Autobot city's transformation to Battle mode in Transformers the movie.

I remember watching that scene in the theatre thinking how I never saw anything like that on the tv series.

I agree with the MTMTE Autobot "roll call" scene. That was awesome.

 

I don't like most of the transformation sequences in BWII, BW Neo, Micron Legend, Super Link, Galaxy Force and to a lesser extent, Car Robot -- not because they look bad, but because they just take too damn long!

 

I much prefer transformation sequences which are done as quickly and as efficiently as possible. One inherent weakness of being a transforming robot is that your mid-transformation form will always be a vulnerable moment for you -- so you really do NOT want to spend much time in that form. One fight scene which illustrates this well is in Transformers the Movie when Hot Rod rams Galvatron in car mode, and as the two of them wrestle, Hot Rod transforms to robot mode - but he's made a critical error of allowing himself to transform (i.e.: a moment of vulnerability) when he's in such close melee range to Galvatron. Anyone who's done any form of hand-to-hand training/martial arts will know that in melee combat, the closer you get to your opponent, the more dangerous it becomes... hence why Galvatron is able to begin locking Hot Rod in a choke-hold while Hot Rod is in mid-transformation (there's that cool moment where you see Galvatron's hands wrapping around Hot Rod's neck as his head is sliding out) so that by time Hot Rod's transformation to robot is finished, he's already being choked! Yes, I know that Transformers technically don't breathe - but the point is that mid-transformation is a very vulnerable moment for Transformers.

 

Another moment is when Transmetal Cheetor tries to transform to flight mode when he's freefalling, but mistimes it so that he just ends up crashing on the ground - only with the transformation completing itself after he's landed on his head, thus slamming him into a rock. The transformation left him unable to react to the fact that he had mistimed his move.

 

The difficulty of transforming whilst minimising your vulnerability would only be compounded when merging/combining because you're talking about several different individual Transformers all transforming toward the same combined mode. I much prefer the traditional method we saw in G1 where basically every gestalt member transforms simultaneously to form the same mode -- not in stages like freakin' Voltron.

 

The Constructicon's premiere combining sequence was done in phases, but that was because they had actually withdrawn to a relatively safe distance from the Dinobots before doing so - and it also served a secondary function of intimidating the Autobots. But again, the Constructicons typically only do this when there is a break in the battle, not in mid-fight - and even then it's relatively quicker than what we see in more recent shows.

 

For example, in the battle of Autobot City in TFTM, Megatron only orders the Constructicons to merge after they had secured their position. By time Springer and the other Autobots got that launcher loaded, the Constructicons had thoroughly formed Devastator, who had already started attacking a turret by time Springer loosed a missile at him.

 

I see transformation in battle as kinda like reloading your weapon - you don't do it in mid-fight! Even when you play a FPS like CS, you're not going to reload your sub machine gun in the middle of a fire fight! If you run out of ammo and you're still fighting, you're going to switch to your pistol and when that runs out and you're still fighting you're going to switch to your grenades or even your knife... if you need to reload, you run for cover!

Ok, those Superlink combiner transformations were pretty cool, but judging by the speed lines they must be like 30 miles away from the fight by the time they ACTUALLY finished transforming.

 

:thumb

 

That's why I hate Japanese transformations...the speed lines convey distance travelled, to me...

G1 Season 1 opening.

 

Autobot cars driving towards battle, transform without missing a beat and still running without loosing a step. Jazz tackles Skywarp, who throws him. Jazz transforms midair so his wheels touch the ground rather than his face, as he drives in a quick U-turn and transforms again, punching Skywarp in the face.

Tim: the problem with the "speed-line" theory is that when they've finished transforming, they're often standing in the same spot where they've started. It's obviously just repeat stock footage that they recycle every time that transformation is done. The lines are added in for:

a) dramatic "action" effect

b) allowing the sequence to be recycled in any episode since it completely obscures the background. Could be on land, under the sea or in space... once the transformation starts, action lines abound.

 

Btw, it is grossly unfair to accuse all transformations in Japanese animation of being like this. There's a lot of animé which doesn't resort to this - it all depends on how cheap the animators feel like being - and generally also the target audience. Animé aimed at more discerning audiences such as Macross Plus, Macross Zero et al. don't feature this kind of cheap repeated stock footage.

 

And if you think that American animators never recycle their stock footage, just watch some old Hanna Barbera or He-Man episodes. Heck, even more recent American animators still do it, or haven't you noticed that Team-O Supremo's transformation sequence is always the same? (god how I hate that show...).

Technically, in the G1 toon, Optimus Prime's transformation was recycled very often. You know the one when you see it...all they do is change the backdrop.

Unicron in the movie and Primus in Cybertron / Galaxy force.

Brilliant moments :thumb

Now to get them together...

 

Oh, and Devestator in the movie, mainly for Kups reaction. :D

The problem with the anime-style transformations (and this is a problem on other shows as well, such Power Rangers and Voltron) is that all the action simply pauses, as if the world is waiting for them to finish transforming.

Terrorcon Blot: yes true - but that didn't bother me as much because it was relatively quick and efficient. He'd be like "Transform and roll out!" - and sure, it was the same stock footage, but it was just a case of "TCHK-TCHK-TCHK-TCHK-TCHK!" and they were off!

 

Compare this with say Car Robot...

"TORANSUFOOOOM!" *tchktchktchktchktchk*

"TORANSUFOOOOOM!" *tchktchktchktchktchk*

"KYOUJIN GATTAI..." *tchktchktchktchktchk* "GODDO..." *tchktchktchktchktchk* "FI-YA.." *tchktchktchktchktchk* "CONVOOOOOOY!" *tchktchktchktchktchk* *pause for dramatic effect*

 

That's the other thing - the dramatic pause after transformation! Hello?! They should replace Megatron with Daffy Duck as Decepticon leader.

 

"GALAXY CONVOY - TORANSFUFOOM!" *tchktchktchktchktchk*

"SUPAH MOOOODE!" *tchktchktchktchktchk*

 

"DUCK THEATHON, FIRE!!" *blam*

 

...Decepticons win!

 

Scrapped Galaxy Convoy: "You're despicable!"

movie unicron. That's the only one that i can actually remember without trying.