How to Save the Transformers Franchise
By: RogueSymbiote
Rumors are circulating that Paramount will be rebooting the Transformers franchise after the release of Bumblebee: The Movie this December. While Transformers has been doing well financially overseas, the franchise has seen a steady drop in domestic sales since 2009's Revenge of the Fallen. Sales plummeted in 2017 however with the The Last Knight grossing barely half of what Age of Extinction did 3 years earlier. It is clear that interest is dwindling, but here's how I think they can revitalize this beloved franchise.
Focus on the Transformers!
No one goes to a Transformers film and thinks, "man, I really hope I get to see a flushed out human storyline that takes screen time away from these giant mechs." It's Transformers! Rather than waste time on humans, focus on developing fully realized transformer characters. I understand that CGI is expensive, which is one of the reasons actors are utilized, but I would much prefer a shorter film if it meant the focus would remain on the transformers. These films average a 2 and a half hour runtime. Cut 30 to 40 minutes off of that and remove the inconsequential human storylines. I get that big name actors draw in large crowds, but you know what draws crowds in more? GOOD MOVIES!
Let Me See the Action!
I love movies about giant robots and monsters duking it out. Transformers has given us some pretty fantastic fight sequences, but half the time, I can not tell what on Earth is happening on screen. Shifting between 27 different vantage points in less than a minute is a bit much when I'm trying to follow a fight between 2 similar looking bots. Since the first installment, Transformers has indulged in disaster porn. It's chaos just for the sake of it. One thing I believe the original Pacific Rim did better than Transformers was how clear the carnage and destruction was. I want to see every hit, jab, cut, throw, weapon, etc. Rather than having constant cutting of scenes, allow the fights to pan in a steady long shot. Editing relentless cuts must be a nightmare and looks awful so forgive the irony when I say cut it out already.
Make a Coherent Story!
Can anyone explain to me the storyline throughout these movies? For the 3 people that can, did you think the storylines were good and well thought out? For the 1 person that thinks it was good and well thought out, I am stoked for you. But here's hoping we can make the franchise better so you can like it even more. There is some solid source material for Transformers out there. With how much the Autobots and Deceptions spoke about Cybertron, why have we not had a prequel film actually show us what happened? One book I believe would make a fantastic on screen adaptation is Alex Irvine's book Transformers: Exodus. If you love Transformers I strongly recommend you read this book. It chronicles the war for Cybertron and flushes out Optimus Prime and Megatron more than any series I have ever seen. This book explains how Optimus became a Prime, how Megatron led a revolution from a gladiator pit and how they played an integral part in each others stories. Not only is there incredible action, but the concepts behind overcoming an oppressive caste system are quite powerful and provocative. Keep the action, but make sure there's quality motivation for the characters.
More Dinobots!
I don't really have much else to say about this... Grimlock looked sick. I want more Dinobots... Moving on!
Stop Resurrecting Every Character!
I can not tell you how many times Optimus and Megatron have died. It seems like every film starts with them coming back and ends with them dying again. This constant theme takes away all emotional investment I would have if I didn't know the bot would come back right away in the next film. The only death in the franchise I felt anything for was when Jazz got ripped in half. If you are going to kill a character, leave them be. Make their death mean something. Movies allow us to take an emotional journey while sitting still. A good film runs us through the spectrum of emotions, but Transformers lost that after the first film. There are so many characters in this universe. If one dies, just introduce a new one with a good story we can get behind.
Introduce the Real Mini-Cons!
One of the coolest parts about Transformers: Armada, yes I enjoyed this version, was how critical the mini-cons were to the storyline. They provided massive power upgrades to certain transformers as well as combining to form unstoppable weapons that could be used by the larger bots. This entire concept added a fun dynamic to the show. I still remember watching the mini-con combine with Starscream to give him the boost to take on Galvatron. While the show had some flaws, there were some fun ideas that would be amazing to witness on the big screen.
Not Every Film Needs to Connect
There is this warped mentality out there that every franchise needs to be in a shared universe. While that may work for Marvel, it's not the right route for every franchise. With so many iterations of Transformers, it would be exciting to see stand alone films. Take chances and give us a Beast Wars film! Man that animation looked goofy, but I loved that series as a kid. You know you wanna see Optimus Primal too. If you're gonna do a movie and include humans, make it a crossover with GI Joe. I know that was an idea a while back. As much as I think that's just another cash grab, at least it would be weird and crazy. Take risks and do something new. If a concept or story is too difficult to weave into an ongoing series, make it a one shot.
Final Thoughts
I know it may sound like I was ripping this franchise apart, because I was, but it's only because I know how good it can be. The quality of the writing quickly dropped off after realizing that some strategic product placement, generic action hero and mega explosions could generate some fast money. I know it's a business that needs to make a profit, but why not make a quality film in the process? Cut down the time, focus on developing fully realized characters and let us see how cool an action sequence with giant robots can be without relentless camera jumps. Alright Autobots, roll out.
