In just about 2 1/2 months time, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen will open in theaters around the world … which means that it is just about time that we get to check out a few new promo pics from the upcoming Summer blockbuster. So as to try and not spoil too much from the film this early before its release, I’ll keep the pics of the actual transformers behind the cut … but here are photos of stars Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox and more on the set of the film which was shot last year:

This time around, many of the same Transformers robots will be back for more action … but we will also get a new batch of Transformers characters thrown into the mix. After the jump, check out a few new photos of some of the Transformers that will be featured in the movie and see a full list of characters that will appear in the upcoming sequel — some of the Transformers in the film will come as a surprise, I think …

It’s always the quiet ones you need to fear. Ninjas. Serial killers. Boba Fett. Gastrointestinal functions. In Transformers lore, the mechanical jaguar Ravage has been a villain favorite since the 1980s for his stealthy tactics and deadly force. Ever since a four-legged mechanical beast prowled through the trailer for summer’s sequel, Revenge of The Fallen, fans have been awaiting more word about the feline-ish Decepticon. As more robots in the June 24 movie are revealed, Ravage comes into focus. “In the spirit of ‘more than meets the eye,’ Ravage isn’t just lethal because of his sharp teeth,” says screenwriter Alex Kurtzman. “There’s actually another skill set Ravage has that didn’t exist before, so there’s going to be a surprise for fans.” This version of the cat already looks far different from the original, with a single glowing red eye and a swinging, mace-like tail, but his role will be similar to the 1980s cartoon and Hasbro toy — the ultimate spy. Ravage often was dispatched to monitor the heroic Autobots and their human allies, reporting back to the Decepticons by transforming into a cassette tape and replaying his recordings through the larger robot master Soundwave, who switched into a Walkman-sized tape deck. (How a giant robot became a small piece of sound equipment was a comical hole in logic never fully explained.) The cassette tape transformation is gone, of course; Ravage doesn’t turn into anything. But Soundwave will appear, again serving as an evil communications expert but this time in the form of an orbiting space satellite. “They are still connected,” fellow screenwriter Roberto Orci says of Soundwave and his pet. “But rather than trying to hold onto a notion as antiquated as an audiotape, which some members of our audience have maybe never laid eyes on, we wanted to go a new way.” And Ravage, as before, won’t speak like the other Transformers. “We wanted to stay true to the idea that Decepticons who take visual clues from beasts maintain that,” says Orci. “It would be strange to have a talking jaguar, or a scorpion with an English accent.” Filmmaker Michael Bay has ensured that Ravage has lots of company, including many redesigned favorite robots from the original 1980s incarnation, in the new film. “We have big guys, some little guys. We have a lot of littler ones, too. Little weirder ones,” Bay says. Like the Insecticons, which were giant bugs in the original series and Hasbro toy line, but are now tiny creepy-crawly infiltrators.

While I don’t mind the character changes that have been made for the big screen live action adaptation (especially for the characters that used to transform into cassettes), I do miss the simplicity of the original incarnations of the characters. These new Transformers are cool but they do not have the nostalgic spark of the originals. That said, I love it all … change can be good and these changes are necessary for a new era of the saga. Here is a list of the Transformers characters that will be featured in the film:

AUTOBOTS

Noticeably absent from the list is the Decepticon leader, Megatron, who was killed at the end of the previous movie and last seen being dumped in the ocean. Michael Bay denied that Megatron is in the movie, but actor Hugo Weaving said in an interview that he had recorded dialogue for the part. We’ll see if and how he returns when “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” opens on June 24th.

Um, Megatron ain’t dead … Megatron cannot be dead. The end. I am excited about this list of characters … Devastator is a very popular character and I’m totally geeked that he is featured in this sequel. Much like Jolt was originally a Decepticon that has turned into an Autobot for this movie, Wheelie was originally an Autobot who has been turned into a Decepticon for this movie. All these changes are interesting but, again, I still have a special place in my heart for the original incarnations of these characters. I think Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is the movie I’m most looking forward to seeing this Summer. I can’t wait!!

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