The Energon Pub

Should the sequel characters have a retro look with a new age design twist? Also, who's going to look the best of all possible characters in the sequel?(design, paint, overall specs and original look,etc)

A resounding h*ll no! This is not 1984 anymore and we already had that look in the 1986 movie so while I'm into retro things and a lot from the 1980's we don't need to confuse people going to watch the next TF film saying things like "I thought he was this or that type of car?"

Don't get me wrong I love G1 and always have and will I was there from the start but it does not mean it has to be a holy bible for everything else to come along.

ummmm no ... 'cause you know ... it'd be nice to move forward with TF's not constantly moving backwards ...

Move into the future, with the occasional homage to the old character. The franchise must not be allowed to stagnate or it will die.

But can't there be a happy medium solution?

SmokeScreenzKing wrote:But can't there be a happy medium solution?

There is a happy medium.

Jazz = sports car
Ratchet = medical vehicle
Prime = Big rig truck with red and blue.


If this movie is to remain realistic as can be and continue to move the brand into the future it needs to evolve and not just rely on what has come before.

SmokeScreenzKing wrote:But can't there be a happy medium solution?

Define "happy medium" then ? Oh, going backwards to what we've already seen answers that then.

I think the newer vehicles are best. If we're always going retro the TF concept will never grow and get better.

And I think BB will still be a fan favorite in the next movie. They're going to take his popluarity and run with it for awhile.

No, keep the designs from the '07 movie; why must everyone insist on G1 designs?

Ah, agreement with the No's.

Hell, they wouldn't need CGI to do the mechs if they went G1 on us, they'd just have to paint a few boxes and tape 'em together.

I'm all fine with the 80s, but come on, we're going to put on the big screen in 2009, the designs of robottic beings dreamed up in a time when cell phones were as big as a brick and you needed a battery the size of a breif case to power it?

NO thank you!

I don't think they need to go to the G1 extreme. But I do wish they would clean up the robot modes and make them less busy. There are many times when you are looking at the robots and you can't make out a face or even where the head is. I think all they need to do is clean up the robot modes and things will be good. I like the idea of new vehicles being used to keep up with the here and now.

This is always going to be a heated issue with the hardcore G1ers wanting more G1 like characters. I admit i myself would like to see some changes from the designs from the first movie but i dont necessarily want g1 clones. We can still have the more modern look but the basics need to be respected if they're going to be giving a certain bot a established name. Make them recognizable as that character. To be frank I've seen many fan submitted designs for movieformers that i find superior to the ones in the actual movie. We dont have to move back but progress for the sake of progress is unnecessary designers need to find a middleground.

Universe / Classics 2.0
Transformers Classics
Alternators
Binal Tech
Kiss Players
Masterpiece
Hybrid toys
Homages in Animated
Homages in Cybertron
Homages in Energon
Homages in Armada
Robot Heroes
Robot Masters
Titanium 3 inch line
Titanium 6 inch line
Dreamwave G1 series
IDW Stormbringer
IDW Infiltration
IDW Escalation
IDW Devestation
IDW Revelation
IDW Spotlight
IDW All Hail Megatron
Diamon Select busts and statues
G1 re-issues
Japanese Encore Line

...

HAVEN'T YOU PEOPLE HAD ENOUGH G1 ALREADY??!!!

Skowl wrote:Universe / Classics 2.0
Transformers Classics
Alternators
Binal Tech
Kiss Players
Masterpiece
Hybrid toys
Homages in Animated
Homages in Cybertron
Homages in Energon
Homages in Armada
Robot Heroes
Robot Masters
Titanium 3 inch line
Titanium 6 inch line
Dreamwave G1 series
IDW Stormbringer
IDW Infiltration
IDW Escalation
IDW Devestation
IDW Revelation
IDW Spotlight
IDW All Hail Megatron
Diamon Select busts and statues
G1 re-issues
Japanese Encore Line

...

HAVEN'T YOU PEOPLE HAD ENOUGH G1 ALREADY??!!!

That's a little absurd actually. Most of us die hard G1 fans have waited over 20 years for them to come out with a good live action movie. And then when it came out the robots modes are so ridiculously complicated and busy that you can't even make out what the robot really looks like. So no we haven't had enough G1. We haven't even gotten our G1 yet. Like I said in my prior post, they don't need to make them just like G1. Just make the robots look better. For those of you who are too young to have gotten into the Transformers originally, it's easy for you to say that all is well and tell us to quit complaining because you haven't been waiting for over 20 years for this. We have. We paid our dues and many of us feel ripped off a bit.

I to like many have been waiting for 20 years to see a live action movie based on the G1 transformers series. I do agree that the transformations
on most of the movie character's are complicated but I have to admit it was bold of the movie creators to try a different approach. I would like to have seen more G1 features but the movie was "based" on the G1 cartoon series. The movie characters appeared more realistic but the transformation was not. We should all be thank full that some one in Hollywood created a live action movie of the transformers for all to finally see. If Mr Bay did not take this on who else would have? If bay never did this movie, would we have to wait another 10 years?

Sorry side tracked here, just been a long wait to finally see a live action movie and almost eternity for to see the sequel.

Should sequel characters get a modification back to G-1, I would unfortunately say no as they should stick with what they have especially the CGI cost factor. They all look good transformed( robot or vehicle/disguise mode). They should not change what they have created for the movie series. This movie has created new transformer fans and has helped re-ignite interest in the transformers franchise.
I have waited so long like many others and must admit that the way the live action movie panned out it was better than no live action movie. I would like to see more robot character screen time than humans and would be nice to see 6 movies of transformers not three.
I would like to agree with the "subject" but will say no to original transformer cartoon designs, rather continue creating new designs to the 80's characters.

Better idea regarding modification back to G-1, how about re-doing the cartoon series CGI style . only problem is that until CGI is a heck of a lot cheaper will have to wait 20years for that. Would be enjoyable watching the series in CGI.
Oh well, side tracked again.

Skowl wrote:Universe / Classics 2.0
Transformers Classics
Alternators
Binal Tech
Kiss Players
Masterpiece
Hybrid toys
Homages in Animated
Homages in Cybertron
Homages in Energon
Homages in Armada
Robot Heroes
Robot Masters
Titanium 3 inch line
Titanium 6 inch line
Dreamwave G1 series
IDW Stormbringer
IDW Infiltration
IDW Escalation
IDW Devestation
IDW Revelation
IDW Spotlight
IDW All Hail Megatron
Diamon Select busts and statues
G1 re-issues
Japanese Encore Line

...

HAVEN'T YOU PEOPLE HAD ENOUGH G1 ALREADY??!!!

That is a lot of G1. I hadn't realised there was that much until now...

HoosierDaddy wrote:

Skowl wrote:Universe / Classics 2.0
Transformers Classics
Alternators
Binal Tech
Kiss Players
Masterpiece
Hybrid toys
Homages in Animated
Homages in Cybertron
Homages in Energon
Homages in Armada
Robot Heroes
Robot Masters
Titanium 3 inch line
Titanium 6 inch line
Dreamwave G1 series
IDW Stormbringer
IDW Infiltration
IDW Escalation
IDW Devestation
IDW Revelation
IDW Spotlight
IDW All Hail Megatron
Diamon Select busts and statues
G1 re-issues
Japanese Encore Line

...

HAVEN'T YOU PEOPLE HAD ENOUGH G1 ALREADY??!!!

That's a little absurd actually. Most of us die hard G1 fans have waited over 20 years for them to come out with a good live action movie. And then when it came out the robots modes are so ridiculously complicated and busy that you can't even make out what the robot really looks like. So no we haven't had enough G1. We haven't even gotten our G1 yet. Like I said in my prior post, they don't need to make them just like G1. Just make the robots look better. For those of you who are too young to have gotten into the Transformers originally, it's easy for you to say that all is well and tell us to quit complaining because you haven't been waiting for over 20 years for this. We have. We paid our dues and many of us feel ripped off a bit.

I for one like the movie designs better. I mean common! The simpler you make the bots the more cartoony they look and imao that just sux for a live action flic. The only thing I want them to do is slow down the action abit that way it's a little easier to tell who's fighting who.

doomboy536 wrote:

Skowl wrote:Universe / Classics 2.0
Transformers Classics
Alternators
Binal Tech
Kiss Players
Masterpiece
Hybrid toys
Homages in Animated
Homages in Cybertron
Homages in Energon
Homages in Armada
Robot Heroes
Robot Masters
Titanium 3 inch line
Titanium 6 inch line
Dreamwave G1 series
IDW Stormbringer
IDW Infiltration
IDW Escalation
IDW Devestation
IDW Revelation
IDW Spotlight
IDW All Hail Megatron
Diamon Select busts and statues
G1 re-issues
Japanese Encore Line

...

HAVEN'T YOU PEOPLE HAD ENOUGH G1 ALREADY??!!!

That is a lot of G1. I hadn't realised there was that much until now...

Let me throw in my 2 cents...
I'm 31 yrs. old, grew up enjoying the cartoons, the animated movie, and had a handful of the toys (my parents couldn't afford to buy me very many, and the ones I had were pretty lame).
I would say I was at a very average age in '86 for a kid playing with toys (10 yrs. old).
However, as I reached middle school, and definitely high school, we weren't playing with toys.
To be honest, even though Nintendo was huge, me and most of the people I know (both friends, and people I just knew) were playing sports, really learning how to play instruments,
occasionally playing video games, etc.
Most of the guys I know that are my age, my best friends even, wouldn't know what the hell "Armada" "Alernators", "Binal Tech", "IDW", "Japanese Encores", etc. even mean.
I bet most of my friends who are all around 30 probably don't remember what Cybertron, or Energon is from the cartoons.

People here on the forums need to understand that TONS of people who were into G1 stuff never really stayed with Transformers after that.
I'm 8 years older than my brother.
Do you think I sat there in front of the t.v. and watched Beast Wars with him????
The average person growing up grows out of the stage of playing toys as far as action figures.
If you're my age, and you went through high school and college and dedicated a lot of your time, money, and energy collecting/hunting down Transformers,
you are in a small small minority.
I'm not saying it's wrong or bad, but I promise it's not a common scenario.
Let me add that I bet there are tons and tons of adult men my age that have NO IDEA that the Transformers Classics line was ever out.
I would've had to have had my son 2-3 years before Classics came out to have even accidentally seen those figures in toy sections in stores.
Think about this:
Since Classics came out and basically ended before the 2007 movie was released,
there are people who grew up with G1 who will buy their first G1 character Transformer toy this August or later, since the mid to later 80's.

What's that stat, that the fandom only makes up 15%-20% of the actual TF consumer market?
Only that extremely small group who have grown up truly with Transformers as one of their main hobbies would know most of what's on that list.