Radio Free Cybertron - All of our Transformers podcasts!

This week in awesome: Rob talks about the odd local TF5 radio commercial he heard before seeing TF5. Oh, what TF5? Rob talks about his impressions as well as the neat guerrilla TF5 marketing at Universal Studios. Q&A goes into what Rob thinks is better when it comes to being a modern day Transformers fan vs a fan back in the day. All this and Rhinox farted.

Also check out:

* Zone Base

Please support Being Awesome by using our Amazon referral link.

On There Goes My Money, we talk about all the awesome Transformers we got this week including Don's super secret birthday gift to himself! Plus week's preorders:

* Make Toys Galaxy Meteor

* Make Toys Thunder Erebus

* ToyWorld Dino Combiner (Metallic) Set of 5

* TW-M07C Spaceracer (Clear)

* TW-M06 Leia

Please support There Goes My Money by using our Amazon referral link.

This week on Radio Free Cybertron: Before we get to our review of Transformers 5: The Last Knight we have a lot of toy news! We talk about Titans Return Overlord, which found its way to Weibo this week! Plus we talk about new Masterpiece Cassettes, upcoming SDCC exclusives, super premium Last Knight figures (love that Sqweeks!) and more! Plus we have an update on expectations for The Last Knight's weekend box office, and we talk about Michael Bay finally departing the Transformers (maybe)! The show is totally spoiler free up until the review! Tune in!

Our review of The Last Knight begins after the 45 minute mark! We remain spoiler free until that point!

Mentioned on the Show:

This Week In History

2004 — First day of BotCon 2004.

Official News

Box Office Low Predicted For Transformers The Last Knight

Last Knight is Mark Whalberg's Last Transformers Movie, Says Actor

Michael Bay Confirms - Transformers: The Last Knight Is his Fourth Final Movie In The Franchise

Wonderfest 2017 Summer - Exclusive MB-EX Movie The Best Laserbeak From Bumblebee Mold Leaked

Transformers: The Last Knight - Premium Scale Optimus Prime Bumblebee & Sqweeks From ThreeA

Masterpiece Cassettebot vs Cassettron MP-15/16-E Set Revealed

First Look At Prototype Masterpiece Nightstalker/Steeljaw

First Official Photos Of Titans Return Leader Overlord Leaked!

Official Details & Images Primitive Optimus Prime SDCC 2017 Transformers Exclusive

The Last Knight Mission to Cybertron On Singapore Toys R Us Site With Stock Photos

Transformers Universe: Bumblebee Details In Lorenzo di Bonaventura Interview

Beast Wars Logo On Titans Return Siege On Cybertron Box?

MPM-3 Movie Masterpiece Bumblebee Out In Singapore

LG-EX Legends God Ginrai With Minerva & Cab - Official Photos Of Controversially Shiny Figure

* GI Joe Missile Command Headquarters SDCC Exclusive!

This review of Transformers 5: The Last Knight contains no spoilers! If you want to be spoiled, check out our podcast-only review of the movie to be posted later this week.

Transformers 5 The Last Knight Review

by Brian Kilby

June 19, 2017

Audio Version

Transformers 5: The Last Knight is reportedly the last Transformers film by director Michael Bay, for the third time. Bay has made this promise in the past, and we all hoped it was true before. However, I hope it's true for a different reason entirely this time around. It's actually pretty enjoyable. Bay should end his run on the series on a high note, and this is likely the highest note the franchise may ever see under his watch.

Let me preface everything I'm going to say with this: This is the same dumb movie you've already seen four times already, perfected. It's better than all of the earlier films, in pretty much every way. In a way I'm doing a bit of a disservice by calling it dumb. Of all the Transformers movies, this is the most logically consistent, thoughtful, and endearing. Most importantly, for me, it's the first film that isn't offensively crude, sexist, or rife with stereotypes. I can't fault the movie for any of the crimes of its predecessors, and I didn't once utter a groan while watching this movie. I can genuinely say that I liked Transformers 5, and I am not embarrassed to say so. In my own headcanon, in a way this is the first Transformers movie, and the ones that came before don't count.

So, what's to like? A lot, actually.

The movie gets across a sense of history unlike no other Transformers movie before it. Like other Transformers movies, we get glimpses of the past via flashbacks, and unlike previous entries, this world feels alive. Characters both old and new populate this world, and exist for purposes other than cannon fodder. I really felt that there is a universe with a continuity out there to explore, and for the first time I want to see more.

Beyond the world building, this is the first movie where I actually felt the Autobots are part of a family. In a way, that's probably what I've been yearning for the most from all of the Transformers movies. The Autobots have a home, one that's more than just a checkbox on a director's task list, and it adds a lot to the sense of community. Cade Yeager returns, this time serving the role of Autobot house parent. He seems like the adult of the Autobot clan, and it's a refreshing change of pace from the way humans have been presented in the past. He and the other humans in this world don't exist just to setup the next joke.

There are a lot of characters to like in this sequel. Probably the breakout character from the film is Cogman, who we have seen bits and pieces of from previous trailers and TV spots. I can see certain fans not liking Cogman as much as I, but they are probably terrible people. I anticipate that he'll be the fan favorite coming out of the movie. He's really a joy to behold. The role of Izabella, portrayed by teenage actress Isabela Moner, could easily have gone to an adult starlet and been played more like the heroines that Michael Bay is known for, but instead she is a plucky, resolute survivor, who is wise beyond her years, but still a child at heart. I didn't know what to expect from Izabella going in, but I was surprised at how likable, and admirable she ended up being.

It's no secret that I am not a fan of most of the earlier movies. Most of them I consider to be genuinely bad. While I can't say that this is a great movie, or even a good movie, it certainly is a great Transformers movie. It's the best Transformers movie so far, and that includes the 1986 animated movie, which like most of you, I can quote line for line.

If you're not a fan of the earlier movies, give this one a shot,

This week in awesome: Rob talks TF5 lead up and merchandising and Zima. Q&A goes into toy hunting, is it a lost art?

Also check out:

* Zone Base

Please support Being Awesome by using our Amazon referral link.

On There Goes My Money, we talk about all the awesome Transformers we got this week including Titans Return Shuffler, Seaspray, and more! Plus week's preorders:

* Transformers Tribute - Evolution Pack - Orion Pax & Optimus Prime Set

* Fansproject SAURUS RYU-OH SHELL SET

Please support There Goes My Money by using our Amazon referral link.

This week on Radio Free Cybertron: HASCON news came this week, but will the news change public opinion? Also, The Last Knight comes out next week, and we speculate as to its success. Will it do better than Age of Extinction? Find out...next week. But you can find out what we think this week! Brian talks about his Fort Max Ollie's expedition, the guys talk about the new photos of DX9's gigantic NOT Omega Supreme, new Titans Return photos, and more!

Mentioned on the Show:

This Week In History

2003 — Hasbro announces plans for a full-length, live-action movie based on Transformers.

2009 — The Transformers — The Complete First Season: 25th Anniversary Edition is released on DVD in the US by Shout! Factory.

Official News

The OTHER Twinferno - In-Hand Images Of Robots In Disguise Combiner Force Warrior Class Figure

HasCon Update: Stan Bush, Peter Cullen, & Frank Welker To Attend; Power Of The Primes To Be Shown

Titans Return Wave 5 Stock Photos - Trypticon, Misfire, Twin Twist, And More!

Hobby Japan Diaclone World Guide Book and DVD Announced

Movie Block

Transformers The Last Knight Ticket For $5 Off In The US - With Rental of Age of Extinction

Transformers: The Last Knight - The Final Chapter?

Transformers Movie Blu-Ray Walmart Exclusive Set With Bonus Bumblebee Found 

MPM-3 Movie Masterpiece Bumblebee Hands On Video With Transformation Demo

Hailee Steinfeld Confirms Casting In Bumblebee Movie - Production To Start Soon

1980s Timeframe Confirmed For Transformers Universe Bumblebee 2018 Movie

TRU Exclusive Megatron & Skullitron Mission To Cybertron Transformers Premier Edition Deluxe Set

Transformers: The Last Knight - New Official Images Of Target Exclusive Voyager Reveal Your Shield Optimus Prime

Thanks to Amazon

This week in awesome: Rob awakens from his Robsleep to talk about hunting Marvel Digest number 1 and realizing Miniforce is on Netflix in between super hard napping. Then Q&A asks about Hasbro selling non US items.

Also check out:

* Zone Base

On There Goes My Money, we talk about all the awesome Transformers we got this week including Don's knockoff Masterpiece Seeker, and Diecast's oversized KO Dark of the Moon Megatron. All that plus this week's preorders:

* Hasbro Titans Return Titan Class TRYPTICON

* Perfect Effect PC-17 CORE MAGNUS

* DX9 Toys D12 GABRIEL (Omega Supreme)

This week on Radio Free Cybertron: There are so many new toys to talk about! We have tons of news coming out of the recent Hasbro Last Knight reveals, and this weekend's Tokyo Toy Show! We talk about Masterpiece Dinobot, new Legends Targetmasters, new Titans Return deluxes, Hasbro's SDCC Optimus Prime, Titans Return Trypticon news, the Siege on Cybertron boxset, and even more! Plus we talk about DX9's gigantic Gabriel, their NOT Omega Supreme. Opinions are mixed, and the conversation is lively. All that and way more on this week's RFC!

Mentioned on the Show:

The Big Item

DX9 D12 Gabriel Unofficial MP-Scale Omega Supreme - Yes, Another One

Official News

Tokyo Toy Show stuff - listen to the Minicast for more on this!

FIRST LOOK - Beast Wars Masterpiece Dinobot Design Models

Masterpiece Dinobot Revealed! First Look At Prototype Of Beast Wars Maximal MP Figure

Legends Series Official Product Images - Sixshot, Doublecross, Misfire, Broadside

Legends LG-EX God Ginrai Set Official Product Page With Minerva And Cab Prototype Images

Tokyo Toy Show 2017 Transformers Presentation Details

Titans Return Trypticon In Hand Photo Gallery

Titans Return Wave 5 Deluxes In Package - Misfire, Windblade, Twin Twist

Titans Return Windblade First In Hand Photos Of Wave 5 Deluxe

Transformers Tribute Set Revealed In Leak - Orion Pax From Titans Return Kup & War For Cybertron Optimus Prime

Titans Return Siege On Cybertron Boxset - In-Hand Images

Find The Differences - Siege on Cybertron Magnus Prime vs Legends Super Ginrai

New Black Powermaster Optimus Prime Image Released - Primitive Skateboarding Exclusive?

Primitive Skateboarding Optimus Prime Package Leaked - Meet The Newest Titan Master...