| As any true child of the '80s can tell you, | | | | and Alex Kurtzman. |
| Transformers were created by the toy company | | | | |
| Hasbro after meeting Takara (a Japanese toy | | | | A Closer Look |
| company) at the Tokyo Toy Show in 1983. By | | | | |
| combining Takara's toy lines Diaclone and | | | | The film begins when Captain Archibald |
| Micro Change, Hasbro created a product line | | | | Witwicky lands on Decepticon leader |
| unlike any other. | | | | Megatron's hand after he has fallen into an |
| | | | chasm during a voyage through the Arctic |
| With their unmistakable electronic changing | | | | circle in the 1800s. Megatron creates a map |
| noise and the tag line "Robots in Disguise" | | | | to Allspark in Witwicky's glasses, which are |
| from the '80s cartoon, it's hard to ignore | | | | handed down to his descendant Sam Witwicky in |
| the Tranformers. As any true child of the | | | | the present. Sam purchases his first car, the |
| '80s can tell you, Transformers were created | | | | Autobot Bumblebee, which in turn, helps him |
| by the toy company Hasbro after meeting | | | | meet Mikaela, a new love interest. As the |
| Takara (a Japanese toy company) at the Tokyo | | | | Autobots search for Witwicky's glasses, the |
| Toy Show in 1983. By combining Takara's toy | | | | Decepticon's invade Sam's house, triggering a |
| lines Diaclone and Micro Change, Hasbro | | | | chain of events that leads Autobot leader |
| created a product line unlike any other. The | | | | Optimus Prime and Megatron to the ultimate |
| initial toys were released with the | | | | battle. |
| television series, and since then, nine | | | | |
| different Transformers toy lines have hit | | | | One of the most surprising and refreshing |
| American markets. | | | | aspects of the film promises to be the |
| | | | effects. Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura |
| What Was. . . | | | | wanted to keep things on the realistic side, |
| | | | so instead of going with a standard box like |
| The Transformer's storyline initially had the | | | | look for the main character Optimus Prime, he |
| Autobots (the story's heroes) fighting the | | | | turned him into a Peterbuilt truck. Autobot |
| Decepticons (the ultimate villains) for | | | | Bumblebee was changed from a Volkswagen |
| control of Cybertron, their home planet. The | | | | Beetle into a Chevrolet Camero, and other |
| eventually left their home in search of | | | | Autobots were all shifted to GM vehicles as |
| energy, which they found on Earth. | | | | part of contract negotiations. The |
| | | | transformation sound effect many fans heard |
| What is . . . | | | | as children was reused throughout the movie, |
| | | | and motion capture points were used to create |
| Because of the continued popularity of this | | | | many of the effects movie-goers will see on |
| story line and these toys, Producer Don | | | | screen. |
| Murphy looked into the possibility of | | | | |
| creating a live-action film based on the | | | | Given that the internet trailers received |
| franchise. Slated for release in July of | | | | more hits than any other movie trailer |
| 2007, the film brings together the creative | | | | online, the new Transfomers movie promises to |
| minds of co-producer Adam DeSanto, Steven | | | | be a great success and a wonderful addition |
| Spielberg, and screen writers Roberto Orci | | | | to the family. |