Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

[Glitch]

I read this happened but have no clue if this vid is legit though, originally the film ended with Mirage dead for real (and I could kick myself for not seeing that) and having Optimus lost in space with Unicron.

I think a sequel should have Megatron return maybe as a anti hero opposed to the Decepticons and trying to rally the Autobots against Unicron.

 

[lastmaximal]

More images of the “Ultimate” Optimus Primal toy. Not the animatronic, but the upsized Core Voyager with peg support, extra articulation and fold out weapons. I still see people demeaning this compared to the fiddly mess that the Studio Series Leader is apt to be. I’m a little sad this didn’t get a real domestic release, I could easily see this selling in the $40-45 range. Also, comparison shots with the Core Voyager and Battlemaster iterations of Primal, and a wacky Tomy stop motion add for it

Transformers: Beast Awakening (Rise Of The Beasts) Ultimate Optimus Primal In-Hand Images & Official Stop Motion Video

Via Twitter user @Alfes2010 we have our first in-hand images of the new Transformers: Beast Awakening (Rise Of The Beasts) Ultimate Optimus Primal. This figure is a Takara Tomy initiative planned to be part of the Beast Aawakening/Rise Of The Beasts Mainline collection (not to be confused with...

news.tfw2005.com

I thought I'd like this more than I do now, but I guess I'll wait for whatever fiddly mess the Leader turns out to be. This is just too oddly... smooth? to the eye, and I like how the proportions shake out on the upcoming Leader.

I do wonder what the size of the Studio Series Leader will be relative to this, as this seems a bit big.

The stop-motion promos Takara Tomy did for the ROTB line are up there on the list of best things about all this.

Official images are being spread of Beast Combiner Optimus Prime, Weaponizer Arcee, and Beast Changer Scourge. It seems Hasbro is spreading out its last releases for the Rise of the Beast kids line. But, sadly, barring any new announcements or leaks…it seems we’ve seen the extent of the Rise of the Beasts kids product line.

Which I find a bit sad, I think there is still some solid material to mine from the film for a few more releases. The Maximals (outside of the Battlemaster segment) have been really underutilized (just like the movie! HA!), along with the Terrorcons. I could easily see a simplified Freezor in the Battlemaster segment, or as a pack in with a Weaponizer Battletrap. Nightbird and Optimus PrimAl’s sword weapons would be easily integrated into Beast Changers. Mirage is noticeably absent in the Weaponizer and Combiner assortments.
My hope remains that the Transformers One product line shares enough design elements and features to ‘blend” with this line. Despite the many flaws (lack of deco, some compromised designs due to feature requirements), I generally like what Hasbro did here, especially with the Core assortments, the Battlemasters, and the Weaponizers.

The Weaponizer Arcee is interesting, but accomplishes everything by basically wearing the bike bits as a backpack (gonna be unwieldy on a shelf)... makes me appreciate the Core figure a bit more. But it DOES look good enough to get, although I'll likely end up repurposing it as someone else. (I long for the days of everyone getting a different-character "offscreen" redeco.) Certainly one of the better Weaponizers. It helps that I don't have the Cheetor yet.

I'd love to get the Scorponok Weaponizer at some point (it's a Buzzworthy release in the US, right?).

I do wish they'd give Nightbird another go, if only to drop the weird brown plastic and give her more of those awesome metallic pink-purple highlights. As it is, I'd love to get the toy, but I'm on the fence wondering about that redeco possibility or the potential for another release (in Studio Series or as a Weaponizer etc).

Shame the line seems to be winding down already. Really makes you miss the days of subline imprints. I agree that there was a lot of fun to be had here, as leaning into different "beasts as weapons" executions at different price points created a lot of neat design play opportunities. Makes sense they'd scale up the line from what Bumblebee had (even given both films had Studio Series in the background), being more confident than then about the live-action movies at retail. I dug everything except for the Flex Changers, but I like that they're continuing to experiment.

 

[Lobjob]

That leader could always be released over here as Apelinq. I mean, throw in some arm blades and *any* Primal could be used as Apelinq.

I think that was my biggest pop in the movie. "Live action Apelinq? Heck yes"

I'm still waiting for some wacky colored repaints. These molds gotta shine.

 

[Sabrblade]

I read this happened but have no clue if this vid is legit though, originally the film ended with Mirage dead for real (and I could kick myself for not seeing that) and having Optimus lost in space with Unicron.

I think a sequel should have Megatron return maybe as a anti hero opposed to the Decepticons and trying to rally the Autobots against Unicron.

Yeah, it's legit. Both of those dropped plot points have been brought up in other reports on changes made to the movie.

 

[lastmaximal]

I'm still waiting for some wacky colored repaints. These molds gotta shine.

Oh, absolutely. This is what I'm most excited for. (Whether it gets done remains to be seen.)

 

[PrimalxConvoy]

I just watched the film via a party streaming site. For me, the from was ok. It was slightly better than Bayformers, but it wasn't great.

Good:
- No racist, sexist content (although I didn't get the "speaking Spanish = racism" scene with "Pablo", as I thought one person lived in Peru while the other person was Hispanic themselves?

- The action scenes were slightly more easier to understand than usual. Not a bunch of exploding tinfoil being opened and folded right in front of my eyeballs, etc.

- Most of the dialogue wasn't mumbled or indistinct.

- They mentioned the British sport of "cricket", presumably because the lead female character has roots to the West Indies (although this was never stated, I think)?

- They used "regular" looking male and female leads, making them more identifiable (perhaps) to more people. No college jocks and supermodels. I hope this trend continues.

Bad:
- The CGI looked ok for some scenes and quite bad in others. Frames seemed to drop for some transformations, robots didn't move with the correct weight or gravity, etc. They used a cheaper effects company and it showed. Considering this is a major part of the film (and arguably where the film's "money shots" are), I was not impressed.

- Prime is out of character (again). He's whiney and too aggressive. There really wasn't enough character building (as usual) for the Autobots to validate how they acted in the film.

- The enemies suffered from the trope of being indestructible at the beginning and suddenly made of paper at the end, when the plot demanded it.

- inconsistencies, such as Scourge's "cosmic rust" corrupting some but not others when he directly or indirectly came into contact with them.

- Mirage. As I'm not American, I've no idea who the voice actor is and thus no connection or empathy with him. Ironically, he kept mentioning "ET", which showed how even a latex puppet can gain more empathy simply by the quality of dialogue, plot and scenes between a boy and an alien bonding. Mirage didn't have anything close to those scenes.

- The whole film, like many Bay films, felt like much of the ever-so-important plot and dialogue got cut, leaving unfinished, hastily made scenes and stunted dialogue.

It's not a film I would watch again, and unlike Bumblebee, there weren't any clips that I want to watch again at YouTube (unlike the first 4 minutes of BB and the fight between BB and "not-Starscream" near the start) either.

I spent most of my time on my phone or fiddling with some TF toys while the film was on.

 

[Steevy Maximus]

It’s (semi) official- Rise of the Beasts has crossed $150 million at the US box office. The first Transformers film to do so since Age of the Extinction in 2014.
Worldwide is still lagging behind Bumblebee at $411 million, but there are still several major markets yet to see it open and results are usually delayed anyway. It seems HIGHLY probably that the film will finish its run with a worldwide gross in the same ballpark as Bumblebee.

Again, not a MASSIVE success, but hardly the level of flop a LOT of films this summer have ended up being. These are also purely theatrical numbers, and don’t include the digital sales or back end residuals from toy sales.

 

[PrimalxConvoy]

Wikipedia's "reception" section for this film isn't exactly great:

- https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transformers:_Rise_of_the_Beasts

 

[Spin-Out]

Well yeah, because they have to just collect what critics say. Wikipedia isn't a critic in and of itself.

 

[UndeadScottsman]

Just for fun

Transformers: The Movie - 43/8.2 Metacritic (Critical Reception/User Ratings), 62%/88% Rotten Tomatoes (Critical Reception/User Ratings) (Just using this as a nomenclature example)

Transformers - 61/6.9 MC, 57%/85% RT
Revenge of the Fallen - 35/5.4 MC, 20%/57% RT
Dark of the Moon - 42/4.8 MC, 35%/55% RT
Age of Extinction - 32/4.5 MC, 18%/50% RT
The Last Knight - 27/4.1 MC, 16%/43% RT
Bumblebee - 66/6.9 MC, 91%/74% RT
Rise of the Beasts - 42/5.4 MC, 53%/91% RT

That RT user ratings for RotB seems to be out of place, though maybe that means the movie will make things up a bit on home video.

 

[Steevy Maximus]

Well yeah, because they have to just collect what critics say. Wikipedia isn't a critic in and of itself.

I’ve also found there to be more than a little bit of bias when it comes to reviews of films like Transformers. More than a few of them felt like the reviews were mostly written or a view established BEFORE even seeing the film.

Bumblebee was well reviewed almost in SPITE of the general preconceptions associated with the Transformers franchise.

 

[Spin-Out]

I’ve also found there to be more than a little bit of bias when it comes to reviews of films like Transformers. More than a few of them felt like the reviews were mostly written or a view established BEFORE even seeing the film.

Bumblebee was well reviewed almost in SPITE of the general preconceptions associated with the Transformers franchise.

you can blame a decade of Michael Bay poisoning the well by violently defecating all over the franchise for that. case in point:

Transformers - 61/6.9 MC, 57%/85% RT
Revenge of the Fallen - 35/5.4 MC, 20%/57% RT
Dark of the Moon - 42/4.8 MC, 35%/55% RT
Age of Extinction - 32/4.5 MC, 18%/50% RT
The Last Knight - 27/4.1 MC, 16%/43% RT

honestly i have no idea how Dark of the Moon got 35% on RT. it's not as terrible as the other sequels, but it's still pretty damn godawful.

Bay single-handedly turned Transformers into a byword for terrible, terrible movies. i'm ******* infuriated people are trying to rehabilitate him.

 

[Steevy Maximus]

Some in hand pictures of Ultimate Optimus Primal. Contrary to earlier reports/information, the figure is NOT 11”. Linked are images of comparison shots between UOP and the original Beast Wars Ultra Optimus Primal. They are practically the same size in beast mode, while Rise of the Beast gets a little taller in bot mode. Also, a comparison with Power of Primes Optimal Optimus.

Takara Tomy ROTB Optimus Primal Figure

What ruins it for me is the hardpoints on the arms making it look like cheap mainline crap, not a premium collector item The weird way they teased it...

www.tfw2005.com

 

[PrimalxConvoy]

KO "ROTB" (in name only) Optimus Primal incoming...

LiJiang Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Optimus Primal

Here comes the new Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Optimus Primal from LiJiang, a whole new look product.This figure is highly articulated to recreate your favorite scenes，will make you feel worth the money.

showzstore.com

 

[Steevy Maximus]

Now, that’s just offensive.

 

[lastmaximal]

Haven't been following. Was this ever marketed as a "premium collector item" or is this just fandom goggles demanding something a cut above "cheap mainline crap" stupid wah wah baby toys?

I do see where they're coming from about the hardpoints breaking up the lines. It's a bit like the Arms Micron placement.

That's a great beast mode head, though.

 

[Steevy Maximus]

Haven't been following. Was this ever marketed as a "premium collector item" or is this just fandom goggles demanding something a cut above "cheap mainline crap" stupid wah wah baby toys?

I do see where they're coming from about the hardpoints breaking up the lines. It's a bit like the Arms Micron placement.

That's a great beast mode head, though.

Hasbro, basically, never marketed the $60 “Ultimate” Optimus Primal toy at all. All indications are this was a TakaraTomy deal that Hasbro was courteous enough to offer to import through its “fan channel” partners. Reportedly, this figure runs around $40 in Japan, but I think Hasbro added a bit of an “import fee” on their pricing. The figure IS considered part of Takara’s mainline (Beast Alliance et al) movie product, an upper tier offering above the typical Core Voyager or Beast Combiner offerings. It seems very much a blending of the two main product styles (the Beast Alliance gimmick toys and the Core “traditional” toys) into a singular upper tier offering.
The closest analogy I can think of was Transformers Adventure TAV21 Optimus Prime- a larger, more detailed, take on the Robots in Disguise Optimus Prime design…but not AS heavily focused on the simpler gimmick/transformation toys Hasbro was pushing in its larger price points.

I get the vibe a LOT of fans have been crapping on this JUST because it’s not a premium collector item, despite its cost. If the pictures are accurate, and it’s about the size/complexity of the old Ultra Primal, Hasbro reissued THAT toy a couple years ago for $50. I’ve been digging it because I’ve actually liked the Beast Alliance concept, and was dissatisfied with how the basic Core Voyager turned out. And my initial impressions of Studio Series Primal have been negative as (aside from the accessories), I can SEE the endless panels and folds they’ve used to try and make a distinction between the modes. Not only that, but I don’t feel Studio Series (as we’ve seen it) is appreciably more “film accurate” than the Ultimate figure. It has more articulation and more complexity, but it STILL doesn’t do anything good with the gorilla feet, it has at least two massive panels hanging off his back, and they couldn’t even get the correct faceplate design (the Ultimate figure even lets you choose between the two options!).

 

[CoffeeHorse]

honestly i have no idea how Dark of the Moon got 35% on RT. it's not as terrible as the other sequels, but it's still pretty damn godawful.

Critics' attention is spread too thin to notice how clumsily DOTM fits the previous films' chronology. If you can ignore that yourself, it's really not that bad.

 

[lastmaximal]

I get the vibe a LOT of fans have been crapping on this JUST because it’s not a premium collector item, despite its cost. If the pictures are accurate, and it’s about the size/complexity of the old Ultra Primal, Hasbro reissued THAT toy a couple years ago for $50. I’ve been digging it because I’ve actually liked the Beast Alliance concept, and was dissatisfied with how the basic Core Voyager turned out. And my initial impressions of Studio Series Primal have been negative as (aside from the accessories), I can SEE the endless panels and folds they’ve used to try and make a distinction between the modes. Not only that, but I don’t feel Studio Series (as we’ve seen it) is appreciably more “film accurate” than the Ultimate figure. It has more articulation and more complexity, but it STILL doesn’t do anything good with the gorilla feet, it has at least two massive panels hanging off his back, and they couldn’t even get the correct faceplate design (the Ultimate figure even lets you choose between the two options!).

I was mostly responding to/piqued by the blurb that was part of the quote, which seemed pretty par for the course for fan response. I can see not liking the price, but it's right in there with the automatic assumption that cost is/must always = collectorynessness, which... pass.

Regardless, I'm glad both versions exist so you and I can each get what we want. I'm still waiting for better pictures of the Studio Series Leader, but I'm right out on this one.

 

[Lobjob]

Critics' attention is spread too thin to notice how clumsily DOTM fits the previous films' chronology. If you can ignore that yourself, it's really not that bad.

It was my second favorite until Bumblebee and ROTB.

The story isn't horrible and the fall of Chicago is incredible. The Sentinel and Optimus character stuff is surprisingly interesting, if slim pickings. Also, I've always loved "the dreads". Its too bad they haven't made it out to other media.

Its still plagued with goofy Michael Bay quirks but I'll keep it.