Revenge for the fallen Transformers

By Cheryl Mullin on May 29, 09 08:45 AM

Like most people my age, as a child I ran around the playground playing Transformers with my friends. For some reason I was always an Autobot, but as long as it was Jazz I didn't really mind. But on the few occasions I was allowed to be a Decepticon, I was always Soundwave. Why? Because he had the coolest voice and had cool cassette tapes which transformed into little creatures to do his bidding.
Leaping forward a (ahem) few years and I'm now totally confused by the Transformers universe. What I once considered well know friends have undergone the most radical, and in my opinion god awful, makeovers I've ever seen.

Perusing through some of the latest action figures on sale prior to the release of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen I came across my beloved Soundwave - what have they done to you?

Soundwave 2009.jpg

Now don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the first film, although Mr M (also a huge childhood Transformers fan, but has been mentally scared since his mum threw out his complete Transformers comic collection - from issue one!) and I sat in the cinema wondering who was supposed to be who. So confused was I, I failed to shed a tear when Jazz met his demise because I didn't realise it was him who had been killed. And I won't even begin to mention Optimus Prime's 'flames'.
I'm all for progress, and I'm probably just showing my age here but wouldn't it have been better to make the Transformers distinguishable from each other? How can they call Soundwave an improvement? Where are Laserbeak, Ratbat, Rumble, Buzzsaw and Ravage (I'm sure I've missed a few) supposed to come from - or is he supposed to be an iPod now and I've missed the point?
So as you sit and enjoy the new Transformers movie in your local cinema, spare a thought for the couple sitting at the back looking totally confused - it'll be me and Mr M.

Soundwave and the Transformers as I choose to remember them