I'd like to see them go with Option #5 -- BEAST WAAAARS! *ggggrrrroooowwwwlll!*

Robotic dinosaurs. The movie TFs may look different from what came before, but that doesn't mean they are any different from the G1 Transformers. I now have full confidence in the movie designs and I think that they can make any, non-mass shifiting, Transformers.

I couldn't even decide on a category. As much as I love dinobots, I can't imagine any non-goofy way to introduce DINO's into the movie

Unless maybe they were cybertronian dinosaurs, who came here and didn't bother to reformat.... nah, nevermind.

Hard to answer without first knowing how the movie ends (i.e., are the Transformers still about being "robots in disguise?"). If they are, then I don't see the logic in having dinosaurs in any form as an alt mode.

i'm going with mechanical dinosaurs and them having dino alt modes because they came to earth billions of years ago chasing decepticons, and never bothered reformating. possibly fighting the decepticon and losing their "skin" to reveal the mechanical dino inside... >_>

that's the ONLY way i can see this happening, as stated in other threads i see no other realistic way to introduce dinobots into the movie.

aside from that, that was a very badassed idea!!

I don't care how or why, but the Dinobots would definately have to transform into robot dinosaurs. There is no question there.

I've read lots of people suggesting this plan of attack regarding the Dinobots actually having dino modes. I've given it some thought, and the trouble, as I see it, is that I don't think Megatron came to Earth billions of years ago in the Movie's continuity...so they'd have to be chasing some other Decepticons. And the notion that Megatron's trip to Earth was the second trip this alien race made, or possibly the third or fourth, depending on how the "chase" goes down begins to stretch the suspension of disbelief. I get the impression that Earth is not a known quantity to the Movie Transformers prior to (and maybe even for a while after) Megs' arrival here, and the notion that they stumbled upon Earth accidentally twice is not only insanely coincidental, but the "finding alien robots buried on Earth" feels dangerously close to just repeating story beats between the two movies. And I'd rather see fresher story beats than robot dinosaurs myself.

I vote for Earth vehicles with strange, dinosaur or dragon-esque robot modes...Sam could very easily label them "Dinobots" in that case.

Barring that, just Earth vehicles, please. But heavy duty construction or military. Preferably military. The Autobots could use the firepower.

EDIT: Just saw the no-spoiler request at the top of the thread I'm properly tagged to begin with, but if it's a problem Goki, let me know and I'll delete them entirely. - Hobbes.

in the comics, megatron never knew of shockwave's arrival on earth prior to coming, so it could very well be somebody other than megatron and without megatron's knowing. that said, i didn't mean that the dinobots stayed on earth, just that they enjoyed their new intimidating alt modes and never bothered reformating. either that or they could come while looking for megatron, because according to the prequel the allspark came to earth before humanity and thusly so did megs, and because of him being under the ice they could have missed him completly

Innnnnnnteresting.

Ah, well. I still prefer military vehicles. That way it needs no (less) explanation. And, as I've said before: Grimlock only, please. The others are just redundant, and there's likely a lot we don't cover with our other Autobots from part one that could get more time in the sequels if they're not overshadowed by new characters who are also so numerous their characters are not fully explored either.

For sequels, I wouldn't want to see more than 2 new characters per side, total (i.e. five Autobots now, and seven in the sequel. If four of them are new, and Ironhide and Ratchet go on a vacation and so aren't in the movie, that's fine).

I agree with Grimlock being the only Dinobot and being a military vehicle. To me Grimlock would work best as the ultimate War-Ready Autobot, you get a taste of that with Ironhide in the first movie, but Grimlock brings it to a totally new level. But I disagree with only adding 2 new TFs to each side. You should really have more than that (particularly for the 'Cons ).
And your comment about Ironhide and Ratchet going on "vacation" made my Hotspot spasm.

Only two for each side? After all of this talk about realism for the Dinobots, you don't even try to be realistic about what Hasbro would want?

For a live action movie I'd like to see them maintain the whole "robots in disguise" them. I'd be really weird seeing unrealistic alt modes in a live action film IMO.

Although my first preference would be realistic animals - like Grimlock could be a lion, Snarl as a tiger etc., my second preference would be to see them as Earth vehicles.

Now if they were to be Earth vehicles, I actually wouldn't want to see them as military vehicles as I think that the movie Decepticons cover that theme quite well. I think that construction vehicles would be a better option, particularly because we've seen that they've decided not to go down that path with Constructicons like Bonecrusher, who's a military vehicle now. It would make the Dinobots (who could be called "Dynabots") distinct from the other Autobots as well as the Decepticons.

Real realism and story realism are two different things.

Besides: What Hasbro wants?

If Hasbro is happy with the current number of bots in the cast, why would they not be happy with a cast increase by four? Or do you think they want less characters in the movie the second time through?

They clearly already know they can pack the shelves full of not-actually-in-the-movie bots and multiple versions of every in-the-movie-bot and rake in a ton, so I think they'll be fine from a business model standpoint.

And, while I'm sure Hasbro gets tremendous input into the films, I think it's worth mentioning that the final say of the bot cast, and its size, falls solely on the shoulders of the filmmakers, not Hasbro.

And there undeniably comes a point where you cram so many characters in a movie you do them all a disservice by not giving any of them enough screentime, and the filmmakers know this. Keep in mind that the new bots'll still be sharing the stage with at least Shia and that Fox girl, not to mention any other returning human and robot cast, too. My gut instinct (although I admit that's all it is) says anymore than four more robot cast members and there's probably just too many.

But, like I said, I'm talking about total numbers. You could intro as many new bots as you like if you remove the ones currently on the roster so that it evens out and still, I believe, manage the screentime properly.

Hobbes I disagree completely about the numbers of new TFs in a sequel and I REALLY disagree with replacing characters that should be there/have not been killed off story-wise. We have 5 Autobots and 8 Decepticons in the first movie. A Total of 13 TFs in this movie. I'm not saying they should bring in 15 new Transformers in the next movie, but I am saying that with the large number of deaths in the first movie and the fact that barely any of the 'Cons survive you'll need more characters. Plus let's face it, 3-5 Decepticons per movie will likely be fodder, there to be killed off by Prime and the other Autobots. Plus you have to take into account the Autobots that have the potential to be killed off as well. I think bare minimum, they should bring in at least 2-3 new Autobots and 5-7 new Decepticons. I think 7-10 new TFs is very reasonable and should be expected for a sequel. However, let me stress that I disagree with bringing in a horde of fan-favorites just to be slaughtered and I don't wish to see characters not used to some form of decent potential. But honestly, if they bring in Runabout and Runamuck, would you care if they were killed off? Or if they did like the first movie and made up new 'Cons that could just be blown up on the battlefield?

Let me also pose this to you...
Would it matter to you/be okay that they bring in Sunstreaker and Sideswipe, giving them story while keeping Ironhide in a decent amount of screentime, particularly if they use the Twins alongside Ironhide as the younger/newer models of Autobot Warriors? Having them (mainly Sunstreaker) feel they are better than Ironhide and providing character conflicts within the Autobot ranks. They could still use each character to good potential while not removing the first movie's characters.

A few points:

I love grimlock, but a t-rex is a lousy disguise, make him a heavy tank.
no other dinobots as, like it was said above, they are redundant.

I wouldn't mind seeing an Autobot who survives the first movie die in the second, that ads to the realism and gives meaning to the tragedy of war.

The Autobots should remain outnumbered by the Decepticons as that makes them underdogs and easier to root for. Plus Decepticon death is cool.

If a new Decepticon leader emerges I hope it is Galvatron.

...now a few cast members I am hoping come in Transformers two: Ultra Magnus, Prowl, Hot Rod and Grimlock for the 'Bots and The entire constructicon team, Skywarp and Thundercracker for the 'cons.

I haven't voted yet - still unsure about this...

1: As Earth vehicles
A definite possibility IMO.

2: As robotic/mechanical dinosaurs
Maybe the whole "came here when dino's were about & scanned them" thing may work.

3: As robotic/mechanical animals
Dinobots as animals but not dino's? NO!

4: As realistic/organic dinosaurs
Maybe... Hard to pull off I'd imagine, a "deluxe" version of option 2.

5: As realistic/organic animals
See option 3 - NO!!!

Either go with they came millions of years ago (to fight Shockwave!)... Heres some brainstorming, maybe Shockwave fiddled with Megatron's navigation systems resullting in him getting lost and trapped under the ice?
In that case I think Grimlock is enough. A whole unit of Dinobots might be overkill.

That or bring in Grimlock as some kind of really big Cybertronian tank. He could be one of those reinforcements thats only called in when there is no other viable option and disguise isn't particularly important.


heh?

Ooh, I like that idea. It would really fit in with Grimlock's character if he was an autobot super soldier that's called in only as a last resort due to how destructive he is. What's more, maybe Grimlock's tank mode could have a frontal claw on it similar to Bonecrusher's but vaguely shaped like a mechanical T-Rex head.

But what I'm saying is that the large number of deaths in the first movie and the fact that barely any of the 'Cons survive means that you would almost certainly have to bring in more than four new characters...I just don't think you should go above the number 17 or so total, which is four more than we have now. But since so many will be dead (on both sides, presumably), you would absolutely need more than four new characters to fill those roles. When you look at it, that puts your estimates for new Bots (2-3) and Cons (5-7) right in line with what I'm saying. I was using "Ironhide and Ratchet on vacation" to try and avoid this spoiler-tagged mess of an explanation, though.



Yeah, that'd actually be really cool.

I dont think the Dino Bots should appear at all, I didnt care too much for them in the original G-1 either.

Flease don't flame me for this but isnt there like 3 other threads about the TF sequel already? Also why are we EVEN discussing the sequel at this time? Hell the 1st one isnt even out yet. Maybe we should see how this one fares and how it ends before we get the whole collective fandom into Starscreaming and whining again. We just finally(somewhat) have calmed down on this one and giving it praise.

Now as for my opinions on the Dino's....Grimlock and Swoop would suffice...Grimmers as a Tank of some sort and Swoop as a Fighter Jet(A-10 Warthog) and one other character for the Bots...preferrably Mirage

As or the Cons bring in Shockwave, Cyclonus, and Skywarp

How about not at all.

Seriously if ther aren't going to be Dinosaurs what's the point in call them Dinobots.

Again military vehicles would completely defeat the purpose of them being Dinobots. May as well just call them Combaticons & side them with the autobots. I'm sure Dinobots would be really cool to see reimagined but I don't see it as pratical. Earth vehicles make sense & have been translated beautifully into the live action world. Large mecha Godzilla Dinosaurs are a different story altogether.

I would much rather see more core Autobot/Decepticon the next time arond. They already have a kckass team on both side & those who survive can be joined by the next wave of G1 vehicles. perhaps Prowl, Hound, Wheeljack, & Powerglide. Okay maybe not but Brawn would be cool. I would not object to seeing the constructicons/Devastator if he could be done in a feasable manner. That brick is due for an upgrade anyway.

Well Grimlock has appeared as things other than a dinosaur (ie: a tank). As a character Grimlock has the potential to be great regardless of alt. mode.
I'd also like to see their take on Jetfire.

If the Dinobots were to appear, I'd make them all like Skorponok--basically, mindless drones that have basic "seek and destroy" functions, with Grimlock being the only one with any kind of rudimentary intelligence to justify the whole "Me Grimlock" thing.

Wouldn't that make them Combatibots?

If the "Dinobots" are in the next movie I sure hope a constructicon gestalt is in the works. Can you imagine the fan wank service from seeing a merge group done by ILM on the big screen (in supah slow motion please )

story > fanwank

if they can make it work and have a good reason to do it, then fine.

Heh, yeah... if you want fanwankage, go read this...



*fapfapfap*

I'd think that they should stay as dinosaurs. Whether their robotic or realistic I'll leave up to the movie company to decide.

But the way they go about it is that they come to Earth and land near a museum. It just so happens that there's a T-Rex, Stegosaurus, Brontosaurus, Triceratops and Pteranodon right in their views and they decide that that's what they want as their alt modes. They scan them, and then for part of the movie, there are vague reports (ala Sasquatch sightings) about dinosaurus roaming the area, Sam alerts Prime, and Prime investigates and finds out it's the Dinobots. He brings Grimlock up to speed on what's going on with the Decepticons and that their newest warrior (Devastator) is causing them major problems and that they could use his units help. Naturally Grimlock says no with his whole attitude towards Prime. Then the Dinobots follow the Autobots to the big battle, and just as Devastator is about to deliver this big blow to Prime, five laser blasts hit him, and then the smoke is followed to the smoking barrels of the Dinobots weapons. Battle ensues, Autobots win, movie ends.

As for other Autobots to be in the movie, I'd like to see the following three definitely reimagined for the movie: Wheeljack, and the Twins.

Read?! I want to be spoon fed

Hmmm how about this then?

assuming that good wins out in the film (heh this is holywood is it not?) then how about film 2 has a scene with prime talking to some earth proffessors about knowledge transfer, on one of these visits he see's some archeology (a totally new thing to him - not the sort of thing that happens on cybertron) he comments on this and they get into a discussion:

earth dude: 'yeah we are doing it to see what our history was like, but its a lot of speculation, we'll never know the colours and noises'
Prime ' hold on, what was that?'
earth dude ' That? thats a tyranosaurus rex, one of the largest carnivores ever to walk this planet (we think!)'
Prime ' I don't think they were that colour '
earth dude ' excuse me?'
Prime ' Our records were not accurate in that era, but I can now say that this is not the 1st time we 'the autobots' have visited this planet'
Earth dude ' how can you say that from seeing a tyranosaurus?'
Prime pops open a com link on his arm ' Prime to cybertron, patch me through to grimlock'
A picture appears of a bot in the comlink screen, he turns to the screen and says ' Hi big boss'
Prime ' Grim, I'll explain later, can you please transform?'
A puzzled look, an 'ok boss' and a few seconds later a pretty lifelike t-rex is in the screen..

It would go onto explain thatin cybertrons 'glorious days of expansion' brave souls were sent out to find other life blah blah...
The dinobots (because there are more - 5 in total to be exact) found earth and took on forms of the life there.
why havent they taken new forms - perhaps the volcanic activity affected their circuits (making them act more 'dinobot') and hence once recovered back to cybertron they chose not to take their normal cybertronian forms again.

once they are established - getting them to earth is a formality

EDIT:
I guess this puts me as Robotic/lifelike dinosaurs
Which would also allow beastwars fans to have a bit of a fangasm too, and movies are nearly always about maximising your audience!

Never become a screenwriter, you great big hack.

Whats a land raider crusader got to do with ought?
A dark angel Death wing crusader no less.




Anyway, if they turn up, lose Dinobot, and give them Cybertronian Alt modes only.
If I see a robotic dinosaur I'm gonna go nuclear, by the by

Palaeontology

No. There supposed to be robots in Disguise right?

Dinobots should have an origin like they did in Marvel comics. Considering that the movie Transformers don't have metallic, or any other kind of skin, mechanical Dinobots would, at least in that aspect, work in a movie.

Dork.

I'm just following you're typical action flick power moment where the tide turns and the good guys start winning. Like when Aragorn came with those ghost soldiers in Return of the King.

And don't call me a hack.

Ah yes, the most hackish part of the whole trilogy where a crummy deus ex machina just turned the story around because they were too lazy to think of something better? Yeah, I remember that.
You hack

Well, then you must be calling J.RR. Tolkien, one of the greatest fantasy authors of the 20th Century, a "Hack" as well since it was he who came up with the ghost soldiers, not the movie screenwriters. Aragorn seeking out the cursed army and then leading them into battle in Return of the King to turn the tide at the last minute was in the original book, not something added by the movie creators.

..
*clears throat*
Except the traitors weren't actually present on Pelenor fields, never saw minas Tirith and never broke said siege Damnit >.<
They were used to destroy the corsair fleet, which Aragorn took, met up with his homies (The dunedain and other warriors from the fiefdoms of Gondor -such as Dol Amroth) and sailed to Pellenor with a whole arsing load of HUMANS!
You know, that lot thats been played up as "being alone" cos its "up to them to face this darkness" and that they cant expect to be bailed out by the elves again.

...
Pet peeve.
(That entire gorramn film)

Where was I?

Oh yes, make devestator an earth mover (Ala, Cybertron Metroplex) those things are damn arse big enough to represent a gestalt, and splitting him into five or six bots that for one alt mode / Combined bot mode would (May) work.

Hell, just go with them being ...not quite but kinda like bounty hunters chasing say... Shockwave far in the past and have that lead them to Earth. Then they could all be stuck in Antarctica like in the old comics. I think that's a perfectly workable premise in a summer movie.

Only problem with that is that it's very similiar to the first movie, too much like it. So stuff needs to change up a bit more for it to work.

I suppose you have a point there. I actually thought the same thing as I was typing, but at least it does show that there can be workable explanations for dino dinobots. I'd be happy with big awesome earth modes if they were decent homages (which they can do and have done with several of the movie designs. Hell, I'd just be happy with Grimlock. There could even be friction between him and Prime for some story depth.

An earth mover? That poses an even worse problem than trainbots. Hell, even that thing that takes the space shuttles to the launching pad would move faster.


Regular construction vehicles are very common in any part of the United States, as well as any developed country, so they are the best for movie Constructicons.

*see post below*



Dude. What is your issue???

BTW, what Tramp said about you essentially calling Tolkien a hack. Yeah. I'm going to have to come to your house and give you a lesson in Tolkien's world.



That's beside the point. It was a movie and they obviously couldn't make everything perfect down to the tiniest detail for the fanboys and had to make some compensations here and there. They also did other things within the realm of creative liberties. In the Fellowship of the Ring, it was not Arwen who saved Frodo from the Wraiths, but someone else (it's been a while since I read the book so I forget who), and the whole thing with the horses made of water from the river was yet a second person. Arwen for the few moments like that was a conglomerate character rather than an individual who was originally written that way. They also left out the whole thing with Tom Bombadil before the Hobbits made it to the inn where they were to meet Gandalf.

Glorfindel. My favorite elf EVER. I was a bit disappointed but realized that they had to give Arwen more screen time at the cost of an elf that would never appear again. Movies aren't books...

I don't think there is anything nerdier than a Lord of the Rings discussion.

Haha. You just have to be proud of your dorkiness. I am.

*Points at the URL, the thread and basically the entire forum*

Say again.

I stand by what I said. Lord of the Rings is a perfect storm of nerdiness. It is not only a fantasy story, but also treads in the world of stuffy literature. That makes any discussion both generally nerdy and academic at the same time. People who dress up as Lord of the Rings characters, by the nature of the costumes, occupy the realm of nerdy fans, as well as Renaissance festival goers. And that is just stuff that existed prior to the films. Add those to the mix, as well as any and all merchandise, including the super-nerdy weapons replicas, and Lord of the Rings is far nerdier than Transformers. Hell, it might even beat Star Trek in such a category.