FAQ

Transformers is actually based on the Transformers toy line. Pioneered by Japanese company then known as Takara, the toys gained popularity in the 1980s as toys that could be transformed from vehicles, animals, and other devices into various action figures. Based on the popularity of the Transformers toy line, there have been a number of spinoffs, the overall emergence of a media franchise, such as several comic books series, animated movies, and even a TV series The Transformers (1984). Transformers is a live action adaption of the Transformers franchise and directed by filmmaker Michael Bay. It has been followed by four sequels, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009), Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011), Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014) and Transformers: The Last Knight (2017).

Transformers are fictional, sentient alien robots and the title characters of a popular Hasbro toy line and its spin-offs. Coming from the planet Cybertron, the Transformers are divided into two factions, the heroic Autobots, led by Optimus Prime, and the evil Decepticons, almost always led by Megatron. They are able to "transform", rearranging their bodies into common or innocuous forms, including vehicles (the most commonly known form), devices or animals. They can displace mass (i.e. shrink and expand), combine with one another, and apply synthetic flesh. This ability to transform is reflected in the programs' taglines "More Than Meets the Eye" and "Robots in Disguise". All Transformers stories and characters, in a range of media, have been based around this core concept since their debut in 1984.

Transformers (called Cybertronians as a species name) have their own civilization and customs, which has generally existed for a very long time (tens of millions of years). In fact, many Transformers themselves are millions of years old, having extremely long lifespans and power reserves. They are usually depicted as being born from "protoforms" (blank shells) and after being given Spark (their life force) they develop into their own bodies and age via upgrades. Despite being robots, they do show cases of "sexual dimorphism", in that there are Transformers with distinctly "male" and "female" traits (and some individuals even form romantic relationships).

[hr] Autobots (logo wallpaper here)

Optimus Prime - The Altruistic leader of the Autobots who comes to Earth to destroy the AllSpark in order to end the war. He transforms into a Peterbilt 379 semi truck, blue with red flame decals and which is a modernized version of his G1 mode. His weapons include an energy rifle that unveils from his back, two retractable Energon blades that extend from both forearms, Ion cannons on both of his arms, as well as two retractable Energon hooks on both of his forearms. Optimus Prime arrives on Earth at the same time as Ironhide, Jazz and Ratchet as a protoform, landing in a field. He scans the new alternate mode of a semi-truck and quickly joins up with Bumblebee and his human companions and tells them of Megatron and his Decepticons. Later on, While evacuating the AllSpark from Hoover Dam, Optimus Prime attempts to thwart the Decepticon Bonecrusher's pursuit. After a short battle, Prime beheads Bonecrusher with his retractable blade. Although Prime fights Megatron in a final battle, Sam kills Megatron ramming the AllSpark into his chest. Prime, who had planned to destroy the AllSpark by placing it into his own chest, is immensely grateful to Sam for saving him. Afterwards, Optimus then takes the remaining fragment of the AllSpark. Despite all that has happened, Prime deeply regrets Megatron's death, evidenced by his parting words: "You left me no choice, brother." The film ends with Optimus sending out a deep-space signal, inviting other Autobots to join them on Earth. Screen shot of Optimus as a protoform here. Concept art of Optimus here.

Bumblebee - The youngest Autobot that befriends Sam that turns into a yellow-and-black 1976 Chevrolet Camaro as a disguise for Sam to buy him from Bobby Bolivia. They eventually purchase Bumblebee, due in no small part to Bumblebee damaging every other car at the dealership to ensure his purchase. Later, Bumblebee drives away from Sam's home to summon the Autobots. Sam witnesses Bumblebee transforming into robot mode at a junk yard where he sends out a signal for his fellow Autobots. Bumblebee battles Barricade and defeats him in order to protect Sam and Mikaela. Later he upgrades as a Fifth Generation Chevrolet Camaro after Mikaela criticizes the poor condition of Bumblebee's vehicle mode. It is revealed later on that his vocal processors were damaged and has to communicate by radio. He can transform his right arm into a plasma cannon and has missile launchers in his shoulders. Bumblebee survives the massive battle at the film's climax, although he loses the use of his legs after helping Ironhide deflect missiles from Starscream. With Mikaela's aid, he is able to rejoin the battle supported by a tow truck and destroys Brawl. After the battle, Bumblebee is fully repaired and asks to stay with Sam and is granted permission from both Sam and Optimus Prime. He is later seen alongside Ironhide, Ratchet, and Optimus watching the sunset while Sam and Mikaela recline on his hood at the end of the movie. Both of the cars he was seen as are original to the movie. Concept art of Bumblebee here.

Jazz - The Autobot lieutenant who develops a fondness for urban culture. His vehicle form is original to the movie modified hardtop Pontiac Solstice GXP. He is described as a happy-go-lucky Autobot. Good-natured and always able to take things in stride, he provides a decent contrast to the more serious demeanor of Ironhide or Prime himself. Jazz's weapons include a shield and a shield-mounted machine gun. He also possesses a type of electromagnet in his right arm, which he uses to disarm humans of their guns without causing them injury, curiously leaving jewellery and electronics unaffected. One weapon considered for Jazz was a plasma cannon that combined with his shield, shown in concept art by Hasbro at BotCon 2007. Arriving on Earth at the same time as Optimus Prime, Ironhide and Ratchet, Jazz's protoform lands in Dodger Stadium then re-appears near the Casa De Cadillac car dealership (Sherman Oaks, California). Jazz jumps off the roof of the car shop and quickly scans a modified Pontiac Solstice before meeting up with the other Autobots at Bumblebee's location. In the final battle, when Bumblebee is unable to fight, Jazz provides cover despite being outnumbered three to one. He fights Brawl alongside Ironhide and Ratchet, and then takes on the Decepticon leader, Megatron. He orders Ironhide and Ratchet to fall back, deciding to stand his ground in order to protect the humans running away. Despite his efforts trying to injure Megatron, he is carried atop a building and torn in half by him. Despite Ironhide and Ratchet's best efforts, Jazz does not survive. After Megatron's death by Sam, Prime and the remaining Autobots mourn for Jazz. Concept art of Jazz here. He is the only Autobot killed in the movie.

Ironhide - The Autobots trigger happy weapon specialist and Optimus's friend that turns into a GMC Topkick pickup truck which is original to the movie. His weapons include an energy rocket launcher on his left arm, a plasma rocket launcher on his right arm, with a super Gatling gun connected around the outside of the right forearm plasma rocket launcher. Arriving on Earth at the same time as Optimus Prime, (in a pool, to which a young girl asks him if he's the tooth fairy) Jazz and Ratchet. Ironhide quickly sneaks away to a driveway, scans a family's GMC Topkick pickup truck and reconfigures his alternate mode to a new camouflaged form before meeting up with the other Autobots at Bumblebee's location. Upon meeting Sam, Ironhide displays an eagerness to show off his cannons, and made a classic Harry Callahan impression to show it by saying "You feeling lucky, punk?". At one point, he becomes so frustrated with Sam's parents that he asks Optimus if he can "take them out". He then gets a stern scolding from Optimus, who is frustrated at Ironhide's overuse of cannons. He also ask Sam's permission of exterminating his dog after urinating on his foot as he believes it is a rodent. He is also shown to be slightly contemptuous towards the humans; he questions Prime as to why they should protect the human race, describing them as "primitive" and "violent", only to be reminded that the Autobots were not so different from them once. Ironhide is, despite being easily the bulkiest of the Autobots, a tough warrior endowed with surprising agility, shown in the final battle when he transforms, flips forward, and dodges Brawl's missiles while doing a helix twist at the same time. He was also able to maneuver through the city, and flip over a nearby human without injuring her, rocket jumping over her right after transforming. Ironhide plays a large role in the final battle: when Bumblebee is unable to fight, he provides cover despite being outnumbered three to one. He battles Brawl alongside Jazz and Ratchet in the movie, and engages in a battle with Starscream, with the aid of Ratchet. However, damage sustained in the brief brawl with Starscream leaves both him and Ratchet unable to further protect Sam. After the battle is over, Ironhide brings the remains of his destroyed Autobot brother Jazz to Optimus Prime. Ironhide then gives Captain William Lennox a ride home, and is seen alongside Ratchet, Bumblebee, and Optimus watching the sunset or watching Sam kiss Mikaela at the end of the film. Concept art of Ironhide here.

Ratchet - The Autobot Medic that transforms into a Search and Rescue Hummer H2. His weapons include a Cybertronian rotary saw that emerges from his left arm, and he can transform his right and left arm into a medigun. Ratchet also has an assortment of other tools at his disposal, he uses a red laser to scan and try to calibrate Bumblebee's voicebox as they are introduced to Sam Witwicky and Mikaela Banes. He has an enhanced sense of smell. Arriving on Earth at the same time as Optimus Prime, Jazz and Ironhide, Ratchet's protoform crash-lands outside a local diner. Ratchet quickly scans a yellow emergency Hummer H2 and reconfigures his protoform to a new camouflaged form before meeting up with the other Autobots at Bumblebee's location. In the Autobots introductions, Ratchet unintentionally embarrasses Sam in front of Mikaela, as he does not fully understand human social norms yet, commenting, "The boy's pheromone levels suggest he wants to mate with the female", after having used his enhanced senses. Ratchet also accidentally gets entangled in power lines, sending him spasming to the ground and causing a blackout in the neighborhood. Ratchet also appears to be a very wise Autobot in the film. After Bumblebee's capture, when the Autobots are discussing about the location of the AllSpark and their war with the Decepticons for acquiring it first, Optimus states that he intends to unite the Cube with his spark. Ratchet warns him that the Cube's raw power would destroy them both. Moreover, he also tells the Autobots, "I sense the Decepticons are getting ready to mobilize." Ratchet plays a large role in the final battle, where he, Jazz and Ironhide first battle Brawl. Later, he and Ironhide provide cover for Sam against Blackout and Brawl as the latter tries to escape with the AllSpark and also engage in a battle with Starscream, who disables both of the Autobots , causing Sam to reach his destination building alone. Ratchet's injuries at the hands of Starscream keep him from getting to Jazz in time before the small Autobot is torn in half by Megatron. Concept art of Ratchet somewhere. Ratchet was originally meant to look different but the producers wanted something else. Hasbro did not mind if the character was either an ambulance or a fire apparatus.

Note: Optimus, Jazz, Ironhide and Ratchet arrived on earth as protoforms using a Cybertronian meteorite. Also Five Dead Autobots are shown in Optimus Prime's flashback to Sam and Mikaela, they were killed by Megatron. [hr] Decepticons (logo wallpaper here)

Megatron - The leader of the Decepticons and primary Antagonist who transforms into an alien/Cybertronian jet, a version that appears to be entirely unique for the character. He can transform his right hand into a gun, combine both of his arms to form his iconic fusion cannon, and can transform his right arm into a steel flail..Several years after being discovered by Captain Archibald Witwicky, Megatron's frozen body is transported from the Arctic Circle to Hoover Dam to be guarded by Sector 7, a secret government organization that studies extraterrestrial activities. Agent Seymour Simmons explains that the Earth's magnetic field may have interfered with Megatron's telemetry, causing him to crash during the Ice Age. He also explains that his technology was reverse-engineered, producing the world's modern technology. Megatron's location, as well as the AllSpark's, is located by a group of Decepticons led by Starscream. After sneaking into Hoover Dam Frenzy thaws out Megatron, who escapes outside and learns from Starscream that the humans and the Autobots have taken the AllSpark. Megatron pursues the Autobots and their allies to Mission City, where he quickly disposes of Jazz before battling Optimus Prime. He defeats Optimus and then pursues Sam Witwicky up a condemned building, attempting to taunt and threaten the human into giving him the AllSpark. Sam declines, prompting Megatron to knock the boy off the roof of the building with his flail. Optimus saves Sam and battles Megatron again. During the battle, Megatron attempts to seize the AllSpark once again, only to have it shoved into his exposed spark chamber by Sam, killing him. Megatron's body is then dumped in the Laurentian Abyss with the other deceased Decepticons. Concept art of Megatron somewhere.

Starscream - The Decepticon Air Commander and Megatron's second-in-command. Despite being a popular character, his role is limited because of the film's running time. His Alt Form is a F-22 Raptor fighter jet, a modernized version of his G1 mode, which is the successor to his original form, the F-15 Eagle. This keeps the character's role as the powerful and technologically advanced air commander. His arms store heavy weaponry, with a missile launcher carrying six missiles in both arms, a saw in his right arm, and a high caliber machine gun. He also has the ability to leap great heights into the air and take flight using the jet's powerful main engines on his back. Starscream rallies the other Decepticons to battle when Frenzy alerts them to the AllSpark's location. He destroys the electrical substation that powers Sector 7's base, allowing Megatron to come out of his deep freeze. Upon being reunited with Megatron, however, he is scolded by his leader for letting the AllSpark escape in a manner reminiscent of his G1 counterpart: "You've failed me yet again, Starscream." In the final battle between the Autobots and Decepticons, he is the first Decepticon to arrive on the scene thanks to his flight capability, which he also uses to ambush the Autobots when their human allies mistake him for a friendly Air Force pilot. He aids Brawl and Megatron by firing missiles in his Raptor form at Bumblebee and Ironhide, destroying the former's legs and injuring the latter. Later, he stops Sam Witwicky from fleeing by land with the AllSpark, easily disabling both Ratchet and Ironhide in the process; however, he does not take the AllSpark with him. When Sam is about to hand off the AllSpark to a Black Hawk crewman, Starscream shoots down the helicopter. Later, when a full airstrike has been called in on Megatron and Blackout, Starscream conceals himself among the attacking jets in order to ambush them. He destroys three of the jets, but retreats from the battle after the F-22 pilots regroup and engage him, allowing the jets to complete their mission. An interlude during the end credits shows Starscream leaving Earth's atmosphere. He can be heard speaking, though his words are not clear nor subtitled. Concept art of Starscream somewhere.

Blackout - A MH-53 Pave Low helicopter, from Transformers: Energon. Blackout is the first active Decepticon (and first Transformer) to be seen. He is armed with 2 arm-mounted Gatling cannon M134, 2 energy cannons and has the ability to disrupt electronic devices via EMP blasts. He is also able to detach and wield his tail rotor blades as a close-combat weapon. Early in the film, he, along with his minion Scorponok, attacks the SOCCENT Forward Operations Centre in Qatar, disguised as a MH-53M Pave Low IV helicopter, tail number 4500 X, that was apparently shot down over Afghanistan three months earlier. Blackout is escorted to the base by two F-22 jet fighters, where he transforms and single-handedly obliterates the base. He attempts to hack into the base's system to download data on the location of the AllSpark and Megatron, only to have the hardline to the system cut by Colonel Sharp. He then deploys Scorponok, sending him after a fleeing Captain William Lennox and his team. Later, Blackout is seen rallying with the other Decepticons to Starscream's call, after Frenzy discovers the AllSpark in the Hoover Dam. Arriving in Mission City during the final battle, Blackout attacks Sam, who is saved by the timely intervention of Ironhide. Later he attempts to kill Sam with his rotor weapon. Towards the end of the battle he attempts to ambush Optimus Prime from behind while he is preoccupied fighting Megatron; however, he is attacked by Captain Lennox and his team, the former racing underneath him on a motorcycle and firing at him with a sabot round, along with human pilots in F-22s firing a barrage of missiles from the air, eventually killing him. (The events of "Starscream's Militia" and Alliance issue #2 occur next.) His corpse is disposed of in the Laurentian Abyss, along with Megatron and the other fallen Decepticons. Concept art of Blackout here.

Frenzy - A small and vicious spy who transforms into a GPX BCDW9815CNP boombox, and later into a mobile phone (both of which are original to the movie). His weapons include a small automatic weapon on each hand and CD-like shurikens that fire out of his chest. His character is manic (living up to his name), sometimes comedic, and he is the only Decepticon with blue colored optics, rather than the usual red. Frenzy first appears when he infiltrates Air Force One to hack into the U.S. military's mainframe to find out Megatron's location. The military officials disrupt the downloads and send three secret service agents after the infiltrator, but Frenzy manages to kill them and escape. He then aids Barricade in locating Sam Witwicky. When let loose on Sam and Mikaela Banes, Frenzy attacks Sam but is decapitated by Mikaela using a reciprocating saw (a circular saw in the comic adaptation). He survives the injury and leaving his inert body behind, his head sprouts spider-like legs for movement, reformats into Mikaela's mobile phone and hides in her bag. Later, he infiltrates the Hoover Dam and uses the power of the AllSpark to regenerate his lost body. In the original script as well as the comic adaptation, he reattaches his original body, which is brought to him by the other Decepticons. He then proceeds to shut down the cooling systems, resulting in Megatron's reawakening, and alerts the Decepticons to the AllSpark's presence. While attacking a group of humans in the control rooms, Frenzy accidentally kills himself when one of his own shurikens goes full circle and slices his head in two. He stumbles and, with the words "oh shi-!", falls to the floor presumably dead. Concept art of Frenzy somewhere.

Barricade - A Saleen-Modified Ford Mustang police cruiser whom Frenzy guides to Sam. The character was inspired by the G1 Autobot Prowl, because the writers thought a Decepticon displaying authority would use the police car form, his form is original to the movie. He mainly elongates his arms to reveal spinning spikes known as the blade wheels in his hands and uses them as close-combat striking weapons. Barricade is one of the main Decepticons in the film, and the very first Transformer to speak English. He first appears hunting down Sam Witwicky to interrogate him about his great-great-grandfather's glasses (that have the location to the AllSpark). Sam escapes with Mikaela Banes in Bumblebee's Camaro vehicle-mode, and Barricade chases them. After the chase, Bumblebee transforms into his robot mode, and on arriving, Barricade attacks the Autobot. He releases his partner, Frenzy, to go after Sam and Mikaela, while he battles Bumblebee. Barricade isn't able to kill Bumblebee. However, he survives (as shown by the brief scene showing him as the first Decepticon responding to Starscream's call), and appears later on during the highway chase scene, where Sam recognizes him (as "the same cop"). Barricade disappears after the highway chase scene. He is confirmed to have survived but does not appear in the sequel. Concept art of Barricade here. He is one of the three Decepticons to have survived the events of the movie.

Bonecrusher - Buffalo H mine-protected vehicle, also original to the movie. His weapons are a claw-like scoop at the end of a large telescopic arm, and guns in his arms. This claw is used in ordnance disposal on Buffalo armored vehicles. His feet are wheels, "skating" as opposed to running. His weapons are a claw-like scoop at the end of a large telescopic arm, and guns in his arms. This claw is used in ordnance disposal on Buffalo armored vehicles. He can also extend his arms to longer degree to grapple his enemies more easily, but he never used this in the film so it stays folded. Bonecrusher is first seen in his Buffalo-vehicle mode, rallying with the other Decepticons to Starscream's call. He is later seen during the highway chase scene with Barricade and Brawl, tossing cars out of his path with his scoop. His clash with the Autobot leader, Optimus Prime ultimately results in his decapitation and death by Optimus. In the sequel a Decepticon sharing Bonecrusher's appearance can be seen. However, he is unnamed in the film and it is unclear if this is intended to be Bonecrusher. Boncrusher in the movie here. He attacks Optimus on the highway to Mission City and is later killed by him.

Scorponok - Blackouts minion who turn into a mechanical scorpion, taken from Beast Wars: Transformers (note: Skorponok is not seen transforming between his scorpion and robot form, however the Hasbro toy does have a robot mode. He and his partner Blackout attack the SOCCENT Operations Base in Qatar. Scorponok chases eight Special Forces soldiers across the desert, eventually killing trooper Donnelly, wounding Figueroa, and killing several Qatari soldiers before being wounded in an attack by two A-10 Thunderbolt IIs and an AC-130 Spectre gunship. With the tip of his tail blown off, Scorponok burrows under the desert sands, and is not seen again for the rest of the film. However, the survivors take the damaged tail and bring it aboard a transport plane en route back to the U.S.. While examining the tail, it suddenly goes wild, but Lennox and Epps manage to restrain it. The soldiers also discover through the damage on the tail that while robot armor is impervious to bullets, it can easily be weakened by anti-tank sabot rounds. He is one of the three Decepticons to have survived along with Barricade and Starscream. Concept art of Scorponok here

Brawl (credited as "Devastator" on film) - Modified M1 Abrams Battle Tank, his original mode comes from Generation 1. He is heavily-armed, having 8 missile launchers (four on each shoulder), a quad-mounted 37mm cannon on his right forearm, and a small dual blade ("Ripper Blade") and Gatling gun on his left forearm. He has the most weapons of any Transformer seen in this continuity. Brawl is first seen in the film rallying with the other Decepticons to Starscream's call. He is in the highway chase with Barricade, and Bonecrusher. He is later seen during the final battle, announcing his arrival by firing at the Autobots and US soldiers in the streets. Ironhide attacks him with his missiles while performing a Helix twist dodge maneuver, while Jazz leaps onto his frame, pulls on his main cannon causing him to miss,(a stunt that was seen in The Transformers: the movie) forcing Brawl to transform. With his sheer strength, Brawl pulls Jazz off with one hand and throws him against a building. Ironhide distracts Brawl, while Ratchet leaps in and attacks Brawl, cutting off one of his arms. Brawl collapses, seemingly beaten (although the most likely assumption is that he was just stunned, as he was not shot by Ratchet or Captain William Lennox and his team in his most vulnerable part of the chest), minutes later, Megatron lands in a nearby alley. He quickly recovers and rises again when Megatron enters the battle. Brawl continues to mercilessly engage the human forces, until Bumblebee attacks Brawl, still attached to the tow truck driven by Mikaela. Bumblebee shoots him several times in the chest which, combined with shots fired by the human forces, is enough to kill him completely. his dead body was later disposed of. Concept art of Brawl here.

Overwhelmingly the Decepticons tend to be vehicles associated with violence and authority (various military craft and a police car) whilst the Autobots alternate forms tend to be associated with individualism (sports cars and customized trucks). [hr] AllSpark mutations (made with cube's energy and all original to the film; no logo)

*Nokia Bot* - A Nokia N93i cellphone formerly owned by Glen Whitmann and transformed into a Transformer by the power of the AllSpark. It's a rather violent and hysterical creature, armed with several weapons. In the movie, When asked about the AllSpark's energy, Agents Simmons and Banachek took their visitors to a locked room within Sector Seven headquarters. Simmons borrows Glen's Nokia phone and places it inside a protective glass box. Simmons then demonstrated the power of the AllSpark by giving life to the Nokia. Transforming into a spidery robot mode, the Nokia robot went crazy and started attempting to escape its glass prison by firing tiny missiles and shooting bullets, as well as slamming itself repeatedly into the glass. When it looked like the creature might break out of the case, Simmons had it blasted with an energy pulse, killing it. Concept art of the Nokia Bot here.

*Xbox 360* - As a human was walking down the streets of Mission City, carrying his new Xbox 360, a sudden surge from the AllSpark granted it life. The new robot's arms and legs burst free of the packaging, and the shocked human threw it away before it could fully escape. It is unknown of what it fate was but in the comic, After the defeat of Megatron and the destruction of the AllSpark, US Army Rangers and the Autobots mopped up the remaining creatures mutated by the AllSpark's energy. Captain Lennox spotted the Xbox 360 and fired upon it as it was minding its own business, forcing the creature to flee into an abandoned minivan. Ironhide promptly destroyed the van and fished out the creature's remains.

*Cadillac Escalade* - Only its steering wheel transformed into a creepy Transformer with spider-like limbs. It was given life when Sam Witwicky accidentally dropped the AllSpark. It seems to like its owner and hugs her face. When Sam accidentally drops the AllSpark while fleeing through the streets of Mission City, he bumps into a woman's car. She is angry, and believes he dented her car. This is forgotten as the steering wheel of her car develops spider-like legs, wrenches itself free from the steering column, and clamps itself onto her face, hugging her head while she lets out muffled screams. It is unknown if the whole car was affected by the dropped AllSpark or just the steering wheel alone, and whether the woman survived the ominous face-hugging steering wheel. It is unknown what its fate was.

*Dispenser* - One of several robots who transform into Mountain Dew vending machines. This particular one came online during the battle of Mission City. When Sam Witwicky accidentally activated the AllSpark during his flight from the Decepticons in Mission City, the artifact's radiation animated an SUV steering wheel, an Xbox 360, and a Mountain Dew soda machine into robots. This Mountain Dew robot, named Dispenser, has an arm-mounted can-cannon. It is unknown of what his fate was. Concept art of Dispenser here. Its creation parodies a famous 1980s commercial where two drink dispensers belonging to rival cola companies transform into robots and slug it out.

Producers couldn't get rights from Volkswagen to use a Beetle as Volkswagen didn't want their product being associated with a violent film. Michael Bay told Wired Magazine he made the change because he wanted the mass of the Transformers in robot form to be believable compared to vehicle form. Thus a Beetle would have resulted in Bumblebee being much smaller as a robot. Bay wanted to avoid comparisons to Herbie the Love Bug, and that he felt that Bumblebee needed a new look. With the exception of Optimus Prime, all Autobots are General Motors vehicles. (GMC, Hummer, Pontiac, and Chevy). Early on in the film, we briefly see the new Bumblebee next to "an old 1971 VW Beetle" in a nod to his past. Sam has to choose between the old yellow Beetle and the Camaro, but of course chooses the Camaro. It's interesting to note that the Beetle in the film is actually a 1973-1977 VW Super Beetle, a very different model than the common Beetle.

It is stated by Simmons that Earth technology was reversed engineered from studying Megatron. Megatron is a Decepticon, and the Decepticons are designed to be the "brute warrior" side of Cybertronian nature (which explains why they're stronger and more weaponized than the Autobots). Thus when the cellphone and other objects are created, they in turn are Decepticons. Kind of like Megatron's children. They even resemble Megatron, more so than other Decepticons.

The official names of all the Transformers seen in the film were confirmed in August of 2006, nearly a year before the film's North American release date. However, director Michael Bay was not fully aware of these names and sometimes referred to some of them by their "on-set names"—For example, he said in an interview that he often referred to Frenzy as "Soundbyte". Thus, on-set he would refer to the tank Decepticon as "Devastator". Somehow, the name made its way into the final cut of the film. When Starscream calls all the Decepticons into action, they all give their names and status in Cybertronian, which is translated through subtitles on-screen. The tank apparently says, "Devastator reporting..."

It was not fixed, despite recognition of the error by the writers of the film and Hasbro. Writer [link]nm0649460[/link] even stated that "Devastator" was the mistake and that the tank was supposed to be named "Brawl" all along. This is supported by the fact that every single toy based on the character, is titled as "Brawl" and even the video game adaption of the movie, has his name is spoken aloud (as opposed to simply being presented as a subtitle for the film itself) and he is referred to by the name "Brawl". The comic series "The Reign of Starscream" even "remakes" the scene where the Decepticons mobilize, with the character in question saying ''Brawl reporting...''.

The name Devastator was actually the name of the giant robot that all six of the Constructicons in the original animated series and toy line would combine together to form. The fact that one of the Constructicons in the original series was named "Bonecrusher", which was the name of one of the Decepticons featured in the film, only added to the confusion. Afterwards, Bay even stated that he preferred "Devastator" to "Brawl" as it sounded more threatening, and more suitable for a Decepticon.

As the combiner (i.e., the real) Devastator is appearing in the sequel, it could be said Brawl *is* his real name and he just called himself "Devastator" for the same reason that Michael Bay gave. Although, since we know close to nothing about Cybertronian naming conventions (as for all we know, the name "Devastator" could in fact be very popular on Cybertron, like the names "John" and "William" are in the English-speaking world here on Earth), it is possible for two different characters to share the same name.

This is unknown. One theory is that he said, "I shall return!!", since he usually said that in the show. It is possible that he sent a signal to all Decepticons in space, just as Optimus did at the end. Another theory is that he said, "I'm running out of time!"

The Transformers have incredibly sophisticated software meaning there is no logical reason why they couldn't scan books or databases then breakdown and learn the language in minutes, the same would apply from hearing English being spoken. All a Transformer would need to learn a language is a sample of sufficient size and enough time for his software to work it out which would take minutes or possibly hours depending on the amount of computing power available to the Transformer and possibly the complexity of the language.

An explanation is explicitly provided in the graphic novel adaption. Megatron, whilst frozen, was conscious and could hear the scientists and engineers examining him. Meaning that once he awoke, he was perfectly capable of speaking English. It is even vaguely implied in the movie that he could hear them; his first words upon awakening being an exclamation of his name (as opposed to being called "N.B.E-01" or "Ice-Man").

Note: The Autobots and Decepticons probably have some sort of Wi-Fi receiver, much like we have Bluetooth. So they are likely able to receive radio waves, internet signals, cellular waves etc. without an access point. As Optimus says, "We have learned Earth's languages through the World-Wide Web." Seeing as how they landed on Earth and went directly to meet Bumblebee, it's unlikely that they stopped at a local internet cafe to log onto a computer to learn the language. Therefore the Decepticons have the same technology and Megatron likely was able to access computer information either while frozen or as soon as he began to thaw.

Optimus Prime is the Autobot who crash lands in the field, and quickly runs off. He is the last one to be seen scanning a vehicle for his alternate mode as he becomes a Peterbilt semi truck, which passes by him as he stands on that hill by the road. Ratchet is the Autobot who crashes into the building with the neon "TV" sign on it. It makes sense that this one is Ratchet, as there are several emergency vehicles around and he could have easily scanned one of them, i.e. the search and rescue/fire department Hummer H2, he becomes. Jazz is the Autobot who lands in the baseball stadium near the Casa De Cadillac car dealership, which he later climbs off the roof of and scans a Pontiac Solstice on display in the showroom. Ironhide is the Autobot who lands in the pool, in that family's backyard. (To clear that up, once and for all.) He scans a GMC Topkick pickup truck, that most likely belongs to the family in question.

Yes. Not only is it a reference to Michael Bay, but if you look carefully on the front, you'll see that it's a GMC, standing for Grabowski Motor Corporation, a division of General Motors. With the exception of Optimus Prime, all of the Autobots are General Motors vehicles (Chevy, Pontiac, Hummer and GMC).

This can be any number of answers. As you can see throughout the film, the number on the top of the Decepticon Barricade, is 643. One conclusion is that it's the number of Transformers in the film (6+4+3=13 : 5 Autobots, 8 Decepticons).

There are multiple sequels, as explained above. Each of them highly anticipated prior to its release. Back when Transformers was new, Dreamworks had greenlit two more films on May 30th, 2007. Shia LaBeouf (Sam Witwicky), Megan Fox (Mikaela Banes) and Peter Cullen (Optimus Prime) signed on for both of those sequels and returned accordingly with the exception that Fox didn't wind up returning for the second sequel, Dark of the Moon. Director Michael Bay and writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman signed on for the first sequel while Ehren Kruger was brought in to help Orci and Kurtzman. The script wasn't finished before the 2007 WGA strike, however filming began in June 2008 and Revenge of the Fallen was released in 2009. Neither Orci nor Kurtzman wound up partaking in any further sequels (while they went on to create the television series Fringe, writing numerous episodes of it). Kruger had continued involvement in the franchise until after the release of the third sequel, Age of Extinction (while he went on to write for the live-action component of the Ghost in the Shell franchise).

Yes, but the type of radiation given off by their bodies causes minimal, if any, harm to humans. It would cause less trouble than a typical sunburn.

It is unknown but It is revealed in a comic that after the battle of Mission City, Jazz's remains were placed in a trailer by Ironhide as the humans and the Autobots remain in silence of his death. The trailer was later thrown in the ocean along with the deceased bodies of Megatron, Blackout, Brawl and Bonecrusher, disposing of the remains of Jazz. His body was mentioned in the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen book where Constructicon Long Haul crushes his body in the ocean while searching for his leader Megatron. Writer Roberto Orci explained that there was supposed to be a funeral scene in the movie where Jazz's remains were placed in a trailer (similar to the comic) and also expressed making the scene emotional, but due to the lack of budget, this scene was cut out.

It is unknown as the Transformers name is not credited in the script. Many people believe that it was Optimus Prime but in Transformers: Beginnings (2007) it was revealed to be Starscream.

Autobots Prowl, Wheeljack and Arcee were in the original line up along with Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Ironhide, Ratchet and Jazz. Prowl was featured in the script, but as the writers loved the subversiveness of a Decepticon police car (which became Barricade), he was removed in favor of Barricade. Arcee was initially set to be in the 2007 film, but due to negative fan reaction and to the fact that there was not enough time in the movie to explain the presence of a "female" in a robotic race, she was dropped from the script and replaced with Ironhide. It is unknown why Wheeljack was dropped from the film. Longarm was scripted to be in the movie as a Ford F-350 tow truck, and though he was dropped, his vehicle was still used in the movie as the tow truck that saved Bumblebee due to losing his legs to Starscream, along with Mikaela. Ultra Magnus and Hot Rod were also considered for the 2007 movie.

Decepticons Soundwave, Ravage, Laserbeak, Rumble, Skywarp, Wreckage and Shockwave were in the original line up along with Megatron, Starscream, Barricade, Blackout, Bonecrusher, Brawl, Scorponok and Frenzy. Soundwave (whose G1 alt form is a cassette tape) was set to appear as a helicopter in the movie, but the helicopter's design was changed with the eventual helicopter character rechristened as Vortex, then finally Blackout. Soundwave was considered as a spying boombox on Air Force One, able to transform into a small robot, but eventually, this character was amended to being Frenzy, with Don Murphy stating that Soundwave will be reserved for a future sequel, until they can "do him right". A character named Wreckage, with a M1126 Stryker ICV as his alt mode, had been designed, but eventually didn't get used in the movie; writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman included the character in one of their drafts of the script, and concept art was even created for it. It is unknown why Shockwave, Ravage, Rumble, Laserbeak and Skywarp were dropped, but Shockwave does appear in the videogame and Laserbeak was featured in the Sector Seven viral marketing website which featured several videos recording supposed evidence of Transformers on Earth. Director Michael Bay also considered a character turning into an aircraft carrier (Tidal Wave), which was dropped for cost reasons though Two Concept arts was created for it (See here and here). Decepticons Onslaught, Octane and Blitzwing were scripted but later removed.

The cancelled characters from this movie that are featured in the sequel, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009), are Arcee, Soundwave and Ravage.

The cancelled characters from this movie that are featured in the second sequel, Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011), is Shockwave, Wheeljack (known as "Que") and Laserbeak.

Barricade is disguised as an LAPD cruiser and the LAPD's slogan is "To serve and protect". Being a Decepticon, Barricade altered this to read "To punish and enslave".