Potential Giant Robot Movies

Giant-Robot-OptimusWith the outrageous success of Transformers (making approximately $700 million world wide, and apparently over 8 million DVDs in its first week) it is a clear cut and forgone conclusion that there will be not only more Transformers on the horizon, but also more giant robot movies in general (Hollywood loves nothing more than to copy itself and ride trends like a $20 whore… which isn’t always a bad thing I guess).

The only question is which giant robot movies will get made, and how many of them. So I thought I’d throw it open to you guys to give your thoughts (for those of you who are as obsessed sci fi fans as I am… and nerds) about which EXISTING giant robot properties you’d like to see on the big screen next (let’s just pretend for a moment that the recent Robotech with Tobey Maguire news hasn’t come out).

Giant-Robot-RoboROBOTECH
Of all the various giant robot cartoons out there, this one clearly has the most depth of story and intricacies. Man, don’t you just hate it when legions of alien invaders come around killing your buzz just for some damn protoculture? Anyway, the story of Robotech certainly does lend itself to a big screen adaptation without question. Massive potential for dazzling visuals, huge battles and as already mentioned, depth of actual story as well with not only the cartoon to draw from, but also worlds of source material from comics, novels, animated movies… yadda yadda yadda.

Giant-Robot-VoltronVOLTRON
This one has been whispered about for YEARS. Certainly not as deep in it’s mythology as something like Robotech, but when you look beyond 5 cartoon lions, you realize the underlying concepts are pretty decent on their own as well. Also, Voltron caries a “fun” factor with it that Robotech’s doesn’t quite match up with. Plus, there’s the whole combining to form one super giant robot that’s always cool and would have one hell of a “wow” factor on screen when they do it.

Giant-Robot-GrandizerGRANDIZER
Another one I just loved as a kid, but without the depth of a Robotech or as much fun factor as Voltron. Some pretty standard fare in the whole “lone survivor of another world now protecting earth” hooks that to be fair doesn’t really get to tired in this genre. The only question I would have if they did a Grandizer film is…. would they keep the 4 giant bananas coming out of his head in the movie?

Giant-Robot-DanguardDANGUARD ACE
Probably the least known on this list, but maybe a dark horse. Danguard Ace is unique in this group in the sense that it’s main plot point isn’t invading Alien armies looking for our resources… but rather it’s earth that is short on resources and the conflict is more like a civil war. Danguard Ace also has probably the most interesting, cool, and intriguing character of this crop of shows with Captain Mask (an uncreative name no question… since he wears an iron mask) who even as a side character would have me glued to the screen as a kid

There are others… but these are the ones I think would have the best chance at success on the big screen. So out of these franchises, which one would you like to see up there? Are there good ones I’ve left off this list that you would prefer to see? Leave your thoughts in the comments area.

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47 thoughts on “Potential Giant Robot Movies

  1. Another impossibe movie is going to be made, Robotech fits into the impossible category very nicely.

    The movie will have to focus on the first 3 episodes only of the series. A 2 hour movie with Tobey as Max Sterling.

    Transformers was great, dumbed down yes but really now what were we all expecting. Robotech however is a serious movie with complex characters. Rick will be a young smart aleck with lots of innocence and will have a huge crush on a sweet little Lynn Minmay. The movie must not go too into depth, as the budget will be too big.

    They should use the design of the F 14 Tomcat as the valkyrie. And we want to see Valkries battling in the streets against Battlepodsand other Zentran mecha. And we want to see size differences between the forces mechs.

    OMG, it could be a huge cult classic!! WB dont mess this up!! Transformers was good, real good!! but this could be the greatest SCI fi of all time. Focus on the characters though, but we need lots of battles. Just till episode three for the first movie. and then focus on Return trip to earth and episodes :Force of Arms for the sequel.

  2. Danguard Ace and Grendaizer were very popular here in the Philippines. But they are not as appealing worldwide as Transformers.

    I watched Transformers and I liked it. I cannot say the same for the other robots, though.

  3. To Stressgirl615 and DrTheopolis

    I remember that series. It was a Voltron made up of different vehicles. The shoulders were space age helicopters, chest was some kind of tank, and the head was like like a futuristic rocket ship. Think the feet were cars.

    Can’t remember the rest of them, but I remember the groups of parts, like all the ground vehicles could combine together to form a more powerful ship or whatever. And then ofcorse they could form the giant Voltron robot. I remember I wanted the big version of the toy when I was a kid. I did have the smaller action figure size one though that was just made of rubber and still uncombined to the vehicles.

    This would make a sweet movie, but scene theres so many of the vehicles that made up the giant robot, like 10 or more, each with their own pilot, I’m not sure if it could work with so many characters to cover. But also, since almost no one seems to remember this series, I’m sure they can just focus on a few of the pilots and next to know one will be around to complain they’re fav pilot didn’t get enuff screen time. ;)

  4. Hey DrTheopolis, I vaguely remember some Voltron series w/a lot of cars that combined into a giant Voltron. Is that what you may be referring to w/the spaceships that assembled to a Voltron. I think someone wrote something about it on wikipedia.

    I would love to see a Voltron movie!

  5. I am so beyond happy they’re finally seeing the potential in making a Robotech movie. I’ve been wanting this for years, almost more then I wanted a Transformers movie. This was the first anime I ever saw and just blown away as a kid. “Adult drama, people dying, and deep moving story telling in a cartoon, all while taking place in huge insane space battles? This is freakin’ awesome!”, I thought to myself for the first time that fateful morning when I saw it for the first time.

    Now can they pull if off, I don’t know. In terms of story and scale, Robotech is HUGH, like LoTR huge. Bigger then just about any series ever done before. I really dought it’ll be on the Lord of the Rings scale it deserves. But as long as it has it’s core characters, keeps the same intense drama intact, a real sense of life or death warfare, not turning it into a kids film, some huge mind blowing space battles, staying true to the Zentraedi and they’re crazy weaponry, and most of all staying true to the shear badassness of the transforming Veritech fighters, and the SDF-1, and this movie could be so amazing beyond words. Heres to hopful thinking. ;)

    Other “Giant Robot” series’ I think should get the Hollywood treatment are:

    Evangelion- Now this one is actualy already in the works, Weta Workshop is doing the effects, but they said it probly wont be out til’ 2010 since it’s such a huge project. I feel this one deserves to be menchened since it’s probly the king of giant robot series’, hell it’s one of the best series period ever created.

    Eva is huge in every sense of the word. It’s regarded by many as being the best anime ever. The story is like nothing you’ve ever seen before. Hell, the “giant robots” in it are unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. They’re not even really giant robots to begin with, but something so much more. This series breaks all the rules in terms of conventional story telling and even thinking. I could go on for hours about how good this series is and how amazing of a live action film it could turn out to be. Do yourself a favor and go watch it right now, you’ll thank me later.

    Technoman- Great series with awesome action, cool characters, both the heros and villians, big monsters, some good drama, great story, and the Technoman battle armor it’s self is one of the coolest things ever.

    Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory- Just about everyone has herd of Gundam that knows anything about giant robot shows. The first Gundam series came out in Japan way back in 1979. And is still going strong today. Stardust Memory was one of the best Gundam stories and my personal favorite. Amazing story that really addressed the heartships of galactic warfare, beautiful space battles, and awesome mecha designs, including a mech that carried a giant bazooka that fired a nuclear war head!

    But when they do make a Gundam movie they’ll probly start with the first Gundam story, Stardust Memory is the 8th. Which I guess I can’t blame them and the story of the first Gundam is still pretty good, just not real exciting.

    Finally I’d really like to see Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team get a movie treatment. This was a short series, but still had a cool story with great action. It all took place on the ground with no space combat, but think G.I Joe mixed with giant robot combat and that pretty much sums up the awesome action in this one. :) Fun characters, a cool main villain, and sweet mech designs.

  6. ok i kno people in general wont like this- but i already said wat people will think- now im gonna tell u wat id like- A KICKASS megaman movie..power rangers with like new mean ass looking robots and they all HAVE to have a legit story like transformers- they made transformers like it COULD happen somehow not like- ok the robots came out of nowere and there having a war- no. have a good story. of course its not reall but have a freaking STORY that starts in “once upon a time” so we can sorta kno wat the hells going on

  7. hey krystina..PERFECTLY PUT. remember wen daredevil and the punisher came out right after spider man? well every1 said that it sucked cuz marvel just wanted to make more marvel hero movies cuz SM worked out- and people watched them out of curiosity ( i liked daredevil and the punisher tho lol) and oh btw tobey mcwire should NEVER be on another action or fantasy film EVER!! and oh u guys…grandizer is a movie that will never see the sunshine cuz the cartoon was that bad but i see the rest being in a movie, as long as there not obviously identical copyes os transformers
    AND transformers are going to come out with a secound and third anyways! but this isnt my opinion im just saying wat people will think- if they come out with a megaman movie- il watch it 5 times yet i KNO that people in general wont like it- unless there 5

  8. I, for one, can’t hardly wait to see a live action version of “The Mattel and Mars Bar Quick Energy Chocobot Hour” (featuring my favorite robo-candy toys, Major Nougat, Coco, and Gooey fighting the evil Colonel Kataffy).

    but seriously folks, am I the only one who remembers a version of Voltron that was made up of like 20-30 spaceships??! It was a bunch of youngin’s who lived on a big starship/freighter who had their own smaller fighter ships —who then would merge when the time came to fight bad guys to form a giant Voltron. i can never find anything about it on the interwebs and when i mention this to Voltron fans, they look at me like I’m from Venus.

    i think this (my) parallel universe version of Voltron would be waaay better than the fondly-remembered 5 lion version.

  9. The name of the genre is Mecha. Gundam, RoboJox and Evangelion has been mentioned several times and I think you could add a lot more Japanese anime stuff to that list. The fact of the matter is that Japan produced a sörgåsbord of Sci-Fi/Giant Robots/ExoSceleton concepts. Here’s a few more: Macross, Eureka Seven, Gravion, Full Metal Panic, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, Heroic age…

    Here you go:
    http://imdb.com/keyword/mecha/

  10. Hey John, I can tell you I am working in a production office here in L.A. and the screenplay for Voltron is already making its rounds and they are begining the hiring of staff.

  11. I believe the only ones that possess the “nostagia factor” to not only succeed but also avoid the Transformers “knock-off” label would be Robotech and Voltron. Robotech easily was the best big-robot show from the 80’s and Shōji Kawamori’s mecha designs are still superior to virutually anything put out today, (no need for a Bayformers makeover). Voltron stands at the frontline of 80’s action cartoons such as Transformers, G.I. Joe, Thundercats, He-Man and TMNT.

    I believe Grandizer’s prequel Mazinger Z(Tranzor Z) would make a better candidate for a feature film.

  12. you are forgetting one that was targeted more at young adults then kids:

    battle tech and mechwarrior…they are from the same universe.

    much richer universe then any that you have mentioned IMO.

    i would be way more into a war movie based on books and games with giant robots then based on a kid’s cartoon.

  13. voltron is by far my fav because during the early 80’s thats what i watched…..robotech would be second on my list and by far the story line of gundam macross and so on is the most in depth…..i was always the dam fat dude when we played voltron in kindergarden lol

  14. Danguard Ace, man i loved the Shogun Warriors comic and toys way back, Id love to see big screen versions of those charaters, however their onscreen appeal would not be as great as others n this catagory. Id have to agree the Gundam series would be great Gundam wing or MS 8th.

  15. Forgot about Sabre Rider and The Star Sherrifs. Not necessarily Giant Robot, but Giant Vehicles and Robot Horse and Human Armored Rider travelling through the Galaxie.

  16. Umm…speaking as a person who has no clue what any of these franchises are, I think that if a bunch of robot films are released in the wake of Transformers, the public will simply assume that they are nothing more than TF rip-offs. Now, I’m not talking about people who are already fans. I’m talking about folks like me who hardly even knew who Optimus Prime was until the TF movie was announced years ago. They are going to have to establish themselves as different from TF in their marketing and whatnot if they want to earn the big $$$$$.

  17. As a hugh fan of Robotech/Macross, its definitely on the top of me list for giant robot movies. The idea of seeing the SDF 1 transforming into a giant cannon and blasting a large fleet of the Zentraedi away will be mindblowing.

    There is also some great giant robot properties in video games that I would like to see adapted to live action which include Battletech (aka Mech Warrior), Armored Core and Metal Gear.

  18. i dunno…the best robot franchise i know is the Gundam series preferable Gundam Wing…Voltron, GRANDIZER, DANGUARD ACE they don’t even hold a candle to Gundam Wing. Thats my opinion anyway.

  19. Holy Crap Josh – I just spit out my food! LoL

    I look foward to Robotech, but I hope, hope, hope that Toby ends up not playing Rick Hunter. In my opinion he is wrong for the role.

    I would like to see a Voltron movie too, but in all honesty the cartoon had it’s cheesy dialogue…so I wouldn’t expect much in that way…but it would make a hell of a good action flick.

  20. How ’bout ROCKEM’ SOCKEM ROBOTS:THE MOTION PICTURE starring Edward Norton and Scarlett Johanson, with Sean Connery as the voice of Rockem’ and Jack Nicholson as the voice of Sockem’. From George Lucas, the guy who brought us Howard the Duck.

  21. Screw this stuff and get M.A.S.K. going. We need Matt Trakker back on the screen.

    Or maybe somebody should come up with an original idea for a change? I’m sure there are tons of people who could churn out a robot script in a couple of weeks, especially if Transformers sets the bar for quality.

  22. Yes, make the lion Voltron and not the car Voltron – god that series was dumb. The lion one kicks ass. I hope they write an intelligent script for this and get as much details as possible.

  23. Hey Andrew,

    There’s nothing “wrong” with the Toby Robotech news. I just suggested that for the sake of picking which one you want to see next, pretened that they haven’t already announced they’re developing a Robotech movie.

  24. Hey John,

    What’s so bad about Tobey Maguire getting Robotech? Is it because you didn’t like Spiderman 3, or do you not think Tobey Maguire is right for Robotech?

  25. Voltron and Robotech are my two favs. I loved them as a kid, and recently am getting into the collecting as well (there’s an awesome Voltron kit out there!). I can definitely see two things happening with these animated shows making out into the mainstream movie mix:

    1) It’ll happen for sure, for at least two of the four mentioned, because (and I’m quoting my father here) “monkey see, monkey do”. And, as you’ve stated, Transformers did amazingly well at the movies, and they’re selling like gangbusters on the dvd and games, not to mention the myriad of toys that are out;

    2) Someone will f*ck up sooner or later, and spoil it for the rest. Transformers 2.0 (haha) will be made and will most definitely be better than the first, but something tells me that depending on who makes any new iterations of these classic 80’s cartoons into a non-animated movie, will cheap the hell out, and cut corners on acting, storyline, and CGI and totally ruin the experience for the film fan, all to sell a few toys to kids (or make the kids guilt the hell out of the parents).

    Oh, and John…
    Resources, not recourses. The first one is what we live on, the second it was we live by… Lol.

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