yes, the Decepticons attack the Autobots... with napalm.

Tanker gets his arm burnt off and, in the heat of the moment, acts rather sexist toward Arcee. Magnus grabs an industrial bucket and, in a very cartoony moment, simply catches the balls of fire snow napalm in the bucket and tosses it back at the Decepticons. He saves Hot Rod in the process. The Decepticons dive for cover but get blown up by their own napalm tossed back at them, and are clobbered by the steel bucket.

Reinforcements for the Autobots arrive aboard an old locomotive train carrying rocket fuel in flatbed cars.

Transformers News: Re: TFTM: The First Draft @ TFNation 2022
Transformers News: Re: TFTM: The First Draft @ TFNation 2022
Transformers News: Re: TFTM: The First Draft @ TFNation 2022

The train is manned by human allies General Blaze and Colonel Rusty Steel, the latter of whom is described by the script as an "Indiana Jones" type. Hasbro's feedback on the character basically says that his personality would later be applied to Springer.

General Blaze
Transformers News: Re: TFTM: The First Draft @ TFNation 2022

Colonel Rusty Steele
Transformers News: Re: TFTM: The First Draft @ TFNation 2022

The train carrying the rocket fuel is meant to distract the Decepticons from their attack on the steel mill, making them think the train is just a simple fuel delivery and an easy target, from which the Autobots can ambush Megatron.

Starscream attacks the train and ties it in a pretzel knot. The train then begins to transform from an old locomotive into a bullet train, a process called "Transformation Alpha". Starscream is then run over. (It is at this point that Jim pointed out that Starscream will have a lot to do in this story, only to clarify that he gets his butt kicked a lot.) The train is now revealed to be an Autobot Triple Changer named Rails, who commences "Transformation Beta" into his robot mode... A GIANT SNAKE ROBOT MODE!!

Transformers News: Re: TFTM: The First Draft @ TFNation 2022
Transformers News: Re: TFTM: The First Draft @ TFNation 2022
Transformers News: Re: TFTM: The First Draft @ TFNation 2022
Transformers News: Re: TFTM: The First Draft @ TFNation 2022

Hot Rod soon runs out of ammo... in a laser gun. A Decepticon charges at him with a laser chainsaw, but Tanker steps in and trips up the Decepticon, who then falls on his own laser chainsaw and is bisected in half by it.

Then the Optimus and Megatron fight happens... basically the same as it does in the final movie, verbatim even. As the Decepticons retreat from the battle following Megatron's defeat (no Astrotrain here, they all just fly out into space on their own power), Ratchet, Wheeljack, and Arcee perform triage on Prime and determine that the damage is fatal. Rusty Steele objects, stating that they can't make that call in the field. Half the Autobots go with Ratchet to take the dying Optimus back to the Autobots' volcano base, while the other half go with Wheeljack to build ships to chase after Megatron. Gears is here as well, and is an insensitive jerk about the whole thing.

Basically, Friedman was mandated to kill off Optimus, but no other 1984 Autobots die either. The idea behind all this was to make the movie start out like a typical G1 cartoon episode until it wasn't. Hot Rod is very broken up over Optimus's current state ("I don't know how I'll stand it if Prime dies because of me"), but Tanker basically just tells him to suck it up and not be such a wimp. Jerk.

Meanwhile, the Decepticons make it back to Cybertron by just flying all the way there. In the final version of the movie, the place at which Starscream's coronation is held is referred to by its script as the Decepticon Hall of Heroes. In this script, the Hall of Heroes is basically described as a sci-fi version of Adolf Hitler's Nuremburg Rally Hall, in the Third Reich. According to Jim and Chris, the script is practically dripping with full-on Nazi references all over the place.

Megatron is there with them and dies unceremoniously while everyone argues over who gets to be the new leader. A fight soon breaks out. As Starscream and Skywarp fight, they inadvertently blow up the urn that was meant to house Megatron's "life spark". Without it, Megatron's ghost flies out of his body. As he pathetically begs and pleads for the other Decepticons to preserve his essence, they take no notice and continue their fight. Megatron's purple "life spark" ghost helplessly flies off into space.

Transformers News: Re: TFTM: The First Draft @ TFNation 2022

Back on Earth, the entire volcano that houses the Autobots' base now opens up like Tracy Island from Thunderbirds. It's now a whole base for both Autobots and humans. Two such humans are Dr. Ellen Prentiss and her young son Daniel. Yep, that Daniel. In this script, he is not Spike's son. In fact, Spike isn't even in this story at all. Here, Daniel looks up to and idolizes Colonel Rusty, who in turn calls the boy "Dan-o".

Transformers News: Re: TFTM: The First Draft @ TFNation 2022

Springer is also one the Autobots there, whom the script describes as "a huge, Arnold Schwarzenegger type". He is also described by the script as turning into something like either a jet-powered missile launcher, or a jet-powered steam roller. He also barely does anything in the whole story.

Out in space, Megatron's ghost is summoned to the planet Unicron. In this version, Unicron is the name of the planet and its leader is a mysterious intelligence simply known as "the Entity". Planet Unicron has tree trunks that resemble a big hand, and trees that are like hair. (Attendee reaction to this described it as "horrid".) The Entity agrees to recreate Megatron into Galvatron in exchange for Megatron/Galvatron going back to Cybertron, bringing all of its Decepticon inhabitants under the Entity's will, and then taking all of the Decepticons to Earth for a more important plan.

Galvatron is apparently described in the script as both looking like a bigger Megatron covered in metal scales, and looking like he's wearing a black military uniform. For the accompanying fanmade artwork, however, he is instead depicted in his early Floro Dery design with toy-accurate colors. He also receives a unique insignia on his chest (looks like the artists chose to base their interpretation of it on the Beast Wars Neo Blentron insignia).

Transformers News: Re: TFTM: The First Draft @ TFNation 2022

And now comes Optimus's death scene. In this version, instead of the Matrix of Leadership, a little green baby version of Optimus in energy form emerges from his chest. It is referred to as Optimus's "Matrix", long before the Creation Matrix was a thing in the Marvel Comics. It's basically Optimus's "life spark", like what came out of Megatron earlier when he died. The Baby Optimus goes into Magnus's body, making him "Ultra" Magnus.

Transformers News: Re: TFTM: The First Draft @ TFNation 2022

On Cybertron, Galvatron arrives and Starscream recognizes him as Megatron. Starscream gets to live in this version and all of the Decepticons get new upgraded forms by the power of Planet Unicron. For the Seekers, the artists chose to base their interpretation of these upgraded forms off of Starscream's coronation gear from the final movie. In the script, the idea was to just make them bigger.

Transformers News: Re: TFTM: The First Draft @ TFNation 2022
Transformers News: Re: TFTM: The First Draft @ TFNation 2022

Cybertron is then destroyed in a beam of light and NOBODY cares. All except for Galvatron for about 30 seconds. The Decepticons then head for Earth. End of Act 1.

---

Act 2 begins with the Autobots building giant metal shields to protect Earth's cities so that they can take their new fleet of ships Wheeljack is building and go after the Decepticons without worry. The shields are said to be made out of metals with ridiculous names like "titano-rubidium steel" and "durabyl-metal". The script apparently takes two or three whole pages to describe the shields.

Colonel Rusty Steele seems to be taking point in this operation, while a bunch of "comedy" bits are going on around him. Namely, Wheeljack has a running "gag" where Arcee will do something really competent behind his back while he is oblivious to this and makes several sexist remarks about "she-bots". And he does this all throughout the script.

When the Decepticons arrive, Teletraan I cannot even compute their newly-acquired power. The Entity fires a green energy blast from space that strikes Galvatron, goes through him into the other Decepticons, and powers them all up enough for them to blast through all the shields the Autobots just built, destroying them in an instant despite multiple script pages setting up the shields.

Transformers News: Re: TFTM: The First Draft @ TFNation 2022

Oh, and Prowl is here and doesn't die. And Starscream gets beaten up a second time, suffering endless slapstick. Even so, the Autobot base is overrun and they have to retreat.

A time-skip occurs. The Decepticons have a "Sweep Party" of black "Gestapo-like" bots searching for the Autobots, who have since set up a guerilla camp. This is from where the idea of the Sweeps originated.

Transformers News: Re: TFTM: The First Draft @ TFNation 2022

The Decepticons have apparently taken over and are building an "energy drain cage" around the Earth, in order to siphon its energy and send it all to Planet Unicron.

Transformers News: Re: TFTM: The First Draft @ TFNation 2022

Daniel gets the camp found by the Sweep Gestapo by accidently setting off Teletraan I, who mistakes him for an intruder.

Now engaged in a guerilla war, Tanker and Hot Rod go off to recruit a crack squad of the best of the best to help everyone get to the one remaining Autobot ship, so they can go find the source of the Decepticons' new powers.

First is Chemico, "the walking laboratory". He literally just pops up to make a smokescreen and never appears again.

Transformers News: Re: TFTM: The First Draft @ TFNation 2022

Magnus also transforms... into either a truck or a combine harvester. The idea behind what his altmode should be was "What's the coolest vehicle to run someone over with?"

The Autobots knock away the Decepticons with baseball bats and escape via a river raft. Yes, really.

Springer is also here. As is Starscream. You know what that means? It's clobbering time, Screamer! Springer uses his jumping power, which Jim compares to bouncing like Tigger. Springer grabs Starscream and a generic Decepticon and bonks their heads together, which also results in the two 'Cons impaling each other with their limbs. Starscream is furious and threatens to boil the Autobots in their own pee (yes, really!), and demands "UNKNOT MEEEEE!!" (Chris McFeely did his best and most throat-hurting Chris Latta impression for this line).

Other Autobot recruits include Blurr (who in this version talks reeeeeeeaallly slow, like Jimmy Stewart), Grimlock, Swoop, Sludge (but no other Dinobots) and Mentlar (a "Carl Sagan" type whose role as the "smart guy" is later taken by Perceptor).

Transformers News: Re: TFTM: The First Draft @ TFNation 2022

Don't confuse his name with "Metlar", who is one of the Inhumanoids. He's "Mentlar", because of his great "mental" capacity. He turns into a radar truck.

Transformers News: Re: TFTM: The First Draft @ TFNation 2022

Mentlar presses a button that activates a giant energy grid that he uses like a big flyswatter to disable the Insecticons and strip them of their Unicron upgrades, allowing the Dinobots to defeat them. Afterward, this grid is never used or brought up again.

The Autobots reach the last ship they still have, which is hidden inside an ice cave.

Transformers News: Re: TFTM: The First Draft @ TFNation 2022

As Rusty, Daniel, and Ellen board the ship, Rusty gives Daniel his lucky silver dollar as a promise that they'll get through this. As the ship takes off, Hot Rod, Tanker, and the Dinobots are still fighting on the ground and just fly up alongside the ship, flying through space outside the vessel. Bumblebee shows up here just to get blasted off-screen by a cluster bomb. Wheeljack and Arcee remain on Earth to keep fighting the Decepticons and Wheeljack has more misogynist moments with Arcee.

Galvatron is mentally tortured by the Entity, who calls him an imbecile and tells him to destroy the fleeing Autobot ship. He give Galvatron a ship of his own, which resembles an aircraft carrier (this was the prototype version of Galvatron's ship from the final movie). Rusty and Daniel man the Autobot ship's guns like Han and Luke in Star Wars: A New Hope. And then a random space hurricane interrupts the battle, destroying Galvatron's ship and hurling Hot Rod, Tanker, and the Dinobots off into space. Galvatron emerges from the wreckage of his ship, sees no Autobots, and thinks he's won. End of Act 2.

Transformers News: Re: TFTM: The First Draft @ TFNation 2022

---

Act 3 begins with the Autobots' ship crash-landing on Planet Unicron's moon, drawn there by a tractor beam brainwave.

Transformers News: Re: TFTM: The First Draft @ TFNation 2022
Transformers News: Re: TFTM: The First Draft @ TFNation 2022

Back on Earth, Arcee twirls Starscream around like a wrestler and tosses him at a freeway overpass, collapsing it on top of other Decepticons. Despite this, Wheeljack is still sexist to her. This is also Starscream's last scene.

Hot Rod, Tanker, and the Dinobots end up on a planet that would later become Quintessa in the final movie. Sharkticons proceed to eat Swoop, but only nibble on him rather than consume him entirely.

Transformers News: Re: TFTM: The First Draft @ TFNation 2022

The script keeps cutting back and forth between the moon with Magnus's team, the planet with Hot Rod's team, and Earth with Wheeljack and Arcee, the latter of whom ends up kissing Wheeljack on the cheek at one point.

Galvatron is told by the Entity to go into space and kill the Autobots stranded on the moon. His army flies off from Earth in space cruisers they just suddenly have now. As they approach Unicron's moon, the Autobots there trick the Decepticons with cardboard cutouts as decoys.

Hot Rod, Tanker, and the Dinobots witness the arena-style execution of a rock-based alien named Granix. Yep, before he was Kranix, he was Granix, his name based on "granite". And the Sharkticon pit was a battle arena rather than a shark tank.

Transformers News: Re: TFTM: The First Draft @ TFNation 2022
Transformers News: Re: TFTM: The First Draft @ TFNation 2022

Here, the Sharkticons have sensors that direct them to eat whatever they bump into, likely explaining what those antennae they have are supposed to be.

When Hot Rod's group stands trial, they are found "Innocent of trespassing but guilty of insolence". Hot Rod blinds the Sharkticons, but the Quintesson uses its mental powers to just make more Sharkticons from scrap. Hot Rod subdues the Quint and orders it to use its mind powers to find the other Autobots. It ends up finding Planet Unicron.

Transformers News: Re: TFTM: The First Draft @ TFNation 2022

On Unicron's moon, the Decepticons have found the Autobots' three human allies, who all wear exo-suits implied to work by telekinesis. Rumble forces Daniel to watch Dirge try to crush Ellen to death, but Daniel saves his mother by crushing Dirge's torso inward and tossing him onto Rumble.

Then the Junkions show up, the leader of which is literally described by the script as wearing a Nazi helmet. The artists chose instead to draw him wearing a WWI German helmet because there's just so much Nazi stuff in this script!!!

Transformers News: Re: TFTM: The First Draft @ TFNation 2022

Elsewhere on Unicron's moon, Galvatron just straight up murders Magnus, Mentlar, and Blurr. Like, he just kills them. Dead. No repairs, no rebuilding them. Just dead. And Hasbro was furious.

Transformers News: Re: TFTM: The First Draft @ TFNation 2022

Galvatron steals the glowing baby Optimus from Magnus and puts it in a jar around his neck.

Transformers News: Re: TFTM: The First Draft @ TFNation 2022

What comes next are a couple of big reveals: The Junkions built Unicron! It was originally built to be a protector, but something went wrong. The Junkions then reveal a flaw in Unicron that serves as its weakness. And that weakness is... MISSING from the script! Yep, unfortunately, the script that Flint Dille found in storage was missing three whole pages that detail this very important part of the story. One of these pages also presumably sees Hot Rod, Tanker, and the Dinobots reuniting with the others on the moon, with Tanker freeing the Autobots from the Junkions with the Universal Greeting.

As Planet Unicron absorbs the siphoned energy from Earth, the Entity is powered up enough to transform the planet into a humanoid robot form. It heads towards Earth, munching other planets along the way. And at this point, Wheeljack FINALLY apologizes to Arcee for being such a sexist misogynist.

Transformers News: Re: TFTM: The First Draft @ TFNation 2022

A Junkion named Scrapo befriends the Dinobots, whose role was presumably later taken by Wheelie in the final movie.

In a surprise twist that shocks absolutely no one, the Entity and Unicron are revealed to be one and the same. In order to defeat him, the Autobots must fight their way into Unicron's core. Once there, Daniel is the only one small enough to fit into the area they need to get into to destroy Unicron. But then, they suddenly remember that they also need the Baby Optimus that Galvatron still has. So they go all the way back out to go get it. Hot Rod and Rusty corner Galvatron, who tries to fuse the Baby Optimus with himself into nothingness. But he is defeated by Dr. Ellen.

Transformers News: Re: TFTM: The First Draft @ TFNation 2022

The Autobots and humans go all the way back into Unicron's core, where Daniel takes the Baby Optimus and puts it into the core, blowing by Unicron. Galvatron gets blasted off on one of Unicron's severed fingers.

Transformers News: Re: TFTM: The First Draft @ TFNation 2022

In the aftermath, Earth just gets all better after being shriveled up from its massive energy drain. A parade is held and Hot Rod holds Daniel up on his shoulders. The End.

---

The day after this presentation was given, Chris and Jim held a follow-up panel with more information and artwork.

It is speculated that Rails was replaced with the Anibots (Autobot versions of the Predacons before those toys were decided to be Decepticons) in later script drafts, and then ultimately replaced by just the Dinobots defending Autobot City in the final movie. (The concept of Rails as a large, multi-changing transport Autobot with a bestial robot mode may have possibly even evolved into Sky Lynx.)

"Life Spark" came from a memo note from Sunbow to refer to the leadership aspect of "the Matrix", which had yet to be a thing at the time. "'Til all Matrixes are One" evolved into "'Til all Life Sparks are one", which after a game of telephone became just "'Til all are One".

As everyone could probably tell by now, the concept of Tanker would eventually evolve into Kup. Jim reasoned that Tanker changed into Kup because Hasbro, at the time, was looking at the next generation of Autobots and Decepticons being cars and jets, not tanks.

Transformers News: Re: TFTM: The First Draft @ TFNation 2022

At some point in the script, Grimlock sees Arcee and thinks she's so cool that he want there to be female Dinobots.

A few more pieces of the fanmade artwork:

Granix
Transformers News: Re: TFTM: The First Draft @ TFNation 2022

Quintesson (the name "Quintesson" originally came from a restaurant)
Transformers News: Re: TFTM: The First Draft @ TFNation 2022

This Quintesson is based on Floro Dery's early Quintesson design.

Sweep Gestapo-bot
Transformers News: Re: TFTM: The First Draft @ TFNation 2022

Junkion (who's meant to look like something out of the Road Warrior)
Transformers News: Re: TFTM: The First Draft @ TFNation 2022

Q&A

The suspected intended runtime for this script is two hours.

Unicron's backstory as having originally been created as a protector is removed from later script iterations, and is ultimate made as vague and undisclosed as it is in the final movie.

Galvatron's original altmode in this script is basically a cannon covered in guns all over.

Hot Rod has no Autobot symbol in these art pieces because the design notes in the script simply don't mention it. The second design iteration does put it on, though.

Now that we know where the Sweeps came from, what about Cyclonus's armada from the later script drafts? They would have been just a bunch of Cyclonus duplicates.

Colonel Rusty Steele was never Daniel's father. Daniel just had hero worship for him.

And most importantly of all, the script itself WILL eventually be uploaded online for all eyes to see. We don't know when, but it is definitely planned to be released at some point later on.

FIN

Hasbro's Transformers Team Talks the Future of Legacy and the Figures They Want to Make at SDCC

Transformers News: Hasbro's Transformers Team Talks the Future of Legacy and the Figures They Want to Make at SDCC
Date: Monday, July 25th 2022 7:43pm CDT
Categories: Cartoon News, Comic Book News, Toy News, Event News
Posted by: Emerje | Credit(s): Nemesis Primal on the forums, TFW2005.com, Shartimus Prime

Discuss This Topic · Permanent Link
Views: 149,604

SDCC may have wrapped up but it looks like there's still a lot left to talk about when it comes to the future of Legacy! HUGE thanks to our own Seibertronian Nemesis Primal for combing through Q&As and interviews to find many key bits of information about the future of Legacy. His post to our Energon Pub Forums is as follows:

Nemesis Primal wrote:So I've been doing a bit of reading, and between what little Q & A escaped the panel, a video interview done by Shartimus Prime, and the big interview TFW just posted, I have compiled the following list of Legacy-relevant confirmations/hints given at SDCC outside of just the figures we actually saw. Notes so far (*inhales*):

-Legacy Wave 4/Breakdown will be shown at Pulsecon
-Legacy Wave 4/Breakdown are scheduled to come out next year
-Evan mentioned that Menasor's lack of Scramble City compatibility/limbs being dedicated to just Menasor has been well-received and they are keeping that in mind for future potential combiners
-No continuity is off the table for Legacy, Cyberverse is an option
-Animated was given a flat-out confirmation by Evan, Animated characters/designs WILL be in Legacy, the theory of those characters/designs being held up by Cartoon Network rights is incorrect
-Evan cited Animated Lockdown, Ratchet, and Prime as characters/designs he specifically would like to work on
-Legacy Animated figures WILL be G1-ified, HOWEVER the team has also heard the feedback on Arcee/Bulkhead/Knock Out and are working to find a better G1-ification balance
-Titans and Selects are both still planned to continue release, called out the theory of Selects ending specifically as incorrect
-Hasbro is considering 2022 and 2023 both to be the Armada anniversary due to the show's release date in Japan (which probably also explains "RiD 2000 Universe")
-Armada Prime "may happen" for the anniversary, unlikely to be the unreleased Takara-initiated one shown years back but may borrow from it if happening
-Cyber Planet Keys and Cheetor's gut gun both being thought about in terms of potential weapon/accessory packs
-They KNOW people want Tidal Wave
-Minicons are something they're intending to figure out "once they move more fully into Armada"
-Wider release/more allotments of Velocitron Cosmos and his in-store availability are up to Walmart, Pulse cannot restock (sounds familiar)
-Next Haslab is being worked on but has no associated dates yet
-No version of Optimus Prime will EVER be a Haslab (when asked about Armada Prime)
-When asked about a new Cybertron OP & Wing Saber: "it would be totally doable to make a new Wing Saber connect to Siege GUOP" (implying Wing Saber is on the table but Optimus is considered done)
-More Titans from Cybertron are possible albeit daunting due to number (Starscream, Primus, Quickmix, & Menasor all mentioned)
-Evan wants to incorporate Powerlinx into Armada/Energon updates
-Mark and Evan talk about making figures of the 13 Primes "all the time", mentioned The Fallen's tank mode
-As far as Evan knows, Legacy is planned to go for 3 years and is a trilogy (?)
-More non-G1 updates can be expected even if/when Legacy ends
-Evan wants to make Beast Machines Vehicons
-Most obscure characters Evan wants to do in Legacy: Velocity, Javelin, Mistress of Flame, Camiens
-Interest in bringing Fan Votes back
-Expansion into non-G1 was due to designer interest, characters needing updates, and people being sick of the same characters
-Positive reaction to being asked about Omnibots, vague "anything is possible" response given
-More Minibots "will make it in eventually"
-Mention of potential Coneheads rerelease in Legacy
-Evan mentioned "having a few more beasts to get through"

...and on top of all that semi-official stuff, JTPrime has said as of yesterday that Breakdown and Twincast's EAN numbers have been replaced with new ones that change what we thought the next few waves would be, indicating that Wave 4 will now include Needlenose, "Junkion 1", Hot Shot, Tarn, & Leo Prime (at least, don't think we know Leaders-per-specific-wave yet for 2023) in addition to Breakdown, while Twincast has been pushed back to the wave containing Metalhawk and the Wheeljack & Cheetor repacks have been possibly scrapped.

If you actually read to the end, I appreciate you

And there you have it. It looks like the design team isn't leaving much off the table which may well make this the most exciting era of the Transformers franchise. It's a lot to unload but feel free to leave your thoughts in the Energon Pub Forums!

Review of Netflix Transformers War for Cybertron: Kingdom

Transformers News: Review of Netflix Transformers War for Cybertron: Kingdom
Date: Wednesday, July 28th 2021 10:42am CDT
Categories: Cartoon News, Reviews, Digital Media News
Posted by: ScottyP

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Views: 184,365

War for Fall of Cybertron
A Review of Transformers: War for Cybertron, "Chapter Three: Kingdom"

Spoiler Free-ish
Transformers News: Review of Netflix Transformers War for Cybertron: Kingdom

Almost a year after Siege and another half of one departed from Earthrise, the final chapter of that Transformers Netflix series we thought we always wanted has arrived. Multi-channel brand synergy dictates that this chapter must make the worlds of War for Cybertron and Beast Wars collide, and for more on that here's the official synopsis provided by Netflix:
Having crash-landed on Earth, the Autobots and Decepticons are confronted by two rival Cybertronian factions from a future that their conflict has inadvertently created, as the heroes and villains of the classic BEAST WARS: TRANSFORMERS series make their WAR FOR CYBERTRON debut. Now the Autobots must team up with the Maximals to confront the Decepticons, who have joined forces with the Predacons, in the race to find the missing AllSpark. However, the Predacons are in control of the Golden Disk, a mysterious artifact which has a personal connection to Megatron and gives him an untold advantage over his enemy, Optimus Prime. Which faction will triumph in the final battle that will decide the fate of Cybertron’s future?
Does this chapter redeem the trilogy after the lukewarm Earthrise? Read on to find out, or tune in anytime after July 29th at 3 AM Eastern Daylight Time to make up your own mind.

Transformers News: Review of Netflix Transformers War for Cybertron: Kingdom
Siege III: With a Vengeance

Beast Wars fans are in for their first, or maybe second, foray into a world of ambivalence where you have to forget the characters you knew before and be ready to start fresh with new iterations while also keeping in mind the general archetype of the character you knew before because the new version will lean on that. If that sounds confusing, just ask a G1 fan about what this is like, as that's been happening for ages with constant new iterations of G1 characters that are close to their original portrayals but still just off enough that it's easier to compartmentalize them as a new thing entirely. When things pick up with the Maximals and Predacons on Earth, it's similar to what you remember from Beast Wars but indeed completely different under the surface, so be prepared for this. The provided setup works within the context of the story being told and through the course of the series' six episodes both the Maximals and Predacons feel like welcome, fitting additions - or at least they do through five episodes, but more on that later.

Transformers News: Review of Netflix Transformers War for Cybertron: Kingdom

I spent a lot of time in the first episode reflecting on the voice portrayals of the beast characters, and much will rightfully be made about a very questionable casting choice with Marqus Bobesich performing the role of Beast Wars Megatron. New voice actors in established roles is not only fine, it's an inevitability, so while I personally would have loved to hear David Kaye again the reality of the series' apparently low budget for voice talent (or maybe it's some typical corporate anti-union thing, who knows) dictates that some new voices are going to get used instead. The issue is, as it has been since Siege, voice over director Philip Bache. Bobesich sounds downright uncomfortable in the role, there's a strain at times which makes Beast Megatron feel more like a moody teenager than a Predacon Commander. The performance isn't necessarily bad, but it does make me feel sorry for the actor having to do something clearly outside of their practiced range. Bache's questionable handiwork is found many other times, with Beau Marie's Tigatron waxing and waning between "oh my god what is this?" and "this is just fine, actually", Justin Pierce's mostly well done performance of Optimus Primal having a notable spot or two of missed enunciation and a brief monologue with his back to the camera that has the speaking beats of a high schooler reading lines from a script for the first time, and of course Frank Marnocha's Siege Megatron and Jake Foushee's Siege Optimus can't go the whole series without a weird start-and-stop exchange that will put you to sleep, though they do find time to creep these iterations closer to their much, much better performances of these characters in Cyberverse.

A full-blown review of just the voice acting could occur, but since no one wants to read that much, know that it isn't all bad and is in fact mostly in that previously mentioned category of "this is just fine, actually." Jeanne Carr's Blackarachnia nails the character's tone, Krizz Kaliko sounds like he genuinely gets Dinobot, Erin Ebers provides great emotional range for Airazor and Andy Barnett might just make you love Rhinox all over again. Rattrap is picked up by Frank Todaro, who also voices Starscream, and it's this recurring role that steals the show as far as the voice-talent goes. As the story progresses, Starscream is given what I found to be one hell of a character arc, and Todaro is superb every step of the way in his portrayal of the legendary Decepticon Air Commander. A+ voicework can be achieved with D- direction after all.

Transformers News: Review of Netflix Transformers War for Cybertron: Kingdom
What'd you say about my shoulders?

The wider story carried through Kingdom is best left unrevealed here. It's nothing complicated, but if I get into detail implicit spoilers will immediately follow. Instead, let's talk about the writing on this chapter, because there are times when it feels like two different shows got pieced together. Mae Catt (whose name is not a Scottish pun about a cat writing television), who fans may recognize from Transformers: Cyberverse, handles the odd numbered episodes 1, 3 and 5 while Tim Sheridan, who wrote episodes on Siege and Earthrise, handles the even numbered ones. The odd numbered episodes, though mostly episodes 3 and 5 since they don't have so much expository work, do something very pleasantly surprising which was absent for most characters in Siege and Earthrise. These episodes build characters through dialogue and interactions where entertaining things are said that are still relevant to the plot and its supporting actions. Soundwave gets snappy and snobby with Megatron, Rattrap calls Optimus Prime "the truck", Wheeljack doesn't want to give something a literal Whirl - they're all moments that are small but end up being large in your memory. The even-numbered episodes aren't totally devoid of such moments, for instance, Hound's confusion over Optimus Primal's first utterance of "Maximize!" is great stuff. The issue in these comes down to a couple notable things, for one, how they suddenly insist upon the Autobots and Maximals being argumentative well after it's established that they're going to get along fine now. There are also some banal exchanges that threaten to stop any momentum dead, while in others, characters say things that either make no sense or are unconvincing, only for other characters to somehow totally follow them or be totally convinced into something. Either the characters in episodes 2, 4 and 6 are the stupid ones or I am; no offense taken if you choose to believe the latter.

Apart from some of the dialogue the greatest single improvement in Kingdom as compared to Siege and Earthrise, at least writing-wise, is the pacing. There wasn't a stretch of chore-like episodes in this one, which was a very welcome change that made this brief binge-watch much more fun.

Transformers News: Review of Netflix Transformers War for Cybertron: Kingdom

The production itself is going to be very unsurprising to those who have already watched Kingdom's predecessors. Fantastic texture work and some downright amazing key frames continue, and perhaps the greater achievement here by Polygon is how they've managed to make the Maximals and Predacons look right at home beside the Autobots and Decepticons, even in beast mode. There are moments where the color work will amaze as well, but maybe I'm only noticing this now that I can watch Netflix in 4K HDR - thanks, Playstation 5. The only visual frustration this time around came in the overuse of bokeh on the edges of the screen. This show is almost literally too dark at times to watch during the day on an LCD or LED television, which is what most fans are probably going to have. The Maximals weren't the only ones despairing when the sun set in episode 2.

The score by Alexander Bornstein must be mentioned, because suffice it to say that I was extremely critical of it in my previous War for Cybertron reviews. Outside of some recycling/call-backs to previous scoring, Kingdom opts for a more traditional sound in its score, and the improvement is downright exponential. Having a score that finally feels, mostly, like it's trying to be its own thing is extremely welcome and appreciated.

Verdict
Transformers News: Review of Netflix Transformers War for Cybertron: Kingdom
Mederi vibes in this one, at least sort of

There's a segment of Transformers fans that is quick to apply hyperbolic praise to this series for being serious and edgy and dark, but the world sucks enough and while I personally want Transformers fiction to treat me like an adult some of the time I also want it to actually be fun to watch. With Siege and Earthrise I have a hard time saying they were fun experiences in retrospect. Kingdom was, mostly, a fun experience while retaining a slightly chunibyo quality, for better or worse. The final episode is a bit by the numbers and quick to wrap up a great deal of plot, but two episodes would likely have been too dragged out, so I'm not sure what the best answer here was. Things did feel like they got in a hurry to wrap up the trilogy and it left the impact of the beast characters in the dust for the most part, but at least they weren't totally forgotten like the Mercenaries from Earthrise who never appear or are even mentioned once in Kingdom.

Transformers television usually finds its stride somewhere in the middle of or late into a second season, and for the War for Cybertron trilogy this definitely applies. The last couple episodes of Earthrise spill into Kingdom and finally get on with telling a story that you want to watch. While there are enough things that still aren't as great as they could be holding it back, Kingdom is the most fun chapter of the trilogy by a wide margin.

Final Score - Kingdom
. :MAXIMAL: :MAXIMAL: :MAXIMAL: :MAXIMAL:
out of
:BOT: :BOT: :BOT: :BOT: :BOT:


The ending is satisfying but does manage to tease at least a possibility that more stories in the War for Cybertron universe could occur. I don't think we need that and to be more specific, the creative reins should be handed to either the Cyberverse team or totally new talent, but this trilogy was a good step in the right direction and a remarkable improvement over the Prime Wars trilogy which I still can't bring myself to even finish watching. It's no all-time great, but take another step up or two from here and Transformers' original streaming series pedigree might start to really attract more long-term attention.

Final Score - War for Cybertron Trilogy
. :BOT: :BOT: :BOT:
out of
:BOT: :BOT: :BOT: :BOT: :BOT:


Seibertron.com was provided with complimentary advance screening access to Transformers Chapter Three: Kingdom by Netflix for the purpose of this review. "Thank you" to Netflix and Hasbro for this access!

Netflix's Transformers War for Cybertron: Kingdom First Footage and more!

Transformers News: Netflix's Transformers War for Cybertron: Kingdom First Footage and more!
Date: Wednesday, June 23rd 2021 9:16pm CDT
Category: Cartoon News
Posted by: notsoalex | Credit(s): Netflix, Amazon, NetflixGeeked

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Views: 75,136

Thanks to Seibertronian Sabrblade and many others, we have our first look at the third chapter of Netflix and Rooster Teeth's Transformers War for Cybertron Trilogy, Kingdom! The footage comes from the YouTube video, "New on Netflix | July 2021", which highlights upcoming shows and movies for Netflix US in, you guessed it, July 2021! The Kingdom clip starts 9:22 in, though the video is unfortunately region-locked to the United States.

The clip itself features our first look at the Maximals in robot mode, as well as the voice of the boss monkey himself, Megatron in beast mode, and a sinister Ultra Magnus!



Below is an un-region-locked YouTube mirror!



A reminder that our previous news on the Kingdom chapter is two posters from the NetflixGeeked Twitter of the Maximals and Predacons watching the Ark and Nemesis fall to Earth, with the release date of July 29th! There is also the soundtrack for preorder from Amazon with potential spoilers!

Check out screenshots and the two posters from Kingdom below and sound off your thoughts on the Pub forums below!

Transformers News: Netflix's Transformers War for Cybertron: Kingdom First Footage and more!

Transformers News: Netflix's Transformers War for Cybertron: Kingdom First Footage and more!

Transformers News: Netflix's Transformers War for Cybertron: Kingdom First Footage and more!

Transformers News: Netflix's Transformers War for Cybertron: Kingdom First Footage and more!

Transformers News: Netflix's Transformers War for Cybertron: Kingdom First Footage and more!

Transformers News: Netflix's Transformers War for Cybertron: Kingdom First Footage and more!

Hasbro Officially Reveals Cyberverse Dinobots Unite Roll N’ Change Figures

Transformers News: Hasbro Officially Reveals Cyberverse Dinobots Unite Roll N’ Change Figures
Date: Tuesday, June 8th 2021 8:50pm CDT
Categories: Cartoon News, Toy News
Posted by: william-james88

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Views: 76,154

While we had seen some of these official images before, we now have a whole bunch of them form Hasbro now that they are officially revealing the next phase of the Transformers Cyberverse line, the Dinobots Unite subline. The two figures revealed in this subline are Roll N’ Change Optimus Prime and Bumblebee. They will both be released at the end of summer in brick and mortar locations and are at the $50 USD price point. So basically big Transformers toys to be on shelves for the fall and holiday season.

Full description is below after the images.

Transformers News: Hasbro Officially Reveals Cyberverse Dinobots Unite Roll N’ Change Figures

Transformers News: Hasbro Officially Reveals Cyberverse Dinobots Unite Roll N’ Change Figures

Transformers News: Hasbro Officially Reveals Cyberverse Dinobots Unite Roll N’ Change Figures

Transformers News: Hasbro Officially Reveals Cyberverse Dinobots Unite Roll N’ Change Figures

Transformers News: Hasbro Officially Reveals Cyberverse Dinobots Unite Roll N’ Change Figures

Transformers News: Hasbro Officially Reveals Cyberverse Dinobots Unite Roll N’ Change Figures

Transformers News: Hasbro Officially Reveals Cyberverse Dinobots Unite Roll N’ Change Figures

Transformers News: Hasbro Officially Reveals Cyberverse Dinobots Unite Roll N’ Change Figures

Transformers News: Hasbro Officially Reveals Cyberverse Dinobots Unite Roll N’ Change Figures

Transformers News: Hasbro Officially Reveals Cyberverse Dinobots Unite Roll N’ Change Figures

Transformers News: Hasbro Officially Reveals Cyberverse Dinobots Unite Roll N’ Change Figures

Transformers News: Hasbro Officially Reveals Cyberverse Dinobots Unite Roll N’ Change Figures

Transformers News: Hasbro Officially Reveals Cyberverse Dinobots Unite Roll N’ Change Figures

Transformers News: Hasbro Officially Reveals Cyberverse Dinobots Unite Roll N’ Change Figures

Transformers News: Hasbro Officially Reveals Cyberverse Dinobots Unite Roll N’ Change Figures

Transformers News: Hasbro Officially Reveals Cyberverse Dinobots Unite Roll N’ Change Figures

Transformers News: Hasbro Officially Reveals Cyberverse Dinobots Unite Roll N’ Change Figures

Transformers News: Hasbro Officially Reveals Cyberverse Dinobots Unite Roll N’ Change Figures

Transformers News: Hasbro Officially Reveals Cyberverse Dinobots Unite Roll N’ Change Figures

Transformers News: Hasbro Officially Reveals Cyberverse Dinobots Unite Roll N’ Change Figures

Transformers News: Hasbro Officially Reveals Cyberverse Dinobots Unite Roll N’ Change Figures

Transformers News: Hasbro Officially Reveals Cyberverse Dinobots Unite Roll N’ Change Figures

Transformers News: Hasbro Officially Reveals Cyberverse Dinobots Unite Roll N’ Change Figures

Transformers News: Hasbro Officially Reveals Cyberverse Dinobots Unite Roll N’ Change Figures


Transformers Bumblebee Cyberverse Adventures Dinobots Unite Roll N’ Change Bumblebee
(Ages 6 and Up / Approx. Retail Price: $49.99 / Available: September 1, 2021)

The DINOBOTS ROLL N’ CHANGE BUMBLEBEE figure stands at 10 inches tall and seamlessly converts from sports car to robot mode by pulling out the sword accessory and rolling BUMBLEBEE forward. Watch him convert to robot mode in one continuous motion with the push-to-convert feature! BUMBLEBEE also manually converts back to vehicle mode in 8 steps, features lights, 10 button-activated sound effects, and comes with a sword accessory and 3 Energon Armor pieces.

As a powerful new threat targets CYBERTRON, it is up to GRIMLOCK and his new friends, the DINOBOTS, to unite and save the planet! Discover the unique powers and skills of each CYBERVERSE character, and see how those powers will be used to defend CYBERTRON… or threaten it.

Roll out like never before! Take home the magic of what makes the TRANSFORMERS robots More Than Meets the Eye with ROLL N’ CHANGE figures! This BUMBLEBEE toy is inspired by the courageous AUTOBOT scout from the Transformers Bumblebee Cyberverse Adventures cartoon, as seen on Cartoon Network and YouTube. Kids can collect other ROLL N’ CHANGE figures (each sold separately, subject to availability) to discover their favorite characters from the G1-inspired CYBERVERSE series. One of the best ways to introduce young and new fans to the exciting world of TRANSFORMERS! Available at most major toy retailers

Transformers Bumblebee Cyberverse Adventures Dinobots Unite Roll N’ Change Optimus Prime
(Ages 6 and Up / Approx. Retail Price: $49.99 / Available: September 1, 2021)

The DINOBOTS ROLL N’ CHANGE OPTIMUS PRIME figure stands at 10 inches tall and seamlessly converts from truck to robot mode by pulling out the sword accessory and rolling OPTIMUS PRIME forward. Watch him convert to robot mode in one continuous motion with the push-to-convert feature! OPTIMUS PRIME also manually converts back to vehicle mode in 12 steps, features lights, 10 button-activated sound effects, and comes with a sword accessory and 3 Energon Armor pieces.

As a powerful new threat targets CYBERTRON, it is up to GRIMLOCK and his new friends, the DINOBOTS, to unite and save the planet! Discover the unique powers and skills of each CYBERVERSE character, and see how those powers will be used to defend CYBERTRON… or threaten it.

Roll out like never before! Take home the magic of what makes the TRANSFORMERS robots More Than Meets the Eye with ROLL N’ CHANGE figures! This OPTIMUS PRIME toy is inspired by the noble AUTOBOT leader from the Transformers Bumblebee Cyberverse Adventures cartoon, as seen on Cartoon Network and YouTube. Kids can collect other ROLL N’ CHANGE figures (each sold separately, subject to availability) to discover their favorite characters from the G1-inspired CYBERVERSE series. One of the best ways to introduce young and new fans to the exciting world of TRANSFORMERS! Available at most major toy retailers.

Rescue Bots Academy To End

Transformers News: Rescue Bots Academy To End
Date: Monday, June 29th 2020 6:24pm CDT
Category: Cartoon News
Posted by: ZeroWolf | Credit(s): Pete Slattery Twitter Account

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Views: 59,728

Greetings Seibertronians. Today we bring you somber news as it appears that Rescue Bots Academy is coming to an end. One of the creators of the hit show have taken to twitter to thank all those that have worked on the series over at Boulder Media.

Transformers News: Rescue Bots Academy To End

This isn't just the end of the show though, but, unless Hasbro announce a continuation of sorts, this is the end of the Aligned Universe. Aligned started with the shows Transformers Prime and the original Rescue Bots, with the Activisions two Cybertron games also falling into this universes story line. Robots in Disguise 2015 carried the Prime storyline on until its own cancellation, leaving Rescue Bots and Rescue Bots Academy to fly the flag for Aligned.

This is the original tweet by Pete Slattery.
Pete Slattery wrote:Today, I finish the first show I've directed. Three years, 104 episodes, an experience I won't forget. This was our team at the height of our power. An incredibly talented & enthusiastic bunch of artists. I'll miss them! #rescuebotsacademy #Transformers https://t.co/Fh7fnzGZFn

The series still has some episodes left to air before its end.

Have you been enjoying the run of Rescue Bots Academy? Let us know in the Energon Pub and stay tuned to Seibertron for all the latest news and reviews.

Try Not to Lose Your Head: Machinima Transformers Power of the Primes Episode 5 REVIEW

Transformers News: Try Not to Lose Your Head: Machinima Transformers Power of the Primes Episode 5 REVIEW
Date: Thursday, May 31st 2018 1:48am CDT
Categories: Cartoon News, Reviews, Site Articles
Posted by: Bronzewolf | Credit(s): Go90

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Views: 35,377

We are just about to the half way point of the new Power of the Primes cartoon, so obviously in the 5th episode, the story should really start ramping up, right?
...
...
...
right?

Let's take a look and find out, as we delve into "Athenaeum Sanctorum"

Transformers News: Try Not to Lose Your Head: Machinima Transformers Power of the Primes Episode 5 REVIEW
Ah yes, my favorite republican senator.

(The following review contains heavy spoilers for the POTP cartoon. Seriously. Characters die and stuff. Proceed at your own risk.)

While last week's episode stayed pretty tight with our main cast of characters, we branch off quite a bit in terms of both plot lines, characters, and backdrops this week. Similarly unlike weeks prior, we make quite a bit of a jump in time from episode to episode. Normally episodes pick up exactly where the previous ones left off, almost like just a commercial break, but in episode 5 we see the Dinobots already out on their own after Grimlock leaves on the main quest to find the Prime Library, and with the main cast already considerably on their way trough the journey, right at the library door. For such a linear, spoonfed, slow moving series, this was actually pretty jolting for me. I had to go back and make sure I didn't miss an episode.

Anyway, speaking of the Dinobots, they just happen to run into Rodimus and Overlord, because everybody's in this damn swamp apparently. The two baddies are hot on the trail of Megatron and the Requiem Blaster.

Transformers News: Try Not to Lose Your Head: Machinima Transformers Power of the Primes Episode 5 REVIEW
Swamp Ex Machinima

The Dinobots hide out on a cliff watching the two below. Overlord's upset that they can't find Megatron or the blaster, and starts randomly shooting the ground a bunch of times for some reason. Rodimus says that they're being watched, and blasts the ledge the dinos were hiding behind, revealing their location.

The pair take the dinobots hostage, and promptly start questioning them, trying to find out where the rest of the cast went.

Transformers News: Try Not to Lose Your Head: Machinima Transformers Power of the Primes Episode 5 REVIEW
*sigh* You know what this looks like. You don't need me to tell you what this looks like.

As Overlord tries to get the information out of Snarl by sitting with him like a gossiping teenage girl, Rodimus Cron threatens Sludge. Snarl finally lets it slip that they were headed to a library, and they, with the help of Unicron taking over Rodimus' body, put the rest of the pieces together. With one final punch, Rodimus kills Sludge. Just like that.

While the scene, and the following one where the surviving Dinobots morn Sludge, work really well emotionally (as this series goes), Snarl's voice is not good, and it doesn't make a lot of sense. The Dinobots have been running circles around Windblade, Perceptor, and Victorion for four episodes now. Granted that was with Grimlock, but they were still huge and could hold their own against enemies. In this scene they just lay down and take it. Rodimus killing Sludge also brings some questions, some of which might have even been intentional: Surely Rodimus can't be THAT strong. I understand that this show is trying to establish him as unstoppable force to really be reckoned with, but at the same time even Unicron couldn't have made him this strong and unstoppable.

Transformers News: Try Not to Lose Your Head: Machinima Transformers Power of the Primes Episode 5 REVIEW
ONE PPPPPUNCH!!!

Speaking of Windblade, Perceptor, and Victorion, we catch up with them in the next scene. They, along with Megatron, Grimlock, and Optimus Primal, are now in a frozen tundra biome, where the clue from the cave in the last episode is leading them.

Now, I'm not even going to attempt to explain the next minute and a half, but just know it is some of the wierdest, worst psuedo science I have ever heard in any form of media. Something about parallel lines that somehow meet, and infinity, and the center of the center (?????) and stuff like that.

Transformers News: Try Not to Lose Your Head: Machinima Transformers Power of the Primes Episode 5 REVIEW
I have, just, NO clue.

Anyway, somehow they find their way to the Sanctorum, and they're all taken aback by the temple inside. It is, admittedly, a very nice set piece. Megatron runs in to use of the computer systems, and Perceptor butts in.

Transformers News: Try Not to Lose Your Head: Machinima Transformers Power of the Primes Episode 5 REVIEW
"What will you do?" "Oh, the exact same thing as you, but sCiENtiFiCALly!"

Percy finds a page relating to the Requiem Blaster and reads it out loud. It explains that the Requiem Blaster was hidden because Megatronus killed Solus with it. The other Primes entrusted a guardian to protect it, which at some point through the generations became Optimus Primal. Why Primal wasn't able to tell them at least some of this information, the world will never know.

As everyone's distracted by the shiny computer, Rodimus and Overlord catch up, and somehow silently bring Victorion to her knees. Rodimus chokes her, (even though robots don't breathe, but you can find an in depth analysis of this problem thanks to our Energon Pub patrons;) ) eventually tearing her head off, with her body falling to the ground. As this series goes, this is an extremely dark death. It's not played up as dramatically as I think it could have been, but it is an interesting turn. With that, the episode ends.

Transformers News: Try Not to Lose Your Head: Machinima Transformers Power of the Primes Episode 5 REVIEW
Aw, sick! This ancient archive of the Primes has Go90!

This episode was admittedly boring, but things at least happened, which is an achievement unto itself. The darker parts were interesting, and cement Overlord and Rodimus as at least interesting to watch. I'm liking the treasure hunt/tourist's guide to the ancient temples of Cybertron story line to be completely honest, I just wish it had moved a bit faster a bit earlier. This episode wasn't nearly as laugh (or scream) out loud bad as some of the past ones have, which is progress. We really have been stuck in the swamp this entire time, so at the very least we can be happy that not only has the story found it's footing, we were also treated to several changes of scenery, which is really all I could ask for. Just please. PLEASE. Don't go back to that damn swamp.

(I leave you with an excellent GIF from our newsie Qwan. See you next week!
Transformers News: Try Not to Lose Your Head: Machinima Transformers Power of the Primes Episode 5 REVIEW

PotP Gear: Machinima's Transformers Power of the Primes Episode 4 REVIEW

Transformers News: PotP Gear: Machinima's Transformers Power of the Primes Episode 4 REVIEW
Date: Tuesday, May 22nd 2018 9:01pm CDT
Categories: Cartoon News, Reviews
Posted by: Bronzewolf | Credit(s): Go90

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Views: 33,180

Burn wrote:TONIGHT

Megatron wrestles with a monkey
Transformers News: PotP Gear: Machinima's Transformers Power of the Primes Episode 4 REVIEW

Volcanicus falls into a hole
Transformers News: PotP Gear: Machinima's Transformers Power of the Primes Episode 4 REVIEW

And Perceptor punches Predaking
Transformers News: PotP Gear: Machinima's Transformers Power of the Primes Episode 4 REVIEW



Hello, WE'RE BACK! Yes, that's right, it's Tuesday again, meaning we're now on episode four of the Machinima Power of the Primes series. If you'd like to know more, read on, as we take a look at

Primal


(This review does contain spoilers for the Power of the Primes cartoon, as well as the previous two shows to some degree.)

The main cast is still on the primal swamp planet and still being chased by Combiners. Predaking is continuing his search for the Enigma of Combination, and Perceptor swears that Victorion doesn't have it. The beast combiner refuses to believe him and, although his logic here is a bit hard to follow, he too has noticed the events Cybertron and the surrounding systems have been going through.

Transformers News: PotP Gear: Machinima's Transformers Power of the Primes Episode 4 REVIEW
"Everything on Cybertron is trying to destroy everything else!" Top notch dialogue, guys. Just...just *kisses fingertips*

Volcanicus has finally had enough of Predaking, and pushes him over. Predaking promptly gets up and the two finally begin to tussle. Victorion gets upset with Megatron for leaving them behind, and starts to bluntly chip away at the ancient sacred temple of the Primes behind them, something you wouldn't think she'd do, being in favor of honor and fairly traditional.

Inside the temple, Megatron finds his way into a room with the Requiem Blaster sitting on a shrine, in a scene that was totally not spoiled in promotional material last week. (Spoiler: it totally was.)

Transformers News: PotP Gear: Machinima's Transformers Power of the Primes Episode 4 REVIEW
*Que Legend of Zelda music*

Just as a side note, the music score in this scene when Megatron finds the Requiem Blaster is so ridiculous and over the top, it almost seems intentionally comedic. From a series with very subtle background music, (and certainly very little classical-styled background music) it just feels so bizarre. Don't get me wrong, it's not a badly composed piece of music, it just doesn't fit with the score of the rest of the series.

Anyway, when Megatron is about to take the Requiem Blaster, Optimus Primal appears from the opposite side of the room. He tells Megatron that he should leave, and Megatron goes on a tirade about his condescending tone, telling Primal he reminds him of Starscream. Which is fine, except he didn't really have one. He was speaking very clear, basic instructions. *sigh* I dunno.

Transformers News: PotP Gear: Machinima's Transformers Power of the Primes Episode 4 REVIEW
It's dangerous to go alone! Take this!

The pair begin to fight for the blaster, and we catch up again with the group outside. Volcanicus and Predaking are still fighting, and it's...unbelievably boring. All but one of the camera angles are the most mundane, basic shots you could put in something like this, and there's absolutely zero tension. Seriously, the first fight we've ever seen in animation between these two awesome, giant, powerful combiners, looks like two elderly people gently tapping each other with their walkers.

But it gets worse

Transformers News: PotP Gear: Machinima's Transformers Power of the Primes Episode 4 REVIEW
"Ooh, I'll get you, Gertrude! This'll teach you to miss bridge night!"

Predaking pushes Volcanicus into a super shallow, small puddle that he somehow isn't able to get out of. You know. Like a giant robot combiner totally would. He's seriously stuck here for most of the rest of the episode.

Transformers News: PotP Gear: Machinima's Transformers Power of the Primes Episode 4 REVIEW
See, this is what happens when you forget to flip the toilet seat back down!

I'm not sure why, but Perceptor jumps in and tries to distract Predaking. He's successful, and turns the wrath of the combiner team toward the team who's been struggling to fight him since the second episode. Nice going Percy. Megatron arrives back from the temple, now wielding the Requiem Blaster, to bail the team out just in time. He threatens Predaking, and tells him they really don't have the Enigma, and if they find it, they'll keep in touch.

Transformers News: PotP Gear: Machinima's Transformers Power of the Primes Episode 4 REVIEW
Minibot, 10 Year old, the other TF fan in my household:"Did it freeze up just then?" Me:"No, that's just the animation." Minibot: *Looks at me like he's looking at a camera on The Office*

The dinobots finally make it out of the puddle by decombining, as the temple behind them starts to glow, projecting a beam into the sky above them. Apparently this beam contains coordinates that Perceptor starts to read. They're hard to make out, but he recieves assistance from Optimus Primal, who I guess is okay from the fight he and Megatron just had, even though we get a total of zero explanation for that. The adventure continues with new allies, new weapons, and, finally, a new destination.

Transformers News: PotP Gear: Machinima's Transformers Power of the Primes Episode 4 REVIEW
Minibot: "How is he reading it? He's not even looking at it!" *imitates reading a piece of paper thats two feet above his head by looking straight forward*

That's the end of episode 4. Despite it's fair, fair share of just plain goofy moments, I'd argue it's the best so far of the series. No bizarre plot errors, just straight to the point. And, more importantly, progress is made. It only took four episodes, (Read: that's 45 minutes of real life time), to get here, but we are finally here. This episode seemed a lot more coordinated and logical, and far less pf a jumbled mess compared to the preceding three. It actually leaves me excited, or at least interested, in the coming story, as there isn't exactly a predicable plot from here on. Yes, obviously they'll try to use the blaster to defeat Megatronus, but there are other twists and turns that the story could (and hopefully will) take. A small bit of hope has been instilled in me again. We shall see.

Transformers News: PotP Gear: Machinima's Transformers Power of the Primes Episode 4 REVIEW
DINOBOT POOL PARTY!!

And, on that bombshell, it's time to end. See you next week!

Up the Swamp Without a Paddle: Machinima Transformers Power of the Primes Episode 3 Review!

Transformers News: Up the Swamp Without a Paddle: Machinima Transformers Power of the Primes Episode 3 Review!
Date: Thursday, May 17th 2018 1:58am CDT
Categories: Cartoon News, Reviews
Posted by: Bronzewolf | Credit(s): Go90

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Views: 28,564

It's been a few weeks since Power of the Primes, the third and final installment of the Machinima series of Transformers cartoons, and this Tuesday brought with it episode 3, "Without Warning". The previous two episodes haven't lived up to many expectations, will the third be any different? Tune in as we take a look at the episode to find out. Read on!

(Note: The following review contains spoilers for the Machinima Power of the Primes cartoon.)

So, we start out again in the swamp, a place that the cast somehow hasn't been able to move on from for the entire show so far, with Victorion still being tossed around by Predaking, a new character in the show who just arrived last episode. Windblade tries to help by...shooting Victorion several times.

Transformers News: Re: Machinima Transformers Power of the Primes Cartoon Discussion Thread
*rubs temples*

Perceptor tries to find a way to help that consists of actual helping, as Volcanicus, the combiner made up of the dinobots, starts to gain consciousness again after being shot to the ground by Predaking in the last episode. He promptly starts chasing after the Predacons for revenge.
We catch up with Megatron, who approaches the shiny thing he was distracted by in the last episode, and it turns out to be a giant energon waterfall that looks like a Matrix, with the insignia of the various original Primes stamped on it.

Perceptor tries to distract Predaking from attacking the others, and soon all three of the main cast are being chased by two giant combiners.

Transformers News: Re: Machinima Transformers Power of the Primes Cartoon Discussion Thread
*Record Scratch* *Freeze Frame* "Yep, that's me. I bet you're wondering how I got here..."\

Something to touch base on here briefly is the random inclusion of assorted slow motion shots peppered in here or there through the episode. They are painfully out of place, and haven't been a part of the show so far, (or either of the other shows, if memory serves) so they're a bit of a jarring change. They remind me of the infamous split screen edits that randomly popped up in the second half of the previous series.

We also catch up with the main baddie of this series, Megatronus, who has released the Enigma of Combination to place it in a shrine of sorts, at the head of the well of sparks, deep in the heart of Cybertron.

Transformers News: Re: Machinima Transformers Power of the Primes Cartoon Discussion Thread
Oh God*** it it's just the ******* Infinity Gauntlet, isn't it?!?

As he sets the the Enigma within the altar, we're treated to another flashback from the days of the original Primes. Solus begs Megatronus to return the Requiem Blaster so she can destroy it, promising she'll craft him more weapons in exchange. She mentions she doesn't want to fuel his, *ahem*, appetite for destruction, if you will.

Megatronus promises he'll take care of the blaster, but Solus grabs it from his back. They fight over it, accidentally triggering it to fire. A beam is launched off the surface of Cybertron, killing Solus in the process. Megatronus mourns her as the spark drains from her optics.

Transformers News: Re: Machinima Transformers Power of the Primes Cartoon Discussion Thread
something something topical gun control joke

He watches a spark fall into the well, and comments that his henchmen are doing their job, further confirming no one else lives on this **** planet. He opens a briefcase to reveal the Matrix of Leadership to add it to the shrine.

Transformers News: Re: Machinima Transformers Power of the Primes Cartoon Discussion Thread

Fun is not something one considers when watching a terrible cartoon, but this...doesn't put a smile on my face.

Back in the swamp, our heroes are still being chased by the two combiners, when they reach the obvious conclusion of trying to make them fight each other. The pacing of the scene is literally slowed down because of another slo-mo shot. To make matters worse, Windblade talks, in the middle of the shot, at normal speed. I just... I just don't know anymore.

After running a long distance from where they first landed and met the Dinobots, they all get launched off a cliff by one of Predaking's blasts, but neither of the Combiners see it coming, so they fall as well, farther into the canyon. The heroes have a moment to regroup and find...Megatron and his giant Matrix waterfall?!? ******* what?!?
Transformers News: Re: Machinima Transformers Power of the Primes Cartoon Discussion Thread
The Miraculous Teleporting Megatron; Wherever The Plot Needs Him To Be.

But the newly reacquainted group doesn't have long to chat, as Predaking and Volcanicus show up again, having magically climbed a giant cliff face in justa handful of seconds with no other signs or clues that they were approaching.
Megatron enters the Matrix building and tells the others to wait there. The episode ends.

Oh my God.

I said last week that the show felt like it was just sitting here spinning it's wheels, and this episode illustrates that perfectly. The main cast have been in the swamp for all three episodes now, and for the majority of that time simply being chased around in circles. They're accomplishing nothing, and it's getting extremely frustrating. This episode could basically have been the first, practically beat for beat. "Find enemy. Fight enemy. Figure out how to beat enemy. Run away. Repeat." The glaring plot holes and continuity errors are ridiculous, and the end of this episode is the first time I've actually shouted at my screen because of these shows. If I have to search for a positive, I like the idea of the various relics combining their power to create...something. It's fairly cool, if a little overdone by other shows. Entertainingly bad, but little more. See you next week.

Thanks for reading my review of Episode 3, you can find it on go90 and the Transformers Tumblr if you wanna watch it for yourself. Come back and tell me what you thought of the episode, and what you thought of my review! I'll see you next week when we take a look at episode 4!

Machinima Titans Return Episode 10 REVIEW

Transformers News: Machinima Titans Return Episode 10 REVIEW
Date: Tuesday, January 9th 2018 3:39pm CST
Categories: Cartoon News, Reviews, Site Articles
Posted by: Bronzewolf | Credit(s): Go90

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Views: 52,847

Another Tuesday brings another episode of Machinima's Titans Return animated series. We're finally up to the final episode this week, episode ten, and boy are we in for a big one. That's not necessarily saying it's good or bad, just that it's packed to the brim with new, interesting, and slightly confusing moments. So without further ado, let's take a look at the final episode of Titans Return!

We rejoin the action with Trypticon having just eaten Victorion, the Enigma of Combination, Perceptor, and the Matrix of Leadership. This is obviously too much power for even the giant Titan, so he automatically rejects them all, coughing up the two Autobots and the two relics. Starscream's ghost is also released from Trypticon's body, and he falls, having basically been turned into an empty shell. The former council member says his final words to the Megatron and the rest of the cast, and then disappears into the ether. Sort of an anti-climatic end to the main plot thread of the series, but it at least makes some sort of sense. For the first time in a few episodes, Overlord is shown again, now overlooking (badumtiss) the aftermath of the battle.

Transformers News: Machinima Titans Return Episode 10 REVIEW
"Well ain't that downright...finger lickin' good."

Victorion tries to retake the Enigma, but it catches her on fire, burning her right forearm, an entire half of Dust Up (Who may or may not exist as a separate personality in this continuity, given this series' track record with Combiners), completely off.

She recoils from the attack as the fire spreads, creating a ring around both the Enigma and the Matrix. The fire climbs higher and creates the shape of a...fairly non-threatening smiley face?

Transformers News: Machinima Titans Return Episode 10 REVIEW
"Children of my third cousin twice removed's wife's sister's bank teller!"

The Emoji from hell reveals himself to be some sort of God to the Transformers, and Optimus wants to defend Cybertron from his obvious evil intentions, but Megatron convinces Prime to let him talk to the mystical being first. As Megatron approaches, the being reveals himself to be none other than Megatronus. Megatron speaks to him, reminding the God that he has, for eternities, fought under his name with respect and honor, and united the Decepticons Megatronus created. Megatronus tells him to move on to his point, so Megatron continues.

I have a few issues with Megatron's speech here.

The first is that Megatron curses Megatronus, saying "Goddamn you!". It caught me so off guard that it totally pulled me out of the episode. I haven't really shared my thoughts on the PG-13 nature of this series' dialogue yet, so I'll throw those two cents in now. It's not the principle of swearing that bothers me specifically, I think it's fine to use for effect, but in this series it feels like they're including it just because they can. There's no drama to it, no anguish, it's just there. Not only that, but in this specific case it makes no sense, as he's the God doing the damning. Perhaps it would have been more of an effect had he said "Primus Damn you!" or something to that effect, referencing a power higher than Megatronus. I digress.

My second issue with this scene is Megatron himself. Megatron's voice actor is one of the best parts of both this series and its predecessor, Combiner Wars. The sarcastic and flippant take on the classic character is seriously one of the best Megatrons we've seen since G1, but in this specific scene, it doesn't completely work. He's lamenting to his God and Idol about all of these things he's done to try and honor Megatronus, but he still maintains his indifferent exterior. It actually would have been an interesting scene to have him perhaps become slightly vulnerable at the feet of his idol when he's so buffed against vulnerability toward everyone else. It would have deepened his character, and would have really shown that he felt betrayed about doing all these things to gain approval of Megatronus just to receive nothing in response.

Transformers News: Machinima Titans Return Episode 10 REVIEW
It's awesome to see our podcast staff in official media...

Anyway, Optimus and Fort Max use this opportunity to try to attack Megatronus, and it ends, uh, very poorly.

Fort Max actually uses the Master Sword, which is pretty awesome to see in an American series, but Megatronus easily blocks his attacks. He then gets rushed by Prime, though Optimus is similarly no match for the god, and gets blasted through the chest by a lazer. Yep, we get to deal with this again.

Transformers News: Machinima Titans Return Episode 10 REVIEW
Oh, guys, no. Why? Didn't Transformers: The Movie teach you anything about what happens when you kill Optimus Prime?

As the life drains from Optimus's eyes, Megatronus warns of an apocalyptic event that will bring an end to the Transformers. With that cryptic warning, he disappears. Megatron realizes he knows where to find Megatronus, and asks the rest of the team to follow him there, promising the new adventure for the cast in the next series.

Overlord is still on a nearby hill watching what's transpiring before him, and for one final twist to this huge episode, it's revealed to us that he has turned Hot Rod into Rodimus Unicronus. With that, the episode, and the series, ends.

Transformers News: Machinima Titans Return Episode 10 REVIEW


While on the whole this was a very enjoyable episode, there were bits and pieces that irked me. Line deliveries, pacing issues, the norm for this series. It answered a few questions and ended a few plot threads, but started quite a few more, but does lead in to a cliffhanger to transition into Power of The Primes. The amount of new characters and plot twists has definitely peaked my interest, and was an exciting episode, but I feel that spreading some of them out over the past couple of episodes would have been better. Some of the more recent installments have felt a bit too dull and filler-like, but it did make for quite a nail-biting episode today, like I said. And if there's one thing you can say for these Machinima shows, they're always unpredictable.

Looking at the series as a whole, it was not bad by any stretch. I've maintained since the beginning that it is leagues ahead of Combiner Wars, and it really is. In voice talent, animation, pacing, even the mouth movements on the characters, everything is a huge improvement. I can say unequivocally this production team learned a lot from their past mistakes and tried to remedy some of them. There lies the problem, though: They didn't fix enough of them. The pacing still feels off, some of the conversations need, desperately, to feel more natural and flowing. Character movements need to be more natural, and need to express more emotion when someone's talking. It's all very close to being good, and they have made vast improvements and learned a lot, I just think they need to learn a bit more.


Thanks for reading this review, and, as always, please share your thoughts down in the Energon Pub forums. Sorry today's review was a tad longer than what I normally do, there was a lot to unpack. Tell me if you agree with the points I made, or if I'm way off base. See you later this year, with the release of Power of the Primes!

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Transformers Podcast: Twincast / Podcast #345 - The Roast
Twincast / Podcast #345:
"The Roast"
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