The Transformers need a reboot. They are a franchise that has so much untapped potential, but is unfortunately being squandered by someone who doesn't understand the characters. With the right story and direction, Transformer's is a series that could provide engaging action while at the same time presenting a story that pays homage to the original series.
So I present to you...THE TRANSFORMERS.
The Tone
This series should have a tone set somewhere between the original cartoon and the Marvel comics series. The humor and age-appropriateness of the original cartoon, with scenes and situations that are dark and serious like the comics. No unnecessary adult humor. No murderous Autobots. No stupid and pointlessly unfunny original Transformers.
The Autobots
Optimus Prime: Fearless leader of the Autobots. It is shown in flashbacks to the war that before the war he was a diplomat named Orion Pax, but during Megatron's coup he was chosen by the Cybertronian High Council to become the next Prime. After taking this role, he forms the Autobots to fight Megatron's army, renamed the Decepticons. After the Autobots crash land on Earth, his main goal is to prevent the Decepticons from reviving Megatron, but after he is resurrected he realizes that the Decepticons will never truly leave Earth alone, so he decides to become Earth's protector. Optimus has a strong (and arguably foolish) belief that the Decepticons can change, evident by his refusal to kill them, and his forbiddance of the Autobots to do so. He is one of the main characters of the movie, along with Sparkplug Witwicky.
Bumblebee: A young Autobot who was drafted into the war after the tide turned in favor of the Decepticons, Bumblebee is a fierce warrior. Because of the difference in age, Optimus Prime defends Bumblebee like a son, to which Bee objects. He feels the need to prove himself to his older comrades. Because of this, he makes brash and rebellious decisions, which can sometimes lead to trouble. He forms a bond with Sparkplug Witwicky's teenage son, Spike.
Ratchet: The medical expert of the team, Ratchet served as a war doctor on Cybertron before waking up on Earth. He is the oldest member of the team, but still looks up to Optimus Prime as a leader. Ratchet is compassionate towards humanity, and his attitude towards humans is what sways the Autobots towards trusting Sparkplug.
Ironhide: The weapons expert on the team, Ironhide is one of Optimus Prime's best friends and closest allies. Its hinted at that Optimus knew Ironhide before the war, while Optimus was still Orion Pax. The war for Cybertron changed Ironhide, and he becomes more aggressive, using sarcasm to cover up this fact. He is initially distrustful of humans, but when Sparkpug Witwicky helps the Autobots rescue Bumblebee, his opinion of them is changed.
Prowl: The stealth and secret operations tactician, Prowl is tactical and calculating, preferring everything to be planned out and methodical instead of winging it. He is particularly annoyed by the Autobot Bluestreak and his talkative personality. He is deeply affected by Bluestreak's death, although he doesn't let it show.
Brawn: One of the Autobots that escaped Cybertron, Brawn has a hotheaded attitude. He's usually the first to question Optimus and his orders, his rivalry with Optimus stemming from jealousy over the leader's position. He is killed by a newly-resurrected Megatron, and in his dying moments, tells Optimus to lead the Autobots to victory the way he would never be able to.
Bluestreak: The team's scientist, Bluestreak is an incessant talker, which makes him the perfect foil for Prowl's quiet demeanor. He's talkative and outgoing to hide the fact that he secretly despises fighting. He sacrifices himself to shut down Megatron's Space Bridge, and his death affects Prowl deeply.
The Decepticons
Megatron: Even though Optimus fails to realize it, Megatron is pure evil. Whereas the other Decepticons serve him to honor Cybertron, Megatron's motives are simply lust for combat. Megatron was once the commander of Cybertron's military forces. While Cybertron was suffering an energy crisis, Megatron proposed that they go and plunder planets with sentient life, all in search of Energon. The High Council turned down this proposal, and Megatron, craving conflict, staged a military coup with some of the military forces, renamed the Decepticons. While on Cybertron, Megatron is stabbed in the back (literally) by Starscream, killing him. His body is retrieved by the other Decepticons, who don't know of Starscream's treachery. Megatron is revived later in the movie using an Energon cube found in the Autobots space craft. His goal is to use the Cybertronian Space Bridge to revive and bring the rest of the Decepticons to Earth to enslave humanity, although he leaves that part out to his followers.
Starscream: Megatron's second-in-command, Starscream assassinates Megatron during the final hours of the war for Cybertron without the other Decepticons discovering his trickery (although it's suspected by Shockwave). Unfortunately for him, the other Decepticons retrieve Megatron's body and bring it along on their ship,
the Nemesis. While he's leading the Decepticons, he is prideful and arrogant, enjoying inflicting cruelty on others. Once Megatron has returned, he is cowardly and fearful that Megatron will discover that he was the one who betrayed him on Cybertron.
Skywarp: The Decepticon's technology and logistics specialist, Skywarp helps Megatron rebuild the Cybertronian Space Bridge with the plans found in the Nemesis. He's not very adept in combat, choosing to use gadgets and tricks to survive.
Thundercracker: One of Starscream's lieutenants that survived the war, Thundercracker is driven by his misguided patriotism for Cybertron. He does not always agree on what his superiors tell him, but he follows orders out of fear. He particularly dislikes the way Starscream and Megatron treat humans, evident by his secret refusal to hurt Spike Witwicky.
Shockwave: Megatron's second favorite and also Megatron's most loyal servant, Shockwave is left behind on Cybertron after starting to suspect Starscream's involvement in Megatron's death. He's the first and only Decepticon brought through Megatron's Space Bridge, and uses his knowledge of Starscream's treachery to blackmail and manipulate him in future movies.
The Witwicky's
Daniel 'Sparkplug' Witwicky: In a different incarnation from the show, Sparkplug is portrayed as a scientist for a military research facility. They are doing research on an active volcano when they accidentally awaken the Transformers. The Autobots save him from the Decepticons, so later Sparkplug returns the favor by saving the Autobots from the military facility. He hides them in an old abandoned research warehouse where the military cannot find them, and helps them find and stop the Decepticons. His nickname is given to him for his love of cars.
Spike Witwicky: Angry at his father for his detached style of parenting, Spike is a rebellious teenager who discovers his father's involvement with the Autobots. He forms a close bond with the Autobot Bumblebee, and both are later captured by the Decepticons and used as bargaining chips for the cube of Energon inside the Autobot ship.
The Story
The movie would open with a flashback narrated by Optimus Prime detailing the events leading up to the war for Cybertron, and then the final hours of the war. Megatron is assassinated inside his throne room by Starscream, who then takes control of the Decepticons. This is short-lived, as the High Council decides on an ultimatum: detonating an EMP blast that shuts down all life on Cybertron. The Autobots leave the planet with instructions to return when they feel that peace can be obtained. The Decepticons find this out and follow them, with Megatron's body being stored on the ship unbeknowst to Starscream. The two ships (the Nemesis and the Ark) get into a battle in space, and they are both shot down over Earth, both landing near a dormant volcano.
Centuries later, a private military organization is researching on the volcano, when they detonate a charge that awakens the Transformers. The Decepticons and Autobots engage in a battle that accidentally detonates a tanker truck, and the Autobots save Sparkplug and the other humans while the Decepticons retreat. Despite saving them, the Autobots are forced to come into the miltary base, who bring along the discovered Autobot ship.
They try and explain their reasoning for being on Earth, but the government doesn't listen, instead opting to keep them and test on them. Sparkplug objects to this, and later that night, breaks into the facility and frees the Autobots, leading them to an old abandoned warehouse. Along the way they take the forms of vehicles they spot to disguise themselves in case the military comes looking.
The Decepticons (who have already scanned vehicles) basically force Starscream to return to the volcano site and retrieve Megatron's body so that they can find someway to revive him.
The Autobots regroup for a few days while the military come to Sparkplug's home to investigate the Autobots' disappearance, and his son Spike happens to overhear. Spike follows his father to the warehouse one night, which has become the Autobot base of operations, and discovers the Autobots. His father admits to him the truth and allows Spike to stay, where he forms a relationship with Bumblebee.
The Decepticons theorize that the only way to bring Megatron back is with a pure energon source, like the one that powers their ship. Their ship's power source was destroyed in the space battle with the Autobots so they realize they need the one in the Autobot's ship.
Ratchet and Bluestreak use resources brought to them by Sparkplug along with parts they took during their escape from the base to invent an Energon detector of sorts, to help them find the Decepticons. Optimus orders the Autobots to wait until the Decepticons make a move. Brawn and Bumblebee are upset by this and steal the Energon detector to go find the Decepticons. Spike comes along after getting into an argument with his father. The three discover the Decepticons in an abandoned military air base, and discover that they plan to create a Space Bridge using plans that Skywarp stole while back on Cybertron. The Autobots, however, are discovered by Soundwave, and Bumblebee and Spike are captured. Brawn is only spared to deliver a message: the captors will die if the Decepticons don't recieve the Ark's energon core.
Brawn goes back and tells everyone the news, and Optimus Prime is enraged. Tempted to leave and go fight the Decepticons on his own, Ratchet calms him down long enough to think a plan through. Sparkplug, fearing for his son's life, leaves the Autobots and breaks into the military base, stealing the Energon core. Optimus arrives and convinces him to wait, that they have a plan. Sparkplug finally relents.
During this time, Starscream tortures Bumblebee by removing the technology that controls his voice, and instructs Thundercracker to do the same to Spike. Thundercracker doesn't obey though, and hides Spike away until the Autobots arrive.
Sparkplug arrives at the Decepticon's base with Brawn, who give Starscream the energon core. Starscream is pleased until the other Autobots launch a surprise attack on the base. It proves too late, as Starscream reluctantly resurrects Megatron anyway. Brawn is killed by Megatron in a display of strength, and Optimus fights Megatron, receiving a serious injury in the process. The Autobots are forced to retreat to tend to their wounds.
Megatron and Skywarp complete the Space Bridge, using the last bit of Energon from the core to power it. During this time, Optimus Prime and the Autobots realize that the Space Bridge needs lots of reserve power to stay activated, and Sparkplug pieces together that the Decepticons will try and use the city's power plant to power it.
Bumblebee takes Spike and Sparkplug to the military base to tell them the truth and to request military help, while the rest of the Autobots race to the power plant. Megatron activates the machine and he and Optimus engage in battle once again, with both of their factions fighting alongside them. Optimus gains the upper hand and almost defeats Megatron before Shockwave emerges from the Bridge. The military show up and help the Autobots turn the tide of the battle, and Bluestreak orders everyone to evacuate the area, realizing that the Space Bridge is unstable, and can't be stopped without sending a backlash of lethal energy throughout the plant. Everyone evacuates, and Bluestreak detonates the Space Bridge, killing himself in the process. The Decepticons retreat, albeit Megatron, who is taken down by Optimus. Optimus considers killing him, but Ratchet reminds Optimus of his heroic nature. Instead of killing him, Prime takes Megatron prisoner.
The movie ends a few months into the future, with Megatron held captive in a repurposed underground military base, and the government signing a treaty with the Autobots, stating that they can live on Earth until the day comes in which they feel like Earth is no longer under threat by the Decepticons. Sparkplug and Spike become ambassadors of sorts to the Autobots, with the ordeal having brought them closer together. The camera pans out into the far recesses of space, into another universe altogether, revealing that the Space Bridge awoke something completely unexpected. A large, dormant Transformer, the size of a large planet.
I have ideas for sequels in this series, as evidenced by the ending of this film, but would like feedback on this one first: good, bad, etc. Any criticism is good criticism.