Transformers the Movie - Live Action

[Lazario]

Actually, if I think about the way the Transformers used to look... it's almost a kind of cool idea. But if it's going to be CGI... it's going to need a lot of work.

[PoolMan]

Well, here's the thing. In going to live action/CGI, it's inherently NOT going to look like the cartoon. Period. It's going to look different. So that's going to alienate some fans.

So all you have to go on after that is whether it holds the same spirit as the old cartoons (fun, flambuoyant, predictable, kind of cheesy) or goes for something new (which today usually means "dark" and "edgy"). In either of those cases you're going to alienate someone, but I'm hoping they stay true to the original spirit. If you're going to anger somebody, why make it the fans who've already loved the franchise for twenty years?

[Lazario]

I actually think the animated series was edgy at times, or maybe that was one of it's several spin-offs. I have to say that the idea of this being turned into a live-action / CGI movie doesn't bother me very much. I still like portions of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers movie (I've only seen the first one), I don't think metallic robots look all that bad in CGI. I don't think though that they're going to try and emulate Sin City though.

[StarOpal]

lazario said:

I don't think metallic robots look all that bad in CGI.

The robots'll be fine. That doesn't even worry me. Robots and CGI were made for each other. Transforming robots and CGI? Perfect.

Personally, I'd prefer something in between cheesy and edgy.

I don't think though that they're going to try and emulate Sin City though.

I can't decide if that would be really funny or disturbing. It's kind of a hard idea to wrap the brain around.

[Lazario]

It's the only edgy animated-like mainstream movie I could think of - I really put all superhuman movies and comic book movies together. Doesn't really matter if they are based on a place or a person/group of people. Except, of course, Sin City was intended for adults.

I'm also in there for not being worried about this movie. Unless of course... if Michael Bay directs it.

[deusdragonexx]

A live action Transformers movie will be a lot like a live action Ninja Turtles movie, or a live action Spider-Man movie. It'll take some fudging around the edges to make it work, but when it works, it'll work excellently. I just hope Michael Bay can fudge the right edges.

I'd feel so much more confident with the fudging if Michael Mann were directing...

[Hucklebubba]

I wonder if they're planning on making use of actual vehicles for the alt-modes (esp. external shots), or if they're going to go CGI all the way?

My knee-jerk assumption is that CGI would be easier on the budget, but then I remember that I don't have any idea how expensive CGI is to produce, save for a vague recollection of hearing or reading somewhere that the really high-end stuff is astronomical.

Although, as compared to asking the Air Force if you can borrow and repaint three of their F-15s, I'd wager it's still considerably less costly. And, you know, more within the realm of actual possibility.

[Lazario]

deusdragonexx said:

A live action Transformers movie will be a lot like a live action Ninja Turtles movie, or a live action Spider-Man movie.

I don't know... You're talking about movies that employed 2 completely different methods. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were actors in suits, not working with green/blue screens and no CGI. Spiderman was highly CGI'ed. If you're talking about the feel of the movie, the TMNT movies were also designed to be darker in tone simply because of the fact the turtles had to keep their identity secret.

hucklebubba said:

My knee-jerk assumption is that CGI would be easier on the budget, but then I remember that I don't have any idea how expensive CGI is to produce, save for a vague recollection of hearing or reading somewhere that the really high-end stuff is astronomical.

Ha ha. That reminds me, once UPN or some network had an episode of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch use the Pop-Up Videos gimmick. During the show, one of the pop-ups mentioned how much the effects of the show cost to produce. Just one of those computer-generated sparkle-summoning (on the show, the witches would use their powers to transport people to and from their living room, constantly) effects costs over $170,000. At least, they did by that point, around 1999.

[PoolMan]

lazario said:

Just one of those computer-generated sparkle-summoning (on the show, the witches would use their powers to transport people to and from their living room, constantly) effects costs over $170,000. At least, they did by that point, around 1999.

Ha, that's just tragic, considering Star Trek was stirring sparkly stuff in water for transporter effects thirty years earlier for about eight cents a pop.

[DTH]

Yeah but who really bought that they could transport anywhere? Now Sabrina, she makes sparkly things, I know she's worked real magic

[Lazario]

I did not know that. ;D

[TheLuckyOne]

A little bit of news emerged this weekend that -- if it's true -- should be well-received by Transformers fans. The recent buzz surrounding the movie was that after fan outcry, Michael Bay had been talked into auditioning Peter Cullen, the original voice of Optimus Prime from the cartoons, for the movie Prime. Again, I'm not counting this as confirmed till I hear it from more than one source, but the rumor is that producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura confirmed at Comicon this weekend that Cullen HAS been definitely cast as Prime. If it's true, that'll be a real thrill to children of the 80s looking to hear him intone "Autobots, transform and roll out!" one last time.

-D

[eatmyshorts]

Man, that looks really cool. Beast Wars next, anyone?

On a side note, I can't wait for the Turtles movie.

[ÄlveKatt]

I might get it on DVD. I do think that storywise Transformers would be hard to botch up, it was very straight forward to begin with. Later in the comics there were some interesting parts, but I gather they will start from the beginning, no?

Oh, and the inital screentests of transformers that has been floating around youtube looks good. The question is if they are authentic. If anyone remembers that car commercial you at least know that SFX of that kind has already been done and can be made to look real good.

[CheshireKat]

Transformers was an awesome concept that's been handled rather ineptly on screen in crappy anime incarnations since Beast Machines was cancelled. Need we get into Robots in Disguise, Armada, Energon, or Cybertron? If the movie continues in this vein, then I'm skeptical, and the inclusion of Michael Bay seems a bit like something you'd do if you were hit in the head repeatedly. I'm reserving judement however until I get some hint of the full plot. Also interested in which charaters they decide to use. I'm hoping to glimpse Spike, and there'd better be Megatron and Prime in their orginal (and best) incarnations. I want to see Soundwave, and the power stuggle between Starscream and Megatron should get some screen time. Also wanna see Ironhide, Bumblebee, Jazz and Tracks. I'm basically hoping for a live action treatment of the original 80's cartoon. Honestly that's all I'll need to be happy. And yeah, I'll probably go see it no matter how bad I hear it is, solely because it's transformers.