Not the toys. And not the Michael Bay horror films. I mean the 1986 animated feature.
At the time, Transformers: The Movie was notable for two things. One was the fact it killed everybody, traumatising an entire generation of young, impressionable movie-goers. The second, and more lasting, was the movie’s casting.
It was a mess. A glorious, haphazard mess. There were teen heartthrobs, oscar-winning actors, sci-fi staples, comedians, TV veterans, voice-over people, the works. Yet somehow the “throw as many random names as we can afford” approach actually worked, and better still, it made the flick memorable. Example? I once won a pub trivia night by successfully answering the question “What was Orson Wells’ last ever movie”.
With Mass Effect 3′s cast assembled earlier today, it struck us how much BioWare’s series had begun to take after Transformers’ batshit crazy approach. That with each game came an increase in the size of not just the cast itself, but how bonkers it was.
Where Transformers went the “elder statesman” route with Orson Wells, Mass Effect has Martin Sheen. Where Transformers hired a veteran voice man in Robert Stack, Mass Effect has veteran voice man Keith David. Transformers had sci-fi staple Leonard Nimoy, Mass Effect went and hired half the cast of Battlestar Galactica. Transformers had Monty Python comedian Eric Idle unexpectedly voice a role, Mass Effect went deep into left field and hired funny man Seth Green to play not a teenage loser, but a starship pilot.
And where Transformers shot for the swoon vote with Judd Nelson, fresh off Breakfast Club, Mass Effect now has…Jessica Chobot.
Now, I’m not saying Mass Effect is copying Transformers. It’s just, we noticed this morning that the Chobot hire had tipped the movie over the edge. For over 25 years, Transformers has stood at the pinnacle of crazy nerd sci-fi casting. Nothing came close to assembling such a talented, yet bizarre cast of talent.
But if Mass Effect 3′s new hirings don’t completely ruin the mix, it may have a little competition from a cast that includes a former President of the United States, a star of They Live and a girl who licked a PSP that one time.
doubleDizz
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 2:28 PMI don’t think this was their intention.
happy accident.
NegativeZero
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 2:32 PMThe 1986 transformers movie was also the transition between the generation where Transformers was good and the generation where Transformers wasn’t good any more, so I hope this is wrong.
Effluvium Boy
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 3:15 PMI’d say Robots in Disguise was when it transitioned (Although I wasn’t a huge Beast Wars fan)
Snacuum
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 10:53 PMNah i’d say it depends on the series itself. Transformers as a universe is always going to be good.
Raazel
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 2:39 PMTo me as a child of the 80′s, the original movie was and still is one of my all time favourites. In saying that, if these commanilites equal something half as decent as the movie, then i’m sold!
PuppyLicks
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 2:43 PMdoes this mean…
STAN BUSH!
Pixel the Ferret Viking
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 2:52 PMimagine it:
[opening shot]
fade from dark, stars appear,
camera starts panning to see a little speck of shiny comes into view
speck grows as it approaches the camera,
what is it? could it be?
and just as you realise it’s the Normandy you hear it
YOU’VE GOT THE TOUCH… YOU’VE GOT THE POWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH
*nerdgasm*
That Teemo
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 3:26 PMArise, Commander Shepard
Bigtones
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 3:29 PMI would LOVE to see that!
Benny
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 2:46 PMAny additional comparisons to Transformers? Or just the voice-cast?
That Teemo
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 3:01 PMNot even that, the voice cast comparison is weak at best.
Keith David and Seth Green were from Mass Effect 1, Keith David himself being a well known voice actor in Video Games and Children TV shows. Seth Green being a Sci-Fi Geek and Voice actor himself.
Mass Effect 2 brought all those big name Hollywood voice actors to it because it was simply a good project from them to be a part of. Jessica Chobot for Mass Effect 3 is a face inside gaming culture thanks to the likes of IGN, it’s natural fit for a gaming geek to want to be apart of a solid franchise.
The reasoning why Mass Effect can pull these kinds of names is due to the way Mass Effect is a big blockbuster title. Gaming is being seen less and less like a throw away entertainment and more and more Hollywood talent are supplementing their income by staring in video games. You only have to look at a lot of games these days that hire big names to be apart of their voice cast.
Mass Effect like Transformers? Hardly, it’s grasping at straws; You could have gone for the whole Mass Effect is the Gaming Generation’s Star Wars and wrote about how its going to be once the end title screen falls.
BlipittyBlopitty
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 2:58 PMThey both are getting worse with every sequel.
Reign
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 3:43 PMI’d feel a hell of a lot more secure about Mass Effect 3 if it also featured Eric Idle.
TheLastQuestion
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 6:46 PMMake your Shepard look like Eric Idle!
Steve0
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 3:45 PMSo… I’m guessing this means Sheperd dies, passes his leadership to Grunt who promptly gets dismembered by the enemy for a worthless trinket, only to have the trinket save the day when held by the biggest crybaby the universe has ever seen.
Joshy206
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 4:49 PMSince when is Chobot better looking than Yvonne Strahovski?
A nice thing to notice, but an esteemed actor from previous works in the genre makes sense, a good voice actor makes sense, a comedic character with a comedic voice actor makes sense… these don’t really copy TF, does it?
Mase
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 6:22 PMWhen Mass Effect gets a live action movie trilogy that completely ignores the main attraction for a bunch of pointless explosions and turns the US military into invincible soldiers from heaven, then we can start comparing franchises
ibbers
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 6:25 PMThis is journalism?
FFS. How about something with a bit of substance instead of a slightly long forum post with paragraph breaks.
frank
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 6:49 PMRoadimus Sheppard says! .. oh god.
pat (not that pat)
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 7:59 PMHoping to offer an opinion as to why Mass Effect’s franchise, while brilliant is the bane of good sci fi.
Femto
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 8:06 PMThe only thing these things have in common is I love them both.
N7 jpicard
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 8:41 PMMass effect worse each new title.
Get real. Mass Effect 2 was by far way better better than the 1st
Only downside to ME2 was the bad guy in number 1 was far more evil and mysterious *That conversation with Sovereign in ME1 still is chilling to the core.
Mass effect 3 shall be one hell of a ride!
come on 36 more days!
14 days til DEMO =D
N0NEoftheAB0VE
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 10:24 PMTHe 1986 TF movie was awesome – awesome I tells you – first cartoon movie I reckon that hired celebrity actors – it opened the floodgates – not to mention yeah – they killed everybody!
Snacuum
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 10:52 PMOne of my absolute favourites. Don’t forget the epic soundtrack, which features the entire length of the movie – no silence – really the only soundtrack that if I hear any part of it I’ll likely tell what’s happenning right now.
Trikeabout
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 11:09 AMLook at the cast lists for GTA: Vice City and San Andreas… Hollywood-tastic.