Some Thoughts on Transformers...
Friday, July 21. 2006
As I mentioned on my Ratchet buildup, I've been a fan of the Transformers since before the cartoon ever aired. I've bought the toys, watched the cartoons, read the comics, novels, and fanfiction. My favorite character is probably G1 Prowl, though Wheeljack and Shockwave are real close. I still smile every time I think about Sludge's tech spec quote.
Despite my long history with the characters, I've never felt cheated or slighted when a character got changed. When Megatron became a tank in G2, I considered it an upgrade. Prowl as an F1 car? Not so much, but not the end of the world, either. Optimus Prime as a fire truck? Sure, sounds good. As long as I can have fun with the characters, I'll keep collecting toys and building models of them.
In fact, I've always considered change a necessary part of the mythos. On a base level, Transformers is a war story. When one side or the other stagnates in any war, they fail. Knights discovered this when firearms came into common use. Regimented soldiers discovered this when guerrilla warfare came into being. War is one environment where evolution can not be debated. Historically, some of mankind's greatest scientific achievements came during times of war (whether they should have been used or not is a seperate issue). There's a reason why American forces were using P-51 Mustangs at the end of WWII instead of sticking with P-40 Warhawks. The same holds true for the Transformers: a walkman doesn't really fit in today's world. Soundwave as a character can still exist with his original personality despite what he turns into.
So I say to the creative team behind next year's Transformers movie: go for it. I'm not going to boycott it if Bumblebee is a Camaro instead of a Beetle or a New Beetle. It's not going to have any effect on my enjoyment of the existing character, his G1 toy, the upcoming Classics toy, or how he behaved in he cartoon or comics. Heck, I'll probably enjoy the new design as much if not more. I have faith that I will like this movie: I believe that everyone involved knows what makes the series great, and can stick to the root of the characters despite the cosmetic differences. I believe it will be a movie with good characters, a story I can enjoy, and mind-bending special effects.
Oh, and Peter Cullen is Optimus Prime. That's just awesome.
Despite my long history with the characters, I've never felt cheated or slighted when a character got changed. When Megatron became a tank in G2, I considered it an upgrade. Prowl as an F1 car? Not so much, but not the end of the world, either. Optimus Prime as a fire truck? Sure, sounds good. As long as I can have fun with the characters, I'll keep collecting toys and building models of them.
In fact, I've always considered change a necessary part of the mythos. On a base level, Transformers is a war story. When one side or the other stagnates in any war, they fail. Knights discovered this when firearms came into common use. Regimented soldiers discovered this when guerrilla warfare came into being. War is one environment where evolution can not be debated. Historically, some of mankind's greatest scientific achievements came during times of war (whether they should have been used or not is a seperate issue). There's a reason why American forces were using P-51 Mustangs at the end of WWII instead of sticking with P-40 Warhawks. The same holds true for the Transformers: a walkman doesn't really fit in today's world. Soundwave as a character can still exist with his original personality despite what he turns into.
So I say to the creative team behind next year's Transformers movie: go for it. I'm not going to boycott it if Bumblebee is a Camaro instead of a Beetle or a New Beetle. It's not going to have any effect on my enjoyment of the existing character, his G1 toy, the upcoming Classics toy, or how he behaved in he cartoon or comics. Heck, I'll probably enjoy the new design as much if not more. I have faith that I will like this movie: I believe that everyone involved knows what makes the series great, and can stick to the root of the characters despite the cosmetic differences. I believe it will be a movie with good characters, a story I can enjoy, and mind-bending special effects.
Oh, and Peter Cullen is Optimus Prime. That's just awesome.
