Transformers was a quintessential 80s experience for many people, but it was a fad that passed me by to be honest. I remember the toys and the cartoon series, but I never got particularly excited by them. I think it had something to do with the "transforming" being quite difficult to achieve with any degree of speed and efficiency. I was all fingers and thumbs, so a robot transforming into a helicopter just resulted in snapped roto-blades and ill-fitting segments.
The cartoon series was preferable to me, but the most memorable thing was the groovy music and cool voices. I don't remember being interested in the individual characters or the plots. That said, next year's movie adaptation by Michael Bay (Armageddon) should be very cool indeed. A live-action Transformers film by the King Of Explosions himself will undoubtedly be a summer 2007 highlight, no matter how infantile the plot or poor the acting. The fact is... giant transforming robots fighting each other will look awesome on the big-screen. If Bay can actually ensure a decent story and credible performances amidst all the mayhem, Transformers should be a blast...
The first footage from the movie has been released here; including our first look at some Transformer animatics (at the very end, look closely...)
