Was the 1986 TF animated movie,awesome,because it took place in the MIDDLE of the G-1 Media continuity?

[Lord_Onslaught]

The more I find out the more I think nothing will makes continuity easier when it comes to Transformers. That's why I embrace the Multi-verse view of things. Something doesn't jive? Must be happening in a different dimension. Headache averted. :P

 

Well it is because of Hasbro that we had to get a Multiverse. Even for G1. LOL right now there are at least 7 G1 continuities. Which is fine, and helps out a lot though there are a few continuities that could easily be combined into one, due to the small amount of figures in them

[Jason X]

Notice I didn't even try to ask how G2 factors in....

[Lord_Onslaught]

Notice I didn't even try to ask how G2 factors in....

 

Don't have to ask about G2, because G2 can go 1 of 2 ways.

 

1) direct continuation of G1 Marvel like it is, so it exists in the G1 Marvel Universe

2) It got erased do to a time anomaly when Ultra Magnus and Galvatron came back from the future

 

either way G2 is still a part of the G1 Marvel Universe, and never existed as a part of the G1 Cartoon Universe, so it is easier to keep it as part of the G1 Marvel Universe

[Goktimus Prime]

Was the 1986 TF animated movie,awesome,because it took place in the MIDDLE of the G-1 Media continuity?

 

What do I mean by MIDDLE? In easier/simplier words: lets view the TF G-1 Media from the 1980's as one huge novel/book.

TF G-1 cartoons seasons 1 & 2 are the beginning of the book/novel. the 1986 TF animated movie is in the middle of the book/novel.

TF G-1 cartoon seasons 3 & 4 are at the end of the book/novel.

 

What does all this beginning,middle & end of the book,have to do with making the 1986 movie awesome. Simple answer,being in the middle meant hasbro didn't have to waste time in the 1986 TF movie developing the characters & origin stories. being in the middle,hasbro had a entire season 3 to give those newer TF movie characters that were in the movie more 3-d personas & explain the reason for the quintessons,junkions & unicrons behavior/origins in the season 3 cartoon. Even the Marvel TF G-1 Comics provided unicron's 1986 movie origins/behavior.

 

In the end,Hasbro was able to tell a better story & pack it with more action in the 1986 TF movie. because no 1986 movie time was wasted on developing any seasons 1 & 2 character persona's nor origin stories.

 

That may have made it more awesome for fans - and don't get me wrong - watching Transformers The Movie in the cinema was one of my biggest highlights of 1986! - but it was also the movie's greatest weakness for the general public. The movie did not do well in box offices and critics hated it.

 

Look at TFTM from the POV of someone who's NEVER seen or heard of Transformers before... who are these robots? Why are they fighting each other? Who's Optimus Prime? Why is Starscream betraying Megatron? Those green robots can join up? etc. etc. While I may be critical about a lot of things with Michael Bay's TF films, one great strength of those movies - especially the first one - is that you don't need to be a fan of Transformers to watch it. You don't need to know _anything_ about Transformers to watch it. The movies are completely self contained. Transformers The Movie is not -- if you've never seen a single episode of Transformers before watching TFTM, it's confusing.

 

Another thing is the story. Let's face it, TFTM was basically a tool to promote the new 1986 toyline. All the characters who offed in the movie were toys from 1984-85 that were no longer in production: Optimus Prime, Megatron, Ironhide, Prowl, Ratchet, Brawn, Starscream, Thundercracker, Skywarp, Insecticons, Wheeljack, Windcharger etc etc etc. Soundwave didn't die because he was still in production! (hence why he appears in the 1986 catalogue) Character development?

 

I'd like to cite a lack of character development as another reason for the film's lack of success, but then again... there wasn't much character development/drive in the Bay movies either, and they made bucketloads of money... so that can't be it. :P It's probably because the story isn't self-contained.

 

Same with the Beast Wars Movie -- that movie makes no sense if you haven't watched Beast Wars and Beast Wars II. Although I have no idea how well that went in the box office, but then again the Japanese market seems able to sustain such fan-centric movies (e.g. Pokemon movies, Final Fantasy Advent Children etc.) -- the Western film industry on the other hand seems to rely more on stories that are more accessible to a wider audience, and not just the fans.