The only one I still have is deluxe Brawl (with a Wreckage head). Other than that, I was ultimately let down by the gulf between toys and movie. I think hyper-detailed robots and small plastic toys are not a good combination.

I think most of that gulf was due to Hasbro having to work from out of date production art to get the toys ready to coincide with the film's release, as opposed to there not being a possibility of translating the toys any better.

 

 

I expect the gulf to be smaller between the toys and movie for part 2, if it's true that ILM is working from the same character models for the surviving characters, Hasbro's got an edge on designing new and more accurate molds for these characters. New characters may still suffer, though.

 

The only one I still have is deluxe Brawl (with a Wreckage head). Other than that, I was ultimately let down by the gulf between toys and movie. I think hyper-detailed robots and small plastic toys are not a good combination.

I think most of that gulf was due to Hasbro having to work from out of date production art to get the toys ready to coincide with the film's release, as opposed to there not being a possibility of translating the toys any better.

 

 

I expect the gulf to be smaller between the toys and movie for part 2, if it's true that ILM is working from the same character models for the surviving characters, Hasbro's got an edge on designing new and more accurate molds for these characters. New characters may still suffer, though.

 

The fundamental issue isn't going to change, though. Optimus "10,000 Moving Parts" Prime just isn't going to make a convincing transforming toy.

 

 

ILM used visual cheats in the transformations anyway

 

The only one I still have is deluxe Brawl (with a Wreckage head). Other than that, I was ultimately let down by the gulf between toys and movie. I think hyper-detailed robots and small plastic toys are not a good combination.

I think most of that gulf was due to Hasbro having to work from out of date production art to get the toys ready to coincide with the film's release, as opposed to there not being a possibility of translating the toys any better.

 

 

I expect the gulf to be smaller between the toys and movie for part 2, if it's true that ILM is working from the same character models for the surviving characters, Hasbro's got an edge on designing new and more accurate molds for these characters. New characters may still suffer, though.

 

 

Heh, I'm not sure that needed to be spoilered.

 

Anyway, I agree with you. People forget that the toys have a much longer lead time to the shelf than the film. If you look at the production dates stamped on the toys/packaging, most of those first wave figures were produced in late 2006, which means that the first test shots, etc. - probably had to be completed by July/August 2006. And as I recall, with the exception of Bumblebee (whose design was fixed when the built the giant prop), ILM made some significant changes to some of the CGI models after these dates...

Optimus "10,000 Moving Parts" Prime just isn't going to make a convincing transforming toy.

Ah, I see.

 

No, the gulf I speak of comes more from non-matching head sculpts and weapons that the toys didn't have and things like that. The most accurate movie sculpts represent the "10,000 Moving Parts" look well enough in toy form for my tastes.

Optimus "10,000 Moving Parts" Prime just isn't going to make a convincing transforming toy.

Ah, I see.

 

No, the gulf I speak of comes more from non-matching head sculpts and weapons that the toys didn't have and things like that. The most accurate movie sculpts represent the "10,000 Moving Parts" look well enough in toy form for my tastes.

Honestly......................

 

 

 

 

 

 

...

 

 

 

 

 

 

I would have liked to have seen Megatron's original head.

ILM used visual cheats in the transformations anyway

LIES

I think they admitted to it actually...

Although it may have been the same types of cheats that directors use all the time anyway -

 

*Slick cop with hot namebrand shades runs across the street and dives to save small kid from oncoming traffic*

 

*Close up of cop and kid rolling across busy highway and out of harms way. Both faces showing surprise and concern (glasses mysterisously gone)*

 

*cop stands and gives kid a thumbs up and a coke (glasses back on and namebrand showing)*

I think they admitted to it actually...

Yeah, they did.

 

Although it may have been the same types of cheats that directors use all the time anyway -

 

*Slick cop with hot namebrand shades runs across the street and dives to save small kid from oncoming traffic*

 

*Close up of cop and kid rolling across busy highway and out of harms way. Both faces showing surprise and concern (glasses mysterisously gone)*

 

*cop stands and gives kid a thumbs up and a coke (glasses back on and namebrand showing)*

:lol

I only bought movie decepticons (regular versions, except for Megatron, who I got as a RR).

 

I was really excited to find them, and buy them. I was TFing them 2 or 3 times a day each. Then I saw the movie, and my intrest faded steadily. They're all still on my shelf, but I don't look at them much.

FAVORITES:

 

Leader Class

Prime – My favorite character and the best of the leader class. They should have made the lights in his eyes and chest blue instead of yellow and the sound for his automorph feature G1. Fortunately the premium version is coming out and I plan on getting that one.

 

Brawl – Both modes are awesome.

 

 

Voyager Class

Ironhide – Love both modes. Just wish the details in paint were a lil’ better in robot mode.

 

Ratchet – Even though I was against the lime green look at first. After watching the movie I grew to like it. When I was looking for this guy I had the option to get either the movie version (Lime Green) or the G1 (Red/White) version. I went with the movie version because I think it looks better and makes him look more badass. Like Ironhide just needs more detailing in robot mode. Wish I could've jumped at the chance of getting the metallic version but I was too late.

 

Starscream – Love the robot mode just wish he had hands. Alt mode is a little bulky. But hey, it’s a toy, what can you do?

 

 

Deluxe Class

Bumblebee (08 Camaro) – Both modes are great. I think he was the best mold in the movie line. Very movie accurate and with multiple points of articulation this figure didn’t go wrong.

 

 

 

NEEDS WORK:

 

Leader Class

Megatron – Bad paint job and needs serious work. Eyes don’t light up like it does on the box art. Head can’t turn for posing purposes. Legs are a pain in the ass when transforming. Automorph sound sucks. If I knew that they were coming out with a premium version I’ve would have waited.

 

 

Voyager Class

Blackout – Should have been up’d to Leader Class. Can’t mount the copter blade weapon because it causes an imbalance to where he can’t use it to pose.

 

 

Deluxe Class

Drones – All the drones with circle faces are a waist, which is why I didn’t bother getting any of them. I figured, if they can’t take the time to create decent faces for them. Then I don’t have the time buy them. One maybe two of them would have been okay but I think there were like 5 of them made that way. Payload looked nice in robot mode but I still pass. It was a lack of creativity when it came to these guys.

 

 

 

When I first started collecting these movie figures I only planned on getting Prime and Megatron. Then, before I knew it I had all the characters from the movie and I thought it would stop there. I decided to top off the line by adding a few more that made alt mode appearances in the movie. Overall I’m happy with all the figures. Hunting these things down was an adventure. I love the movie aesthetic to all of them and the realistic approaches towards the alt modes make them enjoyable. My biggest knock on them is the lack of paint detail in most of the figures. Unfortunately, unlike some of you I don’t have the skill with the paintbrush to make detail corrections as needed. Maybe I’ll learn or get someone to do it for me. The other thing that they should have done is upgrade the class on some of these guys. Like Blackout, Evac, and Incinerator should have been leader class. Both Bonecrusher and Wreckage at the least should have been voyager class, possibly leader class. Stockade and Longarm should have been voyager class.

 

The last time I owned a Transformer I was probably around 10 back in the G1 days. I never thought 20 years later I would have any desire to collect these things. Nostalgia got the better of me. LOL