There has been a lot of comparisons of the current Transformers Film Franchise to its source material, and for obvious reasons. Half of what makes these Transformers films a big draw to people my age is that we were brought up on the original cartoon. We are all waiting to see if our favourite bots will make the roster and see what they would look like re-imagined on the big screen for live action.
I still want to see a HotRod (or Hotshot) as he was always my favourite. (I like the care free hotshot turned underdog leader burdened with more self doubt than responsibility. Builds character)
Anyways, there are a few things that people (and by people I mostly mean reg poster Hazmat) want to see in a Transformers film that I don’t see happening. I thought I would make a post for that discussion here.
Over a year ago I posted an April Fool’s joke that hinted at some of these characters being present in a gag announcing we knew which bots would be on the roster. and while some were predictions, they were an effective gag because they were plausible. It COULD have happened even though it was totally made up. So when I bring up these issues remember that I am not totally against it, just that I don’t predict it will happen for a reason.
Grimlock
Its not that I don’t think Grimlock would be a bad choice, I think he would be awesome. He was easily near the top of my list in favourite personalities. “Me Grimlock! Strongest leader!!” Damn that guy is great. But I honestly don’t see them bringing him in, at least not the way people would want.
The Autobots tend to still be living the whole “robots in disguise” thing and laying low among earth’s motorpool despite the Decepticons picking Earth Modes when it suits them and Transforming into whatever they want. So a bot that changes into a Dino just doesn’t seem plausible with the current trends. If anything I would love to see a Hummer or something that changes into a Grimlock bot (maybe with a dino triple changer mode) but at the core of it, I just want to see the personality show up. Have him unwittingly challenging Prime for leadership, Prime outmatched physically has to outsmart him to keep him in line. Good fun.
Galvatron
Despite a lot of the viewership knowing the history of the cartoon, we have to remember. THIS IS NOT THE CARTOON. With Megatron’s short lived screentime before his “death” some fans presume that his “rebirth” in Revenge of the Fallen should come with a name change as well. Clearly there is a parallel with Megatron getting his servos handed to him, is discarded but then ressurected.
But a name change won’t matter here. First off, it would JUST be a name, and that would just confuse things, so why change it?? Galvatron was not Megatron. He only has shadows of Megatron’s memories after the upgrade by Unicron, and is different in personality. Megatron was an evil opportunist and feirce leader over the Decepticons forged in his timeless war against the Autobots and dominance over his planet Cybertron. His only purpose is the expansion of his empire and wants to rule all of the galaxy. Galvatron is a focal point of power and madness given form. He is irrational and rage driven and would shoot an ally to get a clear shot.
I would suspect that since the first film introduced us to Megatron only in the closing battle, this film will serve to further use the character. Personally I had hoped the rumours that Megatron wasn’t in this at all would ring true and I was disappointed to find out he was going to be in this. Not because I didn’t like the character, but because I felt that Megatron’s triumphant return would be better served as the focal point of a third movie.
Unicron
Speaking of Galvatron, we can’t overlook his maker Unicron. And a lot of people seem to think this would be epic to have Unicron in this film. I disagree. Remember Galactus??
The one thing people seem to gripe about the most is the presence of these feeble fleshbags in a film about Giant Fucking Robots fighting. Oh they whine about the vapid Megan Fox getting more screen time to show cleavage or a sweaty midriff or Shia getting a chance to be all too human and genuine that we moan about their presence. Why have humans at all?
Its a common sci-fi element to tie it into reality by using familiar ground. It binds you emotionally to the film. Instead of watching giant robots kick each other around, you can see their epic battles through the eyes of the human lives it affects. I know people will want to disagree with this, but consider what Star Wars would have been like if it was all aliens that were not at all human like? We find ourselves sucked into that world as the humans among the aliens. And you can name dozens of other sci-fi stuff that features a Human among the strange and wonderful, and it is typically through that character that we experience the wonder of the unfamiliar. There are exceptions to this idea, but this is why I feel that Transformers NEEDS humans.
Now what does that have to do with Unicron? Just that I feel the “world eater” who could defeat Earth just by parking next to it is just a dumb thing to see in a Transformers live action film. I get the whole “David and Goliath” motif they are building in these films. The Autobots are seriously outclassed and by no way should be able to win the battle, but we know they will inch out ahead and win the day. With Unicron, I see no reason for them to concievably beat him. And every conceivable scenario that does result in victory excludes any humans and requires a leadership matrix.
Most of the fascination of Unicron would be simply in seeing that visualized with the live action styling. The visuals would be amazing, and a battle withing the innards of a transforming planetoid would be a staggering achievement. But that is where it would end. Unicron is a flat personality that simply presents an insurmountable opposition. To me, Unicron is not nearly as interesting a character as he is a cool visual.
I will take an interesting complex badguy any day of the week over a moon that salivates when it sees a planet.
Overall
So in closing let me repeat that I do relate to why people want to see these things, and in many cases I agree that some things they itch to see in the movie. I just don’t see a lot of them happening. At least not the way that some people think.
Is there anything else you would LOVE to see in the movies that you are sure wouldn’t happen?
