First Look At Leader Jetfire Packaging

Australian forums OTCA has pictures of Leader class Jetfire packaging for Transformers 2 toy line. Not so much the toy itself but rather what the toy will look like and its box once it is released to market. The pictures were taken at the 2009 Toy Hobby and Nursery Fair in Melbourne, Australia. The toy will be part of wave 2 of the line which I think means a release date of around August 2009.

As the pictures show, Jetfire is the Autobot that uses landing strut as a cane. The packaging also teases with a silouette of the combined mode of Leader Optimus Prime and Jetfire. Overall a good looking figure that will look fantastic after ILM does their magic for the movie. The real question is whether the combined mode is used in the movie. Thanks to Brock and Phil for the link.

Leader Jetfire Bio:

Jetfire grew tired of war a long time ago. The reckless ambition of the Decepticons, and the senseless violence of their war sickened him, and so he left Cybertron to go into hiding. The form he eventually chose on Earth seemed appropriate for one who wished to remain unseen. He slumbered in peace for years. Now, reawakened by the arrival of the war on Earth, he decides once again to enter the fight - this time on the side of the Autobots, and this to end it for good, whatever the cost.

* Yep some comments have been cut if it seems other comments reference things no longer there. In some cases because of the cussing etc, in others because the comments were clearly going to lead to another mini-flame war (whether intended or not). My advice is to simply ignore insults. Its easier on everyone and besides if the person's opinion doesn't matter to you then they probably are not worth the time it takes to reply back. If removing posts does not work (or get to annoyed to continue) I will simply disable comments for this post. Trying this approach because those involved do add to the site, just occasionally go off on tangents so why throw out the baby with the bathwater if it can be avoided (for now).

More Chromia and Other Toy Pictures

The mystery of Arcee continues. We still don't know if the exact nature of the character (one of the bikes, merge of the bikes, all three of bikes, etc) but in the meantime here are more pictures "Chromia" from TF08.net via TFormers. The name is not official (based on a leaked toy list) that Transfans have assigned to the blue motorcycle bike until official information comes out to confirms things one way or the other.

In addition to the below Chromia pictures, click here for pre-order images from Hobbylink Japan of various Transformer 2 toys include Legends Springer, Starscream, Ratchet and Jetfire.

Slow News Day - MP Grimlock, Master Chief, Etc

Below is demo video of the rather expensive (around $150) but cool Masterpiece Grimlock. Mine is on order, supposed to come out around March 28th.

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Tokyo will have a new protector this summer in the form of a 59-foot Gundam structure. The robot will be standing on Tokyo's Adaiba Island starting in July as celebration of Mobile Suit Gundam's 30th Anniversary. It will be based on the RX-78-2 model from the first series in 1979. More detail can be read here. My only question is will Transformers get a similar display in five years?
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For fans of the animated Transformers: The Movie, Stan Bush's The Touch will be released as a free download for Guitar Hero sometime soon. I don't know the specifics (don't own the game) but more info of what Stan is up to can be read here.
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It’s a shame that licensing and other issues can get in the way of mass produced creativity because I would love to own a custom Halo's Master Chief Transformer that was eBayed recently. The toy transforms from solder to Warthod LRV. The toy was a combination of McFarlane Toys Master Chief figure, Actionclix Wartog and Alternators Hound. The full gallery is here.
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Except for Venom, I have not been particularly interested in the Marvel Crossovers line of Transformers but I think I will have to cave and get the below Iron Man and Spider-Man combiner set.

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Final note, don't forget to join my Twitter account here. Basically just post random stuff, most of it transformers and a good way to track when new posts pop up on the blog.

Sideways Bios and More Toy Galleries

Few more new bios for Transformers 2 have shown up online, two for Sideways and one for Breakaway (still unknown if movie character). First the new toy galleries.

Robot Replicas Megatron - The action figure from all sides
TF Logo Candy Dispenser - Click the link for a video that demonstrates a tie-in product that transforms from the Autobot logo to rectangular shape that has the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen logo on it.
Fast Action Battler Mudflap - Yep still ugly.

Now that the galleries are out of the way, on to the bios from TFW2005. The gallery provides the backs of Deluxe Sideways, FAB Sideways, Deluxe Breakaway and includes previously seen bios of Deluxe Rampage and FAB Long Haul. The bios pretty much say that Sideways is a lazy coward while Breakaway's bio makes no reference to the movie, something that usually indicates that he is not a movie character.

Deluxe Sideways:

Back on Cybertron, Sideways was a simple courier who avoided combat at all costs. He tried to always remain in the shadow of larger Decepticons, where the Autobots might not notice him. On Earth, he's keeping much of the same practice. He teamed up with Demolisher early on, and hopes that if the Autobots find them the big Constructicon can keep him safe.

Fast Action Battler Sideways:

Sideways usually relies on his speed to stay out of fights. When he does have a fight, he likes to make the other guy run, if he can. His magna missiles lock onto the metal of his opponent's armor and chase their target anywhere it goes. While that happens, Sideways kicks back and laughs.

Deluxe Breakaway:

Serving in an army of robots tied to the ground makes Breakaway unique. He is one of the very few among the elite Autobot flyers, and he is unmatched for speed in a straight line. While other pilots focus on aerial acrobatics that confound the enemy, Breakaway is content to speed over a fight at seemingly impossible velocity, releasing bombs and missiles that strike their targets before the thunderous boom of his passage can catch up.

Bay: Wait A Year!

That didn't take long. Michael Bay posted on his forums that Paramount (or at least Variety's source) has it wrong. The third movie is not being released on July 1st, 2011 as reported but July 4th, 2012.

Wait a minute!

I said I was taking off a year from Transformers. Paramount made a mistake in dating Transformers 3 - they asked me on the phone - I said yes to July 4 - but for 2012 - whoops! Not 2011!!! That would mean I would have to start prep in September. No way. My brain needs a break from fighting robots.

Michael

Boo! I don't want a year of nothing much to post about! Seriously I would say after four years of Transformers on the brain, a vacation has been earned. If I had the Baybucks that he has, I would probably just not bother to return. At the very least it allows the recharge of the creative battery (and might help increase the budget) to allow for even bigger baysplosions!

Variety: Transformers 3 Gets a Date

Despite Transformers Revenge of the Fallen still 101 days away from its release date, Variety is reporting that DreamWorks and Paramount have chosen July 1st, 2011 as the date for Transformers 3. This is similar to the previously rumored June 29, 2011 date from late last year.

HOLLYWOOD -- Paramount and DreamWorks are forging ahead with "Transformers 3," dating the movie for release on July 1, 2011.
It's the first word of the three-quel, although Paramount insiders downplayed the importance of the move.

They said the studio wanted to claim the date before a competitor did, considering that the 2011 summer release calendar is filling up.

No deals have been inked with director Michael Bay or franchise stars Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox. Nor has a writer been hired for the third installment.

What this means is the studio simply circled a date on the calendar and said "Mine! Compete if you dare!" with maybe an evil laugh. Does this mean they will achieve the release date? Obviously it is doable since Transformers 2 is coming out on time despite a rather sizable roadblock of a Writers’ Strike. Money is really the only limitation, not time, and if Transformers 2 reaches or exceeds expectations then that will not even be much of an issue. Thanks for Brian for the link.

Regarding Comments

Believe it or not, I do read the comments. I get an email on everyone and skim through them. Having said that, they are getting way out of control with the insults and the cusswords. Transformers are an all ages brand and this website tries to do the same thing. If your comment isn't something you would like a child to read, maybe a re-wording is in order.

If things don't improve I have only three steps available to me: 1) Enable log-in required 2) Enable moderation which means comments will only appear when I get around to oking them and 3) disable comments entirely.

I do not want to moderate the comments. I do not want to limit who can comment on this site (by requiring a log in) so please police yourselves so I don't have to. I do not want to take any of these steps so please don't force me to.

New Autobot Plane In Movie? (Updated)

A new Transformers 2 toy, complete with mini Optimus Prime, has leaked to The Arker. The toys is Voyager class, and looks almost like the C-130 that was seen at The Boneyard when production filmed there back in October. This could finally explain exactly how the Autobots get from the United States to Egypt to fight the Decepticons and The Fallen.

Below are a few images and the full gallery can be found here.

Update: From the comments, its appears the alt mode has been identified as a Russian Antonov An-225 (or An-225 Mriya). Of course this is 100% verified (but then neither has the toy) but it is the closest I have seen so far. Considering that the Ironhide toys suggests that NEST is a U.N. funded program, it would make sense that foreign aircraft would be needed to transport what I assume are very heavy fleet of Autobots.

Coloring Books Gives TF2 Spoilers?

Image scans of a Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen coloring book may provide a few spoilers for the movie. The various images suggests that Agent Simmons is critical in stopping Devastator, contradict Bay's recent statement of Megatron only appearing in flashback, Sam's dad is going to be less then pleased with what happens to his lawn, the sliver plays an important part in the story and retains the AllSpark's power, Wheelie's wandering loyalties (see bio) causes problems for Mikaela, and the Decepticon's go to Egypt to retrieve an "ancient machine" that is aimed at the Sun.

Below are a few pictures but the full gallery can be found here. Thanks to Chris for the link.

Turturro Voices Jetfire?

In a translated article by Djeeloo on the Shoot for the Edit forums, from French magazine Premier Cine Live, is an indication that John Turturro (Agent Simmons) will be the voice of Jetfire. Also, signs are not good for Transfan love for the Twins. Thanks to Richard for the link. Slight edits have been made to the original post.

Set: Egypt, in front of Kheops Pyramid, stands an ancient 30’s palace built for King Faruk’s guests.

At “Action”, Shia runs through the yard, stops at the doorstep and hits the door with his shoulder. Megan Fox, John Turturro and Ramon Rodriguez come next and hurry inside the building.

Shia heads up, shout a few words at an imaginary Bumblebee, and gets in. Three cars, the Camaro, the red TRAX and the green BEAT, start quickly and stop a bit further away to look out. The three vehicles are driven by black-suited (and thereby “invisible”) stuntmen behind the smoked glass.

At the end of the day, the crew moves to the third and smallest pyramid, Mykerinos. John Turturro, back as always angry agent Simmons, has to climb up a few stones. This hasn’t been done for 30 years: Too many accident occurred and Egyptians had forbidden it. Turturo will try to run from an imaginary Decepticon.

Michael Bay says: “I had the idea of these two stupid Transformers, Skids and Mudflap. They’re twins who can’t stop bickering, but they do heroic things at the beginning of the movie.

Bumblebee, on his side, has become more serious. He doesn’t want to leave Sam’s parents’ garage. There is also an old Transformer, who loses screws and bolts at every move. And it’s John Turturro voicing him.”

The movie will start at Gyzeh, Egypt, long before pyramids were built, and will end at the same place nowadays, with a huge fight between Autobots and Decepticons.

It’s said that we’ll learn in the movie how pyramids were built. Does it involve any Transformer?

The article is in line with the USA Today article and pictures from last year. Now the "old Transformer" (and voicing) has not officially been identified but Jetfire's bio describing him as having "ancient strength" seems to indicate he is the likely culprit.

Deluxe Sideswipe, Rampage Bios

TF08.net has provide a few pictures of Deluxe Rampage and Sideswipe in their packaging along with their bios. Of note for Rampage his he is kind of a triple-changer with his "jackhammer mode."

Deluxe Rampage Bio:

The stink of diesel fumes and hot tar follows Rampage wherever he goes. His treads are packed with metal shards stripped from his victims and the countless scratches covering his chassis are testament to hundreds of brutal battles. He lives to pound his enemies into submission and thinks of little else. His idea of beauty is the sight of sun glistening off the raw edges of shredded Autobot armor.

Deluxe Sideswipe Bio:

Sideswipe was built to fight. He is sleek, fast, and accomplished in battle, focusing on his enemy with absolute attention. His blades are a shining blur as he leaps through the air, twisting to avoid enemy fire. Converting from vehicle to robot at blazing speed, he uses every trick in the book to get close to his opponent and put his powerful swords to work.

Also for giggles click here for a look at Robot Heroes Sideswipe. Thanks to Phil for the links.

Deluxe Skids Video Review

Below is a review video of Deluxe Skids, part of the Transformers 2 toy line. Over all not bad but I just can't get past the Gremlin head. Thanks to Phil for the find.

Transformers Defiance #3 Preview

IDW has released the first five pages of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Movie Prequel: Defiance #3. The mini-series covers the origin of the civil war that engulfs the Cybertronian race. In this case, it appears that The Fallen played a rather critical role in igniting the war. The preview pages can be found here. Thanks to minime and Phil for the link.

Frank Welker Interview

TFW2005 has posted a two part interview with Frank Welker, the one true voice of Megatron and future voice of Soundwave for the movie. The interview was done before Bay's annoucement of his intention to cast Welker as Soundwave and covers Welker's work over the decades including Transformers, how he prepares, advice for future voice person's and some memories he has. Sadly nothing specific about the movie and nor his G1 years other then he enjoyed the work. Below are some highlights and links to the full interview.

Part 1
Part 2

Highlights:
What was your reaction, when you heard about the out-pouring of support from the fans for you to reprise your role as Megatron in the recent movie?
Well, I was absolutely blown away. I really had no idea how big the Transformers were, let alone the size of the fan base. Their passion and knowledge of all things TF is pretty awesome. For me, knowing the fans felt my G1 Megatron was original and important to them and should have been included in the feature production was humbling. That loyalty has pretty much increased my hat size about two fold. Of course I realize it is "Megs" ultimately...not me.

How did you feel about the role of Megatron in the recent transformers movie going to Hugo Weaving?
Hey, if it can't be me or an immediate member of my family playing the role of Megaton, Hugo Weaving is not too shabby. He is a superb actor who always brings interesting interpretations to his work. His agent Smith from the Matrix series was an example, he used a very slight robotic twitch and underplayed it so nicely...top notch. The clips I saw of his Megatron seemed to work just fine, but it was pretty heavily processed and made the voice sound typical of what you might expect of a 40 foot mechanical villain. I think it would have been more interesting to hear less process and more Hugo.

Have you been approached at all for any further work with the franchise, either with the movie(Soundwave?) or another incarnation, such as Transformers: Animated?
Well it is a little too early to be specific but I will say yes and no. No, I have not been approached by the movie folks but yes I am still involved in the franchise...more on that later.

What differences do you find in voicing animals, as opposed to "speaking" characters?
I think people have more of a preconceived idea of what a human voice's should sound like but when you do animals there is more freedom of artistic movement. You are creating sound the listener hasn't pigeon holed ....directors are more apt to leave me alone with my etch-o-sketch and I like that.
(Welker is the "god" of animal noise work for Hollywood. If an animal makes a noise in a movie, Welker is probably the voice behind it.)

Where do you draw your inspirations from in creating a voice? What inspired you to come up with Megatron's voice?
I find that I respond more visually than verbally and looking at a drawing or seeing pictures of the characters evokes an automatic reaction which suggests a voice or attitude. If there is a description and history it helps form a point of view that adds to the overall voice. I think I enjoy looping to picture...looping is the process where you record in a studio with the film or project on the screen and you voice over to what you are looking at...because you see the action on the screen and you just go for it. The character is there and it helps the director as well since he just has to show you the scene, it is a very liberating and creative process. When I auditioned for the Transformers show, there was a sign at the door that said “pick three”. There were piles of drawings of the characters on this table so I just picked up a bunch of the Autobots and Decepticons and had at it. I was drawn to the evil characters since a lot of my work had been mixed with way too many good guys. When I saw Megatron he stood out and I liked the fact that he was the leader of the Decepticons. I tried to make his voice different from what I thought the other actors might do in hopes it would stand out. In the case of Megatron it was the first voice that came to me and the powers to be said "Hello Megatron."

As it turned out I got seven of the original parts...Autobots and Decepticons. I think Wally Burr the director was so busy doing other shows plus working this one he didn't realize he cast me in all those parts...hey, I was lucky!!

Could you cite some other notable examples?
Well, Soundwave was a very bad impression of Barry White but again I wanted something different and it was another weird sounding voice. I think now I was not going with visual as much as trying to create a voice that was different from what I had already done and from the rest of my fellow actors. I didn't realize until the middle of the season that Scotty, our engineer, had processed the shorts off that voice and added large amounts of that "vocal harmonizer thingy bobby"...that's tech speak for "lots of sound stuff." So anyway, it really was fun to do but I could have done Snooky Lanson and it still would have sounded the same. The younger folks will need to look Snooky up on Wikipedia.

What are some of your fondest memories working on the original Transformers series?
I know it is cliche, but as I mentioned above, it was a hoot working with Mike Bell who loved to pick on Peter Cullen. Peter is such a good guy and has the best laugh in town. We all tried to get his number and he was pretty easy. Of course he could dish it out too and was very funny with great stories of the Great White North. He does a French Canadian that puts me away. It was an odd cast of characters literally...and that kept it fun.

You've played a lot of villains over the years, what was your favorite "evil" role?
Probably would be Megatron because he has been the longest running and most widely known. He is fun to do because there are no limits...he can be over the top and still work, or low and subtle and make wee ones have nightmares. And note, around this voice there is controversy, that is a good sign. I think it is important that you don't sound like people expect you to, always good, unless you are running for public office!

More Toy Galleries

Nope not new, but for those interested a lot more galleries of the various toys from the Transformers Revenge of the Fallen towline have popped up. Nothing really new except the pic to the right that shows off that Deluxe Bumblebee has a new gimmick of pop-out cannons that is pretty cool. The main reason for this post is these are some of the best quality pictures yet of the various toys.

Leader Optimus Prime
Leader Megatron
Deluxe Skids
FAB Long Haul
FAB Sideways
Deluxe Sideswipe
Legends Megatron

Welker Tapped As Soundwave

Every now and then Michael Bay likes to drop in on his forums and cause some havoc by answering a question is such a way as to lead to more questions. Not this time though. Bay has indicated he is going to please many die-hard Transfans.

I think I'm going to pursue Frank on Soundwave.

Michael

If "persue" becomes a contract for the movie, that means that finally Frank Welker will get to reprise a Transformer role in the movie. Welker is the legendary voice behind Megatron, Soundwave, Frenzy, Ravage, Ratbat and more. His overall voice career is extensive and probably includes some of your favorite childhood characters in other cartoons and movies. Hopefully once Welker has signed on the dotted line, Bay will provide an update. Thanks to Ty for the link.

Japan List Suggest New TF 2 Character

TFormers.com has posted a list of Transformers toys from Amazon Japan. Most are known but there is one addition to the toy list that is new, called Chromia. Chromia (wiki) is a female character that goes back to the G1 days even though only appeared briefly in one of the episodes along with Elita-1. It provides additional evidence that one of the three bikes currently collectivity called Arcee might be three individual characters. Or it could simply be a repaint of the Arcee from the first movie's toy line.

You have to love the Japanese class naming conventions for their toy classes as it makes it so easy to keep track of a collection and much improved over the mess of the stateside method (which is no method). Hasbro should consider copying it. It is something that would encourage collecting (and therefore purchasing) of their toys. Let’s face it there are a lot of collectors and kids who lose track of what they own but if they knew they had RA-01 to 06, they would be that more likely to "complete" the collection by getting the rest of the numbering. At the very least they should try it.

The list, with links and release dates is here.

Ransack and Depthcharge Bios

A few pictures of Deluxe class Ransack and Depthcharge in packages have appeared on TFW2005 along with their Transformers 2 bio. Based on bios that have nothing to do with the movies (compared to known movie character bios), I think it’s pretty much confirmation that these toys are not based off of movie characters. Not officially verified but pretty confident assumption. Below are a few pictures, the full gallery is here.

Ransack Bio:

Back in the distant past of Cybertron, when flight was a new technology, Ransack was first of the flying aces. He was a ruthless combatant, blasting his components out of the sky, and then strafing the helpless troop stuck on the ground without cover. He may be past his prime and equipped with outdated weapons now, but there was a time when Ransack was the most feared name on Cybertron.

Depthcharge Bio:

Depthcharge is a brilliant military strategist. Autobots and Decepticons alike are accustomed to ground and air based combat, but ocean tactics are unfamiliar to them. Depthcharge uses this to his advantage, choosing a stealth boat mode to spy on Decepticon fodder from the nearest port. Fast and sharp, Depthcharge never shies away from battle but he prefers to be armed with the elment of surprise.

Deluxe Bumblebee, Soundwave Bios

TFW2005 has posted a gallery of images that show off Deluxe class Bumblebee and Soundwave in their packaging and with them the two characters bio for Transformers 2. Of the bios read so far, Soundwave's is the most sinister. Below are the bio images and the full gallery can be found here. In addition, click here to view the instruction sheets for the Bumblebee and Leader class Optimus Prime toys. Thanks to Cenjor for the links.

Soundwave Bio:

Stationed in orbit above Earth, Soundwave swiftly taps into every satellite in range. Within minutes, communications, data traffic, weather information, and high-resolution spy photography flood his sensor net. The spill of data fills him with pleasure, and one by one, the humans' systems come under his complete control. From his seat on high, he is in a position to control the destiny of mankind without their knowledge...or to run their civilization into the ground.

Bumblebee Bio:

Having chosen to stay with Sam after the end of the battle for the AllSpark, Bumblebee made arrangements to stay close to hm at all times. It's been a pretty good deal. He gets regular detailing, and as much high-grade fuel as he needs. Plus, he gets to spend time with Sam and Mikaela. His vocal processors still aren't fully up to snuff, but he and his friends communicate just fine. IF he ever misses the action of battle, he can always give Ironhide a call and go Decepticon hunting.

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.