#amazing characterization of an optimus

[justmenoworries]

Let's try Skybound Transformers!

*one extremely unpleasant reading experience later*

Nevermind.

[darkstarofchaos]

Minor rant, but what's a person gotta do for a more canon-typical depiction of G1 Optimus? I swear in every fic I read, he's overflowing with self-doubt and guilt, and is so determined to sacrifice himself for everyone else's happiness that sometimes he can't even lay down healthy boundaries with people.

G1 Optimus is one of the most confident, self-assured characters in the show. He has a strong, commanding presence, gives orders easily and firmly, and stands his ground on the rare occasion those orders are called into question. I understand wanting to give a character flaws, but of all the flaws to give him, why the one that tears down his entire character?

Like. I get that people can present themselves as strong even when they feel weak, and it makes sense for a leader to do so. But this is a mech who often comes across as fairly laid back, and even playful - he experiments with slang, he plays basketball, he trash-talks his enemies in the middle of combat. If he's haunted by the guilt of a war gone on far too long, he's doing an amazing job of hiding it.

And it's not like he doesn't have canon flaws people could play with, because he's confident to the point where his strengths actually loop back into flaws. He doesn't take criticism very well. He's constantly running off on his own into traps and other dangerous situations. He rarely admits to, much less apologizes for mistakes. Frankly, he can be a jerk.

I just. I get adding depth and nuance to flat characters. I get taking characters who were never developed beyond one or two key traits and fleshing them out properly. I even get dropping or reworking bits of canon characterization, because when you have so many episodes written by so many different people, it's inevitable that you'll get bits that don't work (especially when a character is put in a role that was clearly written for another character. God Gambit, I'm looking at you).

What I don't get is taking one of the most established characters in the show and inverting his entire personality. If it's for an AU or something, sure, do what you want. But how does an entire fandom look at G1 Optimus and go, "I love him. Let's change everything about him"? How does one of the strongest characters in the show get consistently written as a doormat? (Don't get me started on MegOp. I've seen Optimus reduced to Megatron's submissive wife so many times that if they aren't literally fighting for dominance, I don't want it).

Grumbling aside, it's honestly kind of funny that every new Optimus gets compared to G1, but even the fans don't write him like G1 did.

[am1ca]

You know, I've been thinking about this lately, but for a Cybertronian, it must be TERRIFYING when someone like Elita-1 or Arcee walks into the room. Because not only are they extremely intimidating individuals in their own rights, but these are mechs that have specifically chosen to paint themselves in the same color as energon. (At least in Elita's case, but I like to think Arcee's was a conscious decision as well).

Like. The gall you have to possess in order to walk around every single day, wearing the same shade as your people's lifeblood, is INSANE. (And I think in some comics it's mentioned that this is exactly the color of innermost energon, which is SO METAL).

Even after the war is good and done with, she continues to keep up with that *very specific* shade of pink. And I think this is often discounted by the people consuming Transformers content because to us, it's just a silly little shade of pink on a girl robot. This subversion in her color scheme is especially cool to me in continuities where Elita-1 is a known threat, like IDW. Hell, during the whole Carcer debate thing it's shown that she literally TOWERS over Starscream. She may not be a tank, but she's huge, and she makes sure to use this to her advantage. This isn't even to mention how utterly brilliant she is. I'd be willing to bet that if things had gone differently, she could've made an absolutely ruthless leader of Cybertron. In my mind she rivals Megatron and Optimus in all aspects.

It's no wonder the Council is so afraid of her. Elita-1 is a mech that's proven time and time again that she's wickedly intelligent, ruthless in battle, and knows how to make a statement. She's spent her time intentionally making herself as big of a threat as possible in every way. She literally acts as her own warning sign (that paint just SCREAMS 'I know how dangerous I am, and so should you'). Honestly, I'd piss myself if I ever met her on a battlefield or if I ever had to debate against her.

One last note, I really enjoyed the way Elita's character was handled later on in the IDW comics. It was amazing to finally get her out from Optimus' shadow and not only give her some actual characterization but to see her become so vastly DIFFERENT from her earlier counterparts. This Elita means business. She's independent to an insane degree. I really love the way she got to reclaim the pink as something that's no longer just a color she was given because she's a girl robot, but as a critical piece of her character and a part of WHY she's so feared. I just love Elita-1.

I'd like to really explore this whole concept (when I have some more time for it) within my own AU. Because this kind of stuff is incredibly fascinating to me. I have some very specific ideas on both Warframes and Femmes, and this is one of those perfect tie-ins imo. Love it when women get to be evil <3

[lazilybeinglassie]

Transformers One Spoiler Thoughts

Please Proceed With Caution!

So I went and saw it three times in the theater . . . I hold no regrets.

There is so much I love about this movie. Was it perfect? Nope. Bee was honestly a little more annoying than I liked, though he does mellow out later on, but I think after the third time I saw this, that is my only personal complaint. Everything else I was satisfied with.

Orion and D-16 were perfect! After so many years of wanting an origin movie to hit the big screens, we got it! And I feel really happy with the results. The progression and transformation is amazing throughout the whole movie. But I'm better off breaking them down individually.

First off, Orion Pax. I really enjoyed him. Most if Optimus Prime's versions of him are very much a repeat of his first version. Which is nothing wrong with it. But with an origin story, I did have the expectation to have an Orion that wad very much childish and brash. He was so much more than what I could want (librarian geek) and I can't help but feel like this is just entertaining. I really loved him and I actually can't wait to see him handle the role of Prime.

D-16 . . . Megatron . . . Everything of him was perfect. His decent, his emotions, his motives. Its all so complex and visible. They could have easily screwed this up and just simplified his motives or cheapened his actions with a half hearted reason. But it all builds up and he just snaps perfectly. While I know there are those who feel like his choice to drop Orion was too swift, I kind of feel like they did give it the best breathing room they could. Granted, they could have lessened Bee's time and gave that to this moment, but I do enjoy how you can visibly see his inner debate. Fearing of letting him go, but resolving to his actions for his goal. The eye color is also a good indicator for his character change. Nice touch.

Elita honestly was a better support character than Bee ever was. Maybe I'm a little confused why they didn't have her be named Ariel and then change it to Elita one like in G1, but that is a gag for the series. She was well characterized in this, and I enjoyed her moments. Though I do feel like she is not as high of a priority in the writing in this movie.

The High Guard was a great concept, I love it so much! It really gives a great reason to set up Starscream and Megatron being indifferent to each other. Rivals forever sadly.

Mow there is word that a series will be made for this movie. Because of this, I have a few hopes. More details on the Primes, world building for Cybertron, and maybe a fun twist for the Quintessons. I also would like there to be no rush to get to earth. If humans are planned in this series, bring em to Cybertron instead of going to Earth. It would be more fun! Or just leave it to the fans. I prefer that.

I think that is all I can think of, if you wanna hear more opinions, just ask in the comments and I'll try to reply.

[evil-robot-husband]

Resonance by @charlieslowartsies...

‘Do you understand, young heir? A Prime is not a scout, not a medic. Their ferocity in battle is unmatched. They stop only when the opposing spark is snuffed out.’  “But Optimus isn’t like that—” Cade choked out, his breath leaving his chest as he watched the battle turn horribly one sided. Yes, apparently, Optimus could be and currently was just like that. And it was horrifying.  This wasn’t a fight, not anymore. It was target practice.  ‘A Prime never loses.’ remarked Excalibur coolly. 

Bound in full-cloth with acrylic paint details and acrylic edges. Typeset and binding done by hand, by me.

What to even say about this fic? Number one, it's fucking amazing. Number two, if you haven't read it, you need to read it now.

I read this and immediately thought "I need to hold this in my hands," so I made that happen! It took me less than a week (thanks, ADHD hyperfocus!) and every bit of it was fun.

Charlie did a fantastic job capturing Cade and Optimus' characters, to the point where I've basically accepted their work as my new canon and can't hear anything that Bay has to say because I'm too busy cheering on Cade as he sleeps on Optimus' giant metal chest.

What was I saying?

Right. Not only is the characterization amazing, the plot is absolutely captivating. It's fun! It's exciting! Every chapter has something that made me squee!

Yeah, so, read Resonance by CharlieMcarthy. You will thank me later.

[quetzalpapalotl]

Tf eu #5 rambles under the cut

Obviously, the most important thing is that MY WIFE IS HEEEERE YEAAAAAH. Love how they lettered her name here omg

She's wonderful!!!! Her bait and switch intro was funny (but please don't actually corner The Girl One into a love interest) and her stunt saving Carly was so cool, I'm glad we're establishing her right. I wish she didn't look so much Like That, but at least DWJ is as willing to deform her for action as anyone else. Her buccal fat removal look makes her look like a skull, which would be cool if it were on puporse, but it's not so. I like the shade they picked for her, is more of a lilac but it looks pink with the rest of the color palette and meshes well with the setting.

This series is really good at the appel to the inner child thing, because I'm like genuinely excited to see the Autobots have the advantage for once!! But ofc, they can't really because the arc ends next issue and they're not gonna have a decisive win until that.

Tho, Optimus and Cliffjumper are carrying the Autobots in regards to being the heroes we root for. I mean, Arcee and Jazz are very cool and that has their appeal, but I do wish once things have settled and they can interact in more situations that aren't just life and death, because so far I feel like we only get a good grasp of who Optimus and Cliffjumper are as individuals, their personalities. I want to see what makes each Autobot unique.

Speaking of, still absolutely eating the Carly and CJ dynamic. She is great and when she said that what does if matter if she's at risk when her family is dead and Spike is in a coma, that reallly got to me. It's unwise, but Cliffjumper relating to her and bringing her to give her a sense of closure it's really good. I think that this kind of bringing the kid character into danger would be because Carly sneaked her way, or because Cliffjumper would disregard orders for the hell of it. But like this feeeling of "I know how she feels and I would want come in her place too" works really well.

Also, I care about Sparky now, lol. Not that at hated him before. I'm not a fan of the first page, as cool at it look, because comparing OP to the US military like the later are the good guy is mmmm... but I'm loving his rapport with Optimus. And also there's how he looks when he's told the generator will give them a decade of power. It's not like "amazing tech woaaah!" It's softer like... this isn't an affluent town, these are people who are used to struggle and they just lost their power source. Ten years of power like that is a godsend that he can hardly believe that will do the whole town a lot of good and he cares about that. Maybe I'm reading too much into it but you know.

And ooooh dear, I was already unwell over Optimus getting his Megatron's canon arm grafted, but I understimated what seein him actually shoot the canon would do to me. I need... several moments.... the fight scenes are pretty gone but this one was particulary brutal. Optimus is really fearsome. And given how he has been so carefully characterized as this bleeding heart figure, seeing him decimating his enemies so efficient is quite something. And by something I mean gap moe. We love to see it.

RIP Reflector, your camera jokes will be missed, but that sequence was amazing lmao

Love seeing Optimus hit Starscream where it hurts. But OP saying that last time Starscream was cowering from Megatron's canon brings a lot of questions about the sequence of events in the Ark (which we'll get to see in teh special it seems). And I've been wondering if Starscream had something to do with Megatron falling or dissapearing or whatever, this does make it seem more like it and well, if that's the case I wonder how the rest of the Cons will react.

Man, the Autobots really shined this time and I already forgot what I was thinking about the Decepticons!! But hey!!! Thundercracker is here!!!!!!!! My guy!!! Given that his characterization as per toy bio is the guy that's not so sure about the cause, I wonder how he'll take it when he find out what really happened to Skywarp.

Also, are the Constructicons newly made??

Anyway, good stuff.

[candychameleon]

post of all my thoughts on the Skybound Transformers comic, where i actually go into WHY i like it

NOT SPOILER-FREE I wanna ramble freely abt this!!

i mean tbh all i have so far is praise but i just wanna ramble about specifically WHY i like it ykno

ok so first off the brutality…I've seen ppl complain abt that but honestly i LOVE it. I like this story establishing the tone and stakes RIGHT away. I was like OH okay it's going to be THIS kind of comic (in a good way). the comics being darker is smth i've always liked.

what's more I feel like it establishes the gravity of the decepticons being there. like...I don't think, in ANY TF thing, I have ever really felt FEAR for the human characters. so...starscream squishing a guy into GOO on-panel was a big OH moment. the danger feels tangible

which brings me into my thoughts on the decepticons and like...listen, i am the FIRST in line for stories about sympathetic decepticons and morally grey autobots. but i am absolutely LOVING how delightfully sadistic starscream is. it's about time he was an actual threat again

as much as i enjoy the misunderstood/underdog decepticon stories…they are the villains. that has always been their purpose in TF as an entire concept (besides SG i guess). so letting them BE villains and be just WHOLLY awful people like ooh i can get into this 👌

they're awful in a realistic way too, at least to me. like i enjoy how cartoonishly ~evil~ the decepticons are in like, the og g1 cartoon, but i'd never describe g1 starscream as "sadistic". but HERE?? in this comic?? absolutely would describe him that way. and it's amazing

which like…I am also glad for a story that doesn't pull its punches and give "important" characters plot armor. like i was FULLY shocked at not only the characters that (supposedly) died, but how brutally they died as well. again, great way to establish stakes

energy/resources scarcity is also something i'm glad is touched upon by this story right out the gate, you can FEEL the desperation from BOTH sides. it's something that's baked into the concept since g1, but i feel like g1 doesn't FULLY explore that yknow

the amount of horror i felt watching soundwave and starscream rip skywarp apart out of sheer desperation? yeah that SHOOK me, and i LOVE when stories can do that. that was horrific and really went a long way in showing just how desperate cybertronians have become and what lines the cons are willing to cross. rip though god, was hoping skywarp was finally gonna get to do something LMAOO 💀💀

but also on the other hand…wow a continuity where CLIFFJUMPER gets to do something and doesn't die immediately?? revolutionary, good for him

and i have seen a lot of people praising this specifically and i have to agree that i LOVE how this optimus prime is written. he's so kind and gentle, with an absolute WONDER for the beauty of organic life and willingness to protect creatures he JUST met. i love that so much??

i've been so jaded abt OP for a while and only recently started liking him bc i have issues with how he's written in…a LOT of continuities lol. but this is such good OP characterization. not my FAVE, like honestly my fave OP is more like Tired Annoyed Dad, but this is SO good

uhh I think that's all my thoughts. tl;dr i am LOVING this comic so so much so far, the fact that i can ramble THIS much about it when there are only 4 issues out is a great thing imo, i am so excited to see where this story goes!

(and I'm hoping maybe someday I can work on them myself ahdlfsjh i am gonna try my hardest to make that happen)

[cosmics-beings]

posting twitter thoughts here - again.

You know, I really do think that Starscream deserved better idw and to have an actual, fleshed out redemption arc that gave him respect. Idw had such an amazing opportunity to expand on him because it expanded on other evil, later turned morally grey/good characters. Especially Megatron, but I just don’t understand why Starscream didn’t get that same love and depth.

Part of me thinks its because the writers, like  a lot of people were just stuck on the fact that Starscream himself is an incompetent leader that doesn’t deserve redemption because he will always be evil and unstrustworth. And that REALLY sucks because a.) other continuums have shown us otherwise and b.) in idw where so many characters got to have better written nuance and unique characterization that subverted what we believed their intentions were, how come Starscream couldn’t have that?

I think it was 100% possible, the writers didn’t want to commit to it. I am not saying that he had to be redeemed or made into this innocent, flawless person. By all means, keep him flawed, make him struggle with what is right and wrong, but actually give him growth. Make him be the leader that he imo deserved to be, but also make him prove it and show us that he can be a great leader.

And I would’ve loved for him midway to find out that prophecy was bogus – which to be fair he thought it was, but actually develop as idk a good leader and a decent person.

A lot of people say his sacrifice was his ultimate redemption and yeah—but I also think he deserved better. I think we deserved to see him be redeemed and get an actual character change where he isn’t written as an unapproachable idiot who is just determined to being evil and pushes people away. Any by change i mean someone who is just like, a better leader and a better perosn. Still make him sly, still make him have questionable thoughts, make him tricky and wicked - but like also make him have an actual narrative where he changes, where he leads, where he is good when he's supposed to be and more importably is a loved and appreciated leader because he cares.

What would've been great too is that when optimus talked shit about stascream to windblade, starscream completely subverted most of what optimus said to her and she saw that he was actually struggling and growing to be a good person and she helped him with it and they actually became really good friends and she vouched for him, same with bumblebee.

like yeah he isn't 100% goood but he changes.

Starscream’s greatest enemy in idw was the writing because from the trial (which made starscream a joke) to his ending they didn’t really know how to handle him. And I think writing him as an incompetent leader and not giving him and clear nuance outside of him being morally ambiguous but actually a shit, and not giving him the same amount of redemption care and arc as megatron got is just unfair to his character.

Its why, as much as I love IDW and what it does for other characters I think I hate what it does to him. But it sucks because idw star is my fave.

i get 'not everyone has to be redeemed' and that's true, but also when you have a character that has been through a lot and the writing is possible because it HAS happened before, and other characters who have done far worse than and to that character get redemption, then what's so wrong with that?

and it goes without being said but no im not excusing starscream's actions or acting like he's an innocent person. i just wish he got the same redemption arc quality/writing as megatron did. and i dont even dislike that megatron got a redemption arc, for all that happened to him i think he deserved one, but why not starscream?

[lostyaotl]

Transformers One: Fear overshadows excitement.

This is just a bit of rant and I apologize for the lack of eloquence and structure in my thought process as I type this message.

To begin with, I have been quite a fan of transformers franchise for many years now, and although not an expert, I really appreciate the characters and the expansive lore behind it. When I first saw the trailer for 'Transformers One," I got extremely excited at seeing another Transformer movie to add to the collection and the fact that it was an animated added to this feeling. But as I started to maul over it and reflect on what I had just watch I couldn't help but feel an gnawing emotion: fear. It may seem odd why I would feel this way so let me explain:

Lately, media has used comedy as some sort of foundation for every show/movie/etc. Don't get me wrong, comedy is great, it adds a touch of lightheartedness and can even emphasize emotional shifts. I could go on for hours on examples and how they just work and how comedy has changed nowadays to the point that it seems more like a nuisance than anything. I think just for a quick example, think of the shift from Kung Fu Panda and Kung Fu Panda 4. (I would love to go on a rant on this). And one of the main issues with this excessive comedy, is that it sacrifices story. We lose those deep heartfelt moments, those growth moments, and so much more because either they are erased from the narrative or they are quickly washed away with comedy. Now back to 'Transformers One,' I fear for this movie simply because of this tendency.

I love how it is an origin story, especially because it would add so much to the characters. Don't get me wrong, I think most of us knew that Megatron and Optimus were close friends before they became who they are but it's not really talked about (again, not an expert I'm talking from like Transformers Prime and MTMTE which I need to reread). It gives an itch, but we can't really delve or feel the actual loss between the two. To see these two characters grow and their traits interact and leave us asking what could have been. So this movie would be an amazing chance to feed us.

I am also excited because if you really think about it, the real reason why the war started, the social issue at hand, was quite hard hitting (depending of iteration) and I think could easily be applied to today's world. Because it wasn't just a caste system, the cybertronians were literally stuck in their role depending on the model they were born as (ref. MTMTE) to the point that they would try to change their parts (if I remember correctly). I don't know I am just rambling at this point, but again, I fear that this message will be lost because it will be glazed over with comedy.Like I know it's an origin story and they aren't supposed to be even thinking about war, but it sets up for it.

I was also a bit anxious about the characterizations. I fear that they will be changed just to be more 'likeable' to younger audiences. Like don't get me wrong, there are many examples where characters have been changed from the source material while still keeping the core characteristics that make them who they are. I think a good example would be Leonardo from "Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles." He was drastically different from the other iterations (cocky, dramatic, arrogant vs serious, focused, stern) but keeping the core characteristics (self-sacrificial, perceptive, most rational, quick-thinking, strategist). And there are examples where it is bad (Velma, although not completely bad but could use some work Wednesday, and some others I literally had a list and I just forgot.) And I think this concern first appeared when I saw Bumblebee....He...I didn't know what to think. Bumblebee always gave off little brother vibes but this time he just gave of 'chad' vibes and I fear how this will work out in the movie. Maybe there will be some growth! Hopefully. And this spiraled down to D-16 and Orion's characters as well. I enjoy the use of the iteration of both of them being slaves, it really pulls them in together, but I did love the character dynamic we say it 'Transformers Prime' where Orion is still serious, but he's a bit more naive, fully trusts his best friend with no second thought, obedient, loyal, perceptive, compassionate which we still see in Optimus Prime but not as blind, we can see the growth, like he trusts his allies but is cautious with newcomers etc, he is loyal to his cause, compassionate in keeping his people safe and still has the idea mercy/of second chances. And it can become flaws at times as well, if I remember at some point Ratchet calls him out saying that he was too soft and it costs them because Optimus still had hope that they could be united without the violence. D-16 has just the same potential, we have seen proof that he was passionate about what he stood for, but his traits sadly were fed to the wrong end and quickly became huge flaws that turned him to what we know him as. I always say it as Optimus cared for the People, as Megatron cared for the Cause. Two sides of the same coin. And this could be set up in the movie, we could easily see these traits and how they differ. I don't know, I just fear that a great dynamic could be lost to just 'hur hur they are bros and they are silly and learn to tolerate each other.'

Again, I apologize for this rant and how messy it is, I just needed to get it off my chest. Again, I am not dissing on the movie. I am genuinely excited to watch it because the art style looks really cool, the premise looks promising, and I can't wait to see what characters make an appearance.

Ps. I also apologize if when referencing Prime I am confusing Megatronous with D-16 it's hard when rapid typing and thinking keep track of the the names

[alcorian-cycle]

i forgot to ask but what are your thoughts on that new transformers thing coming out?

tfone!! yes!!

i'm always excited to see a new take on megatron and optimus' relationship pre-war. nobody has yet to hit on that perfect sweet spot for me and im excitedly waiting until the day they do.

the animation looks GREAT and at the very least, i know im going to enjoy the visual aspects of the movie. megatron with yellow/gold optics is great. the way elita moves is amazing. long leggy taco soundwave is hilarious.

im not sure i like the direction they seem to be going with megatron's personality. to me, he's always been an aggressive risk-taker and someone who goes against the status quo, so seeing him be the "we're not supposed to go to the surface, its dangerous!" guy was total whiplash. megatron is easily one of my favorite transformers characters, so his characterization in this movie could make or break it for me. if they don't start from these traits, i hope they'll at least show him progressing into more of a risk-taker and a person who questions things as the movie continues.

a lot of the worldbuilding decisions they made are really interesting and i am SO excited to see them elaborated on. like the animation, i know this is an aspect that's going to be a net positive for me regardless of how the rest of the movie goes. even just what they've shown us already can be used to augment existing transformers canon in interesting and fun ways.

so generally, while there are aspects i'm skeptical of, overall im pretty excited for the movie. thanks for asking!

[ijusthavesomanyblorbos]

rotb

hi guys. so i saw rotb. unfortunately i fucking hated it. lemme talk about why. (spoilers, obviously. be warned this is very long.)

first of all, lemme preface this by saying two things. number one being i did not have high expectations for this movie in the first place. because lets be honest, this is the transformers fandom, and hollywood has almost never done us justice. also, the trailers and teasers weren't exactly encouraging. number two being i am a huge fucking movie nerd. okay. i love movies. so just keep that in mind.

i think it's worth pointing out that my number one critic of this movie is that for almost the entire runtime, it's something worse than bad: it's boring.

i mean, how do you make giant robots boring??? how is that even possible? let's unpack that.

first of all, it has the most generic, cookie cutter action movie plot ever. we have to get the.... thing! you know, the thing! and we have to do it before the.... other guys! who are working for the BIG guy! and if we don't... the world will end! wahhh!

how is anyone supposed to be invested in that. there are no stakes. there's no tension. there's nothing. we've literally seen this exact plot played out one million times. THERE'S NOTHING NEW!!!

furthermore, the characterization of literally everyone is dogshit. the villians are bland, and have absolutely no motivation behind "darkness and evil." that's NOT INTERESTING!! there's no backstory! i literally could not even tell you the NAMES of the three main antagonists that are on the screen for half the movies runtime. that's how unimportant they are.

and god, the autobots are even worse. first of all, optimus prime and mirage are the only actual characters. i can't remember a single line any other robot says. not one.

but optimus is so under-hyped. they claim he's some big warrior (optimus primal even goes "i'm named after you") but we don't get ANY backstory. we don't know anything about cybertron, or the war, or even what the hell they're doing on earth. we know they "crash landed 7 years ago, and haven't been able to get off since". and they "have to get back, or cybertron will be destroyed!" do they ever tell us WHY cybertron might be destroyed? NOPE!

now we, as an informed audience, can reasonably assume it's because of the war.

but.... what??? friends, the decepticons are never even MENTIONED.

lemme repeat that. the decepticons are never. even mentioned. SO WHY WOULD ANY AUDIENCE BE INVESTED IN THEM RETURNING TO CYBERTRON? THERE'S NO STAKES!!!

back to the autobots though. also mirage is just annoying. he's literally just a"POP CULTURE REFRENCE" machine. that's it. that's all he does.

i... i can't even address what happens between him and the human guy (literally can't even be bother to remember his name) in the finale. i can't. i need to leave that alone or we'll be here all day.

god, i have so many things to say about this movie i need to speedrun a couple okay let's go

humans. boring. why are these movies about giant robots so determined to shove human characters in our faces they DON'T COMPARE EVER!!! the two humans are? fine? but the dude is literally just hero fantasy and the girl is. unimportant. nothing in this movie is important. you could cut any of them.

the action. mediocre. impossible to enjoy when "GENERIC ACTION ONE LINER!" is being crammed down your throat literally every five seconds.

why did the movie market so heavily with arcee wheeljack and bumblebee. they literally have like 15 total lines of dialogue. i can't express to you how much they don't matter.

and you know what. all of that could have even been forgivable. if they had just bothered to put some classic characters in there, with classic character designs, and make a product that actual fans could at least appreciate in aesthetic/homage, if not writing!

but they didn't. they used random ass characters who NOBODY cares about and gave them all SHIT designs too!

and it's so tragic when you consider all the amazing source material that they have to offer. i mean, i have been begging for YEARs for a movie set on prewar cybertron following megatron. the political conflicts and class wars! the origin of megatron is literally the MOST INTERESTING PART OF HIS CHARACTER! BUT IT HAS NEVER A SINGLE TIME BEEN ADDRESSED! HE GETS REDUCED DOWN TO BIG MUSCLE SCARY GUY WHICH IS LITERALLY!!!!!!!!!!!! THE VERY THING HE REBELLED AGAINST!!!!!!!!!! ITS THE WHOLE FUCKING REASON FOR THE WAR AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

can you tell i have a lot of feelings about this. wow. okay this is so long. i'm sure nobody's acutally read this far. alright. what's left.

what'll i'll say is this.

there is literally no appeal to this movie. NONE. it isn't watchable as a fun, transformers piece come to life. it's not watchable as a quality action movie. hell, it isn't even worth a hate watch!!!!!

and somehow. some fucking how. it is still the second best transformers movie. OUT. OF. SEVEN.

friends. how is this possible. how could this have happened.

to all the fan creators making fan art and writing of this movie. you guys are fucking heros, alright. you are taking this incomprehensible garbage, and making actual art. you guys make this franchise worth staying in. thank you, and i wish someone put you guys in charge instead of MICHEAL. FUCKING. BAY.

in conclusion. fuck hollywood. someone give money to the people who actually care about this franchise. or i'll die.

thank you and goodnight.

[sunset-synthetica]

☕ Optimus Prime

Theyre soooo cool I love them.

Personally I think they deserve their own movie or mini series where they can sort of just... exist? There's only so much you can do with them when they're a side character. I wish they'd get more room to breathe and have fun. Let us see how they act when they're not commanding anyone, or when they're sad, what they do for fun, etc.

It's genuinely amazing how well G1 did with their characterization given the absolute clusterfuck that it was. While that characterization isn't my absolute favorite, I still really like it and miss it tbh.

I'm genuinely hoping the future Knightverse movies give Optimus more attention because I really like where their character stands at the moment.

I also wish we'd stop with the morally gray Optimus in the way IDW1 treated them. You can make them flawed, incredibly so, without outright making them a fucking cop. Optimus says ACAB. I don't care how deep and complex they are if they're a god damn cop who pulls the sort of shit they did.

My idea? Let them question themselves and give them unhealthy coping mechanisms. If you want to make them edgy or whatever, have them do shitty stuff for "the greater good" because they're scared and trying to overcompensate for having been too weak in the past and allowed their goals to faol because of some minor thing.

[the-derpy-duck]

I adore ROTB

Sort of spoilers. I do my best not to.

I haven’t had much time to reflect on it but ahhhhhh it was so goood! This was the first time I’ve seen a transformers film in theaters and I was losing my mind but trying to be quiet.

But I just LOVE the way the maximals (idk if that’s how you spell it- I have a strictly casual relationship with the English language) move. Like Airrazor talking looked amazing to me and I loved how Primal’s nose would move sometimes. Cheetor’s run cycle! I eat that shit upppppp!! Cheetor in general was really well designed to me. I hope I can get a good toy of him (I already picked up the SS Airrazor). Cheetahs are my favorite animals even if they constantly shoot themselves in the foot, evolutionary wise. The maximals look very good IMO and I’m happy they finally got decent 3D renders. I love how big they all are as well. Like these things could destroy just about anything on earth. I also like the voices for the Maximals.

The humans were also really good. I love Noah’s relationship with his little brother and the conflict with him felt realistic and very grounded in the alien car movie. His friendship with Mirage did feel a little rushed but honestly that worked with the way he was characterized I think. Like Mirage seemed so desperate for a non auto bot friendship and he seemed to have a general affinity for humans not dissimilar to Bumblebee’s.

Also the part where Bee put on his battle mask caused me and the person who was sitting next to me to lose out collective minds. I don’t care if it’s cheesy, pull that stick out of your ass and enjoy the action! Enjoy the drama!

Also I love Mirage’s face. I wish he looked less like Jazz in his alt mode but honestly his bot mode is so cool so I don’t care that much. I also like OP’s face. It’s sort of modeled after Peter Collin’s face so it’s marvelous. I think they should have changed Wheeljacks name to Perceptor, especially sense BB movie design for Wheeljack was just so perfect but also Pablo is my son and he’s so fantastic and I love him and I’m not gonna be person 1,983 hating on this design.

Scourge was alright. I didn’t see the face reveal as too much of an issue or even note it that much in my mind. I think the fact that he collects insignia’s is really cool in a fucked up sort of way. Like it isn’t enough to just kill someone and destroy there home he also needs to disgrace their bodies. It’s also a weird way of keeping track of his victories. I thought it was kind of neat. He’s not that deep and it’s a little bit underwhelming when I think about it. Like I wish the movie had more time to do things. Because to me it didn’t feel that long, I think some extra time would have done it good.

There is a character who died who I think, realistically, should have been able to be revived and I wish that they were. Also a character gets killed and I think the maximals should have been the ones to kill them. I wish the maximals got more screen time. The movie was fairly fast paced. The movie is only 2 hours and 7 minutes long. Which is still 2 hours but I think having it go a little longer would have helped a lot of characters.

The reveal at the end almost made me scream like holy shit. I was expecting something but not THAT. I really hope we can see more decepticons next movie. Like Skywarp as a main antagonist would be so cool. Think of the fight  scenes. Think of the teleportation. Think of another purple movie robot. Please. Pleassseeee.

I though that the CGI was fine. Nothing looked off to me in a way that would pull me out of the movie. The Flash looked a lot worse and I think that movie had a higher budget. 

Optimus wanting to get home and his conflict is compelling to me. Like he doesn’t have a reason to like or trust humans. He’s been stranded on this shithole of a planet with no contact with his army or friends or home for seven years I understand why he hates it. He also has another reason to really get the hell out but spoilers. But also he comes to a general understanding with the humans and learns that they are sort of worth working with. He just wants to get home and help his friend get better and save his own world and brutally murder his enemy. He’s still very brutal but it feels different to Bayverse. That’s probably because I don’t like Michael Bay or his transformers films but you chose to read to this point so you get to deal with my weird biases.

*minor spoilers sort of*

The part where Unicron tells OP not to destroy the key and that he give him anything and OP says “then die” got me way too hyped up. Like wow. Murder dad robot is SO cool!

I love Arcee fighting with Wheeljack and standing on Rhinox, idk if it was a call back and or reference to that one beats wars  scene but I love it either way

[akita-kira]

Soooooo, I like very rarely do this at all but I, in fact, have an AO3 story, called "The Enemy of my Enemy" I would recommend. It's in the Transformers fandom so if you're not into that, especially ✨mature/explicit✨ stories, back away. BUT WHEN I TELL YOU this is some good stuff. Angst, plot, everyone's favorite divorcees whose divorce has taken 4 million years, a little bit of smut, it's got it all. The characterization is on point and the plot is so well written you won't look away from the slow burn. Really also the MegaOp relationship is a wonderful look into rekindling a lost love (which was never really lost) also low-key I'm always a sucker for when Megatron says that Optimus would make a good Decepticon. ALSO, the author has opened my eyes in regards to Soundwave/Starscream, it's like amazing. The story is unfinished but the words that the author @chills-of-fire (I can't properly link their Tumblr, as of yet but they exist, and are under ChillsofFire on AO3) shared were all amazing. The AO3 link is below, please keep in mind you need an AO3 account to properly see it. Happy Reading!

[blade-liger-4ever]

Top 5 TV shows or Top 10 movies, your move.

Why not both?

Okay, Top Five TV shows first.

5: NCIS.

Loved that show, even though it's gone on too long (happy it outlasted Supernatural though.)

4: Castle.

It was a great show, especially since they let Nathan Fillion be such a retard XD.

3: Psych.

It's been too long since I saw this show, but oh how I love it.

2: Firefly.

Although it's got too many sex scenes for me to watch without skipping some parts, it's one, worth the Skip Button, and two, downright hilarious (the movie does not exist to me, I will FIGHT YOU over that.)

1: The A-Team.

My absolute childhood. My precious memories. The first love of my live action TV life.

To be serious, this show had it all, and the cast got an undeserved sidelining just because they accepted the roles and stories in it.

TOP TEN MOVIES, GO!!!

10: Thor.

Great movie, and an amazing introduction to Thor. Highly recommended.

9: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Honestly, the only reason this isn't higher is because I don't often sit down and watch it anymore. But it holds up incredibly well, and I'll always love it.

8: The Jungle Book.

I always loved this film, but it was never that high on my list. It still holds a special place in my heart, but not as high as others.

7: Pacific Rim.

The fact that only 20 minutes of the film actually has the Jaegers in it and fighting, and then kills them all at the end, is utterly criminal. I want more of Gipsy and his brothers killing monsters, but without the crap that's since seeped into the franchise, or without the self-aggrandising that happened a lot in between the battles.

6: Transformers: Age of Extinction.

Look, I know the Bayverse had its problems, and that Optimus wasn't written as well as he could/should have been. However, this film was the best of the movie 'verse, and was the ONLY adaptation to test Optimus' faith in humanity in a believable way, especially compared to his character assassination in Rise of the Beasts. Moreover, while his faith in humanity was tested, it didn't break; and frankly, when you consider all the Autobot lives lost in defense of Earth/humanity, you can really empathize with Optimus' doubts, especially because despite those doubts, he never actually grievously harmed a human. The one human kill he did make was in defense of another, which never struck me as wrong outside of the creators making a plot where that would happen (and even then, I was supremely grateful Optimus did that to protect Cade. Again, it's within his established characterization to preserve life, even if he hates taking a life to accomplish that goal.)

5: Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.

This is the best Star Trek film ever, and no one can change my mind. I will go to my grave a massive fan of the action, drama, and comedy in this show.

4: Rise of the Guardians.

I think this movie had a more positive effect on me than I realized. Grade A storytelling, and a pity we never got more out of DreamWorks for the film franchise.

3: A Muppet Christmas Carol.

This movie was perfect in so many ways. I love it, and it's the best adaptation of A Christmas Carol.

2: Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief.

I will never shut up about how good this movie is, nor will I accept haters of the film whining about it on my blog and I may write up my own third film for the movies but we'll see.

1: The Polar Express.

This movie is the epitome of perfection for Christmas movies. It's the story of how faith and belief goes beyond worldly reason and holds fast to what humanity deems impossible, but is the Truth, and I love it for that.

Thanks for the asks! This was fun!

[elfdragon12]

Re: Earthspark Tarantulas, there were a couple of posts I saw a while ago that might help explain the intent behind his characterization…here they are (https://www.tumblr.com/maecatt/711181400887394304/queer-elder-tarantulas), and (https://www.tumblr.com/maecatt/710831474456297472/me-pitching-tarantulas-oh-hes-this-awesome), and yeah, it doesn’t seem that anybody cared about his original character at all, and just used his name and design for a completely different character. And it’s not like radically reinterpreting a character is always bad, TFA OP is amazing and he’s very different from G1 OP but what they did for Tarantulas…it just doesn’t really work

I know I've seen the second post. These are a part of why ES Tarantulas doesn't click for me. Maybe Mae Catt offline really does get how Tarantulas actually is in the Wreckers saga, but their tumblr posts just lean hard into the "he's a father!!" woobification so popular on tumblr that... Ruined my reading of Sins of the Father (and it took me so long to get to after how violent, graphic, and grim LSOTW was). I know you shouldn't let fandom ruin that kind of thing for you, but it's all I can think of when I read Tarantulas commit the most heinous war crimes for a war he's not even a part of.

If the canonical IDW1 Tarantulas had actually gotten to parent Springer, he would have been an unholy mix of Mother Gothel of Tangled (smothering, controlling, and "loving") and Endeavor of My Hero Academia (controlling, domineering, and with purpose). He was a terrible person. It's why he worked together with Overlord. He made horrible war weapons, he convinced Roadbuster to torture and kill his students, and so on. He has "terrible taste in men" because he himself is evil.

"I love [character]! That's why I changed literally everything about their personality when given the chance to write them myself!"

I actually wouldn't say TFA OP is actually all that radical of a reinterpretion of Optimus. You take G1 Orion Pax in the army, give him a traumatic event that disgraces him, and boom! TFA OP! I don't think TFA Prowl is strictly that radically different from the basic idea of Budiansky's Prowl either.

I mean, I like TFP Wheeljack, Knockout, and Breakdown. I even like WFC trilogy Skyfire... But also, I think it's fair for fans of the original versions to be bummed out the character they love is only superficially present and, sometimes, overshadows the personality they love so much. Not to mention that there's usually a character that already fits the role but hasn't gotten some spotlight in a while. (Blackarachnia would have been perfect for the role in Earthspark. That scene where she fakes threatening Silverbolt to "make it easier" plus the episode with Una and that time she only overheard part of Primal and Rhinox talking about the Maximal coding make her perfect for it.)

I also wouldn't be so bothered by ES Tarantulas if his fans wouldn't keep tagging posts on him with Beast Wars. I would love to just ignore ES Tarantulas, but he keeps popping up when I look for Beast Wars.