More than meets the eye

Hasbro and Robosen Robotics are back at it, with another addition to the latter company’s lineup of auto-converting Transformers. The crew from Cybertron is filling out at this point, with Optimus Prime, Megatron, and Grimlock all already available, and now it’s just been revealed that Bumblebee is on the way.

The little yellow Autobot (well, not that little at 17″ tall) is just as fully featured as the rest of the line too. Actually, maybe more so. Bumblebee transforms, moves, and talks with over 200 voice lines from original ‘G1’ voice actor Dan Gilvezan, but that’s not all. The little bot houses a new servo-motor as well, making his alt-mode speedier and more agile than any other figure in the series.

After over 3 years of dedicated R&D, the talented team at Robosen has successfully produced an exact replica of the classic Volkswagen Bug, which hosts a brand new rear servo-motor, for an incredibly agile and speedy driving experience while in car mode.  When the battle begins, watch as Bumblebee authentically converts from car to robot just like the original 1984 episodes fans have loved all across the globe!   Coupled with a comprehensive set of functions, including automatic convertible movements from car to robot via voice or app, a new and more fluid bipedal walking algorithm, development of a brand- new rear axle servo-motor, all completed with a perfect match to the iconic VW bug!  Built with speed, agile movements, and entertaining voiced actions – fans are sure to enjoy the Original 1984 voice-talents of Dan Gilvezan, with over 200+ lines – Bumblebee is the companion your Robosen collection has been waiting for! The Flagship Bumblebee drives in to aide Optimus and Grimlock with his speed and quick wit, all while standing at 17” tall and is equipped with 32 servo motors along with 90 microchips, which power the Bee from inside. 

Robosen press release

Bumblebee is available right now for pre-order, via either Robosen.com or HasbroPulse.com, and looks to be so-far scheduled to ship on July 15th. As with the company’s past offerings, he’s also marked down for the first 30 days of that pre-order period, and right now you can find him tagged at $949 USD.

Just be aware that, once that time’s up, he’ll go back to what’ll be his usual price of $1,299 USD. So if you’re thinking of grabbing a Bumblebee for your own Transformers collection, you might want to consider doing so sooner than later.

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Back in time

I have to admit that I smiled at some of that. Yes, the human characters still look like they’re much too big of a part of the film, I get that. And Bumblebee still can’t talk either, which makes no sense whatsoever. But even so, I find it hard not to get just a little bit excited.

The first appearance of triple-changes, a classic Transformers character type, is awesome. Plus that was Shockwave. That was Soundwave too, complete with Ravage jumping out of his chest. Prime looked like the classic G1 Prime… all really good stuff.

There is one thing that’s kind of a bummer going into the movie however. That’s that the first Transformers movie to get things right is probably the last one. Paramount and Hasbro had previously talked about ending the series after Bumblebee, since the previous few films had been declining at the box office. Actually, it’d probably be over already if Bee here wasn’t so far along when these decisions were made. But that might not be all bad either.

Hasbro, makers of Transformers toys (and much of the core fiction), will reportedly have a much bigger say going forward. So there’s a better chance for future Transformers movies to be like the classic property now. That’s only a good thing, and I have to wonder too if we’re seeing a little bit of that influence in this film. Maybe just a touch.

Either way, Bumblebee is looking fun. And might be a nice sendoff for the first Transformers movie franchise. It hits theaters this holiday.

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Robots in disguise

Not bad. Don’t get me wrong though, there are still some iffy elements. The majority human cast and a voiceless Bumblebee are still not something that I want to see as a fan. Thing is though, Bumblebee does look better than most of the Transformers movies that have come before. And it might be the last one.

A while back, we told you about a Hasbro future that doesn’t have any Transformers movie in it. With nothing scheduled for 2019, Hasbro more or less confirmed that they would be reassessing the films, and attaining more control for themselves. While I’m not one to stifle creativity, I was very happy to hear that. I can’t imagine Hasbro would allow their property to be changed in such massive ways as the Michael Bay-produced series has.

At the time, we also told you that Bumblebee (the film) would be unaffected by this coming shift, and here we are. Though there are some pleasant surprises. As you can see in the trailer, Starscream actually looks like Starscream, and Bumblebee looks much more like the classic version of the Autobot too. How did it take this long, right to the end of the series, for Paramount to get this even remotely close to “right”?

Not that it matters. Bumblebee is most likely the last gasp for the current series. That of course, leads us to wonder what’s next. Cross your fingers on that one.

Bumblebee hits theaters this December.

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A Sonic movie, new Games with Gold and much more is new this week! Jason also takes us through the comic rack and toy shelf to talk some new books and go over his experience at the Toy Fair!

Listen to the show below, or find it through iTunes on your favorite podcast app!

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Win if you dare

The above line is synonymous with Transformer: The Movie. Yes, I understand that you might not immediately think of it when referencing the animated 80s classic, but it is. While “The Touch” is the easy favorite from the flick’s soundtrack, “Dare” (which features those lyrics) is right there with it.

Why does any of this matter? Because just like this year’s Bumblebee movie is set int eh 1980s, so’s this OGN from IDW. Of course, that’s where the similarities end.

When his best friend is hurt, Bumblebee takes it upon himself to finish the mission—and prove his worth to his fellow Autobots along the way. Things get tense as Bumblebee and a new human friend infiltrate a series of incredible races, hunting down dangerous foes and a devastating secret. It’s an exciting new, action-packed ’80s adventure! X-Men ’92 co-writers Chad Bowers and Chris Sims along with artist Marcelo Ferreira (Back to the Future, Transformers: Windblade) have crafted a nostalgia-tinged, yet equally fresh standalone story.

Presumably, this OGN will be in-continuity for IDW’s Transformers line of comics. Just how much the movie that the subtitle bowers from plays in is a mystery however. There might not be any link though, as this could be a simple tip of the hat to a fan-favorite.

Watch for Bumblebee: Win if You Dare to hit stores this coming September the 11th. It’ll run you $9.99 USD.

Here’s a bit about the book from the creative types:

“The exciting thing about this book is that it really hits all the highs of TRANSFORMERS for fans new and old,” said IDW Associate Editor, David Mariotte. “It has action, adventure, racing and robots, but it also has a lot of heart and humor that comes through in this simultaneously retro and very modern package.”

“This story is just a ton of fun,” said Michael Kelly, head of publishing at Hasbro. “Bumblebee is the ultimate underdog, and everyone loves an underdog. IDW has done a fantastic job bringing this iconic character to life for a new generation of fans.”

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Till all are one

I’ve never been all that big a fan of the Transformers movies. Taken as what they are, the first few are somewhat enjoyable… but they’re not really Transformers movies. Pretty much all of the mythos was trashed. That was Michael Bay’s doing, when he crafted his base story and versions of the characters.

On top of that the way the characters individual looks were all thrown out the window. I mean, Megatron (any version of him) has looked in no way even remotely similar to any of his cartoon/comic book forms. Though honestly you could say that same thing about any Autobot or Decepticon. Though I’ll add a very minor exception for Optimus Prime himself.

But all that looks like it’s about to change.

IGN has picked up on a few things that might mean the Cybertronian movie universe is about to transform in a very big way.

The entertainment website has received comment from Hasbro that there will now be no Transformers movie in 2019. Before you say that it’s probably just not been announced yet, understand that there was one set in place before. Furthermore, the toy-giant is working with “the new Paramount leadership team to lay out the future of Transformers films”.

Taking that all a step further, website Transformers World is reporting that Hasbro has also confirmed that it will have greater creative control over the franchise moving forward. And that apparently includes even the greelighting of projects. So if Hasbro doesn’t like something, or thinks it’s not good for the brand, it might not get the go-ahead at all.

Honestly, I could see that going either way, but so far I’m liking the sound of al this. Unaffected however, will be the Bumblebee-centric movie that’s set to arrive this Holiday Season. That’s way too far along to cancel, so it’ll apparently serve as the last entry in the original Transformers (live action) movie series.

I’d say I’m sad to see it go, but…

Source: IGN

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Transformers: The Last Knight

Lots of questions there, which is nothing new for this movie. It’s been shrouded in mystery since its announcement, and has dropped few clues.

In the last trailer, we saw a techno-planet seemingly drift into our solar system and start absorbing Earth’s moon. At least, that’s what it looked like. The planet itself looked a lot like the usual depiction of the Transformers home world, Cybertron. One problem: Cybertron doesn’t move (more than any other planet anyway), and it doesn’t eat other planets. But Unicron does.

A living world that can actually transform into a planet-sized robot, Unicron is a kind of dark god among the Transformers. He was the central figure in the old animated movie from the 80s and famously reformatted Megatron into Galvatron, who became his servant (for a while).

Is that what we’re seeing here? If it is, then it certainly looks like it’s happening with Prime instead of Megs. That’s an odd choice, but then again this is the movie series. It’s got a history of making choices with characters that don’t exactly fit in with the fiction’s canon.

On the other hand, Prime mentions a “maker” in the trailer, and that might refer to Primus. The good god in the Transformers pantheon, he has -at times- been considered Cybertron itself. In other words, he’s a good guy version of Unicron, but more or less stuck in planet mode. Primus isn’t evil though, so that’d make little sense here since it looks like whatever that planet is, is going to destroy earth.

Then again, this is the movie series…

We’ll see, when Transformers: The Last Knight hits theaters on June 23rd, 2017.

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The Last Knight

Lots to take in there, especially for something that’s being called a ‘teaser’. We can actually tell quite a bit, and yet there are loads of questions left on the transformable-table.

From the looks of things, the majority of the action will take place in the present time. That’s something that wasn’t a definite, since there was talk of both the middle ages and World War II. As you can see, both eras play into the movie, but won’t be the centerpoint.

Instead, we’ll get a return to the world of today, which will include both Mark Wahlberg’s and Scott Duhamel’s characters. Looks like there’ll be both some new transformers in the mix too, and some interesting tech. That scene with the walker doesn’t quite look like it’s a Cybertronian, though I could be wrong.

And what’s going on with Prime and that… planet?

Obviously Optimus isn’t dead, as Anthony Hopkins’ character asserts at the start of the trailer, but he’s clearly a bad guy of sorts. Sure, he says “forgive me”, but he’s about to kill Bumblebee, so he can’t exactly be the bot he was. And that planet might be why. It looks like Cybertron in a way, but it would sure fit things if it was Unicron instead.

Unicron, by the way, is a sentient planet that can actually transform into a massive robot. He’s like a machine version of Galactus really, and does the same thing too – meaning he swallows up worlds. In the Transformers cartoon movie, he encountered Megatron floating in space and turned him into his servant called Galvatron. That specific version of Megs was already used though, in the last film. So could Prime be swapped into that role for this new movie? I’m thinking ‘yes’.

We’ll see though, as it’s more than a little hazy as to what’s going on, and we’ve got a ways to go before the movie opens. And that’s an event that’s scheduled for June the 23rd, 2017, just so you know.

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That’s a pretty sweet little teaser if you’re an old school Transformers fan. We haven’t seen those designs for a good long time, between the movies, and the newest rounds of cartoons and toys. I’m a pretty big fan of the Transformers: Cybertron games already, and while I hope that this doesn’t mean the end of those titles (’cause they’re great), I have to say it’ll be pretty nice to get to play as the original Autobot and Decepticon ‘models’. Aside from the truly horrible NES game that starred them, there’s never been a video game that actually had these versions of the Transformers, so it’s about time.

As for the game itself, most of what we reported with that rumor/leak from earlier in the week looks to be true. You’ll be able to play as Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Sideswipe, Wheeljack And Grimlock, and the game will “harnesses the unique abilities of its heroes to convert from robot to vehicle form to extraordinary effect” – which sounds pretty cool. PlatinumGames promises a deep combat experience too with plenty of combo’s to be pulled off, new skills to learn for your characters, and weapons to upgrade.

To go along with the awesome cell-shaded looks and G1 aesthetic, Activision has tapped into the IDW comics universe, which really is the continuation of the classic continuity, for the story. While we don’t quite officially know what that narrative  is just yet, we do know there’ll be both Megatron and Devastator featured.

Oh, and they’ll sound like you remember them too, as actor Dan Gilvezan will be playing Bumblebee, Frank Welker will be back as Megatron and Soundwave, Gregg Berger will play Grimlock, and the legendary Peter Cullen will once again return as the one and only Optimus Prime. And, if you are a fan, then your head probably just exploded.

Transformers Devastation arrives for the PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS3, and Windows PC some time later this year.

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Picking up years after the climactic battle between the Autobots and the Decepticons in Transformers Prime, the Prime series lives on with a brand new makeup.

Taking place years after the battle between Autobots and Decepticons in “Transformers Prime,” this all new series centers around our hero Bumblebee stepping up to lead a brand new team of Autobots. The show features an all-star cast with Will Friedle (“Boy Meets World”) returning as Bumblebee, along with Darren Criss (“Glee”), Constance Zimmer (“House of Cards”) and Ted McGinley (“Married with Children”). Blending 3D characters with hand-painted environments, the series mixes action-packed adventure with lots of comedy, making it a rip-roaring experience for kids and families to enjoy together.

This is an interesting shift for the series, which has always been focused on the Autobots faction as a whole and Optimus Prime in particular. Having Bumblebee star is definitely different, as I don’t think the character has ever really been seen in that kind of a central role before… pretty much ever.

With the Transformers as a brand turning 30 this year (hard to believe), it’s a big year for the bots from Cybertron too. Things have rarely been bigger for the Autobots and Decepticons, with a new movie about to hit and the toy line, omit books, and TV show being as popular as they’ve ever been.

It’s funny how the brand has exploded over the last decade or so. It’s even bigger than it was in the initial Generation One show/comics series back in the ’80s I think. Pretty cool to see, especially if you’re a big time fan from way back.

Also from executive producer Jeff Kline (Transformers Prime) and Hasbro Studios, the as-yet untitled Transformers series will debut on the Hub in 2015.

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