Transformers, the giant robots
It's hard to believe in this age of franchise toys galore, but the Transformers began their career as Japanese toys, vehicles that transformed into robots. Produced by Takara Tomy (Japan) and Hasbro (USA) in the 1980s, these toys were a great success and it was soon decided to give Optimus Prime, Bumblebee and Megatron their own stories.
From toy to screen
As soon as the toys created by Japanese designer Shoji Kawamori were launched, scriptwriters (Jim Shooter and Denny O'Neill) were given the task of creating a world in which the Transformers would evolve. The Transformers were divided into two opposing factions, the friendly Autobots and the nasty Decepticons. They originate from the planet Cybertron.
In English, Decepticon comes from the word "deception", which is a faux-ami in French. It means deception, and that's exactly what the Decepticons do to get their way... even though they love launching titanic frontal battles.
The planet Cybertron is actually the body of Primus, the creator of the Transformers. It is shaped like a giant machine planet, with endless cities, and is often at the heart of conflicts between Autobots and Decepticons.
Marvel comics were also devoted to the Transformers, but it was on the small screen that they enjoyed their first major success. An animated series of 98 25-minute episodes was produced by Marvel and Sunbow Productions, directed by Nelson Shin, and broadcast from 1985. It was followed by various sequels.
Beast Wars divides fans
In 1995, following the success of the second series entitled "Transformers Generation 2", a computer-generated series appeared, Beast Wars. In this series, the descendants of the Autobots and Decepticons, the Maximals and Predacons respectively, accidentally travel back in time and find themselves on a prehistoric Earth. There, they must transform into animals in order to survive. The Maximal leader, Optimus Primal, transforms into a gorilla, while Megatron becomes a tyrannosaurus...
Fans at the time overwhelmingly rejected the series, but gradually began to recognise its qualities, particularly its character development.
Michael Bay's big screen
Nowadays, we're most familiar with the live-action film version created in 2007 by Michael Bay, the spectacular director of 'Bad Boys', 'The Rock' and 'Armageddon'.
In this version of the Transformers universe, the planet Cybertron has been ravaged by war, and the source of all Cybertronian life, the AllSpark, has ended up on Earth. In pursuit of its power, Megatron crashed to Earth and remained frozen until humans found him.
The film was a great success thanks to the comic talent of Shia LaBeouf, who played the main character Sam Witwicky. It also starred the always hilarious John Turturro.
Numerous sequels were made, including Revenge of the Fallen, Dark of the Moon, Age of Extinction and The Last Knight. Unfortunately, the quality of the first film was never matched by the sequels, and the saga began to lose millions at the box office, despite the participation of famous actors such as Ron Perlman and Peter Dinklage.
A prequel spin-off was also released in 2018, entitled Bumblebee, named after the main character. The young Haylee Steinfeld plays the lead role, alongside American wrestling superstar John Cena.
This prequel received a sequel in 2023, Rise of the Beasts. As the title suggests, the story of Bumblebee intersects with that of the "Beasts", the Maximals and their enemies the Terrorcrons. Singer Anthony Ramos plays the lead role alongside actress Dominique Fishback.
Main characters
Optimus Prime: leader of the Autobots, always upright and courageous.
Optimus Primal: leader of the Maximals, he inherits Prime's character traits but with much more interesting nuances. He is more sceptical, impulsive and pragmatic, and tends to break the rules to achieve his ends.
Megatron: leader of the Decepticons, power-hungry and full of hatred.
Galvatron: leader of the Decepticons, in reality the reincarnation of Megatron
Bumblebee: one of the most popular Autobots, he transforms into a yellow Volkswagen Beetle in the original stories, before becoming a Chevrolet Camaro in the live-action films. His name means "bumblebee" in French, and he is popular because he is considered the "little brother" of the Autobots and is always trying to prove his worth.
Unicron: a robot as big as a planet, an eater of worlds, his blood is black energon capable of resurrecting Transformers. He is said to be the twin of Primus (Cybertron).
Starscream: with a brilliant name, he's the perfect representative of the typical Decepticon. He's a compulsively manipulative traitor, a powerful ally of Megatron's, but one Megatron must always be wary of.