Video: Painfully awesome “Transformers” trailer
posted at 3:24 pm on May 18, 2007 by Allahpundit
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I posted an earlier trailer in December, but the awesomeness of that one was merely irritating. “Looks stupid and amazing,” I said. Ah, but my friends — how vastly more stupid and amazing this one is. Shooting pains in my lower back and abdomen from the acute awesomeness of it all.
I’m warning you, it may be this sort of thing for the rest of the day.
Update: The hi-rez purists among us will find comfort here.
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I cried a little, it hurt so good.
Lehosh on May 18, 2007 at 3:27 PM
The noise!
They used the noise.
Awesome.
Slublog on May 18, 2007 at 3:29 PM
AmnestyParole for Decepticons! They’re just here because they want a better life./bitter
Dave Shay on May 18, 2007 at 3:30 PM
Could this be the post that reunites believers and non-believers, RINOs, Social Cons and Country Club Republicans?
Could the awesomeness of this trailer presage a permanent GOP majority?
BillINDC on May 18, 2007 at 3:30 PM
Love the Optimus Prime “come and get some” pose near the end.
Graybark on May 18, 2007 at 3:33 PM
Like they even need to put Michael Bay’s name on it–it’s so freaking obvious it’s Michael Bay. My husband and son are gonna love this testosteroney explosion-fest.
aero on May 18, 2007 at 3:35 PM
It’s Aloha Friday again! Thanks, Allahpundit!
RushBaby on May 18, 2007 at 3:35 PM
This movie is going to suck so hard. Even in the previews — too many humans. The cartoon hardly had any humans, and that’s what made it good. It was about the robots; not the humans. This is war of the worlds.
Michael Bay said he loved superman. Why did he make such a stupid movie then? Same with transformers. This looks awful.
Robots rollerskating on the interstate? Puh-leez.
Okay, I’m done with my rant. I -loved- transformers as a kid and this movie makes me sad.
lorien1973 on May 18, 2007 at 3:35 PM
LOL, AP I literally was thinking an hour ago about pointing this out to you; And Lo! Allah is prescient.
Trailer’s impressive, but I remain a skeptic. It is Michael Bay after all.
SouthernDem on May 18, 2007 at 3:37 PM
God help me I am so going to see that movie
Defector01 on May 18, 2007 at 3:38 PM
“More that meets the eyeeeee.”
I was too old to have enjoyed Transfarmers back when they were the hot toy. My twin nephews did, though. They’re both now 30 and are excited about this movie.
So what’s next, 80s kids? MASK? Thundercats? GoBots? Captain Power? Eagle Island?
Gottafang on May 18, 2007 at 3:38 PM
Did I just hear that? Yeah!
geckomon on May 18, 2007 at 3:39 PM
Glorious Quicktime HD here.
SouthernDem on May 18, 2007 at 3:39 PM
Want
askheaves on May 18, 2007 at 3:40 PM
I’m going to go see it, but it had better be nothing but what you see in that clip. I want to see the robots jumping around and smashing stuff and fighting and badass compositing for two hours. I don’t want Michael Bay trying to tell me a story. There’s no point in his trying to make me feel for the characters. I don’t want to believe that the love between the nerdy kid and the incomprehensibly hot girl-next-door is real. He might as well try to convince me the moon is made of cheese. Just set up the effects shots, Mike, then shut up and get out of the way. Thanks.
Blacklake on May 18, 2007 at 3:40 PM
Thundercats would be cool. Voltron would be awesome too.
lorien1973 on May 18, 2007 at 3:40 PM
Actually, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.
Pity. I was kind of hoping for “Thundarr the Barbarian” myself.
Slublog on May 18, 2007 at 3:40 PM
Voltron! All versions!
geckomon on May 18, 2007 at 3:41 PM
That’s Bryan Singer who made Superman a douche, I do believe, if you’re referring to Superman Returns.
SouthernDem on May 18, 2007 at 3:42 PM
The cars? The cars?!?! The lions were the only -real- voltron.
lorien1973 on May 18, 2007 at 3:42 PM
Go to here to see the 720p and 1080p trailers.
This is the kind of stuff that sends geek chills down my spine.
Queasy on May 18, 2007 at 3:42 PM
That was Shia Labouf. And he just saw the funniest thing.
/stolen
askheaves on May 18, 2007 at 3:44 PM
Maybe it’s just a technicality, but how are audiences going to react to a machine massacring a bunch of American soldiers trying to fight it?
amerpundit on May 18, 2007 at 3:45 PM
Sugoi that’s freakin awesome.
I know that they were actually able to get Peter Cullen to do Prime’s voice. (For the first time since the 1980’s)
But I can’t wait to see what the others are like.
HOPEFULLY… the movie isn’t as “Spike centric” as the preview looks. (Spike’s the kid)
Jones Zemkophill on May 18, 2007 at 3:45 PM
Anyone else feel they went a tad too far in making the Transformers look less streamlined in robot form?
I understand they want to be more realistic than the cartoon, but in some of those scenes they look like junk piles of death (Was that an arm? Was that the face?). I’m reserving final judgment until I see the whole thing.
Graybark on May 18, 2007 at 3:45 PM
My bet is on Captain Planet.
And you know there is only one man who cares about our planet enough to play the lead role…
JaHerer22 on May 18, 2007 at 3:45 PM
I want to hear them talk! I want to hear Optimus Prime and Megatron talk! That’s what I was waiting the whole trailer for!
frankj on May 18, 2007 at 3:47 PM
This is a movie I’ve waiting 26 years to see. The only way it’d be better is if it was a double feature with a GI Joe live action movie or possiblly even an Airwolf remake.
theovermind99 on May 18, 2007 at 3:48 PM
Ted Turner?
Slublog on May 18, 2007 at 3:49 PM
blockquote>Maybe it’s just a technicality, but how are audiences going to react to a machine massacring a bunch of American soldiers trying to fight it?
amerpundit on May 18, 2007 at 3:45 PM
They’ll probably react the same way they do to every other monster/zombie/alien/robot movie ever made in which this happens.
JaHerer22 on May 18, 2007 at 3:50 PM
I believe that Hugo Weaving is Megatron in the movie, but Frank Welker (the original Megatron) is the voice in the video game tie in.
theovermind99 on May 18, 2007 at 3:52 PM
I think Peter Cullen only does Prime’s voice for the video game.
lorien1973 on May 18, 2007 at 3:54 PM
IMDB says he’s doing both, which made me hope we’d hear him in the trailer.
Slublog on May 18, 2007 at 3:56 PM
It looks like they did let them into Edwards to shoot footage of real F-22’s. So the film probably paints the military in a fairly positive light.
Blacklake on May 18, 2007 at 4:01 PM
I could rock the GI Joe movie…
“Hells yeah”
But Airwolf….. I watched an episode of that in the last year or so on one of those oldies channels. Let me tell ya, Airwolf makes both the A-Team and Knight Rider seem erudite by comparison.
Actually, I recently saw some A-team and Knight Rider and they hold up pretty well. But Airwolf is terrible.
(zomg! they have a helicopter with a grenade launcher… wow. not like the military doesn’t have any of those.)
Jones Zemkophill on May 18, 2007 at 4:02 PM
That’d be awesome. I can’t imagine another voice for prime. Starscream better be a whiny bitch too. But I’m very luke warm on this movie; I’ll probably see it. I’ll miss “The touch” ballad if they don’t play that too. Ah well. I’m such an 80’s dork.
lorien1973 on May 18, 2007 at 4:05 PM
Isn’t that easier to stomach than fellow human beings? Fantasy, though frightening, is still fantasy and easier to separate and handle for most age-appropriate audience members.
A mechanical race that has nothing in common with us, but a desire to take over our planet. As opposed to our own species, filled with hate for all that, for pity’s sake, disagree with them religiously….who want to take over the planet.
Or am I missing what you are asking?
ej_pez on May 18, 2007 at 4:06 PM
“And you know there is only one man who cares about our planet enough to play the lead role…”
Elmer Fudd?
georgej on May 18, 2007 at 4:06 PM
This thing comes out in July? It’s what, mid-May?
And clearly AP does not even postulate a non-I take what I can get
*sob* type of girl entering his life in the interim. Else why focus thusly on 7.4.7?
Tonight I will pray that AP soon meets a zesty tomato and that his pitiable streak dies. I know he is geographically situated so that he is surrounded by pale garofaloes so I’ll have to pray extra hard.
Stephen M on May 18, 2007 at 4:06 PM
One of the other trailers has him do a quick voiceover line at the tnd of the trailer… Can’t remember which one though.
Jones Zemkophill on May 18, 2007 at 4:07 PM
I can’t wait to see the Transgenders!
What….?!
Kini on May 18, 2007 at 4:07 PM
Yes but does that helicopter go Mach 1 plus. I didn’t think so.
theovermind99 on May 18, 2007 at 4:07 PM
So amazingly awesome…
Nonfactor on May 18, 2007 at 4:08 PM
The coolest thing in that trailer was his dad’s Austin Healey 3000.
rivlax on May 18, 2007 at 4:09 PM
O_o
…
My mind was so overloaded with scarcastic comment options… about Ernest Borgnine, red outs, and terrible plot… that I simply couldn’t make up my mind.
Instead, feel free to take the elements listed above and make your own sarcastic insult for Airwolf’s terribleness. (The video game sucked too)
I’m gonna make a sandwich.
Jones Zemkophill on May 18, 2007 at 4:15 PM
I’m cool with it as long as, in the end, the ROE are such that the military is allowed to kick some bad robot butt.
Goracle! Goracle!
JadeNYU on May 18, 2007 at 4:16 PM
Well, for the 80’s kids (my children), this is da bomb. I find it mildly interesting because I am a certified sci-fi nutjob. I’m gonna see this at the theater because it ought to be fun watching the kids go nuts.
csdeven on May 18, 2007 at 4:20 PM
Don’t be dissin’ Airwolf, though it should really be left off the big screen. That show was ahead of its time. The show that was truly ahead of its time, 20 minutes into the future to be exact, was Max Headroom. When can we get that on DVD?
Robotech/Macross needs to be done as a live action trilogy, though I suspect we’ll see a live action Ghost in the Shell long before it.
AICN had a link up a while back to a USAF video report on the military working with Bay on the filming.
rw on May 18, 2007 at 4:23 PM
See, the humans are robots too.
benrand on May 18, 2007 at 4:23 PM
This movie falls into that rarefied air of movies that are so utterly pwnz0r-tastic that my coworkers and I are planning a workday pilgrimage to the local theater to see it.
Same with the new Fantastic Four movie. Unless the rumors are true about Galactus being changed into a freaking storm cloud, in which case I will be avoiding that movie like the plague out of principle.
World B. Free on May 18, 2007 at 4:24 PM
I wasn’t trying to draw a comparison, just that there appeared to be scenes were US soldiers were shot up.
amerpundit on May 18, 2007 at 4:25 PM
How bout My Little Pony teams up with Rainbow Brite and the Smurfs?
csdeven on May 18, 2007 at 4:28 PM
A smurf movie in 2007 would be hilarious. Double entendre everywhere!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crMacfExOws
lorien1973 on May 18, 2007 at 4:32 PM
One word – GROOVY! Beats Newt meets Knut anyday :-)
steveegg on May 18, 2007 at 4:37 PM
Transformers would be AWESOME for border security.
darwin on May 18, 2007 at 4:44 PM
Hmmm….
I must admit I have developed a bit of a crush on JadeNYU based solely on her awesome posts in this blog. My wife and state of residence make this a non-issue, however.
But if previous clues are correct, I believe AllahP is within commuting distance of NYU….
(I apologize for this in advance, JadeNYU. I’m just trying to help a brother out.)
Aero, you are truly a wise woman who understands men. Please write a guide-book for the Carrie Bradshaws of the world. Thanks!
Anton on May 18, 2007 at 4:45 PM
My uber-nerdy friend at work has been on about this since they started shooting the flick. He loves this stuff. He’s been losing it since the first trailer. I was skeptical, until now.
Cars that turn into Giant Robots? This is why there is a Michael Bay. I expect explosions, mayhem and the trademarked 360 degree rotation around besieged heroes.
I’m there.
Krydor on May 18, 2007 at 4:50 PM
Can’t wait to see this! Don’t mess it up, Mr. Bay. Please, no love triangle! Just ass kickin’ robots!
Tony737 on May 18, 2007 at 4:50 PM
I think I need a cigarette
CookeyD on May 18, 2007 at 4:50 PM
So, after watching it a second time, I gather that the eeeeevil humans are trying to kill ALL robots, good OR bad and that makes us just as bad as the evil robots, blah blah blah.
Tony737 on May 18, 2007 at 4:56 PM
True, but at least our soldiers may be portrayed as good guys. Been a while since we’ve seen that out of Hollywood.
ej_pez on May 18, 2007 at 4:57 PM
Transformers video game trailer in HD
(From the Xbox 360/PC version–your li’l kiddie Nintendo mileage may vary)
ScottMcC on May 18, 2007 at 4:59 PM
You got, like, a career day going here, pal.
Jaibones on May 18, 2007 at 5:02 PM
I’m pretty sure that the robot killing the soldiers was a Decepticon, they are the bad robots. Autobots are the good robots.
I’m not fully up on this mythology, as it came out about 6 years to late for my impressionable young mind.
Krydor on May 18, 2007 at 5:05 PM
Fred! could kick the crap out of any Transformer.
I usually hate this kind of stuff, but that looks pretty durn cool.
This is going to be a great summer.
The new Pirates of the Carribean, the new Die Hard, and the Transformers.
Matticus Finch on May 18, 2007 at 5:06 PM
Speed Racer is next. With Matthew Fox as Racer X! I want to see somebody do an Ultra Man remake!
Drtuddle on May 18, 2007 at 5:06 PM
What he said!
Benaiah on May 18, 2007 at 5:12 PM
“The geeks come out at night, the geeks come out at night” oh wait its the “freaks”, well freaks and geeks will go see this bubblegum crap.
Jillion dollars on Digital Graphics
0 dollars on actors that can act and a script that should be used as a coaster.
Its all about “The Kingdom”
americaslaststand on May 18, 2007 at 5:13 PM
True, but three versions mean three movies.
geckomon on May 18, 2007 at 5:20 PM
Anyone else feel they went a tad too far in making the
As I recall, the reason I loved the Transformers was the “organic” yet techno look of the robots compared to the clunky, clumsy blocky look of the GoBots. (Kinda like comparing Legos to MegaBlocks)
I do have to agree that the new versions are a bit too organic for my taste [so far].
geckomon on May 18, 2007 at 5:26 PM
Drtuddle, how about “Jonny Socko and his Giant Robot”? Anybody remember that one?
Or my fav, “Starblazers”? I’d like to see ‘em use the U.S.S. New Jersey (or any of the Iowa class battleships). Cross that with “Space, Above and Beyond” and you’ve got yourself one badass movie.
Tony737 on May 18, 2007 at 5:35 PM
In reading this thread, I just realized how depressingly old I am. I have no idea what most of you guys are talking about.
Anyone for Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea? Space 1999? Or Speed Racer?
/sigh.
Anton on May 18, 2007 at 5:37 PM
No worries, Pops! Me either. I’m just going to enjoy the movie!
RushBaby on May 18, 2007 at 5:46 PM
Hi, Drtuttle:
It may not be “Ultra-Man”, but it is a badly dubbed, super low-budget knockoff Chinese Parody/Hommage hoot of Hiata and the Corvair driving Science Patrol.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073168/
Play the Disc in English with Hearing Impaied Subtitles for best reaults.
Jack.
Jack Deth on May 18, 2007 at 5:50 PM
Now with Links!
geckomon on May 18, 2007 at 5:50 PM
Follow the fossil record……..
Godzilla to Robocop and the plan is clear.
Limerick on May 18, 2007 at 5:57 PM
It was weird in the movie that all the new generation bots got “6 pack abs” when unicron remade them. It made them all look naked LOL
lorien1973 on May 18, 2007 at 5:58 PM
There is a reason for this. The more indistinct the parts, the less obvious it is that they couldn’t possibly fit together coherently. So when the robots transform, you aren’t aware of the fact that large portions of them are shrinking, stretching, and otherwise coming in and out of existence in impossible ways. (Think of it as being a bit like visually disruptive camoflage patterns.)
It doesn’t look like the old toys, but it does make it possible for them to execute a photo-realistic look for merger with the live action.
With all the geometry going on, their render times must have been staggering, though.
Blacklake on May 18, 2007 at 6:01 PM
AHHH sacrilege!!!!!
Drtuddle on May 18, 2007 at 6:34 PM
Holy Sh*t! that’s gonna be an awesome movie.
-and it has Kramer. Chas Kramer. Assh*le
Opinionnation on May 18, 2007 at 6:34 PM
Spidey 3
Fantastic Four 2
Transformers
I see I’m not the only one who learned to read with comic books.
Mojave Mark on May 18, 2007 at 6:34 PM
Yes classic! Battleship Yamato! Still a favorite model with Japanese kids! Only thing it really did good was sink! Though I believe the Japanese believe it will rise again!
BB
Drtuddle on May 18, 2007 at 6:39 PM
“Our enemy can take any shape. They could be anywhere.”
Mmmmm. Terrorists.
Seixon on May 18, 2007 at 6:51 PM
Does it really matter? Galactus probably won’t get much screen time. I’m guessing they’re making Galactus look like a storm cloud to build up anticipation for the third Fantastic Four movie, when people will be dying to see how they’re actually gonna render him.
Darth Executor on May 18, 2007 at 6:54 PM
I’m still holding my breath on this. I just have this fear that it’s going to be a train wreck with a couple great scenes. It still makes me want to go and pull out my old Transformers. Bring back the Dinobots!
danarchy on May 18, 2007 at 6:54 PM
This is probably just wishful thinking on my part, but I’d love to see a Mighty Orbots revival. :)
ZK on May 18, 2007 at 7:00 PM
I’ll take one helping of awesomeness, Michael Bay.
Thank you!
Stormy70 on May 18, 2007 at 7:01 PM
Oh yeah, when I heard that the kid in me back in the 80’s shouted for joy once again!!!! This trailer gave me hope of the awesome potential this movie has. Hopefully it’ll be PG-13 which would allow for it to be action/violent enough without going too far for teh kids who will without a doubt be a huge part of ths movies success.
Yakko77 on May 18, 2007 at 7:01 PM
Actually, it sounds like the movie is borrowing the Galactus from the “Ultimate” Marvel Universe. In it, Galactus is a large group mind of robotic drones set on destroying planets….you know, kind of like Truthers.
Queasy on May 18, 2007 at 7:41 PM
There’s a good chance they’ll use some variant of the “Galactus” from Marvel’s Ultimates line, in which “he” is a massive swarm of robots that encircle the earth. It’d be relatively cheap to do with particle effects and doesn’t require a lot of creativity (which translating the giant blue-and-purple armored classic Galactus to screen would).
Of course, everybody knows that no matter how you spin it, that’s not freaking Galactus, and it’ll suck on screen just as it sucked in the Ultimate FF comic. But they haven’t really done the FF franchise proud so far, have they?
Still, what scares me the most is the upcoming “Iron Man,” with its defense contractor/industrialist/CEO main character, an Afghan war setting, and a cast decked out with some of Hollywood’s most activists liberals. Now what could possible go wrong there?
What this world needs is a movie about the Ultimates line Captain America. He’s an unfrozen, unapologetic, ass-kicking, France-bashing, wife-abuser beating, balls-to-the-wall patriotic WW2 soldier. That’s a character I wouldn’t mind at all seeing up on a movie screen.
Blacklake on May 18, 2007 at 7:50 PM
Ah, that’s how you spell it.
- The Cat
P.S. Starscream is dead, long live Starscream!
MirCat on May 18, 2007 at 8:08 PM
I thought the same thing when I heard that.
Opinionnation on May 18, 2007 at 8:38 PM
It is sort of centered on the relationship between Spike & Bumblebee. Peter Cullen IS doing the voice of Prime for the film. Hugo Weaving is Megatron, and Keith David (THEY LIVE, ARMAGEDDON, HALO) is voicing Barricade (the Decepticon Mustang cop car). No other voices have been announced.
fusionaddict on May 18, 2007 at 9:21 PM
All Gen-Xers who were into Transformers are going nuts over this. I literally had chills/goosebumps watching the 720p trailer.
Anyone else notice the radio went from 9 to 11, huh huh huh? This is obviously another Karl Rove plot to boost Bush’s lagging approval ratings by putting out jingoistic tripe disguised as a summer movie for aging Gen-Xer fanboys who dreamt about this movie all their lives since the 80’s. Chimpy McBushHitler must be smiling right now.
Neo on May 18, 2007 at 10:24 PM
And there’s some password thing right when the radio changes from 9 to 11 too: CODEBLACK.
That means something to some web treasure hunt people out there.
Neo on May 18, 2007 at 10:29 PM
Right on, brotha!
ScottMcC on May 18, 2007 at 11:05 PM
I watched a lot of tv from the fifties in the late sixties. I hope they remake Fireball XL5…but use new puppets.
Buck Turgidson on May 18, 2007 at 11:53 PM
Should we contact Congress and encourage them to pass a law that it’s okay for alien life forms to overtake us? Perhaps we should contact the U.N., since this looks like it’s a global attack?
windbag on May 19, 2007 at 2:06 AM
I remember Independence Day had really good trailers too.
VinceP1974 on May 19, 2007 at 4:36 AM
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