Di Bonaventura Doesn't Understand Why People Love the 86 Transformers Movie So Much
Posted by william-james88
Jun 12, 2024 at 10:30am CDT
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This is the first animated Transformers movie in 40 years. What challenges did you face in getting it made?
Cooley: There were a lot of different challenges on this film. The fact that it’s animated, I think, is a benefit, though. Being that it’s set on Cybertron, there are no humans, and it’s all about the robots; it just feels natural to animate that as opposed to doing any other version. We went as big and as epic as possible just to match that feeling that people remember from the ’86 film.
Di Bonaventura: What’s so surprising about the ’86 film is how dark it is. Honestly, I don’t understand why people love it so much. For some, maybe it was their first cinematic experience, but it’s really a downer movie. Interestingly, when we showed our trailer for the first time, the fans’ reaction was to compare our movie to that one. But they’re so not comparable because that’s so dark, and this has so much humanity. They’re completely different movies in many ways.
Naito: I think for us at Paramount Animation, what was so great about partnering with Lorenzo and Josh is that this particular story could really only be told through animation. I mean, the world that Josh envisioned for Cybertron is extraordinary. It has so much innovation and beauty alongside a story that has so much heart.
Foreman: An animated “Transformers” movie was not part of the other piece of our relationship with Paramount and the live-action movies, so it’s something independent that we both had to agree on. But, from the very beginning, we all decided this was something we wanted. We brought Josh onto the project and developed it with Paramount as equal partners, and it’s basically been that way throughout the entire process.
Can you lure audiences who are not fans or familiar with the Transformers?
Cooley: It’s an origin story, so we not only talk about these characters that people know, but of the origin of the species itself. We go back to the beginning. This is what happened. This is how we got to this place. You can go in knowing absolutely nothing and enjoy this film.
Naito: That’s really important because we don’t want people to feel like, “Wow, I need to see seven movies before I go see this.” With this film, you don’t have to understand anything to follow along and enjoy it.
Josh, you previously directed “Toy Story 4.” How is it to be back again with a movie about a toy franchise?
Cooley: I didn’t approach this one as toys. In “Toy Story,” they are physically toys, and so everything they do is down on the floor, and they can only go as fast as their body allows them. But in this film, the characters are robots. They are on another planet. They are huge. They can do a lot more than a toy. That’s how I approached it, making sure that we still have those restrictions in play of what these characters actually are, which makes it way more fun when you’re watching it. It doesn’t feel like two people in suits acting it out. It’s like, “No, these are robots that are actually going a bunch of these emotions that you’re feeling and you’re along with.”
And you’ve enlisted some big Hollywood talent to voice these characters and bring them to life.
Cooley: Yeah, we have an incredible cast. I can’t believe how great it was. Everybody was fantastic. I would walk them through the scene, and they’d suggest a lot of stuff. Keegan[-Michael Key], of course, rifted like crazy on things. But Chris Hemsworth is also extremely funny. I was not prepared for how funny he is. A lot of his lines in this film are riffs off of what we had written, but he just brought his charisma and his comedy to it. He totally got it.
Di Bonaventura: That was really important because, from a fan point of view, the original voice of Optimus Prime, Peter Cullen, is revered. To have somebody else voice Optimus Prime was like, “Whoa, we better get this right.” We couldn’t use Peter because the audience needs to feel the character’s youth. That’s why we pursued Chris. I was surprised, too, but not how funny Chris was. I’ve seen him in things where he was funny. But he has a very strong sense of story. That’s not true with every movie star.
Comedy is also a great way to broaden the appeal, right?
Cooley: The comedy in the live-action Transformers is always the balance between the humans and the robots. It’s almost like a fish-out-of-water story. I knew that would be a challenge with this film because we don’t have humans to play off of. It really had to come out of these characters. They had to be strong characters that could do what I call the elevator test, which is you could take two characters and put them in an elevator together and just let the scene play out.
After the success of “Mutant Mayhem” last year, Paramount is on a real high. How important is it that you follow that up with a film of the same quality and one that resonates with audiences the way that film did?
Naito: Extremely important. I think this film will appeal to the super fans and usher in a new generation of fans that will just ignite their interest in the entire franchise in a really exciting way. The film is beautiful. It’s innovative. The vision that Josh and Lorenzo have brought to the film is just incredible. The movie has so much soul.
And what does this film signify for Hasbro?
Foreman: For Hasbro Entertainment and the new iteration of our company, we are more likely to be more closely involved in the creative than we have been in the past with our brands. We’re in it for the long-term health of these things, the beautiful, emotional, nostalgic attachment that people have to these evergreen properties like Transformers. We want to make sure we protect them in every way possible. In the past, the company has been okay with dropping these pieces of IP off with other people, and I think the approach is different now. I’m hoping with movies like ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ and this one, people see the quality has a little bit to do with our involvement.
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Re: Di Bonaventura Doesn't Understand Why People Love the 86 Transformers Movie So Much
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Comment by Gauntlet101010
Jun 12, 2024
Fair. I mean they off most of our beloved childhood cast as an opener. I get his perspective.
What can I say? Time heals all wounds. I forgave them when OP came back. Plus I always loved Hot Rod, Galvatron, and Unicron.
What can I say? Time heals all wounds. I forgave them when OP came back. Plus I always loved Hot Rod, Galvatron, and Unicron.
Re: Di Bonaventura Doesn't Understand Why People Love the 86 Transformers Movie So Much
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Comment by Glyph
Jun 12, 2024
eh, it's di Bonaventura so it probably only needed the first four words, really. AFAICT he just says whatever's convenient to the moment anyway so I don't set much stock by it.
That question from the interviewer is revealing though: "How is it to be back again with a movie about a toy franchise?"
That's a big reason why I don't think the film will do well financially, even if it's (as we all hope) a really good, fun film in itself. The perception that it's just "a toy movie".
That question from the interviewer is revealing though: "How is it to be back again with a movie about a toy franchise?"
That's a big reason why I don't think the film will do well financially, even if it's (as we all hope) a really good, fun film in itself. The perception that it's just "a toy movie".
Re: Di Bonaventura Doesn't Understand Why People Love the 86 Transformers Movie So Much
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Comment by o.supreme
Jun 12, 2024
He "doesn't get it" because he's not really a fan. He's a producer who has been attached to a franchise he really knows little about, par for the course in Hollywood these days.
Also, I love how all these articles state this is the first animated TF film to be in theaters since TFTM in 1986.... That might be true for North America, and most of the world....but there was a TF animated film in theaters in Japan in December of 1998, and it is actually quite fun. No humans in it either.
Also, I love how all these articles state this is the first animated TF film to be in theaters since TFTM in 1986.... That might be true for North America, and most of the world....but there was a TF animated film in theaters in Japan in December of 1998, and it is actually quite fun. No humans in it either.
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Comment by Sabrblade
Jun 12, 2024
Kind of a clickbait-y title when that bit about Lorenzo not getting why people like the '86 movie is only a minor aside mentioned in passing and largely irrelevant to what all the interview talks about.
They aired the Beast Wars Season 3 episode "Cutting Edge" in theaters with an extended prologue made from parts of "Optimal Situation". It never saw release on DVD in Japan, only as a standalone VHS release, and was left out of the Beast Wars Metals series DVD release (same with the Season 2 episode "Bad Spark", which was likewise released in theaters with the Beast Wars Second movie).
Japan got two.o.supreme wrote:Also, I love how all these articles state this is the first animated TF film to be in theaters since TFTM in 1986.... That might be true for North America, and most of the world....but there was a TF animated film in theaters in Japan in December of 1998, and it is actually quite fun. No humans in it either.
They aired the Beast Wars Season 3 episode "Cutting Edge" in theaters with an extended prologue made from parts of "Optimal Situation". It never saw release on DVD in Japan, only as a standalone VHS release, and was left out of the Beast Wars Metals series DVD release (same with the Season 2 episode "Bad Spark", which was likewise released in theaters with the Beast Wars Second movie).
Re: Di Bonaventura Doesn't Understand Why People Love the 86 Transformers Movie So Much
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Comment by o.supreme
Jun 12, 2024
Yeah. I thought that was all one event. I only mentioned the BWII movie because it was the new portion. The rest was recycled stuff from BW (although it was new to Japan at the time).
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Beast Wars Special: Super Lifeform Transformers was a triple-feature released in theaters on December 19, 1998. It consisted of "Clash! Beast Warriors", "Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger!", and "Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers - Metals".
The 1999 Summer Toei Anime Fair was a three-part anthology released in theaters on July 31, 1999. It consisted of "Beast Wars Metals: Convoy's Great Transformation!", a special for Microman, and a special for Licca-chan.
And both of these came before Beast Wars Metals even started broadcasting on Japanese television, so Japan got to see both "Bad Spark" and "Cutting Edge" ahead of the series proper.
Comment by Sabrblade
Jun 12, 2024
Nope. They got two.o.supreme wrote:Yeah. I thought that was all one event. I only mentioned the BWII movie because it was the new portion. The rest was recycled stuff from BW (although it was new to Japan at the time).
Beast Wars Special: Super Lifeform Transformers was a triple-feature released in theaters on December 19, 1998. It consisted of "Clash! Beast Warriors", "Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger!", and "Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers - Metals".
The 1999 Summer Toei Anime Fair was a three-part anthology released in theaters on July 31, 1999. It consisted of "Beast Wars Metals: Convoy's Great Transformation!", a special for Microman, and a special for Licca-chan.
And both of these came before Beast Wars Metals even started broadcasting on Japanese television, so Japan got to see both "Bad Spark" and "Cutting Edge" ahead of the series proper.
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Comment by cruizerdave
Jun 12, 2024
The darkness was part of what we loved about it.
Seeing all that death and a couple of swears two years in, it made us feel like we were getting away with something. It also felt like Transformers was growing up with us. Characters died, or were irrevocably changed, Spike wasn’t stuck being a kid sidekick. There was real danger!
It came out the same year as The Dark Knight Returns, which proved comics weren’t just for kids. Well, neither were cartoons.
Seeing all that death and a couple of swears two years in, it made us feel like we were getting away with something. It also felt like Transformers was growing up with us. Characters died, or were irrevocably changed, Spike wasn’t stuck being a kid sidekick. There was real danger!
It came out the same year as The Dark Knight Returns, which proved comics weren’t just for kids. Well, neither were cartoons.
Re: Di Bonaventura Doesn't Understand Why People Love the 86 Transformers Movie So Much
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Comment by Sabrblade
Jun 12, 2024
Speak for yourself. Not every kid craves depression, misery, and suffering.cruizerdave wrote:The darkness was part of what we loved about it.
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Comment by Glyph
Jun 12, 2024
Probably depends what age you were at the time. I was 8/9 when it came out, and I loved it because it was my favourite toys/comics, but on the screen. (UK so not much presence for the TV show, and had to keep renting it from the video store at 50p per time. I think my parents eventually copied the tape.)
It wasn't until much later that I recognised it as a cynical clearing of the decks by Hasbro, followed by a blatant Star Wars ripoffclassic Hero's Journey for the rest of its runtime. But by then it was too late, nostalgia ensured I'd always have a special place for it.
And honestly, the first 30 minutes still ranks as some of my most beloved Transformers animation.
It wasn't until much later that I recognised it as a cynical clearing of the decks by Hasbro, followed by a blatant Star Wars ripoffclassic Hero's Journey for the rest of its runtime. But by then it was too late, nostalgia ensured I'd always have a special place for it.
And honestly, the first 30 minutes still ranks as some of my most beloved Transformers animation.
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Maybe re-read the rest of that statement, omitting the exact part you quoted? I don't "love" darkness. But at the age of 10, that film definitely resonated with me. I hated that Optimus Died, but it was compelling story telling. Also good triumphs over evil, so its not a "downer" at all. Heck, there's a silly dance number to a Weird Al song. It certainly has its share of battles, and was a big step up from the 65 episodes we had already seen. But the status quo had been changed. Even with Optimus Prime retuning a few months later, things would never go back to being the same.
Comment by o.supreme
Jun 12, 2024
Sabrblade wrote:Speak for yourself. Not every kid craves depression, misery, and suffering.cruizerdave wrote:The darkness was part of what we loved about it.
Maybe re-read the rest of that statement, omitting the exact part you quoted? I don't "love" darkness. But at the age of 10, that film definitely resonated with me. I hated that Optimus Died, but it was compelling story telling. Also good triumphs over evil, so its not a "downer" at all. Heck, there's a silly dance number to a Weird Al song. It certainly has its share of battles, and was a big step up from the 65 episodes we had already seen. But the status quo had been changed. Even with Optimus Prime retuning a few months later, things would never go back to being the same.
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Couldn't resist. Though I found the rest of the article to be pretty dull corporate speak, with the most insightful thing being the further proof of how far removed the lead producer of this franchise is to beloved aspects of said franchise.
Comment by william-james88
Jun 12, 2024
Sabrblade wrote:Kind of a clickbait-y title when that bit about Lorenzo not getting why people like the '86 movie is only a minor aside mentioned in passing and largely irrelevant to what all the interview talks about.
Couldn't resist. Though I found the rest of the article to be pretty dull corporate speak, with the most insightful thing being the further proof of how far removed the lead producer of this franchise is to beloved aspects of said franchise.
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Comment by DeathReviews
Jun 12, 2024
He's not wrong about the 86 movie - it WAS a 'downer'. Like many films of the 80s, it was a disjointed, incoherent, apocalyptic hayride to nowhere. If it hadn't had the G1 characters in it as an anchor, I wouldn't have been able to connect with it in any meaningful way.
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Clickbait?!?
On Seibertron!?!
Surely you jest.
Comment by Bun-Bun
Jun 12, 2024
Sabrblade wrote:Kind of a clickbait-y title
Clickbait?!?
On Seibertron!?!
Surely you jest.
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I tried watching the movie with my sis and niece some years ago. After Optimus's death, they were bored to tears and I had to stop the movie.
I was a bored too.
I have the impression that most of the movie budget went into that first tier. Then everything went downhill.
Comment by -Kanrabat-
Jun 12, 2024
DeathReviews wrote:He's not wrong about the 86 movie - it WAS a 'downer'. Like many films of the 80s, it was a disjointed, incoherent, apocalyptic hayride to nowhere. If it hadn't had the G1 characters in it as an anchor, I wouldn't have been able to connect with it in any meaningful way.
I tried watching the movie with my sis and niece some years ago. After Optimus's death, they were bored to tears and I had to stop the movie.
I was a bored too.
I have the impression that most of the movie budget went into that first tier. Then everything went downhill.
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Comment by Rodimus Prime
Jun 12, 2024
Didn't we already know that this guy has no real frame of reference when it comes to the franchise? He looks at it as a producer who wants another studio property to make money, not as a fan of the franchise who wants to contribute a memorable addition to it.
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I'm a fan, and I don't get why people like this movie either. It's really not good. The best parts are in the first 3rd of the film, it's a dull slog after that. And even the "good" parts are pretty depressing, and basically just an excuse for toy execs to kill off their customer's action figures so they have to buy more toys. It's an incredibly cynical film.
Exactly this. It basically becomes a whole different movie after the Autobot City fight, and not a fun one. Optimus' death should have been the climax of the film.
Comment by Spider5800
Jun 12, 2024
o.supreme wrote:He "doesn't get it" because he's not really a fan.
I'm a fan, and I don't get why people like this movie either. It's really not good. The best parts are in the first 3rd of the film, it's a dull slog after that. And even the "good" parts are pretty depressing, and basically just an excuse for toy execs to kill off their customer's action figures so they have to buy more toys. It's an incredibly cynical film.
-Kanrabat- wrote:I tried watching the movie with my sis and niece some years ago. After Optimus's death, they were bored to tears and I had to stop the movie.
I was a bored too.
Exactly this. It basically becomes a whole different movie after the Autobot City fight, and not a fun one. Optimus' death should have been the climax of the film.
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Comment by SpaceEagle
Jun 12, 2024
Maybe I just don't have nostalgia goggles for the film, but I can see where he's coming from. Granted the title of this article makes it seem like he's baffled people find interest in it when really he makes a good point about it being very depressing and honestly rather shocking, especially with it killing off beloved characters to show kids the new products.
That being said, I don't hate the '86 film. I honestly don't think it's particularly good, but at the same time there isn't...really a lot of better alternatives. I don't hate the Bayverse either, which is arguably just as dark, if not darker, than the '86 film, just that of course that itself also had a lot of disappointed fans.
I do think he is still approaching this like a typical business guy doing business, but, meh, I can't exactly pretend the original film was a masterpiece in any way anyway.
That being said, I don't hate the '86 film. I honestly don't think it's particularly good, but at the same time there isn't...really a lot of better alternatives. I don't hate the Bayverse either, which is arguably just as dark, if not darker, than the '86 film, just that of course that itself also had a lot of disappointed fans.
I do think he is still approaching this like a typical business guy doing business, but, meh, I can't exactly pretend the original film was a masterpiece in any way anyway.
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Comment by Sabrblade
Jun 12, 2024
As of now, the best movie is Bumblebee, even without the GEEWUN-ness of the opening Cybertron scene.
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Comment by Glyph
Jun 12, 2024
Co-signed, literally the only one of the live action movies I enjoyed and the only one I'd recommend to other people. But '86 will always have the exception for pure nostalgia. (Opinion pending on ROTB for when I get around to watching it)Sabrblade wrote:As of now, the best movie is Bumblebee, even without the GEEWUN-ness of the opening Cybertron scene.
We did, and while it's true that he's "just a producer", it's also true that he's been a producer on the franchise for almost 20 years now. You'd think that, by this point, either he would have gotten a clue or we would have learned not to treat whatever corporate hype-speak he spouts on the latest project as being in any way significant.Rodimus Prime wrote:Didn't we already know that this guy has no real frame of reference when it comes to the franchise?
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Comment by Solrac333
Jun 12, 2024
"Di Bonaventura Doesn't Understand". That's the problem. He needs to go.
