Transformers: The Ride at Universal Studios Hollywood

[cgnewmanI Guess Donkeys Are Okay]

Rode Transformers on Friday April 20. The themeing is great, tech stuff is the best, but the story line of the ride is weak. Protect the all spark at all cost. Go from one similar battle to the next gets a bit boring. Crashing thru the building was the best part. I haven't been on Spiderman since it's update, but for me, that is still the best

[robbalveySite Admin]

^ For me, I prefer a ride with an easy-to-follow, thin storyline where I don't have to know anything about the franchise or the characters to understand what's going on, over a ride where I need to have read 7 books and seen 8 movies to have a clue what the ride is about.

[SwimaceWhat is this, Joisey?]

^Now what ride/franchise could you possibly be referring to???

[cgnewmanI Guess Donkeys Are Okay]

I also think a ride shouldn't require any book or movie knowledge of its concept. Transformers in an example of great technology trying to tell the story, instead of a story using great technology. Many movies today hope that special effects will make a great story, fail because the story is weak. All I am trying to say about my experience of the Transformer ride is, the techy stuff is fantastic, but I would had liked a bit more than just battle, run, battle run, battle, run.

[robbalveySite Admin]

It's very tough to tell a "story" in a ride environment like Transformers or Spider-Man. If you try to tell too much story, you run the risk of your riders being confused, you tell too little story, and it could be flat. Harry Potter has the luxury of more people probably knowing the franchise than not, but they rely so heavily on the audience knowing the material from the books and movies that it completely turns off someone like myself, who has never had any exposure to either.

Star Tours 2 even starts to get a *little* too much into the franchise for my tastes, but it's not as confusing to follow as Harry Potter.

I dunno, sometimes I think rides with simple storylines like Transformers "Protect the shiny object", Jaws "Stay away from the shark", Men in Black "Shoot the aliens", Spider-Man "Get the bad guy", or Indy Jones "Let's get the hell out of here", have just enough story combined with a really amazing ride system and visuals that it really works.

--Robb

[SoCalCoastersYoung and Stupid! I blame my parents.]

It's very tough to tell a "story" in a ride environment like Transformers or Spider-Man. If you try to tell too much story, you run the risk of your riders being confused, you tell too little story, and it could be flat. Harry Potter has the luxury of more people probably knowing the franchise than not, but they rely so heavily on the audience knowing the material from the books and movies that it completely turns off someone like myself, who has never had any exposure to either.

Star Tours 2 even starts to get a *little* too much into the franchise for my tastes, but it's not as confusing to follow as Harry Potter.

I dunno, sometimes I think rides with simple storylines like Transformers "Protect the shiny object", Jaws "Stay away from the shark", Men in Black "Shoot the aliens", Spider-Man "Get the bad guy", or Indy Jones "Let's get the hell out of here", have just enough story combined with a really amazing ride system and visuals that it really works.

--Robb

As someone who is an avid darkride creator (using RCT3), I can back up what Robb is saying here. The best kind of darkrides are ones you can just get on and have a blast without knowing any major backstory. Plot twists, clique elements, and good illusions are much more likely to appeal to your audience than a convoluted story they have to know 18373 things about in order to understand it.

Here's the order most darkrides take. They have to tell an entire story in 3-5 minutes.

That's why most darkrides don't have complex stories. When they do you get lost.

Most follow this general outline:

Introduction > Rising Action > Plot Twist > Climax > Ending/ Falling Action

Example for Spidey:

1. Jameson tells you to go get some great news "scoops", and Spiderman warns you of the night's dangers
2. Disregarding Spidey's advice you conveniently end up in the villan's lair and must escape each of them
3. After finally getting outside you are hit by Doc Oc's Anti Gravity Cannon sending you hundreds of feet into the air
4. Final battle takes place in midair
5 You "fall from midair and Spidey saves you, and the day is saved!

[cgnewmanI Guess Donkeys Are Okay]

Robb,
Maybe your right, and I am expecting to much, but the Jaws ride, and also Spiderman had much more of a story line than Transformers. Why bother to call it Transformers, just call it, i don't know, protect the torch. Should we become mindless to the great ride technology that we now have and forget it can be used to help tell or enhance a story. Spiderman is a great ride with a good storyline. I just think they could have made the story, or challenge, a bit more interesting. Hope you get a chance to ride it soon, maybe you'll understand where I'm coming from. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed the ride, but I wish it was more than just going along for the ride.

[Wes.]

^ But it's not like the source material is much to work with... If Michael Bay could get away with making one giant 2.5 hour battle scene, he would do it.

[SharkTumsSite Admin]

^Didn't you just describe all of his movies?

I haven't chimed in too much here, was waiting for Robb to write up our Singapore TR, but Transformers actually made my feel very nauseous. To the point I only rode it one time. I have always had issues with any attraction in '3D' and this one with all the moving and craziness just really messed me up. Just a warning to any of you out there who have a bit of motion sickness to be prepared for this one!

[Wes.]

^ Unfortunately, you get 45 minutes of action and an hour or so of dumb actors delivering bad dialogue with blank stares. At least on the Transformers ride, I don't have to roll my eyes at whatever Shia Lebeouf is saying every 20 seconds.