TF4 - 2014

[GoktimusPrime]

Yep definitely agree, I started collecting just prior to the announcement of the first Bayformers movie but aside from a couple of generations figures there wasn't a lot around that appealed to me.

The first movie was announced in June 2003 (there's even a reference to it in the 2006 film "Clerks 2"), and Generations came out in 2010. Unless you're thinking about Classics, but that came out in 2006.

I remembered collecting the figures as a child and watching the series on tv and it brought back all those memories, but better still it really peaked my interest. The more "organic" feel to the Baybots really appealed to me and I've really enjoyed the subsequent toyline.

The first movie was the best of the trilogy. It's story was relatively the most simple, but it was the most coherent. ROTF and DOTM got too complicated and got tangled up in it's own mess (esp. ROTF).

I don't mind the 'organic' look of the characters either, although they are hard to translate as toys. But they also do enable a much greater range of motion while keeping the models looking realistic. If the Transformers looked more G1 like in the films, they'd move around like Power Rangers Zords... (-_-) Anyone who's ever done Transformers cosplay will know how restrictive traditional Transformer body shapes are to movement.

So whoever directs TF4 (if indeed they make a TF4), I'm not too fussed about as long as they create something the fans and others will enjoy.

Here's what I'd like to see in a future TF movie:

1. A coherent plot and storyline. This is the MOST important thing. Movies are a story-telling medium and special effects etc. are nothing more than tools to tell a story. Audiences will prefer a movie with an awesome story, even if the special effects aren't as good, compared to superior special effects with a not-so-good story. Just look at the Star Wars Original Trilogy vs Prequel Trilogy. The visual effects in the Original Trilogy are primitive compared to the Prequels, yet many fans prefer the Original Trilogy. Go and ask a dozen people what their favourite Star Wars movie is... most people will say either "The Empire Strikes Back," or "Return of the Jedi." I don't know too many people who'd cite "The Phantom Menace" or "Attack of the Clones" as their favourite, despite the superior visual effects. :/ Yoda was way cooler as a rubber puppet giving sagely spiritual advice to Luke compared to a CG model leaping around like a frog duking it out with Sith Lords.

2. The Transformers should be treated as characters and not caricatures or set pieces.

3. The story should be character driven. Crappy development of the protagonist(s) = crappy story. You can either take a single protagonist and focus on developing him/her to drive the story (e.g. X-Men 2), or focus on lower-level development of a cast ensemble of protagonists, but still maintaining definitive story drive (e.g. Avengers). Or heck... you could even work on developing the protagonist _and_ antagonist (e.g. Return of the Jedi -- we saw change in both Luke and Anakin Skywalker).

...if they can manage to maintain these basic fundamental elements of story telling, then I'll be happy.