OT: Problem with Transformers: The Movie
In Transformers: The Movie (cartoon), after Optimus Prime strikes down Megatron at the apex of the early, fateful Autobot/Decepticon battle, the Decepticons flee on Astrotrain. They’re in deep space when Astrotrain complains that he can’t continue to carry all of the weight of the defeated Decepticon army. This is a major problem: In a zero-gravity environment, everything is weightless; Astrotrain should have no trouble at all hauling his comrades after they escaped the planet’s atmosphere. I suppose it’s possible he’d been conspiring with Starscream in the plot to overthrow Megatron that unfolded just seconds later, but this sort of duplicity seems unlikely when considering Astrotrain’s previously unquestioned loyalty.
Also, how’d they get to the battlefield to begin with? Presumably, they were carrying less weight away from the battle than they carried to it (due to having lost some of their brothers in arms during the Autobot rally).
When you think about it, this movie isn’t very realistic at all.
Edit: Updated at Geaux_Blue's request to include video. Skip to the 7:00 mark to share in my outrage.
November 12th, 2009 at 4:01 PM ^
Not enough tits.
November 12th, 2009 at 4:07 PM ^
this post is severely lacking YouTube and a young mammal that is falling asleep
November 12th, 2009 at 4:07 PM ^
The problem is Megan Fox is not bent over that bike the whole damn movie!
November 12th, 2009 at 4:21 PM ^
I'm perfectly fine with that.
November 12th, 2009 at 4:11 PM ^
Brilliant imo.
November 12th, 2009 at 4:27 PM ^
The problem with Transformers is that it sucks.
November 12th, 2009 at 4:36 PM ^
The problem with your post is that I can only neg it once.
November 13th, 2009 at 11:59 PM ^
"I regret I have but one neg to give for that post." ~ Nathan "Hail"
November 12th, 2009 at 4:30 PM ^
No movie is worth watching if you can't pick out the parts that aren't feasible even assuming the made-up stuff the movie tells you and piss off the people you're watching with by commenting on it over and over.
November 12th, 2009 at 4:33 PM ^
But you have no problem with Optimus being replaced by Hot Rod?? Priorities Man, Priorities!!
November 12th, 2009 at 4:48 PM ^
Didn't you see the "OT" in the thread title? Clearly I'd not have typed it if my intention had been to talk about the major plot points in Transformers: The Movie.
Since you bring it up, my initial reaction was that Hot Rod lacked Optimus' natural leadership qualities and that the resulting culture change might unravel the entire Autobot program, which, we all know, is the most consistently successful program in Cybertronian culture. However, given his evolution into Rodimus Prime, the injection of excitement he provided and some time to remake the whole operation to be competitive in a new era, I think there's a good chance Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime could be every bit the leader Optimus was.
November 12th, 2009 at 4:55 PM ^
Wouldn't that be a spoiler, more than an off topic? In any regard +1 for the in depth character analysis.
November 12th, 2009 at 5:12 PM ^
To add to the beef, when the weak Decepticons are thrown out of Astrotrain, they fall away from the train. In a zero G/zero resistance environment, they should float alongside the train (plus whatever velocity they recieved from being pushed out) unless Astrotrain increased it's own velocity.
/Science geek off
Edit: Crap. Replied to the wrong section. Sorry.
November 12th, 2009 at 7:13 PM ^
Except the engines on Astrotrain were on, so he must have been accelerating in some direction. Fantastic point though, I like your style.
November 12th, 2009 at 4:35 PM ^
The 'extra weight' Astrotrain was referring to was a metaphor. How could you not have picked up on that as a 7 year old?
November 12th, 2009 at 4:35 PM ^
You got the touch!
November 13th, 2009 at 7:01 AM ^
moments in the history of cinema.
November 12th, 2009 at 4:40 PM ^
that the decepticons make their way to earth on a autobot ship. that they took over from jazz and clifhanger and they killed them both. hotrod and chip(or chips son) notice them because of the whole that was blown in the side of the ship during the take over. which leads to the opening battle.
as for the take over plot by astrotrain and starscream, i could see that because starscream had always wanted to be the leader and even appoints himself as the leader until galvatron comes back and destoys him.
its been a while since i watched the movie so i might be wrong with some of the names...
November 12th, 2009 at 4:49 PM ^
Well played, sir. I retract my second paragraph but maintain my stated position in the first.
November 12th, 2009 at 5:15 PM ^
doesn't astrotrain say that he doesn't have enough energon to make it back to cybertron so they have to get rid of some dead weight (or something like that)??? i understand your point about being in zero gravity but astrotrain still has to be able to move forward which means he is using energon. so if he is running low, and the more weight he is carring is uses up to much energon, they have to get rid of weight. if they didn't they would have just floated around space.
November 12th, 2009 at 5:21 PM ^
Absurd! After Astrotrain had reached cruising speed, he'd have no need for further propulsion, as there'd be no resistance. Simple physics dictate he'd be able to conserve his remaining energon for the landing. If he was continuing to burn fuel, he was an inadequate pilot.
November 12th, 2009 at 5:43 PM ^
maybe the writers couldn't come up with any other ways to off load megatron and the others so that unicron could re-create them.
November 12th, 2009 at 5:51 PM ^
Assuming he hadn't burned too much energon in accelerating to his cruising speed. If Astrotrain had expended more than half his supply of energon accelerating to a cruising velocity, he would have inadequate fuel to slow down on his approach to the Decepticons final destination, which would require an equivalent amount of energon as used to accelerate at the start of the trip. The only alternative in this situation would be to reduce the overall mass that Astrotrain would have to decelerate, i.e. ditching some Decepticons. Doesn't dispute your point in him being an inadequate pilot though. Clearly poor planning on his part.
November 12th, 2009 at 4:47 PM ^
[Awesome_Soundwave_Voice]
Michigan superior, Wisconsin inferior
[/Awesome_Soundwave_Voice]
November 12th, 2009 at 5:03 PM ^
Astrotrain has a built-in mechanism that simulates an environment with gravity so that healing wounded soldiers while traveling through outer space would be easier. Just a possible explanation.
Other than that, the movie seemed realistic. I don't let one minor plot hold take away from the realism in the rest of the movie.
November 12th, 2009 at 5:12 PM ^
Now, this explanation is just silly. First of all, no efforts were made by the healthy Decepticons to surgically repair their wounded friends, so, if Astrotrain had the functionality you suggest, he most certainly would have deactivated it when the passage through space became cumbersome. Secondly, unless you cite any studies, I'm going to have a hard time believing that a lack of gravity would be an impediment to cyber-surgery, calling into question the very premise of your argument.
Just admit it: You're grasping at straws.
November 12th, 2009 at 5:07 PM ^
What's sad is that a number of earlier posters on this thread thought this was about the Michael Bay movie.
November 12th, 2009 at 5:22 PM ^
There's a Michael Bay movie with Transformers??
November 12th, 2009 at 5:23 PM ^
why did James Mason voice Megatron?
November 12th, 2009 at 5:23 PM ^
I could be wrong, but I think Transformers the Movie was released in the summer of 1985...the same summer Teen Wolf came out. What a golden year for Hollywood.
I'm going to rent Gleaming the Cube right now. You guys are awesome.
November 12th, 2009 at 6:38 PM ^
nerds.
November 12th, 2009 at 8:01 PM ^
that was my problem with the movie.
Orson Welles had a great quote about the movie describing his time as "playing a toy."
The best thing about the movie was the shark robots - those were awesome.
Great music, too.
November 12th, 2009 at 8:10 PM ^
I forgot that Judd Nelson was Hot Rod. Robert Stack was in it! God, this was awesome.
November 12th, 2009 at 8:45 PM ^
GI Joe: Real American Hero Movie? Point of fact, after Snake eyes miraculously survives the radiation exposure after getting the power source for the joes own mass device, he supposedly is radioactive, yet timber the wolf drags him out by the teeth, nurses snake eyes back to health and becomes his companion. but if snake eyes really was radioactive to the point of near death, wouldn't timber have become radioactive?
btw-- i turned the gi joe aircraft carrier into the bar top counter in my basement. the beer tap comes out of the superstructure.
November 13th, 2009 at 11:33 PM ^
Now, you know you have to post a picture of that bar...
November 13th, 2009 at 12:01 AM ^
I am sick and tired of this. We need to establish clear guidelines for what is OT and what is relevant to the board.
Based on the impassioned responses to this thread, this is clearly NOT OT.