Ian Morris
Ian Morris loves televisions so much he's been banned from wedding chapels in Las Vegas for trying to marry them. When he's not romancing technology, he can be found watching American TV. Ian likes roast potatoes, but he doesn't like digital rights management.
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Tuesday 22 May 2007, 5:53pm
Transformers, robots in disguise
If, like me, you grew up in the 80s, or you are a parent of children who did, you'll almost certainly know who the Transformers are. If you are a child of the 90s, you may not be aware of what was almost certainly the finest cartoon/toy combination ever created. And that's a shame, you should tell your parents off for not starting a family sooner.
What made Transformers so amazing was, well, everything. Firstly, they were robots. Secondly, the theme tune was totally awesome, and thirdly they turned into really cool things, like guns, trucks and even a Walkman. This was obviously a dream-come-true for the merchandisers, who were able to sell kids their favourite Transformers for a no-doubt healthy sum of their parents' money.
My favourite toy was probably Soundwave, who was a tape recorder. What was fantastic about this toy was that it looked good as a tape recorder and as a robot. It was so cool that it had a little tape inside it, which also turned into a robot. Seriously, what do kids have these days that beats that?
I do seem to remember my mum being a bit dubious of the Megatron gun toy, which looks amazing, even now. As kids in the playground we couldn't get enough of these toys -- they were all the rage and I'm pretty sure they will be again this Christmas because, guess what? The Transformers are back!
The Transformers movie is due to hit the UK soon, and if you haven't seen the trailer yet, you really need to check it out. I'm rarely SO excited by a trailer, the last time was Jurassic Park, and I can only hope Transformers doesn't disappoint me like that film did.
Feel free to agree with me in the comments section below, or if you must, tell me what toy/show combination is better. I'll read them and tell you how wrong you are.
Previous: What's in a name?
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