#Also Ratchet cameo

[kollvox]

cowboy Wheeljack

Did these a couple months ago and now finally posting them here

[thenamesblurrito]

so. Transformers ONE was a good movie

i HIGHLY recommend going in blind, i do think it's incredibly effective with as few spoilers as possible beforehand! seeing it on the big screen is really really nice too, i encourage you to watch it in theaters without reading up on it first if you can!

long full-spoiler review and dissection of elements below (i reached the text block limit a couple times oops):

general stuff:

gorgeous. just genuinely visually gorgeous. so many details, colors, textures, everything was so beautiful. the stylization itself may not be my favorite but it was executed so well that i ended up loving it. their optics! their colors! their movement! the way the visuals serve the lore and the story is extremely well done too, i felt like everything i was seeing was deliberate, relevant, and a treat for the audience instead of just "ooo visual noise look at how powerful our cgi rendering is" (which is how i felt about the "live action" Lion King prequel(????) ad they showed before). all the little cameos and repaints and everything in the background? mwah. GORGEOUS MUSIC TOO AAAA THE WAY THAT TFP'S MOTIF IS IN THERE AAAA

the visual effects and action, the way they USED their roboticness/transformation sequences/vehicle modes in fighting and moving and emoting, it was VERY GOOD. Orion grabs a Death Tracker and RIPS THEM INTO PIECES BY TRANSFORMING AROUND THEM AND FORCING THEIR FRAME TO SHATTER. insanity

this is ABSOLUTELY the origin story movie the fandom has wanted. even if it wasn't your preferred origin story, this movie SHONE with love and respect for the franchise and drew on so many influences to craft a powerful version of the beginning we all wanted to see

in some ways i wish we had more, i think it would've been extremely effective to see things expanded upon, especially D-16's emotional descent and maybe some more Quints. actually looking at the content and pacing of the movie though, and the audience it's aimed at, i don't think there's anything they should've cut in favor of other stuff. i understand why it wasn't dwelt on more, but hooooo i would've liked to see Dee breaking apart a little more thru the middle of the film. apparently the novelization has more scenes of this and i would love to read it

i had so much fun watching this movie. it was a rollercoaster. it was a TREAT. i was sitting there enjoying every second both times i saw it because it was a good film that rewarded me greatly for being a Transformers fan, giving me so many easter eggs and injokes, while also being perfectly understandable and fun for a complete newbie. excellently balanced appeal to old and new fans alike

there was no wink to the audience about how stupid and childish a movie about robots is, there was no lampshading of how silly sci fi is, there was no betrayal of the emotional tone of the film. so many stories now kneecap themselves by mocking their very concept, and the audience watching them, in a very cinema sins-style irony poisoned way. this movie never does that. its humor is fitting, its drama is real, its emotion is all SINCERE and i love how i was never mocked by any part of the movie for engaging with it sincerely

this movie loved being a Transformers movie

anyways. specific stuff:

love how Wheeljack managed to explode everything despite not even being a scientist. he's just THAT good

THE INJOKES AND REFERENCES. "you don't have the touch OR the power." calling them Gobots. the corny More Than Meets The Eye bits. "don't be a glitch" is a headcanon swear i've been using for years now and they canonized it!! "High Guard, eject". "paging doctor Ratchet." the new take on "all are one". the really interesting way that the term Transformers is an actual significant in-universe name, and how Orion and Dee ARE NOT Transformers at first!

the sheer number of cameos is ASTOUNDING. what an excellent mix of masc/fem designs too, they really made it normal on this Cybertron which i appreciate! apparently Blurr exists here, his name was on the leaderboard!!!!!! good job Chromia i am so proud of you for winning. and the shots of the bots getting cogs at the end was aaAAA!!! <<33 my HEART! Jazz's little smile looking at his new doorwings!!

I GOT ALL MY SILLY OLD DEMIGOD FAVES I GOT THE THIRTEEN EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM AAAAAA ALPHA TRION MY GRANDPA god i'm so sorry you're dead but i can't believe you showed up on the big screen <<333 you and your rockin rhino unicorn lion alt mode. and your superpowers. god you're so cool. "old timer" NUH UH HE'S STILL BETTER THAN YOU!!!!! using Zeta for the thirteenth was an interesting choice! i did think he was Overlord for a hot second. it's the lips. Solus wasn't fridged by virtue of everyone else died too yippee!! ALSO MEGATRONUS THE COOLEST ONE WOOOO HES NOT JUST A FIERY EVIL GUY!!!!

the way Dee himself was, in a way, the Fallen of this continuity.... 😭

the way Sentinel was handcrafting his downfall with each touch of the blowtorch. carving the sigil of the Decepticons into the one who will kill him. dooming Cybertron in a moment of petty mockery. AND HE DOESN'T EVEN DRAW IT WELL IT'S LIKE A MESSY CRAYON DRAWING CMON

planetformer Primus in a blockbuster movie? CANONICAL EXPLICITLY STATED PLANETARY ROBO MPREG BIRTH IN THE FIRST FIVE MINUTES???? THEY USE THE WORD BIRTH. BORN. we are never escaping the reproductive insanity in this franchise

Shockwave you whiny tantrum throwing wuss. let Elita beat him up more. it's good for him. also love how that could be construed as a ref to her G1 resistance force

CASUAL MIND READER SOUNDWAVE???????

Elita was perfect, no notes. i would not like her if i met her but i respect her so much. she really is better in every way and down to business. Best First indeed

so much cool implications and fascinating timeline confusion. 50 cycles since the Primes were slaughtered? the way Sentinel leveraged their reputation to make himself beloved, casting himself as their peer? the way he didn't choose to villainize them, the way he apparently openly admitted to the loss of the Matrix and how it impacted the planet? when did cog theft start, and how old is Orion since in the novelization it states his entire generation is cogless? who remembers the og Primes? who is in the know about it all?? hoooghhghhh fascinating.

the implication that the High Guard worked with the og Primes?? the possibility STARSCREAM was a loyal guard for Cybertron's DEMIGODS????

okay i was not expecting a backstory for STARSCREAM'S VOICE in this movie but holy. god. the shippers will be going insane over this one. hoogh holy fit. what is wrong with you. the utter contradiction of being both an instigator and a coward when he gets in over his head and immediately backpedals

also obviously this is the I Love Divorce movie and megop shippers will be having a field day but i DEEPLY appreciate just how solid a friendship Dee and Orion have and how badly they fall apart, even thru a strictly platonic lens. i also appreciate how there was no forced comphet attraction/romance!! i was dreading the possibility of it, i mean Oplita was RIGHT THERE but they didn't force it at all thank youuuuuu. i would rather have this dynamic with its zero intended romance than awkward, OOC attraction shoehorned in to detract from the plot

Bee was actually good! like yeah he's def the kid appeal character and i prefer it when he's in a younger gen and not OP's peer, but he was wayyyyy less annoying than i was expecting! i think he fit the movie and did his job in it well, and i absolutely laughed at him multiple times. "i get to work for the GOVERNMENT! :DDDD" bee. please. the fact that he's been going insane and desperate after isolation for so long really helps make his character work instead of being just irritating

Airachnid you are so cool. you are TOO COOL. PLEASE TONE DOWN YOUR COOLNESS. i adore how she is not good at facial expressions thank you evil autism moments. love how her signature move is stabbystabbystabbystabbystabbystabby

Sentinel. god. Sentinel. SENTINEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i need to draw him getting ripped in half. it's like they distilled the worst parts of every single iteration and combined them into a SuperBad version. horrifically realistic kind of guy. i love to hate him. real Metro Man from Megamind energy. and megachurch pastor energy. the IRONY that Orion and Dee were probably actually helping him, that he was probably being genuine in the medbay when he said he loved what they did by racing, that he may have been honest when he said he was gonna have them fixed up in his own facilities and had them tour the mines! because them racing increased energon production by 150% and Sentinel needed that!!! he needed that for the Quintessons!!! i think he was being genuine when he first met Dee and Orion and then Darkwing ruined everything!!!

Darkwing is the curly straw of this continuity

the Quintessons were hoooooooooooooooo. whoooooooooogh. hoohhhhhhhhhhhh. the biomechanical. the shapes. the textures. eugh. icky. creepy. excellent. the way their ships looked like the Nemesis. the way they're STILL a looming threat. i wanted to see more of them but i get why the movie wasn't about them. i hope we see more in the future

the way Orion is the kind of guy who, in an attempt to be selfless, keeps making selfish or thoughtless decisions was SO INTERESTING. it set up the dynamic of his and Dee's friendship very well, with Orion always wanting the best for his buddy but ultimately overwriting or ignoring what Dee says!! the way Dee clings to the social contract of protocol for safety because that's all he knows and his ANGER when it's broken, even when it's Orion breaking it, because that's not SAFE it's an UNKNOWN it has CONSEQUENCES WHEN YOU DEVIATE. and then it's revealed that the social norms have been a lie the whole time and Sentinel has "broken protocol" more than ever and Dee has no safety left because it was always broken. Orion wanted to be more, he could feel there was more. Dee just wanted security

Dee spent so much of the movie complaining and arguing and it was very funny and good characterization but it was also a hint at how much bitterness was under there the whole time. so much of his complaints were threats of violence. he always had Orion's back and then when he learns the truth he abruptly. stops. do you notice he doesn't really have Orion's back after this? he's no longer by his side? he's there, but he's not... there. he was the first to shoot an enemy and took joy in it. all of his emotions were so justified and then what he does with them is what makes it a tragedy. he didn't have to do this. augh

i really, really like the fact that they managed to pull off the ending without it fully turning into a "boohoo if we do anything violent we're as bad as the bad guys waaaa". the specific phrasing of "rebuilding cannot start with an execution" went HARD. and it's demonstrated in their actions too like, Dee was out for REVENGE and it was PERSONAL, Orion was fighting for JUSTICE and it was UNIVERSAL. Sentinel was beaten, everyone knew the truth. it was over. but Dee in his (very justified!) anger and broken trust was too overcome to back down. they were given the power to change their worlds, but Dee was thinking only of his world. Orion was thinking of everyone

ironic that as soon as Orion starts thinking of other people and considering what they need instead of forging ahead, Dee decides to center his own feelings and actions to the point of murder. even after Sentinel was dead, he just kept shooting, he did NOT AT ALL care that some of those shots were clearly hurting innocent civilians/going wide and shooting out into the city/damaging actual important infrastructure and not just Sentinel statues. i believe it's Bee who said "he's gonna kill everyone" and he proves it by attacking Elita and saying "I won't stop until every last one of his followers is dead". THE FACT THAT HE FELL SO FAR AS TO SEE ELITA, HIS PEER AND FELLOW FREEDOM FIGHTER WHO WAS THERE WORKING AGAINST SENTINEL WITH HIM FROM THE START OF THIS QUEST, AS ONE OF SENTINEL'S FOLLOWERS.... by the end of it, Dee really was nothing but blind anger

and the way kneeling was a common thread!!!!! aaaaaaa. Sentinel betrayed the world by kneeling to the enemy. Dee won respect by refusing to kneel. Orion gained followers by willingly kneeling to his peers. hooghh

Orion jumping and stumbling and falling this whole movie because he just THROWS himself into things because he BELIEVES in things, he's the one to take leaps of faith, to take that step out into the unknown! and Dee refusing to save him as one final nail in the coffin, so clearly feeling like Orion jumping in front of the blast was yet ANOTHER way Orion is forcing his hand, corralling him into doing something he thinks is best but did not consult him on, finally FINALLY saying NO and leaning in to the tragedy!! and in the exact same way Sentinel handcrafted his enemy in Dee, Dee has now handcrafted his enemy in Orion!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA and now that Orion took that last leap of faith and fell, now is when he RISES. ONE SHALL FALL AND ONE SHALL RISE. god. it reminds me of Spiderverse, the way they use falling and rising

the way the tragedy is worse for how well everyone was working together.... for one shining moment, the miners and the High Guard, the rescue mission, it was going so well. they were doing it. they were winning. it didn't have to turn to slaughter. if there was to be an execution it should've been by trial, by the voice of the people, not Dee deciding for Cybertron as Sentinel decided what truth was. augh.

in an abruptly different note, the way they have characters move and fly is so cool. i love the jetpacks. i love how flight is not "flyer" exclusive. it's fascinating and i think really fitting for the general city of Iacon itself. all those towers going up and down

THE TRAINS!! THE MOVING ROADS!! HOW COOL IS THAT!! LOOK AT THAT WORLDBUILDING IM OBSESSED WITH THIS CYBERTRON HOOGH. this movie was VERY good at building a rich, functional world of detail and making it very alien in a way i want to chew on forever. the moving mountains and greebled energon mines. the living planet. the deer!!! ooghghh. PRIMUS LOOKS LIKE A STAR

i do like this Primus actually, yeah it was a deus ex machina but that's the POINT. Optimus himself is an act of god and his presence heralds miracles. Dee couldn't bring justice to Cybertron because justice is restoration. justice is healing what was hurt and doing right by the wronged. yes that often means consequences upon the perpetrator but that's NOT what Dee was doing, he wasn't even THINKING of anyone else!! would killing Sentinel get ppl out of the mines? would it restore their cogs? would it bring equality to a clearly oppressive society? like he LIVED this (cogless bots with limited options, the talk of tiers as if they are social castes you can be demoted from, lower city levels where ppl can be banished, etc) but it was Orion who ultimately addressed this. i'm sorry if it feels like insult to injury to rub his Primacy in your face, Megatron, but stealing a cog just like Sentinel and declaring the age of Primes over, when it was the age of Primes ending that made you cogless and oppressed in the first place, is only an extension of your trauma, anger, and violence, and is not solving the problem!

a cog stolen from him at birth! and then he steals it from Sentinel in symbolic revenge, stolen again, but even that wasn't Sentinel's, it was stolen too! the way he discards the cog from Onyx, willingly gifted to him, to continue the trend of desecrating the dead! man. MAN. the name he took, the cog he took, the symbol he took, all from his hero, the one he looked up to, the coolest Prime, and THEN DECLARED THE AGE OF PRIMES OVER

the gilded pompous showmanship of it all was so gross, the way Sentinel's face was everywhere, the way he had instant access to everyone in Iacon via announcements that took over the media. but this was clearly derived from the previous Primes!! we see their statues, we see their stately tower, and unless Sentinel had all that built in "mourning" (which is totally plausible imho) he was really just setting himself up as an inheritor of that hyperwealthy standard! we don't know anything about the rule of the og Primes beyond that they're favorably remembered and loved (possibly because of propaganda but i think it was also genuine) and that they may have been losing the Quint war (considering that info was from jerkwad supreme i find it suspect) but just by comparison to Sentinel i think they HAD to be better rulers. there weren't cogless bots forced to mine for 20 shifts in a row back then!!! Sentinel is stealing their aesthetic as if that gets him the same power and acclaim. he's trying to steal their legitimacy. he paints himself across the face of Iacon to hide the fact the planet itself went into a coma because of him. he has ALWAYS been rejected. i call him a megachurch pastor but really symbolically i could say he's a fallen angel, and his visual design really fits too

i'm coming back to the deus ex machina thing bc i know it may be considered weak in a plot construction sense but i want to engage with it as literal. like, there is a literal in-universe god in the machine. they know it. they worship it, at least a little bit. i would consider this story to be analogous to Prince of Egypt, in that the deific is a real and tangible character with impact on the plot, and not a meta excuse to save the day. Orion made his choice, and as a result Primus made HIS choice. it's not necessarily a happy ending but if even Megatron acknowledges that GOD mandated this guy to be a Prime and the planet itself responds by COMING BACK TO LIFE.... i keep thinking of it like a cityspeaker, how they're the ones who commune with Titans to know their needs and tell them what needs to be done. is a Prime just the cityspeaker of Cybertron, able to help it remain healthy and functional?

the divine right to rule is REAL on Cybertron. you can like it or not but you have to contend with that when discussing fair leadership, political accountability, and representation of the masses re: Cybertronian government and Primacy

god i'm still so obsessed with the Thirteen i need to see them better i need to look at them. i love them. insane. i really need to invest in a chewtoy

also i know it may be a throwaway line but i'm very curious why Primus had to transform and sacrifice himself to save the universe. Unicron, maybe???

also how did Alpha Trion narrate the archival stuff telling the fake story of how the Primes died and the Matrix was lost. did Sentinel get a deepfake of his voice?? is that part of how he made the transition to power?? AUGH THE DISRESPECT KEEPS COMPOUNDING

Alpha Trion. my blorbo. my old man. holding you so tight. like an ancient rescue dog. im gonna groom you and give you treats and buy the biggest plushest dog bed from costco for you

anyways

good movie, guys

[holding-out-for-hea]

I’m not over it..

Ya know what ticks me off the most about the Misha thing? It’s not even the opportunism. It’s not even him just being a thirsty scumbag who needs to be validated and adored. I could just dislike him and ignore him for that mess.

It’s that **HE KNOWS** that when he says these things Jensen is going to be inundated with hate and accusations of homophobia. He know a supposed friend is going to be dragged through the mud, because it happens EVERY TIME, and he does it anyway. That’s what pushes me into the ‘I loathe him’ category.

That AND him constantly feeding the cackling heller hyenas made fandom unbearable for a time and the hate that was also heaped on Jared. Those things just make him so irredeemable. He will never stop. He will be a ratchet ass 80 year old on Cameo telling hellers that Jensen was thinking of making a revival with destiel at the center 🤦🏻‍♀️

[zeropro]

What are your thoughts on transformers prime and transformers one?

TL:DR I liked both! TFP was my first Transformers show that I watched all the way through and TF1 was a lot of fun! Opinions on Starscream under the break pfpfpfpfpfpf

Prime was literally my first Transformers experience (Okay that's not true, I did see the first Bay movie when it came out but lets not talk about that). It's really good! My favorite character was Ratchet, I loved that he's just a tired, grumpy, racist old man and he's a doctor. Knock Out was the best thing to come out of TFP and he really should be in more stuff. Really would have loved a fourth season but it wouldn't have been the same without the children around. I liked what we got!

Prime has an excellent Starscream, Steve Blume does an amazing performance with both his deep conniving gravel and his high pitched terrified sputtering. So much character in his animation too, especially in later seasons, and an incredibly compelling character arc. Prime Starscream is not a good person, but I would burn the world for him, and I like the small moments in the show that hint at something in his character that could be turned to good, but circumstance always works against him in that regard. He's just so pathetic, but also competent and dangerous, all the best qualities of a Starscream and a very unique design!

Transformers One was quite good, I was worried because of the trailers but I was surprised by how well executed it all was. None of the characters were annoying, and making Optimus Prime originally one of the oppressed class alongside Megatron was a good move. The scene where Orion gives Dee the sticker is so cute, I simply cannot. The ending felt a bit rushed but what can you do, it wasnt so bad that it's a problem for me.

I would have loved just a little more Starscream in the movie! Like, I knew he wasn't really gonna be in the movie much so i was prepared for it to be little more than a glorified cameo, but I loved a lot of what we did get and I feel like it was missing just a little bit more! Like, the whole High Guard turned rogue backstory he has is great, implies some honor to his character since he didnt keep serving Sentinal when the guy turned Cybertron over to the Quintissance. I think it's hilarious that Starscream is so much older than Megatron. Like, they gave us a lot of food to make headcanons out of, but then the rushed ending kind of left me with no real reason given for him and the rest of the High Guard to go with Megatron without a fight. Like, I think the reason given was that, because Megatron beat him up that one time, and then killed Sentinal, and since the High Guard became a might makes right society and hates Sentinal, I guess thats why they are loyal to him now. And I guess the one line where Starscream is like "all hail megatron" is supposed to indicate he's 100% behind Megatron now and not just a spur of the moment thing. And I guess them following his command to destroy the city is why theyre being banished. But like...idk, every other plot point was well established and properly played out, and the whole decepticons thing just didnt really feel like enough, and i kind of feel like it should have been more clearly communicated considering its an entire one side of a two sided war? I feel like we werent shown the high guard doing anything egregiously bad besides attacking people because megatron told them to.

Like, there's nothing in the movie to suggest that Starscream and the High Guard arent still loyal to the Primes. So when Orion comes back as a prime, like a proper prime, with the matrix and everything, which everyone knows will make the energon flow again, I'm surprised Starscream didnt at least try to make excuses or worm his way into avoiding banishment? My headcanon is he wanted to kill Sentinal as bad as Megatron and so when Megatron finally does what he failed to do for 50 cycles, he's like aite im ride or die for this guy. Maybe 50 cycles of living in the wilderness doing nothing but scout and pit fight all day changes a guy and they dont wanna live in a society anymore. Why dont they accept Optimus as the new prime? They helped him and Elita save their friends, and unlike Sentinal Optimus has the actual Matrix this time. Idk mang. Woulda liked a bit more.

Transformers One, not my favorite design for Starscream. The head vents going wide at the bottom look weird to me, and his legs are so long and flat.

Thems my opinions!

[stargirlintermission]

Ratchet in tfone

Ngl, his appearance kinda confuses me. We can see him as a miner in the background, but he also gets mentioned as "Doctor Ratchet" after the Iacon race. And as much as I screamed when it happened, having him as a doctor treating the racers (you know, bots with cogs) doesn't make sense to me if he is a cogless bot. Like, it's very plausible that Sentinel could be just exploting him that much, but seeing how divided the classes are, it would be weird to have a cogless doctor treating the high class. (Most of them would probably be against the idea of a dirty miner touching them.)

It could also be a Chromia situation and miner Ratchet is just a background character with his design instead of the character himself. And it's very likely that these appearances are just little cameos and the tfone team wasn't thinking too hard about it.

But you know who thinks hard about things that you probably shouldn't think too hard about? Me, so here is the headcanon I came up with to explain this:

There are two Ratchets. Technically. We have cogged doctor Ratchet and cogless miner Ratchet. The latter's name is actually just a nickname. In the mines you don't get to see a doctor unless you're missing a limb or are actively dying, so miner Ratchet took it upon himself to help his fellow miners with their injuries (as much a he could with the almost unexisting medical equipment at hand). Because of this, they started to call him "Ratchet", a cogged bot known for his expertise as a medic. Miner Ratchet really admired him, so he liked being called by his name, even though he claimed otherwise.

Then the movie happened and they both ended up with the autobots. There, miner Ratchet became doctor Ratchet's apprentice, and he was obviously thrilled to work with his idol. The doctor taught him everything he knew before dying during the war. And now we have one Ratchet, the doctor who was once a miner.

[witchofthesouls]

Hi uh I'm taking the last few posts as indication that you've watched TF:One so do you have any thoughts? Any discussion points, anything you adored/despised and thing you'd like more context on?

I only managed to see at the last week before it was pulled out at my local theaters, but I did enjoy it.

The visuals and designs were top-notch, the movements and background settings were amazing (like hello underground cityscapes my beloved), D-16's pretty optics, Megatronus Prime never becoming the Fallen, return of the Quintessons, the Cybertronian fauna of the surface, and Sentinel's character were just chef' kiss.

In terms of complaints: it basically comes to pacing, plotholes, and personal preferences.

The movie really did show the epic bromance between D-16 and Orion Pax in short scenes with so many details, and yet D-16 to Megatron was, in my opinion, a fast-paced downward spiral. Understandable, but considering D-16 played the brakes to Orion's impulsive plans... It was jarring.

The team really put in a lot of thought into so many iconic characters, even as a cameo, but nearly all the Autobot High Command used to be Cogless? Really? Yes, there was Dr. Ratchet, but everyone else was stuck as a miner and didn't have the chance to develop all those crucial skills that were instrumental for the war against then legendary High Guard (on a side note, they didn't starve to death and had no mention of other city-states for support)? Also, where's the administration and support systems that run Iacon? Shoot, where's Sentinel's own aides, Councilmembers, and other political entities? He took down the Thirteen all by himself? No one else in the conspiracy? Really? (I'm a little low-key salty that the Primes don't have that divine flare, but that's the fantasy/horror part in me talking.)

Okay, so the personal preferences... as much as I liked the concept of Optimus and Megatron coming from the same origins, the execution on Orion Pax's part kinda flopped. It felt like it fell into the same trap with the Aligned verse's handling, where they really tried to underscore the differences but sacrificed the cohesion of the story. @lets-try-some-writing 's post on their thoughts of TFOne, particularly on Orion Pax, really resonates with me because why does he constantly sacrifice his safety to find the Matrix compared to everyone else? A similar complaint for Elita. I'm not expecting sugar and floof, but the way her character was handled left me floundering since the creators put a lot of thought on D-16's and Orion's relationship but left us hanging on a different vibe, a completely other spectrum, with Elita compared to other iterations.

Granted, it can be the Opilita shipper in me mourning, but Elita got done dirty. The 'hardass boss' would have served someone else, like Ultra Magnus, Kup, or Scrapper, if they used another 'main' character, or they could have pulled Terminus that's playing between keeping the topside goals and minimizing underground casualties. Plus, I think it could have been interesting to see Terminus being the driving force between Orion's quest and D-16's admiration for Megatronus Prime. I would move Elita into the Cogged Cybertronians and let her be Orion's partner-in-crime. Maybe as a dock worker as an ode to her G1 origins and acts as a smokescreen/voucher for Orion outside the mines, and Orion is showing her all the secret passages and knowledge she would never had access because of her own station. It could have shown so much more of that Cybertron under Sentinel's rule and the policies he implemented. Plus, I need Elita and Orion to be dumbasses together (and for D-16 to rib Orion over his crush and Chromia to do the same with Elita).

Overall, it was a solid movie. Definitely recommend it.

[factual-fantasy]

Greetings as always Factual! You've been on a role answering asks lately-and I'm so glad to see you mention in a few that you've been doing better- and that you will soon have some doctors visits to hopefully get everything figured out, so this whole ordeal can finally be over! Till then, Keep on keeping on as always, and if you don't mind, I have a few small Asks as usual.

Firstly, regarding the Mario AU, you'll recall in the past confirming that King K Rool would retain his place as an enemy that threatens the Kongs of DK island from the outside in some shape or form- but i wonder, would your AU also contain an interpretation of the threat that came from within the island- the nefarious Tiki Tak Tribe?

In the recent DK games, the tribe has slowly been revealed as an ancient race who was imprisoned in the islands volcano by unknown means- and upon escaping they sought to reclaim their kingdom, before being bested by the Kongs once more for the time being- though they continue to make cameos and appearances here and their- including a ride in the upcoming DK Nintendo world expansion! So would you perhaps incorporate them into your story as well? Or scrap them for the sake of simplicity? If you did include them, I wonder if DK and K Rool would unite to take them on as one- and perhaps you could find ways to connect them to the other kingdoms? For example, it'd be one heck of a reveal that it was KAMEK who sealed them in that volcano, so long ago...

On another note, thanks for answering my last question about Bash Buggy! Hope everything turns out well for him and his new life once the war's dust finally settles... And also regarding Transformers, I wanted to ask if you have yet seen the trailer for the new upcoming movie, transformers One, and what your first thoughts and impressions are of it?

I've seen A lot of people already hating on it because of the trailers light hearted, comedic tones, or the more expressive character designs- but personally, I really like it so far! In my opinion, it's a welcome change of pace from the humorless, senselessly violent Bayverse movies, and their over-designed, chaotic character models- I think it really has potential- especially since they've confirmed it will have some more serious moments, and several Transformers prime characters will even be returning- including Arachnid, and the Vehicons! But what say you? Any hopes for it? Things you want to see?

Thank you! I'm hoping this is all over soon. Because this whole ordeal has completely wiped me out physically and mentally. It sure would be nice to finally feel better and go back to functioning like a normal human- 💀💀

As for the Tiki Tak tribe.. no idea what I'm gonna do with them.. I'd have to think about it. Kamek can't be responsible for everything <XD

As for Transformers.. I always liked the more serious tone that some shows/movies take. So I can imagine I wouldn't like this new movie because of that.. but tbh the only characters I care about is Optimus and Ratchet XDD as long as they're characterized well I think I can live with the movie 👍👍

[tf-animated-out-of-context]

One last round of trivia:

"The Stunti-Con Job" exists as both a comic and a BotCon script reading; the plots are the same, but the script reading added a subplot featuring Minerva, a medibot determined to meet Ratchet at all costs, who's somehow dragged Warpath along on her quest. (She does also appear in the comic version - see below.)

The script reading also featured a musical interlude - a duet sung by G1 and Animated Grimlocks. I don't think it went according to plan.

Like the story's title, the comic's original cover pays homage to the classic British comedy film "The Italian Job". (As do the picture captions on the relevant TFWiki page.)

Sideswipe and Breakdown share a body-type (first seen on Rodimus Prime) - possibly a callback to the G1 episode "Masquerade", in which that iteration of Sideswipe was disguised as Breakdown. (The same applies to Jazz and Dead End, and, more or less, to Optimus and the Motor Master.) In-universe, all the Stunticons underwent spark transplants into Autobot frames - except Toxitron, who's a clone of Optimus. Not a very successful one.

Cheetor, meanwhile, is a retool of Blurr - a fact Sideswipe remarks on four BotCons later, in "The Return of Blurr". which takes place at about the same time as "The Stunti-Con Job". Hence Blurr's appearance in the latter, in the High Council box alongside Cliffjumper - still cubified, and no doubt still talking twenty-four to the dozen.

Strika's Team Chaar, seen at the very end of this story, has undergone a reshuffle since "Transwarped" - Oil Slick is still there, unfortunately, but Cyclonus, Blackout and Spittor have been replaced by Mindwipe, Sky-Byte, Scalpel and Blot.

As for Autobot cameos, there are too many to list, but most of them are here:

(Botanica is also in this frame, but further up in the High Council box. TFWiki claims that Tap-Out is somewhere in the crowd; I can't see him, though.)

[minniethemoocherda]

TRANSFORMERS ONE TRAILER OPINIONS UNDER THE CUT

Cons: 

I love Bumblebee! He is one of my favourite Transformer characters! But even way back when this film was announced, I don’t think that he should have been in this particular movie. Hasbro said they were hoping to make a trilogy and I always thought it would’ve made more sense to introduce him in a sequel. I always thought it would have made more sense for Ratchet or Jazz or Dion to fill the role that he appears to be playing in this movie. And in general I feel Bumblebee is played a bit too OOC and kinda annoying. 

I am not a fan of the robot designs for the main four. I feel as though their silhouettes are all too similar. Remove the colours and I could not tell them apart. 

Also why is Elita-One a motorcycle? That’s Arcee’s vehicle! Why can’t see be truck like she usually is! 

Neutral:

The animation is definitely good quality, but after Spiderverse and Mutant Mayhem, I was hoping for something more stylised

I need to see more of Megatron before I form opinions of his portrayal here. 

I would prefer Orion to be a librarian but I’m interested to see him as a miner. At least they didn’t make him a fucking cop again. 

I was not expecting the Quintessons to show up. I like their designs but it makes me wonder what the overall plot of this film will be if it is going to be about the revolution at all? 

I hope we get a lot of cameos even if they don't get main roles!

Not sure how I feel about the lore changes of the Transformers not being able to transform until Alpha Trion gives them what looks like T-cogs (I hope they are not Matrixes).

But again a lot of the lore changes I can’t fully form opinions on until I see them fully explored in the movie.

 I liked what we saw of Orion and D-16’s dynamic so far but I can’t really have more of an opinion until we see more footage. 

Pros: 

I surprisingly really liked Chris Hemsworth as Orion both voice wise and what we’ve seen of his personality. 

Similarly I also really like ScarJo as Elita-One and her personality from what we have seen so far. And I love Elita so even having her here at all is fantastic!

I think the Starscream, Soundwave and Shockwave designs are great, much more distinctive! 

It is also cool to see Arachnid get a spotlight in the trailer! It would be cool to see her play a main role in the plot! 

I am interested to see how they explore Cybertron here! Especially with it having more integrated organic life than i was expecting as well as the fact that our main four have never been to the surface 

Overall I am very excited for the movie! I am aware that I am probably being too nitpicky. I think I have to accept that how I personally would have told this story is probably not how they are going to tell it. And its probably not going to be as mature as I had hoped. 

But regardless of the trailers I will be seeing this on opening day anyway lol

[sunsetzer]

Does TF1 Ratchet have two jobs??? He's in the background as one of the miners, but then they also page him in the hospital? They have to mine literally every day, right? Do they have shifts? Does anyone else have a second job? Were they just putting a silly cameo in the background of the hospital scene after the race that I'm reading way too far into?

[merlinfromberlin]

Question: Where does Bumblebee go in "New Recruit"? (S02 E18)

I've just rewatched this episode for the first time in years and I couldn't help but notice that Bumblebee just vanishes from the episode for a few minutes after they decide to bring Smokescreen to the Autobot base.

So, naturally, I was wondering what happened there? Warning, spoilers ahead!

This is the last time we see Bee in quite a while. It's at around 6 minutes 18 seconds (depending on where you watch) and at the end of the sequence introducing Smokescreen. He is standing with Ratchet and Arcee who are questioning Optimus' decision to trust Smokescreen, but doesn't say anything himself.

He actually hasn't said anything in quite a while at that point, too. I didn't look up the specific time he talks for the last time during this scene, but it's at least been 30 seconds.

The next time we actually see Bumblebee is at 13 minutes and 41 seconds (again, depending on where you're watching). You get two screenshots because the mid-transformation screenshots are just too goofy. At this point it's been almost 7 minutes and 30 seconds since we've seen him for the last time. That's more than 1/3 of the episode.

And usually that wouldn't be too weird. Sometimes bots just aren't in episodes. It happens and normally I would just roll with it. Except...

Except, this time it just doesn't make sense for Bee to not appear. If we look at the stuff that happens in between his two appearances, it's mainly three things: 1. Starscream learning of the existence of the Red Energon 2. Smokescreen and Jack bonding 3. Smokescreen and Team Prime talking in the Autobot base

It makes sense that we cannot see him during the first two scenes. But, he definitely should be there for the third one. I mean, everyone else is there: Smokescreen, Ratchet, Arcee, Optimus, Raf, Jack, Miko. Even Bulkhead shows up after a minute or two to give Smokescreen a much needed reality check.

Just Bee is missing and even though I am willing to admit that, as an ardent Bumblebee fan from day one, I might be biased here. But, at the same time, it would just make more sense for Bee to be there with the others than not.

This is at 6 minutes 25 seconds (again, might vary based on where you're watching) and even though the groundbridge has already been shut of, it is implied that they just came back. Not only does this scene come immediately after the scenes in the forest, but Arcee, Ratchet & Optimus are also just walking off of the bridge together.

So, why isn't Bee with them? From what we saw in the last scene, he was standing behind Ratchet. If anything, he should probably be behind him.

At first I thought that Bumblebee had maybe just gone first and was standing somewhere in the background. So, I kept looking out for him in the background of the scene. But, no. We get several angles of the main room (which I am not going to show with screenshots right now because it would take forever). He just never shows up.

After that, my next idea was that he might be off to pick up Raf or something. Even if it would have been odd for him to vanish just like that, it would have at least been an explanation. But, no, neither:

As we can see in this screenshot from 6 minutes 36 seconds, all of the kids are there.

I mean, he has two short cameos in the scenes he's missing from. When Starscream browses the internet, a picture of his vehicular mode can be seen for a few seconds, and Ratchet mentions him off-handedly when Raf pulls up the picture of the Red Energon. But, I wouldn't count that as really appearing.

And that was the point where I just ran out off plausible explanations for his absence in the context of this episode. So I turned to theorising:

The other bots just left him behind at the crash site to guard it or something.

Alternatively, they just forgot him at the crash site. I don't think that that is very likely, but just imagine the angst you could write about that.

Bee actually entered the groundbridge and went off to sulk. Either because of Ratchet's comment implying that he is anything like Smokescreen, or because Bee, as well as Bulkhead, is afraid of getting replaced.

And that's just what I came up with on the spot. But, like, I was really just sitting there, asking myself why they had left my precious boy behind. xD ^^"

Gosh, I would love to write some fanfiction right now. But sadly, I've been neglecting my university work all day and need to get onto that before I get to bed.

I will again admit to being biased here. Bumblebee has been my favourite character ever since I saw this show for the first time when I was 8 or 9 years old. And I remember quite vividly hating Smokescreen for stealing Bee's thunder and screen time. So, I was going into this episode spending additional attention to Bumblebee to see how much of my perception was actually true. Like, I don't want to hold a grudge against Smokescreen for misperceiving him 10+ years ago. If I end up not liking him, I want it to be because I don't like him now. (/joking)

However, I was not prepared to be proven right this fast. (/joking)

Addendum: I also mentioned at the beginning of this text that Bee stopped talking even before he disappeared visually from this episode. Even though he is present for the harbour fight scene with Starscream and the end at the base, he does not make a single beep. Not, when he is hit, not to communicate with Arcee/Optimus during the fight, not when they are back at base. Instead he just gestures, fights and exists. Tbh. I'm kind of just glad he didn't get lost on the way home again. (/s)

At the same time it makes me think that Bee's silence and disappearance were probably due to some weird time or budget issue. However, where would be the fun in that? I can't write fanfiction about that. Or, at least I don't want to.

Bonus:

I love this screenshot from the end of the fight with Starscream and the way Optimus has caught Bumblebee and proceeds to propel him up onto the platform. It's so freaking cute.

Also, like, I live for everything that can be interpreted as Optimus and Bee being parent and child. And that shot just played into that hard. :3

Confession:

I had to go back and edit this post because I wrote Mike instead of Miko. I don't know why, but I have a habit to just subconsciously exchange random vowels for e when typing and tired.

[breakdownsbuttlights]

I know you've gotten a lot of asks about prowl so ima switch it up, do you have any little quirks 9r headcanons for Ratchet or drift? Or maybe both of em? If not that's totally okay!

Oh man I feel like you really need to go through the Dratchet tag on this blog from say... 2019-2021?

But some "greatest hits" hf Drift/Ratchet quirks/lore include:

following his tenure on the Lost Light, Drift wrote a dissertation and is now a professor

he puts raisins in everything

he and Ratchet live in an great big old pile of a house (craftsman style, euphemistically described as "bohemian") with three dogs and a cat and terrorize children every Halloween

the cat is named Mole and makes several cameo appearances in these posts. He's my only OC.

Ratchet's real name is Patrick. Drift is just Drift.

the two of them crashed a luxury hotel somewhere in Arizona on their way back to the Lost Light

Wing isn't dead and still visits Drift and Ratchet now and then. He also made their wedding rings.

Ratchet held Rodimus as a baby once and dropped him

Ratchet immortalized Drift in a secret portfolio of sketches

he also plays the piano

and has several siblings who are actually all Ratchets from different continuities

Drift is estranged from his own family but eventually finds his mom

this post about Ratchet and the earthquake

[mychlapci]

Rewatching tfa and I'm so normal about Ratchet I promise. Also I'd actually kill if it meant the Wreckers could've been in tfa. I have Springer's holographic bust cameo on the brain and I can't stop thinking about how cute they made him </3 -🦴

you've come to the right person, no one has ever been as Normal about tfa Ratchet as me.

also, the tfa Springer mention kind of reminds me, don't know if you were here for it, but we had a deadbeat mom prowl discussion and someone hit it out of the park with suggesting that tfa taraprowl happaned pre-show, Springer was the result, and Prowl is Springer's distant asshole mom. and that scenario is still so fuckinf funny to me.

anyways, youre so right, tfa Springer looks so fucking cute.

[musicaltheaternerd142]

(SPOILERS) My review on Hazbin Hotel (Episodes 1-4)

(Ps. I had early access and watched the 1st 2 episodes on the 12th and watched episodes 3 and 4 on the 18th on Prime due to my timezone or smth)

Episode 1

. I liked the songs, but there is one scene where Charlie is talking and then she immediately starts singing her I want song. I felt like there should have been a small melody that played before she started singing or something.

. I like the characters they’re fine with except Adam and Angel Dust. Adam (as many others have pointed out) is just Chaz as an angel and he’s just kinda annoying. Angel Dust is also kinda annoying makes sex jokes every 5 seconds, but he’s ok I guess.

. I liked Alastor in this episode, he was cool

. I honestly feel like Vaggie needs more screen time, cause compared to Angel Dust, she gets little screen time

Episode 2

. I liked Sir Pentious in this episode, he did great

. I liked both songs, but I feel like the song with Charlie and Sir Pentious should have just been a duet between the two instead of Angel Dust and Vaggie being in it, and personally I feel like the song should’ve been a bit longer.

. No hate to Joel Perez, but his accent keeps switching from American to Hispanic, and I honestly wish it didn’t switch like that

. I like Vox, he reminds me of Ratchet from the Robots movie ngl

. Alastor was also good in this episode

Episode 3

. Sir Pentious is good in this episode

. I enjoyed the new characters. Carmella Carmine kinda sounds like La Muerte from the book of life movie ngl imo

. I like Zestial, he’s chill

. the first song was ok, the second one was mid imo

. Alastor is also good in this one

Episode 4

. That ‘one’ scene was something else and I felt a bit at unease when watching it, ‘‘twas honestly sad

. I liked the duet between Husk and Angel Dust. Best song in the show so far only in front of the Charlie and Sir Pentious song

. Valentino’s voice keeps changing like I mentioned before

. I liked the brief Vox cameo

. Keith David’s singing as Husk is amazing

[icantthinkofgoodnameoranything]

so like, what if we got a comic about Scrooge’s teen years with Pothole?

like it could be a comic series (because I don’t think anyone will let it be animated) and it would be a monster of the week thing (kinda like Ducktales) with a small overarching plot.

We’d see Scrooge grow up and experience his first adventures!!! Like there would probably be a mini arc about him learning to sail Pothole’s steamboat and by the end of it he’d be sailing them places. I also want him to start trying to make money (helping advertise Ratchet’s inventions, looking into market trends, etc.). Out of all the characters I’ll probably give him the most design changes through the series considering he’s still a growing teen figuring himself out.

There’d also be a lot of relationship development, like seeing him and Pothole get closer and him and Ratchet form a Brother relationship.

Speaking of Ratchet…I honestly don’t know what to do with him. I can kinda see a negative character arc for him, where he starts underpricing himself because he feels as if that’s the only way people would buy his inventions (hence why he let Scrooge buy his C.A.R for only two dollars) but…1. I feel like I should do more than that with his character considering his one of the three main characters, 2. I don’t know much about him so I didn’t think I can make big decisions on what he’ll be like until I lean more about him.

and for Pothole he’d be the one finding the group gigs/adventures (hunting for an animal killing a farmers sheep, finding a sea monster, looking for treasure, etc.) and be the unreliable audience guide to the places, because he hasn’t visited them in so long. For his character arc I want him to have a slow ego boost from all the praise he has from his adventures (there needs to be a built up to where he’s confident to write those dime novels.) I also want to explore why he never talks to his brothers to the point they consider him long lost.

for the villains I can see the Beagle Boys breaking out of jail and trying to get revenge on the gang. Same with Porker Hogg, considering Pothole ruined him. Porker would probably gamble himself back a small river boat and come hunting for Pothole.

I also wanna have Scrooge’s immediate family + Jake have some minor cameos at the end of every chapter reading Scrooge’s letters. I’d use this as a tool to see there opinions on Pothole, Ratchet and the general shenanigans that happen.

Remember!!! This is only a concept so things WILL change if I use this. This is mostly my deranged hyperfixation rant.

[obsidiancreates]

Mario Movie Liveblog

Oh so we're doing pop songs okay

KEVIN MICHEAL RICHARDSON IS THAT YOU HELL YEAH

I looked it up and apparently the Old Koopa Wizard guy is NOT voiced by the guy who did the Fongoid voices in Ratchet and Clank: A Crack In Time, but he sure sounds like he was. I mean it is exactly.

MARIO BROS RAP IN A CRAPPY COMMERCIAL?!?! MAKE LUIGI SING PLEASE

I feel a "blushing embarrassed" vibe from Crisp Rat's faux Italian Accent here and a "Hell yeah," from Charlie Day's. Glad it won't be through the whole movie. Oh okay it got better, it got better

God I knew you wouldn't let me down Charlie

Lemme analyze this restaurant TV here, all I can make out is "Mayor Pauline Re-Elected In Landslide Victory". That's a Mario character right? I've never played the games the only Nintendo we ever owned was a Wii when I was 5

So this guy playing, ahem, Jump Man that is a fun little nod to Mario Arcade Cabinet Games, is this guy a Charles Marinet cameo? I know their dad is but is this guy also? It sounds like it.

Whomst is Spike???

This "Our mom called!" And then phone breaking gag is very Charlie Kelly, love it

WHY ARE THEY SO SMALL THIS MAN IS BULLYING TWO MEN WITH DWARFISM HE'S JUST AN ASSHOLE

God I love Luigi already