The Energon Pub

If someone said to me, 'Sky Lynx and Dark Steel, what're they like?' I'd say 'They're dragons.' And if they said, 'No, but what're they really like?' I'd say, 'They're dragons and they breath fire.'

Honestly, if it weren't for people making side-by-side comparisons between the show models and the toys months before the movie aired, I don't think I'd be able to tell Sky Lynx apart from Dark Steel, or be able to tell that they were even based on the toys. They were both really boring "brute" dragon-formers. I can't even remember a memorable quote or action from either of them.

Noideaforaname wrote:I can't even remember a memorable quote or action from either of them.

Most memorable quote I can think of is, "Neither."

Excuse me. But why are we complaining about Darksteel and Skylinx not getting incredibly detailed, fleshed out character backgrounds and loads of character development in their very first appearance?

Pray tell me which character has ever had all that in their very first appearance?

It's not that we're complaining about it in their first appearance, but in what could very well likely be their only appearance. They are the titular characters, yet (not unlike the live action films) the movie gives spotlight character focus to just everyone except the two of them.

It kinda also makes me wish this movie had been named what TVGuide.com calls it: "Chaos Rising".

Noideaforaname wrote:I can't even remember a memorable quote or action from either of them.

I must've really delved into these two in comparison to a lot of other people, because I can recall quite a few quotes from them.

Skylynx's "I say we show 'Lord of the Undead' what it's like to be unliving."

and Darksteel's lols.

I can remember others, but none of them are worthy of being called "memorable."

I agree that they weren't explored deep enough, but I didn't need a glaring spotlight on them for me to fairly analyze, accept, and like their characters.

Sabrblade wrote:They are the titular characters,

Oh, was the movie originally called "Skylynx & Darksteel Rising" and I missed the name change?

PrymeStriker wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:They are the titular characters,

Oh, was the movie originally called "Skylynx & Darksteel Rising" and I missed the name change?

They are the Predacons who rose to life and power in "Predacons Rising", smartypants.

Sabrblade wrote:

PrymeStriker wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:They are the titular characters,

Oh, was the movie originally called "Skylynx & Darksteel Rising" and I missed the name change?

They are the Predacons who rose to life and power in "Predacons Rising", smartypants.

The Predacon cause began with Predaking, who rose to life before the movie. The whole rising to power with the Predacons was only character development kibble & wrap-up for Predaking. Therefore, it would seem as though Predaking is the titular character, with the plural "Predacons" only referring to Skylynx & Darksteel helping Predaking fulfill his goal.

Also, one could argue that Predacons Rising refers to the multitude of Zombie Predacons that rose to reanimation.

PrymeStriker wrote:The Predacon cause began with Predaking, who rose to life before the movie. The whole rising to power with the Predacons was only character development kibble & wrap-up for Predaking. Therefore, it would seem as though Predaking is the titular character, with the plural "Predacons" only referring to Skylynx & Darksteel helping Predaking fulfill his goal.

1. This being the first use of the term "Predacons Rising" in any fictional capacity strongly implies that this is supposed to be the rising of Predacons. Since Predaking already rose prior to the titular rising event, he cannot be what the title refers to since he done with his rise before this rise commences.

2. One of the very reasons for creating this movie was because the fans wanted more Predacons, and this is how the writers said they were going to bring in more Preds. What we got here were two mooks rising that the movie barely explored and were overshadowed by just about every other character.

3. Predaking's story in the movie was a side plot. The main event of this movie, the one promoted in all advertisements and official summaries, is the returning rise of Unicron. Everything else in this film works around the main Unicron threat plot as supporting material for it.

4. This movie serves as a self-contained story that doesn't require one to have watched the show that it follows. All that we need to know about what happened in the show is told to us through this movie. The fact that Predaking already exists is all that we need to know about him here, with his origins from the show just being additional fluff that, while beneficial, are not crucial to understand and enjoy this movie. Therefore, as his rise had already come and gone, he wasn't the one rising in this movie.

PrymeStriker wrote:Also, one could argue that Predacons Rising refers to the multitude of Zombie Predacons that rose to reanimation.

Said zombies that could have been made from any other Cybertronian species and would not have made that big a difference. Unicron just needed an army, not specifically a Predacon army. That was a bonus, not a necessity. Ergo, it was the Terrorcon aspect, rather than the Predacon aspect, of those zombies that mattered the most.

Not to mention how they were all destroyed, while Skylynx and Darksteel were not, making for a pretty poor "rising" if the title was meant to refer to them. But, again, it was Unicron's return that the film put all its primary focus on.

When there's a "new" faction getting a HUGE push in the Prime toyline, Kre-O, and Bot Shots, and the toyline's story sets up a gigantic revolt on their part, people are going to assume the Predacons themselves are going to do something in a movie called "Predacons Rising," and not merely be faceless pawns of a villain who's last appearance was a passing mention in a clip show a year before.

And on the time issue, I'm going to point to Doc Scalpel from RotF. He didn't even have 5 minutes of screentime but he's one of the memorable characters from that movie.

Same would go for Chaos Rising though, since at the end of the movie the chaos is no-more.

And the Predacons did rise, at the start of the movie Predaking was alone and wounded. Darksteel and Skylinx where thugs working of Starscream and Shockwave.

At the end of the movie the Predacons have banded together and have now been freed from being mistreated by Starscream, they are now their own faction.

And we all know the sequel series is coming, and Darksteel and Skylinx will likely be a part of it.

On top of that, G1 is full of one off one-note characters fans have latched on to and somehow hold them up as being their favorite characters and being super important (that bountyhunter guy and that female ninja robot for instance).

Sabrblade wrote:1. This being the first use of the term "Predacons Rising" in any fictional capacity strongly implies that this is supposed to be the rising of Predacons. Since Predaking already rose prior to the titular rising event, he cannot be what the title refers to since he done with his rise before this rise commences.

When did he rise? All he ever did prior to the movie was scare and fight some Autobots and then (almost) got thrown off of the Nemesis by Megatron. His whole army was destroyed and his glory was beaten upon by the ones who spawned him. You call that rising to anything?

2. One of the very reasons for creating this movie was because the fans wanted more Predacons, and this is how the writers said they were going to bring in more Preds.

Which they did...

What we got here were two mooks rising that the movie barely explored and were overshadowed by just about every other character.

...and what do you think the addition of any more Predacons would've done? Instead, we would've gotten 4-9 new mooks "rising" that the movie would've barely explored and overshadowed. The movie wasn't going to be about the Predacons anyway because that was never initially their plan for the third season.

3. Predaking's story in the movie was a side plot. The main event of this movie, the one promoted in all advertisements and official summaries, is the returning rise of Unicron. Everything else in this film works around the main Unicron threat plot as supporting material for it.

We're talking about what the title implies. Plus, I never denied this, so what was the point of this?

Dead Metal wrote:Same would go for Chaos Rising though, since at the end of the movie the chaos is no-more.

And the Predacons did rise, at the start of the movie Predaking was alone and wounded. Darksteel and Skylinx where thugs working of Starscream and Shockwave.

At the end of the movie the Predacons have banded together and have now been freed from being mistreated by Starscream, they are now their own faction.

And we all know the sequel series is coming, and Darksteel and Skylinx will likely be a part of it.

On top of that, G1 is full of one off one-note characters fans have latched on to and somehow hold them up as being their favorite characters and being super important (that bountyhunter guy and that female ninja robot for instance).

This is a really good point. I still think the whole Rising of Predacons aspect only served Predaking's character development rather than specifically referring to Skylynx and Darksteel.

P.S: Devcon and Nightbird.