April Fools! Real Transformers developments that would have seemed fake years earlier

[Tuxedo Prime]

Michael Bay directing the 2007 live action Transformers film is what created the divergent timeline we're currently in. Spielberg should have directed it, that's the timeline we want to get back to.

Not impossible, but I think the timeline breaking was due to overseas events.

I mean, to hint at an overused and over-the-top expression, Michael Bay could be credibly accused of "inappropriately touching our childhood" (what with pausing a film to talk about Texas Laws and RoTF Devastator (*bong*) and Megan Fox getting leg-humped and John Turturro getting "peed" on), but Kiss Players....

Well, there are reasons I worry for the mental health of anyone who translated that.

It didn't "RUIN THE BRAND FOREVER", as everything from Action Masters onward has been accused of doing, but if the 2007 film and toyline had tanked Hasbro would have been in a real fix, because I couldn't see them porting Kiss Players over as they did with Car Robots when Transtech was scrapped....

 

[Undead Scottsman]

Animated was the next follow-up after the first LA movie, so while it may have never quite reached the same heights, I think Transformers would still be around today.

TF: Prime probably wouldn't have had a giant budget though.

 

[Sabrblade]

Animated was the next follow-up after the first LA movie, so while it may have never quite reached the same heights, I think Transformers would still be around today.

And Animated was in development as far back as during Cybertron's run, under the working name of "Transformers: Heroes". Hasbro had plans for another iteration of the brand besides the first movie at the same time as said movie.

 

[CoffeeHorse]

Most of Hasbro's brands didn't have a hit movie in 2007. Transformers would have survived without it. But I'm glad it happened. No matter what happens with these movies at this point I will never regret getting to experience the 2007 hype.

 

[Shadewing]

Regardless your feelings, the 2007 movie really did just print money for Hasbro and allow for us to get the explosion of new product that we very likely wouldnt have gotten otherwise.

 

[CoffeeHorse]

For good reason. It was cool.

I wish I could know what it was like for people who went in with no Transformers knowledge whatsoever. Imagine not already knowing yellow car + black stripes = friendly. Imagine not knowing any of them are friendly. We have no idea how cool that movie really was.

 

[PrimalxConvoy]

For good reason. It was cool...We have no idea how cool that movie really was.

Now THAT quote, right there, is the biggest April Fool's!

 

[LBD "Nytetrayn"]

Animated was the next follow-up after the first LA movie, so while it may have never quite reached the same heights, I think Transformers would still be around today.

TF: Prime probably wouldn't have had a giant budget though.

If we'd gotten Prime at all...

Most of Hasbro's brands didn't have a hit movie in 2007. Transformers would have survived without it. But I'm glad it happened. No matter what happens with these movies at this point I will never regret getting to experience the 2007 hype.

Most of Hasbro's brands don't have a hit movie now.

 

[Plutoniumboss]

Not impossible, but I think the timeline breaking was due to overseas events.

I mean, to hint at an overused and over-the-top expression, Michael Bay could be credibly accused of "inappropriately touching our childhood" (what with pausing a film to talk about Texas Laws and RoTF Devastator (*bong*) and Megan Fox getting leg-humped and John Turturro getting "peed" on), but Kiss Players....

Well, there are reasons I worry for the mental health of anyone who translated that.
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It didn't "RUIN THE BRAND FOREVER", as everything from Action Masters onward has been accused of doing, but if the 2007 film and toyline had tanked Hasbro would have been in a real fix, because I couldn't see them porting Kiss Players over as they did with Car Robots when Transtech was scrapped....

This is why I say that Bay didn't bring anything to Transformers that wasn't already there. He wasn't the first, and he isn't the worst. I'd say the worst is probably a G1 episode being so racist it got an actor to quit. Thanks Carbombya.

 

[Undead Scottsman]

Eh, things are supposed to improve; we shouldn't forgive modern (well, 15 years old now) stuff for being juvenile and offensive just because it's based on something that was juvenile and offensive 20 years (two whole decades) prior.

That stuff added nothing to the film and actually detracted from it, making it a valid target of criticism, IMO.

 

[Plutoniumboss]

True, but there is a very large gap between criticizing and demonizing.

 

[Undead Scottsman]

I dunno, I think it's okay to demonize stopping a film for several minutes to explain why it's 100% okay your 20-something male supporting character is dating the protagonists underage daughter. Especially in a film franchise based on a children's toyline.

Like, I feel like this is a freebie no matter the context.

 

[Blot]

I'm not saying the '07 movie had to be Beyond Good, Beyond Evil, Beyond Your Wildest Imagination... just that it didn't need to be Louder And Nastier Than Ever.