More Transformers 2 Toy Videos and Pics

Yep more toy related stuff. The first is a video that demostrates the Deluxe Class Wheelie toy from alt mode to robot and back. Next is an update to the Leader class Optimus Prime review video were they show off a few additional features and explore possibility of it combining with Jetfire (verdict: inconclusive). Last is a video that has nothing to do with the movie, a demo of Optimouse Prime.

In the pictures department, for a few images of the ROBO-Q class toys click here. Also click here to get a look I think is the Fast Action Battler version of Ratchet with army related paint job. Thanks to InvisibleMan for the link.

Bay: "Megatron is back"

Apparently Hugo Weaving providing official word on the return of Megatron (as if the toy leaks wasn't enough), Michael Bay posted an interesting comment on his forums

Okay cat is out of the bag. Megatron is back ---- but you will only get to see him from the long lost past. We go way back in time as this movie explains the mythology of the Primes. He is not a tank like everyone suggests, but an alien vehicle. But sadly he does not has much screen time.

Michael

Nice of Bay to finally confirm Megs' return. The whole Megatron thing is rather odd between misleading Empire Magazine, the continued denials and so forth but to be fair he is trying to keep the spoiler lid on as tight as possible to create the best possible movie experience, as is part of his job as director. It’s just us Transfans can be a stubborn bunch.

As for Megatron only appearing in flashback, that seems to contradict Hasbro's bio for Megatron from his leader class packaging.

I am really curious to know what he means by "the mythology of the Primes" in the context of the movie. In G1, a Prime is an Autobot deemed worthy by the Matrix of Leadership to lead the race. How and why is that choice made in the context of the movie universe should be interesting to see.

As is always the case when Bay talks, we are left with more questions then answers. June 24th will reveal all.

Weaving Confirms Return

While promoting his latest movie Last Ride in Australia, Hugo Weaving, according to AdelaideNow revealed that he has signed on to return as the voice of Megatron for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Thanks to gameon91 and Ty for the link.

``I’ve already done it,’’ Weaving says, adding Bay had told him to keep the news hush-hush. ``He’s over in LA and we were working on the video split sort of thing and I had this strange conversation where he seemed to imply it was all a big secret. So there you go. I’ve given you the secret scoop.’’

So how is Megatron resurrected?

`I think in the last one, doesn’t Optimus Prime pick up a little bit of, a little shard of the cube, or the thing that’s left, and he takes it with him. Maybe there’s something there… but I don’t know,’’ he laughs.

Leader Class Optimus Prime Video Review

Peaugh and co have posted another review video of the Transformers 2 toyline. This time of the winner of most improved Transformer of the line with Leader class Optimus Prime. It is an expensive toy but it looks like this one might be worth it. Thanks to Bruno for the link.

Slow News Day: Change You Can Believe In

Another slow news week, so more random Transformer stuff people have found on the web.

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First up is change you can believe in regardless of political viewpoint. The image to the right, from Slashfilm, plays off the Obama poster that made the rounds last year. Thanks to Mark and Dan.
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Weekly World News reports that Megan Fox is a man. Yep, your fantasy girl is secretly a dude in disguise. The full story can be found here. Thanks to Mark for the link.
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Off to the right is an image supplied by Elis (thanks!) from the Massive Black art book that involves a mystery project from Hasbro around 2005. The top left page looks like Megatron art, the bottom left might be Arcee, then Bumblebee work and below that is Optimus sketches. Not sure but don't think the right page is Transformer related.
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Last, here is the ranking of the top 100 animated television shows of all time. Transformers came in 23rd place. The full list can be found here. The top five is 5) Beavis and Butthead, 4) South Park, 3) Looney Tunes, 2) Batman: The Animated Series 1) The Simpsons. Thanks to Lucas for the link.

Deluxe Wheelie Toy Pictures

Yep, back to toy news. On the bright side, it’s a new toy with a good look at the Deluxe class of Wheelie, the RC truck. He is about as ugly as Frenzy was in the first movie. Below are a few pictures but the full gallery is here.

More Ask Orci Stuff

Roberto Orci continues his dedication to the transfans by occasionally dropping in the Don Murphy forums and answering questions. For those, like me, just a little tired of the same toy news, here are the latest that seemed worth posting about. As usual, my comments in parenthesis.

Is Ravage the only minion palling around with Soundwave this time around?
not exactly...
(Perhaps he is referring to the robot thing seen on the Princeton campus set)

Any truth to the rumor that Starscream is an independent player in ROTF?
no
(I think this is in reference to the Reign of Starscream comic where he did try to take over the Decepticons briefly.)

Any chance of another full trailer which might reveal more to the story than it's tone? It did a great job of showing off the frantic pace and darker vibes, but very little by way of story. Any revelations coming?
Yeah, I'm sure another trailer is in the works that shows more of the story. Don't know when it'll be out. Maybe in front of Trek?
(Honestly I will be absolutely dumb-founded at the stupidity of the decision makers if a new trailer doesn't debut with Star Trek considering both are Paramount projects and summer tent pole movies.)

Hey Roberto, an admittedly long-winded question here. When I watch TF1 now, it always feels like it's split into 2 movies, the first half being more grounded in day to day reality, and the second being a little more high concept sci fi. I would call the Autobot arrival scene the transition between the 2 halves.
My question is do you think that TF2 will have a similar transition? Because from what I've seen so far, I think it might, but you just might know better than me.
Interesting question. In a sense, yes, because both movies have a structure where the world changes at the midpoint. In the first movie, that meant the full arrival of the autobots. In this movie, there is also a mid point that changes the movie. Very perceptive.

So when was the last bit of writing done for TF2 or are you still doing bot dialogue and such?
Oh yeah. Last bit was last week! We'll be working on it until the bitter end.

Having fun?
Yes. Except when we fight with Bay. But in retrospect, that's also part of the fun.

Haha fighting with Bay? that must be intense... Does it happen a lot?
Every time!

Who wins?
50/50. But only because there's three of us against 1!
(I posted the bit about the fighting as found it amusing. That there can be fights at all means that Bay is receptive to ideas. After all he has the position to simply say "I don't want to hear it, just do as I say" like most bosses tend to do.)

Leader Optimus Prime and Wheelie Pics

The toy pics and info keeps coming. Below are links of pictures of the latest.

First up is huge gallery of Leader Class Optimus Prime that is new and improved with huge amount of poseability and close resembles his CGI movie counterpart. The full gallery is from The Arker and mirrored at TFW2005. Thanks to wickedweeezl and Cenjor for the links.

While information remains light, Wheelie makes a brief appearance incorrectly transformed vehicle mode from Seibertron.com. Nothing special really, just a close-up of what we already saw from his toy card.

Finally, a little information on what the assortment cases for the toys may be from GoldenAgeToys via TFW2005. The descriptions from them is awkward so I put in parenthesis what character they were probably referring to when I could figure it out. In some cases not sure if they refer to new characters, re-releases or the person just didn't know what it was. Thanks to Cenjor for the links.

DELUXES:
Case 1: Green Eco Car (Skids), Desert Brawl, Truck Bot (Wheelie?), Street Motorcycle (Arcee?) and Smoke Screen (???)
Case 2: Cannon Bumblebee, Barricade, Wolf (???) and Eco Car Orange (Mudflap)
Case 3: Satellite (Soundwave) and Bumblebee
Case 4: Bumblebee, European Sports Car (Sideways), American Sports Car (Sideswipe), Bulldozer (Rampage) and New Jet (Breakaway)

VOYAGERS:
Case 1: Optimus Prime, Starscream, Red Excavator (Demolisher) and Ironhide
Case 2: Optimus Prime, Ironhide, Voyager Alien Form (The Fallen) and Autobot Ratchet

LEADERS:
Optimus Prime and Megatron

Leader Class Megatron Video Review

Mike offers another video review, this time of the Leader class version of Megatron for Transformers 2 toy line. In addition, TFW2005 has posted a huge gallery of pictures of the toy that offer a good comparison between the first movie version of the toy and this one. That can be found here. Thanks to Cenjor for the link. Overall, Megatron is a huge improvement over the first movie but probably one I will pass on with my limited funds.

Leader Class Optimus, Megatron and Other Stuff

Yep, sadly just more toys news. On the bright side its more images of Leader class Megatron and Optimus Prime for Transformers 2 toy line, this time without Megs face being blocked like before. The important thing about the leader class is they come closest to representing how the characters will look in the movie (not 100% exact of course) so good for getting some of the details. Thanks to Cenjor for the link.

Seibertron.com | Optimus Prime eBay | Megatron eBay
Other then the above, here are links to other tie-in toys and products for Transformers 2

Monopoly game | Ratchet Robot Replica | RoTF Robot Heroes | Starscream Robot Replica

Five Toy Demo Videos

Below are videos that demonstrate five of the toys for the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen toys. It is a solid way to get a good look at the toys and how they transform. Thanks to Cenjor for the links.

Slow News Day: Fan Made CGI Videos

I am bored of toy pictures (at least until new ones are leaked like the Arcee trio) so instead below are three Transformers related videos that Mr. Gandia (thanks!) sent me.

First up is a CGI video of G1 Devastator combining with flare to take in account real world physics of the characters, with real world look (i.e. mostly yellow) that can't fly. The second video is another CGI cartoon this time Prime vs. Megatron with a Generation 1 twist. The last video is Megatron doing a cereal commercial, related to the Prime cereal commercials.

G1 Devastator Merging


Return of Optimus Prime


Megatron vs Cereal Commercial

The entire cereal commercial series can be found here.

Voyager Optimus Prime Video Review

Peaugh and co is back, this time with a video review of Voyager class Optimus Prime from the Transformers 2 toy line. It is essentially a repaint of Prime from the first movie with an improved paint job. Also a more pictures of the Fallen toy have popped up online and can be seen here. Thanks to Hugo for the link.

FAB Jetfire, Long Haul, Sideways, etc Galleries

Few new galleries of Transformers 2 Deluxe class toys. From TF08.net, a two page gallery of pictures of various Deluxe Fast Action Battler size Transformers 2 toys. It is a good look at Jetfire, a re-color of Ratchet, Skids, Rampage, and Bumblebee. I think my favorite of the group is Long Haul mostly because he is the creation of Transformers fan Josh Nizzi, hired by Michael Bay for Transformers 2 thanks to his Long Haul art. Makes me wonder if its just a matter of time for Jester and Jolin. The other gallery is from TFormers for Sideways.

Various FABs | Sideways

Transformers 2 Tie-In Products in Packaging

Via ActionFigs.com, is a gallery of the odds and ends of some tie-in products for the Transformers 2 toy line like keychains, clip-ons and the like. Rather odd those is there choice to pixilated some of the images so that you really can't tell what your buying much liked the black-out versions of the keychains from the other day. As the image on the right shows though, the keychain is clearly the merge mode of Optimus Prime and Jetfire. Thanks to Phil for the link.

Three More FABs Toys, Three More Bios

TF08.net, via Seibertron.com, has posted the back of the Fast Action Battler cards for Ratchet, Long Haul (a Constructicon), and Jetfire. Each has a bio that begins with "Around the world, the Autobots battle in secret to destroy the evil forces of the Decepticons. Little do they know that an even deeper threat is about to arise..." then gets specific for that character. Of note is verification of Jetfire's character arc of a reformed Decepticon. Pictures are below the bios. Thanks to Katsuhono for the link.

An additional note, the blog logo has been updated thanks to Eoin. Hope you like it, makes it little easier I hope for people to know they landed in the right place for all their movie inforamtion.

Ratchet FAB Bio:

After learning from Ironhide that more Decepticons had been detected on Earth, Autobot Ratchet immediately began research into how best to upgrade his weapons. After two months in his workshop, he developed a new particle beam blaster. Now he needs to find a Decepticon to test it on.

Long Haul FAB bio:

Long Haul never talks, unless he's going to complain about something. The other Decepticons expect him to carry all their stuff, but he'd rather be fighting than transporting a bunch of missiles and laser cannons. He likes to let other robots' gear bounce out of his truck bed, and then tell them it got "lost" on the way.

Jetfire FAB Bio:

After remaining hidden for years, Jetfire is ready to rejoin the fight! He realized the error of the Decepticon way a long time ago. Now, he fights alongside the Autobots, hoping to use his ancient strength to bring his former comrades to justice!

Megatron Leader Class Toy Plus Bio

Joining Optimus Prime and Jetfire as the final Leader class toy is Megatron as revealed by The Arker via Seibertron.com through two galleries. While writer Roberto Orci already confirmed it, if he had not, this would be the final nail in the coffin to verify that Megatron returns for the sequel. Even better, the pictures show off Megatron's bio, providing a few secrets about the movie. Below the bio are a few pictures but full galleries are here and here. For unknown reasons, the website chose to hide the face of Megatron. Overall, this I like this version of Megatron better then his previous incarnation. Thanks to Cenjor for the link.

Rebuilt with parts cannibalized from other Decepticons, Megatron rises once again to lead his army. Though the AllSpark destroyed him once, he can now feel its power coursing through his circuitry. It calls him to seize his rightful place as ruler over the puny planet on which he was imprisoned and destroyed, and from which he will launch his conquest of the universe. Optimus Prime is all that stands between him and victory, and the Autobot leader has done a poor job of hiding himself. At long last, Megatron knows exactly where his enemy is, and he has power enough to destroy him.

Toy Fair 2009 Video

From CollectionDX, via Seibertron.com is the below video (HD version here) that shows off the various Transformer toys that premiered at Toy Fair 2009 last week. Its a pretty good look at Devastator and component Constructions, Deluxe class, Scout class, and more. As a bonus, towards the end we finally get a demostration of what the Gravity Bots are.

MTV's Spoilers Transformers 2 Clip

Today Spoilers aired on MTV that included about a minute clip of Transformers 2 behind the scenes action that shows people running, things exploding, and bodies flying through the air. Especially fun was seeing moments that we already saw via fan videos and reports from Bethlehem, Princeton and the Queensway Bridge. Thanks to Katsuhono for the line.

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Update: Found by b.skow, click here for the YouTube version.

Orci: "Megatron Returns!"

Transformers writer Roberto Orci confirmed that Megatron returns in Transformers 2. His exact quotes are "Megatron returns!...Keep it quiet". I guess this is big news but then the Voyager class toy packaging gave this away already.

What still confuses me is Michael Bay saying Megatron doesn't return. If he said it to fan sites, you can file it under intentional misdirection. However, he apparently said that (love a direct quote to verify) to Empire Magazine and as general rule of thumb it is a bad idea to "misdirect" the press. I get the feeling that both are telling the truth as part of the storyline. Time will tell. Thanks to Michael for the link.

Transformers 2 Release Date Move Officially Confirmed

Via the official Transformers movie website, the rumored move of the stateside release date of Transformers 2 to June 24th has been officially confirmed. Even better, the website has a complete breakdown of the release dates in all major regions worldwide. Thanks to Florian for the link.

Click here to view the release date schedule.

Building Bumblebee Video

Cool video from Cars.com that shows the construction of the Bumblebee prop at Chicago Auto Show. Thanks to Florian for the link.

Breakaway Video Review

Another video review from GenZhao and Peaugh, via TFW2005, this time of Deluxe Breakaway (still not confirmed if in movie). Thanks to Cenjor for the link.

Whee More Transformer Toy Galleries (Updated)

For those that can not get enough of the Transformers Revenge of the Fallen toys, below are three more galleries to look through. Personally, I have seen enough of the current group, I want to get a gander on the Arcee trio, the rest of the Constructicons and the rest of Decepticons. The galleries are for Breakaway (unknown if movie cast), Sideswipe and Optimus Prime (with Chinese characters).

Deluxe Breakaway | Deluxe Sideswipe | Voyager Optimus Prime

Update: Below are even more galleries. Via Movie Chronicles are great pictures of the Fallen toy up on ebay and from Seibertron.com new Legends toys (thanks Cenjor for the link).

Voyager The Fallen | Legends Starscream | Legends Ratchet | Legends Megatron | Legends Sideswipe

Transformers 2 Video Games Dated

According to Amazon.com's pre-order page for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen video games, the scheduled release date for the games on all platforms is June 16th, 2009. I don't know if this is a stateside only release date or worldwide.

Demolisher Bio Revealed

An eBay auction, found by Master Fwiffo, shows off Demolisher in his package and reveals his bio and official alt mode configuration. To the right is the back of the package but the full gallery is here. As for the bio, its reads:

Demolishor isn't very bright, but he knows when to fight, and when to run and hide. Arriving on Earth to find Megatron destroyed, hiding seemed like the best option. Since then, he's taken a few smaller Decepticons under his protection, and built quite a little community. It hasn't been easy hiding among the humans that creep like a disease over this planet, but he and his companions are content until a new Decepticon leader emerges to guide them back to glory.

Call me crazy, but knowing when to fight and when not to is a sign of intelligence, not lack of. What is important is he clearly lives up to his name in the movie.

GM Launches Autobot Website

GM's "Autobots Rollout" site has officially launched, highlighting their concept vehicles in Transformers 2. Currently the site has its movie related commercial from the Detroit Auto Show and a few pics of the cars including this one that is further proof that Ratchet is in the film, or at least at the White Sands set.

GM Cars Picked By Bay, Influenced Movie

In an interview with GM VP of Global Design Ed Wellburn, MTV blog reveals that Michael Bay hand-picked the various Autobot alt modes from their concept designs and those designs influenced the movie.

"With the first movie, there wasn’t a whole lot of dialogue back and forth between Michael Bay and myself,” GM Vice President of Global Design Ed Wellburn told MTV News, reflecting on how GM’s relationship with Bay began. “We were building the concept in secret we didn’t want anyone to know, and he was building the movie in secret. He was looking for something special from us, and we showed him a couple of cars.”

“I didn’t want to share with him Camaro unless he told me more about the movie,” Wellburn said. “There was a little negotiating, and then there it was.” The success of the Camaro’s appearance, which helped GM by raising awareness of the newly redesigned car, literally opened some big doors for Bay in “Revenge of the Fallen.”

“When it comes to the sequel, it was different because the relationship had built quite a bit,” Wellburn explained. “Michael came to Detroit, and he and I just walked the studios. He was looking for one, maybe two new vehicles. He came here, and he pretty much had it in his head what the sequel would be. I’ll never forget it. One third of the way through the tour he said, ‘I need a notepad. There are just too many designs that we may want to use in the movie.’”

Some models, like the Beat and Trax, which will appear as the Autobots Skids and Mudflap for “Revenge of the Fallen,” even affected how the characters functioned.

“That day that he visited us and walked the halls of the studios, the movie developed and in some ways changed,” he revealed. “[Bay] was inspired by things like the two small cars that maybe could work together in some way. That’s all I can say right now.”

A question I have is how many concept models did Bay have to choose from? I wouldn't imagine there were not that many, near ready for market, models on the list limiting his options (may explain how Audi entered the picture).

Of note is that near last line "...two small cars that maybe could work together..." From what I have been reading, people have interpreted this to mean the twins might merge together. I guess that could be possible but so far none of the leaked toys and images shows it. However, the Devastator toy has shown that Hasbro is happy to step away from the norm and present merging and non-merging designs for the same character. I think "work together" means less "merge" and more "teamwork". I would think the Twins could work together better than the other Autobots making for some dynamic fight/chase sequences.

Today Show Previews Devastator

Via TFormers, below is the video from the Today Show from yesterday where they showed off a few toys from Toy Fair including Devastator. At the 2:15 point is when the Devastator segment starts and goes for about 45 seconds. At one point the presenter says "...these six vehicles you can do anything with. These are transforming and fun as well." I think the person was confused and didn't realize that the information from Hasbro is there are going to be at least two versions of the Constructicons, those merge (the one in the video) and those that transform but do not merge. Either way, the video gives you a good look at the $100 toy.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Transformers 2 Poster Redux (Updated)

Same poster from the other day, bigger size via TFormers. Still no word if this is an international poster or not. Thanks to minime for the link.

Update: Looking at the various threads and the comments, it seems most fans think the poster is fake as it uses elements of previousily released production pictures and an old render of Optimus Prime. Pretty good arguments, it could be fake, I don't know. So just a reminder, unless it comes from the mouths of someone from production such as Bay, the cast, etc, or from Hasbro (say through toy pics), all information remains purely in the "rumor" column. It doesn't matter how sure we are, at the end of the day it is not like we can call up Bay and go "hey is this true?" so it all comes down to best guesses and possibilities based on the information we have at that moment in time. On June 24th (btw, that move has not been verified officially) we will get to see just how close we were at figuring it all out (and hopefully get blown away by CGI TF goodness to boot). To me the stars on all posters should read "Optimus Prime" and other TF cast not Shia LaBeouf and co.

Autobots At Auto Show Videos

Last week GM debut its fleet of Autobots to the public at the 2009 Chicago Auto Show giving us a good close look at the Chevy Trax (Mudflap), Beat (Skids), Camaro (BB), Volt (Jolt) and Corvette Stingray (Sideswipe). We already got a look at some galleries, but now thanks to Schoop77 here are some videos to go with them.

Direct links: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

MTV's Spoilers To Talks Transformers

MTV's next episode of Spoilers will give viewers a chance to get a sneak peak at some Transformers 2 footage including an interview with Michael Bay. From the write-up:

On February 21, at 8:00 p.m. ET, MTV will air the second episode of "Spoilers," a quarterly movie special that will deliver first looks at the year's biggest upcoming flicks, including behind-the-scenes action and exclusive scenes.

Taped in front of a live audience, the second episode will spotlight "Watchmen," and will feature appearances from the entire cast of the eagerly anticipated superhero flick.

Hundreds of die-hard movie fanswill attend MTV News' screening of the film, with the stars walking the blood-red carpet to chat in front of our cameras.

In addition to "Watchmen," the episode will also give viewers exclusive access to scenes from such upcoming blockbusters as "Star Trek," "Land of the Lost," "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" and more.

I wasn't able to find the last episode of Spoilers so hopefully Transfans will post the footage online for us to watch. Thanks to Josh for the info.

Alliance and Dinobots #3 Issues Preview

Today Transformers Revenge of the Fallen Prequel Alliance #3 and Transformers: Maximum Dinobots #3 came out in comic stores all over the place. For those on the fence about getting them, below are links, via TFW2005, to previews of each of the issues.

Alliance #3 | Maximum Dinobots #3

First Look: New Transformers 2 Poster (Updated)

Yesterday, a final version of the The Fallen poster was revealed and now thanks to Nige, here is a new poster for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Not sure where it was taken but pretty good looking with Sam and Mikeala running, the Fallen atop a pyramid and Optimus looking bad ass. For whatever reason, the studios often create a US poster and an international poster and this could just be the latter. I guess we will know if it shows up stateside.

Update: I think my poor phrasing above caused some confusion. By "final poster" I was referring to The Fallen face version only where there is the face mostly hidden in shadows, photoshop enhanced version and now as the link above takes you, the full CGI rendered face glaring at you. It wouldn't surprise me if multiple posters are released stateside and elsewhere over the next few months so a final poster in the marketing series for the movie is probably a ways off.

Deluxe Sideswipe Video Review

Mike via peaugh, has posted another review, this time for Deluxe class Sideswipe. Overall, his model is the best of the bunch, solid both in robot and vehicle mode.

You can also get a look at Mike's collection here. Mine blows his away but he has managed to get alot in a very short period of time. At the rate he going, he will pass mine by the end of the year.

The Fallen Poster Again, ToyFair Q&A

Along with the true visage of The Fallen (sadly pic is that small), The Transformers Club has posted the results of a Q&A held during Toy Fair 2009 buffet held for executives and toy retailers. The Q&A was with Brian Goldner (Hasbro CEO), TF Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Tyrese Gibson, and TF Director Michael Bay.

The Q&A didn't allow recording devices so the results are paraphased so for those that like to parse every word for meaning, tread carefully. Below are a select answers but the full post can be found here.

WC: Michael, the first movie was such an amazing success how is Revenge of the Fallen going to be different?
MB: From learning the mythos, to figuring out how to make the robots transform on the big screen, the first movie involved a lot of discovery. In addition, it was a story about a boy getting his first car and finding his first girl friend. The second movie is a coming of age story, encompassing global issues, and bringing the robots to a new level. If every boy in the world didn’t want a Bumblebee in his garage from the first movie, they will from the second. All of the robots in this film are superhero tough. I’ll tell you I am very passionate about this film.
LdB: Yes, in the first movie, boy gets car, boy finds girl, but this one really explores the idea of responsibility as Sam leaves for college. He thinks he wants to lead a normal college life but finds out some of his decisions don’t work out so well for not only him, but also the whole world.

WC: ...how does this film evolve the mythology?
BG: We all know that everyone is hungry for the next level of mythos, so we really want everyone to wonder what Revenge of the Fallen means.
LdB: It is a very deep mythology and most people just don’t know how deep it is.
MB: Yes, this film will satisfy all types of fans as I have included my trademark humor, more intimacy with the humans and robots, and Moms will think it is safe enough to bring the kids back out to the movies.
TG: The humor often times is created on the spot. Something happens on the set and Michael lets us keep it in the film. I know I still get comments from kids about my “left cheek”. I don’t know if that will ever go away and that was a spontaneous comment that just came out when we were filming the first film.

RA: Special effects software and camera technology have made advancements since the first film. How has this empowered you to further realize your vision for Revenge?
MB: The developments in technology have allowed us to have the robots show emotion. This is a robot movie and this new technology allows us to explore a greater depth of personality from these characters.

RA: No other director has the kind of relationship that you have developed with the US Military. What piece of hardware did you get access to that are you most excited about for this coming film?
MB: It’s like I have a direct line to the Pentagon. This is the first movie where actual F16’s have made a bombing run on a movie set and coordinated with special effects explosions. We were on a working nuclear submarine and working aircraft carrier. The military loved the first movie. It really helped with recruiting and promoting a positive image for them. Now they are happy to do just about anything they can for my films. We also found out that in Afghanistan the Buffalo(s) (Bonecrusher vehicle from the first movie) have all been nicknamed different Transformers characters by their personnel. We also worked with tanks firing real rounds and you have not lived until you have heard an actual tank firing. We have so much access - I am appreciative and excited about all the military vehicles we use.

RA: Filming at the pyramids must have been amazing! What were the greatest challenges you faced?
MB: This is the first time in 30 years that anyone has filmed at the pyramids and the first time ever anyone has filmed from the top of Petra. Steven filmed Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade from the base of Petra. It took 21 very heavy helicopter loads to get all our gear to the top. We had all the access we wanted in Egypt as we found out that the head of Egyptian Antiquities Dr. Zahi Hawass is a big Transformers fan and was very helpful. We also filmed in the desert where Lawrence of Arabia was filmed. Very challenging conditions.

Thanks to Chris for the link.

Skids Bio Revealed

When is G1 Wheelie probably not going to be Wheelie? When he is Skids judging by the back of the card bio on the character from TF08.net.

Because he is slightly less hyperactive than his brother MUDFLAP, AUTOBOT SKIDS has always thought of himself as “the smart one.” He likes to point this out at every opportunity. While MUDFLAP zips around like a maniac, AUTOBOT SKIDS prefers to impress his superiors among the AUTOBOT high command by behaving in a way he thinks of as mature, which usually involves talking nonstop about anything that occurs to him.

Yeah, more I see and read about Mudflap and Skids, the more concerned I become. With these two characters, how much we like them will rely nearly 100% on the voice work so can't wait until those casting notes are revealed. Thanks to Chris for the information.

Autobot "Special Programs"? and Other Toy Stuff

A few new toy galleries have popped up online. The most interesting is new images of the Transformers 2 toy line version of Ironhide, who is now a NEST vehicle. Additionally he has a new decal on the side that suggests NEST is part of a "Special Program" that is a union between the Autobots and the United Nations, complete with red hat. I guess that explains what forces Captain Lennox and Epps will be leading. The full gallery of Voyager class Ironhide is here.

Next are a few pictures from TF08.net of the Voyager class Optimus Prime with a lightly different paint job that shows Chinese character on the toy, I guess part of his disguise while in Shanghai hunting the Decepticons Demolisher and Sideways. That gallery is here.

Last are a few more images of the Fast Action Battler Megatron and Double Blade Optimus Prime. That gallery is here.

Trailer Slo-Mo Videos

One of the fun things about Transformers is the huge amount of detail that quite literally goes into every frame. ILM could take shortcuts that in most cases our brains would never pick it up, but as the slo-mo videos derived from the teaser trailer show, that just isn't how they roll.

This first video from James (thanks!) is a nice slo-mo video that shows off The Fallen's appearance in the trailer as he appears instantly among a group of soldiers. You can also download that video from here. So much for him appearing from underground.

This next video from Planet Lynx is derived from 101 photos that shows Demolisher transforming. It really highlights just how much like a spider he looks as he unfurls and attacks.

The Audi Gets A Name

In a new crop of official images for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen toy line, revealed at Toy Fair 2009, comes an accidental reveal on the name of the mysterious Decepticon Audi R8 seen all over the place during filming, in the trailer and in sneak toys. As the package on the right shows, his official name is Sideways (yep the same name dropped in the Toyfare article).

What does this mean for Barricade since the theory that the Audi was a reformat is now out the window? And why no Arcee toys at Toyfair? What secrets is that character hiding?

The full gallery of new images including more Deluxe class toys in packaging, Bumble Spud and others, click here.
Thanks to Chris for the information.

HD Transformers 2 Teaser Trailer

The HD version of the Transformers 2 teaser trailer is finally here for us to pour over.

HD: Yahoo! Movies | YouTube
Download: Michael Bay | Sci-Fi Guide

Movie Stills/Analysis: Planet Lynx ameywake DWTeam.org | Empire Online

Below are some stills that Mauricio and Chris provided. I especially like the way Demolisher unwraps, strikes, and looks just like a spider. The Fallen is smaller than I expected, but that just means the mano-o-mano fights will be vicious. Hate to break it to people but as the still shows, that is Jetfire, with landing gear cane about to get jumped by Scorponok. Still not sure how I feel about unicycle trinity of Arcees just too soon to reach a conclusion. The second to the last picture is Demolisher living up to his name as Prime (truck mode) arrives to try and stop him.


Thanks to everyone for sending in all the links and pictures.

The Fallen Toy Video Review (Updated)

Well less update and more entire replacement of the original post. Instead of the music video that shows off The Fallen, I replaced it with the video review below from peaugh, who have been reviewing all the leaked Transformers 2 toys. He (or Mike) have now added the Voyager class of The Fallen to their collection and tell us about it. Nothing against the music video, I just find the review much more informative and figure blog readers will too. The toy comes across as bland as Megatron did in the first movie, but I am betting the CGI version will look awesome.

Keychains Reveal Prime, Jetfire Merge?

TFW2005 has posted four pictures (mostly blacked-out) whose silhouettes indicate what characters they could be. One of them (left) seem to verify that that Optimus Prime and Jetfire have a combined mode complete with wings, boosters and a large gun, must like what their Legends class counterparts indicated.

The other key chains look to be Starscream, Megatron, and Bumblebee. That is two classes of Transformer 2 toys that show the combined mode which makes me wonder what other classes it will extend to and whether or not that mode is used in the movie.

More Toy Fair 2009 Galleries

Toy Fair 2009 continues in New York and the galleries continue to pile up online. While not as good as the first day galleries with Devastator and company, these are still interesting Transformers 2 tie-in products.

The first is some cool images of the various Transformer related displays put up around the Javitz center put up by sponsors, some congratulating the Transformer brand for 25 years of success. The full gallery is here.

Another brief gallery is showing off the new Transformer movie themed backpacks from F.A.B. Starpoint. Those images can be found here.

Next are official shots of some of the toy lines sub classes like the Robot Heroes, Power Bots, Gravity Bots, Robot Replicas, RPMs, and more. That gallery can be found here.

Last is the more off the wall tie-in products like, Bumble Spud and an All Spark Rubik's cube. Those images are here.

Toy Fair Reveals Devastator and Other TFs (Updated)

Toy Fair 2009 is on at New York and multiple sites are putting up huge galleries of pictures of toys for the Transformers 2 toy line (see below) including Devastator (yep the picture was accurate), Mudflap, Skids, a new one called Breakaway and many more. All very cool.

As far as Devastator goes, there are three versions planned. The first is the $100 version where the six individual Constructicons do not have robot modes, just vehicles mode that reconfigure to form the gestalt (think Voltron). That Devastator will be 2 feet high and about 4 feet wide. The next is the individual Constructicons that do have robot forms but cannot merge. The last is the PowerBot that doesn't really transform, it’s the Devastator look on the front and the individual vehicles painted on the back.

Breakdown of the six constructions:
     Demolishor - red O&K/Terex RH400 Hydrolic Mining Excavator (torso)
     Rampage - yellow Caterpillar 992G Front Loader (right arm)
     Long Haul - green Caterpillar 773B Dump Truck (right leg)
     Mix Master - silver Mack Cement Mixer (head)
     High Tower - yellow Kobelco CK2500 Truss Crane (left arm)
     Scrapper - yellow Caterpillar D9L Bulldozer (left leg)

As you can see, the RH400 from the trailer gets an official name. Overall the leak back in October was on the mark on the Constructicons except for the duplicate dump truck which now seems to have been a potential alt design for Long Haul.

I don't know if the two aerial Autobots, Breakaway (F-35 Joint Strike Fighter) and Springer (V-22 Osprey), are movie characters. Below are select pictures from the various galleries. For the highlights of Hasbro's plans for their various Transformer lines click here.

Galleries: TFormers | The Allspark | TFW2005 | More TFormer pics (over 100 pics) | Seibertron.com (100s of pics) | Transformers Club

Thanks to Elis and Boo for the links and pictures.

Cleaned Up Transformers 2 Teaser Trailer

Thanks to Behind the Films, below is a cleaned up version of the full Transformers 2 Teaser Trailer. It is not quite HD quality, which will be out on Monday on Yahoo! Movies, but lets you get a better look at certain things like The Fallen and Jetfire's cane. Thanks to the person that posted the link.

ET Sneak Reveals the Fallen

Entertainment Tonight is going to air a segment on Transformers 2 on Monday's episode. Tonight they teased the segment with some footage and as part of that they showed off The Fallen for eagle-eyed viewers like Scott who provided the below screenshots from his TV. Thanks to Scott for the catch and pictures and Will for the segment news.

Chicago Auto Show Galleries

The other day the GM held a press conference at the Detroit Auto Show that officially revealed the concept cars and their movie names for Transformers 2 to the public. Now there are two huge galleries the cars on display at the show. Also below, for those that missed it, is the movie related commercial that was put together to highlight the vehicles. Thanks to blog fans for the YouTube link and Chris for the gallery link.

Galleries: Jalopnik | TFW2005

FAB Megatron and Jolt Video Reviews

Via TFormers, Mike and peaugh are back with a video reviews of the Fast Action Battler Megatron and Jolt the Volt.

More toy reviews related to Transformers 2 can be found here including Ransack.

Trailer Screenshots and Observations (Updated)

The full Tranformers 2 teaser trailer is out (unofficially anyway) so now is the fun of analyzing every frame. A few things observations have come up from Transfans.

The first is a message from Jason, who provided many set pictures and set reports while Transformers was shooting at Bethlehem Steel over the summer. On the last day of the shoot, he was invited to watch the last scene shot at the site, which is now in the trailer at the 1:02 point. It is the moment when the Scavenger completes his transformation and smashes his arms into the ground setting off a huge explosion. Jason also grabbed the screenshot to the left that shows a face in the debris (1:06 point) that the blow causes. Any clue what that is? Maybe ILM having some fun? My best guess is the site is supposed to be Shanghai, China so its a CGI statue head I guess that might be in the area.

Over at Planet Lynx there are some screenshot that help get a good look at the apparently unicycle style of the Arcee units, a breakdown where apparently Audi doesn't just flip and transform, but flips, shoots at them and then transforms (showing level of detail ILM is putting on screen), the shot to the right that indicates that Scorponok is diving on the geriatric Jetfire and a possible look at the Fallen. Update: The cane pic has been updated from an image from Carl to illustrate that the cane is landing gear.

Update 2: Below are some screenshots provided by Elis. The first gives you a look at what is probably The Fallen in the desert, a freeze of Scavenger transforming with the cab on his shoulder, the bug that is torn by Sam complete with mini satellite dish (possible Soundwave minion?), and last is a shot of the unicycle look of Arcee.

Devastator Officially Confirmed by Hasbro

Its a good weekend for Transformer fans. The new teaser trailer is out and Toy Fair 2009 begins this Sunday and in anticipating, Hasbro sent out a press release on the various toy classes that will be available for the Transformers 2 toy line. Most importantly, they have officially confirmed that Devastator is in the film and is made up of six Constructicons. The first of the toy line will be officially released on May 30th with the rest following in August, with the preview toys of Bumblebee and Soundwave about a month before that.

Additional confirmed toys include Bumblebee Voice Mixer Helmet, Bumblebee Plasma Cannon, Power Bots, 3 different Human Alliance toys (first is Bumblebee and Sam), and RPM Mini-Vehiciles. Here is a portion of the release.

...And, long-time fans will be thrilled with one the most powerful DECEPTICONS, the new TRANSFORMERS MOVIE CONSTRUCTICON DEVASTATOR figure, a monstrous robot that combines six vehicles into one giant robot.

TRANSFORMERS MOVIE CONSTRUCTICON DEVASTATOR
(Approximate retail price: $99.99; Ages 5 & up; Available: August 2009)
The largest and most powerful foe the AUTOBOTS will encounter in this summer’s TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN is sure to be DEVASTATOR, a monstrous DECEPTICON robot made up of six separate construction vehicles known as the CONSTRUCTICONS. The TRANSFORMERS MOVIE CONSTRUCTICON DEVASTATOR allows kids to re-create the film’s awesome action sequences.

TRANSFORMERS MOVIE POWER BOTS
(Approximate retail price: $22.99; Ages 4 & up; Available: May 30, 2009) Designed to enable easy play for younger fans, TRANSFORMERS MOVIE POWER BOTS are 10-inch robot-only versions of favorite TRANSFORMERS characters. These large-scale, chunky action figures include lights, sounds and battle features. Two new POWER BOTS figures featuring robots from TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN will be released in 2009. TRANSFORMERS MOVIE MEGA POWER BOTS (Approximate retail price: $34.99; Ages 4 & up; Available: August 2009)
Taking POWER BOTS to the next level with a second mode for “mega” action! Robots include OPTIMUS PRIME and DEVASTATOR. When the DEVASTATOR POWER BOT figure is face down, he appears to be six different vehicles, but when standing upright, he is the monstrous DECEPTICON, DEVASTATOR.

TRANSFORMERS RPMs DEVASTATOR TRACK SET
(Approximate retail price: $39.99; Ages 5 & up; Available: August 2009)
Created specifically for the new TRANSFORMERS R.P.M.’s line of mini-vehicles, the TRANSFORMERS RPMs DEVASTATOR TRACK SET provides fast, mini-vehicle play within a dynamic track set by leveraging the iconic battle and high stakes drama found in the new movie. The track will bring DEVASTATOR to life and enable fans to re-enact the climactic movie battle between the AUTOBOTS and DEVASTATOR.

I have been naysaying his appearance for a while, its good to be wrong. The currently theory is the RH400 forms the torso, a dump truck is the right leg, bulldozer the left leg, front loader for the right arm, crane for the left arm and cement mixer for the head, as seen in pic here.

Full Transformers 2 Teaser Trailer

Thanks to NightShade87, here is the full 2 minute 15 second teaser trailer for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. The direct link is here. Also another copy, thanks to an anonymous source, is here.

Here is also NightShade87's description:

I was able to get this video of the new Transformers: ROTF teaser trailer on Friday the 13th. Let me say that it's so much more satisfying than the Superbowl trailer. While in my opinion it seems that Bay took most of the first teaser and is just adding on to it with this trailer, I don't think it reveals any more than what we already know about the plot.

Here are some key points in the video that I suggest taking a closer look at. I've provided the times at which some of newer ones occur, and my own thoughts as well).
- The beginning opens up in France (notice the Eiffel tower in the background) and two protoforms are seen falling out of the sky (in broad daylight no less) and one strikes a building.
- Switches to show the pyramids and aircraft carrier-It then looks like there may be a total of 4? protoforms landing in Egypt.
- Then we go back to scene of the aircraft carrier, which is sunk by more protoforms (if I counted 6 in this shot, that would make a grand total of 12 protoforms causing some kind of destruction, whether intended or not.)
- At 0:55 you can very clearly see one of the three Arcee cars that is chasing the Audi that just jumped through a building. (It looks to be a purple bike to me, but that could just be the light. And Boo was right; it does look like she's some type of unicycle, or at least a third of her robot form.)-We get to see a semi-full transformation for Devastator (the RH-400) and Bay wasn't lying when he said that thing was huge!-Sam again tells his dad to run, but then Ron gives his own idea of what they should do.
- At 1:18 you see Sam taking apart a mechanical bug, though I don't know exactly what type (something with wings. I also thought I saw a miniature satellite on there, but not sure)
- At 1:28 we finally see Bumblebee for the first time. He's transforming in what looks like the Witwicky's backyard in plain view of Sam's dad in broad daylight. He then shoots at something off screen.
- At 1:33 we get the first notice of Scorpinok in Egypt it looks like, jumping at another robot. Can't tell who at this point. But very pointy edges. Starscream? The Audi? Jetfire?
- 1:38. I think that this is our first very distorted but nonetheless glimpse of what the Fallen looks like. I'm only saying that because numerous spots on the body look like they're glowing red (indication of flames?)
- Much of the rest has already been shown, except for starting at 1:47, which gives us a different angle on Optimus approaching Scavenger. You can see him sliding a few seconds later much like he did when fighting Bonecrusher on the highway in the first movie. All in all, I think this whets the appetite pretty nicely for TF fans. Sorry about the quality and the shakiness of the video.

A big thanks to Nightshade for providing the video for those of us that will not get an opportunity to see the trailer in theatres cause of work, location (say not in the US), or just zero interest in Friday the 13th (me). Also note for those checking out the trailer, I ready received one report from Jo who said it wasn't with a midnight showing of the movie so remember no guarantees.

Overall, very cool. Nice how it Michael Bay creates the perfect teaser. Lots of glimpses to be wowed by and make you curious about the movie while keeping pretty much all the secrets to himself.

Update: A cleaned up version is here.

Toyfare Article Reveals Devastator, Fallen Info

Toyfare Magazine, issue 140 recently hit newsstands and it includes an interview with Transformers 2 producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura, TF toy designer Aaron Archer and Hasbro Director of Marketing Greg Lombardo who discussed some of the toys and discussed some of the characters in the movie including Devastator and origin of The Fallen. The summary from TFW2005:

- Images of ROTF toys for Leader class Optimus Prime, Preview Bumblebee, Preview Soundwave, and the Voyager Class Starscream figure.
- Lorenzo believes the timeframe of ROTF is about one year after Movie #1.
- When asked about the challenge of creating Devastator on screen, Lorenzo mentions that Bay had the challenge in the first movie of having 30 foot robots. In the second movie, Bay has the challenge of having a robot almost four times that. Expect Devastator to be 100 to 120 feet tall in the movie.
- Archer said he couldn't give away the plot point, but there's a reason that Soundwave is designed the way he is for the movie. Hasbro had a more basic toy need. So, the two were blended together.
- Toy launch date confirmed as May 30th. A few weeks before, Bumblebee and Soundwave will be released.
- Characters mentioned in the initial wave are "Sideswipe, Sideways, Bulldozer, Voyager and many others". Promise of more off-screen characters.
- Robot Heroes will have better articulation
- Bumblebee helmet has voice mixer
- Bumblebee converting pulse cannon
- Big ticket deluxe item for the year is still "top-secret"
- Gravity Bots are geared towards younger kids. Convert automatically when you pick them up.
- A Megan Fox Human Alliance figure is on Archer's "wish list".
- The Fallen's origin confirmed: He is one of the original 13 Transformers. Lorenzo said to think of the 13 as "apostles". The Fallen is the one who turns and is the reason Transformers split into Autobots and Decepticons.

Based on the above, it is further confirmation of Devastator's appearance and the name of another Transformer (Sideways and maybe Bulldozer). Not sure what "Voyager" means, maybe the toy class but doubtful it is a character name. Even more interesting is apparent heavy reliance on Simon Furman's origin for Transformers that he has hinted at over the years (and will be doing a comic miniseries on later in the year) only here the Fallen is the point of origin for the Transformer civil war with the creation of the Decepticons.

Revenge Coming Two Days Early

According to First Showing, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen will hit theatres on Wednesday, June 24th in the States. Don't forget to keep an eye out for the trailer that could show up online at anytime. Thanks to DarkWish and Chris for the info.

Newscast Shows New Bumblebee Footage

Detroit's WXYZ has a report from the Chicago Auto Show about GM's Transformer press conference. As part of that report they showed about 3 or seconds of new movie footage probably taken from Friday's teaser trailer. The footage shows Bumblebee driving into frame (in Sam's neighborhood I think), tumbling into robot mode and shooting downward at something. The video is here. Thanks to Chris for the link.

Trailer: More Constructicon, Still Lots of Secrets (Updated)

To go along with the description from last week, here is another summary of the full length Transformers 2 teaser trailer from Tyler.

i work at a local theater and we watched friday the 13th (alright movie) but the new trailer for TF is fuckinnn sickkkk. they used a lot of the same scenes, but a couple new ones. i cant tell u wut i saw because i couldnt pick up that much, but u do see the one of the constructicons transforming (the rh400). also there is a great shot of the pyramids right in the beginning, and im not sure if it was fallen or megatron but there is a full shot of one of them, im leaning more towards the side of megatron but he had a pointy head lik fallen, not sure tho. You also get a better shot of the audi r8 smashing threw the building and a better glimpse of all three parts of arcee coming threw chasing after him. thats all i can remember about the trailer. sorry for lack of detail thats the best i can remember

It sounds like Michael Bay takes the word "teaser" seriousily. Exactly when that trailer will show up online (for overseas fans) is unknown but hopefully sometime in the next few days. Also note to movie goers that theatres are not required to attach the trailer to the movie so no guarantees that going to see the movie means you will see the trailer. Thanks to Tyler for his description.

Update:Another description, this one confirming the appearance of Scorpinok. Thanks to Boo for the info.

I can confirm that Scorpinok is also in the trailer in a shot that looks to contain the Audi in the desert. Also there is a closeup where Sam pulls apart what appears to be a small robot beatle. The RH-400 transformation looks to take place during the Bethlehem Steel scenes and all 3 bikes appear to have a unicycle type robot mode. The protoforms take out a number of buildings and the entire ship fleet, which is shown sinking in an under water shot. I'll see if I can find time to watch again and hit you with anything else I notice.

Boo

First Look At Devastator?

ACToys (via Shoot for The Edit) has revealed some art that shows off the main villains of Transformers Revenge of the Fallen, including Devastator. The images are artwork but get collaborated by product details list that summarizes the various classes for the Transformers 2 toy line. Suffice it to say, he will be expensive.

Supreme Combiner Item Number 83908 Devastator RRP - £99.99
- Characters combine to form the ultimate movie villain from ROTF lights and Sound bring this character to life, large scale transformer packed with features
Ages 5+ Master carton 2 requires 2 x AA Batteries

In the first picture is a CGI rendering of Devastator. I have admit I am not 100% convinced this is real as this has the presentation (the background, "final assembly", etc) doesn't match how any information about the movie has come out before. Also the lack of a Hasbro copyright logo anywhere, including on the name, is a small cause of concern as they tend to be pretty religious about that. I can not quite tell how many sub-components make up the toy. It could be the seven rumored pieces.

The second picture just shows off what is a statue for The Fallen. Even though the toy was more green colored, the red is a much better look, makes him more sinister looking. The last picture is a collage of villains. Now notice it’s really just a Photoshop of the two above pictures combined with the Megatron image on the leaked toy boxes, again indicating heavy fan participating in these images.

Sadly I have to maintain we still have no definitive proof of Devastator, but again I hope I am wrong. Hopefully more information will leak to verify the images.

Thanks to minime, Firefrost, and Boo for the links.

Autobot Names Confirmed (Updated w/ Video)

GM held a press conference today at the Detroit Auto Show and official revealed the 4 concept cars and their character names that were used in the movie. A sneak peak video/commercial that shows off the cars as used in the movie is here.

Five Chevrolet-based characters – including four all-new characters – are featured in the new film set to open in the United States on June 26. All of them are at the Chevrolet display. The four new movie characters include:

SIDESWIPE – a stylized Corvette vision concept vehicle
SKIDS and MUDFLAP – twin AUTOBOTS® based on Chevy's Beat (a concept that will go into production as the Chevy Spark in 2011) and Trax concepts
JOLT – an AUTOBOT-based on Chevy's upcoming Volt extended-range electric vehicle
BUMBLEBEE™, the heroic AUTOBOT based on Chevrolet's Camaro concept from the first "Transformers" movie, returns with a high-performance attitude. Joining the vehicles on stage will be BUMBLEBEE in his AUTOBOT form, standing almost 17 feet (5.2 meters) tall and 13 feet (4 meters) wide.

"Chevrolet is thrilled to again be part of one of the most anticipated movies in years," said Ed Peper, GM North America vice president, Chevrolet. "‘Transformers' gives us a great opportunity to connect with young people on their terms, with a dynamic, environmentally friendly image. The new characters represent the change going on in Chevy showrooms. From the exciting Camaro, the 21st century sports car, to the game-changing Volt, there's more than meets the eye at Chevrolet today."

Directed by Michael Bay, "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" sees the AUTOBOTS confront a new threat from DECEPTICONS® bent on avenging their earlier defeat on Earth. The new AUTOBOT characters in their current Chevy-based form square off against new, tougher foes determined to rule the universe.

Pictures of the Corvette Stingray Concept and Camaro Concept can be found here or a video here. Thanks to Dave for the link.

Update: Via the14thrider blog, below is the video (or YouTube) that was shown by GM. Yep it is essentially a car commecial...but a commercial using movie footage.

Bay: TF2 Not Bigger Just To Be Bigger

While on the red carpet for the Friday the 13th premiere in Hollywood, a relaxed Michael Bay discussed Transformers Revenge of the Fallen with ET and Collider.com, who managed to get the longest interview with Bay yet on TF2.

ET Online has a brief interview where he focuses mostly on Friday the 13th, but at the end of the video mentions that he "is leaving the editing room [for Transformers 2] right now to come to this premiere."

Relaxed and just having fun, Michael Bay also spoke with Collider.com, joking about buying the website and how he has access to anything he wants, including the Pyramids, thanks to his relationship with the Pentagon (mostly said in a joking manner). The video is below.

The highlights:
- Transformers 2 was the first film in 30 years to shoot at the Pyramids thanks to the help of Dr.Zahi Hawass who was a fan of the first movie.
- There are three scenes shot for IMAX release of the movie. Whether they are skyline type shots of The Dark Knight Bay didn't say but he did say "...it's different when you see Optimus Prime fighting in IMAX."
- Bay: "What I like about this movie, granted it’s bigger, but it’s not trying to be bigger just to be bigger. It's a great adventure. The thing I like about it is the robots have much more personality. ...We can really get these robots to emote. ...This movie is darker."
- "This one is epic in scale. The first one had to establish everything. ...this one you get taken on a ride...the characters get taken on a ride with these robots.
- On movie length, around 2 hours 20 minutes but still editing so that will probably change.
- On doing a third movie, "I can see myself doing a third. I just want to take a year off [before] doing a third. We'll see."

Thanks to Katie, Dan, and Gavin for the links used in this post.

Julie White Briefly Talks TFs

Julie White, who plays Sam's mom in the Transformer movies, briefly talked Transformers with New York Magazine. She confirmed the presence of a big Transformer in the movie but whether that is Scavenger seen in the trailer or Devastator remains to be seen. Thanks to Josh for the link.

So it was terrific, as always, to bump into [Julie White] at the Drama League's 25th Annual Gala at the Rainbow Room last night, at which she was still excited after two of her upcoming movies (Transformers 2 and Monsters and Aliens) were advertised during Sunday's Super Bowl: "It was a first for me," she told us. "I mean, I didn't appear in the commercials, but at least I knew I was somewhere tangentially related." So, given her tangential relation to Transformers 2, we asked if she could shed any light on the continuing fan speculation over which robots will actually appear in the movie. "No. I don't know anything about a Transformer. I call them all Megadad. But the big one is called, like, Mega-mega-megger-megalomania. But I always just called him Megatron, which made Michael Bay very mad, because his name is something else," she told us, probably referring to Devastator, we guess. "So no. I'm just, I'm still not up on my Transformers."

Deluxe Sideswipe Toy Gallery

The floodgate has opened; TF08.net has posted a bunch of pictures of the Deluxe class Transformers 2 toy for Sideswipe, one of which confirms (as if any doubt) of his Autobot status. Pretty darn good looking figure over all and solid looking vehicle mode. Below are a few pictures but bunch more (along with more Starscream) can be found here. Thanks to cypherXR for the link.

New Sideswipe, Megatron, Starscream Toy Pictures

Three new toy images, a new one of Sideswipe who remains the least known of the Autobot toys and new class images for Megatron and Starscream.

First up, from TF08.net, an image of Sideswipe in his Centennial Corvette vehicle mode to go along with the one image from last month. Sadly no robot mode pictures or packaging to verify officially that the name of the character is Sideswipe (the Hasbro Summit second hand information is not quite conclusive enough).


Next via TFW2005 is Megatron which may or may not be the Fast Action Battler tank mode. Looking at previous images, I think it’s the Deluxe class version as the legs and turret design don't look like the FAB version.

The-Arker.com brings us two new images of unknown class of Starscream, at least it doesn't look like the Voyager class to me. My best guess is it’s the Deluxe class but I really can't tell.

More Pictures of The Fallen Toy

TF08.net has posted an additional 15 pictures of The Fallen toy for the Transformers 2 toy line to go with the previous set. Of note is his Decepticon symbol on his waist and the red plastic pieces are removable which further highlights his Egyptian inspired facial features. Below are select pictures with the full gallery here.

Transformers 2 Starscream Video Toy Review

Via TFormers.com, a video review (Peaugh again or at least his friend) of the upcoming tattooed Voyager class version of Starscream from the Transformers 2 toy line to go with the hi-res pictures from the other day. Overall, he reviews it as a solid improvement over previous version.

Transformers Defiance #2 Cover

Artist Alex Milne has posted his cover for Transformers Revenge of the Fallen Defiance #2 which should be out sometime this month. The comic is a prequel to the origins of the civil war that gave rise to the Decepticons and Autobots. A full summary of issue 1 is here.

Brief Description on Friday the 13 Trailer

Over at the Superherohype forum, "Conebone69" has posted a brief and mostly detail free description of the full trailer that will be released with the remake of Friday the 13th that is coming out this Friday.

I talked to my friend that works at a local theater over here and he told me the new T2 trailer was with an early screening of the upcoming movie Friday the 13th! He said it went by very fast but he managed to catch a few things. Supposedly it starts out with Sam talking to Mikaela about how they can’t give up. He said it starts out slow but as it progresses it gets alot faster. Then towards the middle a series of clips are shown: a bunch of autobots jumping all over this huge decepticon but he just picks them up and throws them off, Bumblebee battling with ravage (im guessing it was ravage because he said it looked like a lion), some transformers crashing out of a high building and transforming in mid air. Then it ended with optimus prime talking to another autobot. He said it didnt show much more then what was shown in the superbowl spot but it was still epic. I cant wait for this trailer!

Don't blame the messenger for the lack of detail. I get the feeling the trailer is probably dense with short snapshot type scenes that only a die hard Transfan caught up on the latest rumors would have a snowballs chance of summarizing in one viewing.

Transformers 2 Starscream Gallery

TFW2005's GenZhao has posted a large gallery of pictures that shows of the Transformers 2 toy version of Starscream and lets you get a good look has his new tattoos that he will be sporting for the movie. The full gallery is here.