Newb question: What is mass-shifting?

[devonnewberry]

I've read people complain about it, but never knew what it was. The conversations kept going assuming everyone knew what it was, and on the commentary with Michael on the DVD he talked a little bit about it, but it still isn't clear.

[Mech_1000]

A small object creates a big object, a big object creates a small object. Those are examples of Mass Shifting.

The All Spark does some mass shifting when it turns from a giant cube to something sam can hold.

[Universal Kalle]

Good examples of this are Soundwave and Megatron. In the original comic Megatron transformed into a tiny hand-held gun that could fit into the hand of a human (or another Decepticon) even if he were huge in robot-mode.
Soundwave (who wasn't in this film but will hopefully be in TF2) transformed from a huge robot into a human-sized casetteplayer.

[uraydo]

Mass-shifting is the idea that matter can be converted to energy and stored. this would, In theory cause an object to shrink. Also mass shifting allows for strorage of weapons and other components.


Mass shifting was a way for the comics to deal with all the goofy crap that happened in the cartoon.

[devonnewberry]

How come people complained about it?

[Universal Kalle]

I think the point was that a lot of old TF fans wanted it to stay like it was. Post-release there was a lot of fuss about that. But Bay and others thought it wouldn't fit a 21st century live-action movie and they cut out characters like Soundwave and turned Megatron from a gun to a interstellar starship thingie.
Overall it seems like most people agree with the decision after seeing the movie :D

[nelson]

I've read people complain about it, but never knew what it was. The conversations kept going assuming everyone knew what it was, and on the commentary with Michael on the DVD he talked a little bit about it, but it still isn't clear.

A small gun turning into a 50 foot robot. Or a boom box transforming into a 40 foot robot.