When the new "Transformers" movie hits the screens today there will be more than just saving the world at stake. Oh, sure, the plotline involving Earth, the Autobots and the Decepticons is important. But filmmakers have another daunting task at hand: winning over a techno-savvy public with computer-animated robots in a live-action film while not alienating old-school fans.
After all, the Transformers have been around a long time. The cartoon series -- with its catchy "robots in disguise" theme song -- debuted in 1984, followed by comic books and the first generation of toys. An animated film came out in 1986, and more toys, comic books and even graphic novels have continued over the years.
For some fans, Transformers are a memorable part of childhood. "When I was a little kid, I would watch the cartoon every day after school," said 26-year-old Dan McLain of Crown Point. "When I was in kindergarten, we would bring in our newest Transformer to show, and then we'd play with it during recess.
" He knows the Transformers he sees on the movie screen won't look the same. But he hopes they're at least recognizable as the same characters he followed in his youth. "I'm very curious," he said.
"I want to see how they're going to take this 1980s cartoon series and make it into a live-action, two-hour movie. I mean, you have this classic series with a huge fan base and a rich history -- I'm very interested in seeing what they do with it." According to published interviews with director Michael Bay, there will be more than a few differences.
That means every nut, bolt, angle and fold has to be accounted for. And having the movie live-action instead of animated brings a whole new set of challenges, computer animators agree. "That is actually very difficult," said Jeff DeBoer, a graphic artist at Concept Visions in Schererville.
"The human eye is so adept at seeing reality, that when you see something fake, or false, you can tell right away. The eye notices the imperfections, or the lack thereof, and so you notice it doesn't look right, even though you might not know exactly why." Even subtleties like light reflecting from the wrong angle -- things not noticeable on a computer screen -- could throw off a scene, he said.
That's one of the difficulties involved in placing a computer-generated image in a live-action scenario. Not to mention the Transformers have to, well, transform. And changing a 30-foot robot into a car or a truck or other object takes a little doing.
"You're putting it in a real-world environment," DeBoer said. "That means you have to think about the logistics -- can this angle fold into this angle; does this close before this can open?" DeBoer, along with his co-workers, have been impressed so far by what they've seen on the trailers, and they're eager to see more.
"We're definitely watching for the special effects," said graphic artist Jeff Noy. "We notice the reflection of light, and if the motion is fluid, that kind of thing. But if it's done well, that's just one more thing for us to enjoy.
" And while Transformers have been lying low for awhile, the franchise still definitely has its share of fans. "I'd say about 85 percent of my customers are juiced about seeing the movie," said Michael Hansen, owner of Lightspeed Comics in Portage, which sells the Transformer comics and graphic novels. "They just came out with the 20th anniversary of the animated movie, and a lot of people still remember it.
(People) watched the TV series, they played with the toys. I'm going to go see it. I watched the animated movie, and it was excellent.
When I watched it, I felt like a kid again." Contact Diane Majeske at 648-3108 or dmajeske@post-trib.com When the new "Transformers" movie hits the screens today there will be more than just saving the world at stake.
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