Tranformers

Review by Loc

The Transformers mythos has been 20 years in the making. In 1984, Hasbro released a toy-line of transforming robots, cars and planes that changed into warrior robots. The toys were actually a mash-up of Japanese imports, designs taken from a variety of toy-lines and thrown together with children’s storyline to connect the characters together. That year, the Transformers daily cartoon debuted, introducing a generation of kids to Optimus Prime, Megatron, the robot world of Cybertron, and all things Autobot and Decepticon. Sure, it sounds funny now, but for kids, those characters burned an imprint that would last over two decades. And now, we get Michael Bay’s live-action, silver screen version. Quick hit: more entertaining than ever expected.

After the initial toys faded out in the early nineties, newer iterations eventually emerged. A great CGI version called Beast Wars reintroduced the brand and added a whole new dimension to the Transformers mythos. As that series faded, new Japanese series were released. Aimed squarely for a children’s audience, the character designs began paying homage to the originals, but storylines remained fluffy and simple. This didn’t sit great with older fans, but at least the brand was back.

And now, Michael Bay takes the reigns of one of the most beloved toy properties in the last 50 years. With that, fears and trepidation sunk in for the long-time fans. Bay directorial prowess peaked with The Rock, a fun-filled, mindless action-romp. After that, flicks like Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, and Bad Boys 2 left no doubt: Bay liked to create big explosions and little story. But, removing all the fanboy, 80’s kid bias, the question is simple: can Bay make an entertaining Tranformers film?

Somewhat surprisingly, the answer is sorta. Transformers offers a summer popcorn flick, there’s some decent action, some cool visuals, mixed in with pretty good comedy and teenage hormonal love. For what it is, Transformers is perfectly watchable, which is a big step up from something like Pearl Harbor.

One piece of simple advice, for long-time fans, it’s time to let go of all the Transformers mythos. This is a new version, there is nothing related to the original incarnations except for several slight winks. A famous line here and there to keep the fanboys chuckling, which actually work very well. Most importantly, Bay kept Peter Cullen to voice Optimus Prime. Bay might have changed some important things, Bumblebee not being a VW bug, the trademark “electro-cruching” sound for transforming gone, Megatron’s origin wiped into something totally unrecognizable. However, Bay did the most important thing, he kept Prime’s voice, and instantly made this new Transformers movie a real Transformer experience.

As far as story goes, it’s simple and straightforward, almost to the point of annoying simplicity. But, it doesn’t overlook the story, pacing at a slow burn for the first hour. You only see bits of action from Decepticons, you’re only introduced to Bumblebee as a car, and Optimus doesn’t show up for nearly 45 minutes. If the story offered a little more depth as it progress, this film could have been even better. Yet, once we get to having all the robots introduced, things devolve a bit and you’re left with connect-the-dots plotlines and big-time action sequences.

Unfortunately, those action sequences aren’t the centerpiece moments they should be. With these life-size Transformers, the prospects of mass action on an epic level was there for the taking. Too bad no one took it. A lot of the action is painfully cluttered, the mass expanse of giant-sized robots lost in a twirl of tumbling close-ups that are quite unfulfilling. Couple that with the fact that there’s a limited number of robots, five to a side, makes their presence less grand. Lastly, instances of disappearing robots or cars not transforming during a huge battle sequence, makes you wonder if they needed a little more money to pay for more CGI. This was a missed opportunity, to make Transformers real and interacting with our own reality, lost to close-ups and run-of-the-mill explosions.

With a lot more time driving around as a caravan, Transformers takes the opportunity to appeal to the teenager demographic. Shia Labeouf, soon to be Indiana Jones 4 star, steps in as Sam Witwicky. Much like the original Spike character, Sam is a simple teen who ends up linked to Bumblebee. However, the film takes the opportunity to focus heavily on Sam’s introduction to the world of giant robots. That along with his teenage crush on Megan Fox, and their burgeoning relationship-through-times-of-crisis really become the focus of the movie. Which is a shame, because the flick is named Transformers, not A Love Triangle Between A Boy, His Car, and the Hot Chick.

There’s also a level of humor that is a bit unexpected. The historically stern Prime is a bit of an unintentional comedian in this film. He bumbles around, smashes up a front yard, quells his soldier’s desire to off annoying humans, all fun stuff for the kiddies. Does it betray the essential essence of the character? Sure, but like I said before, drop all those preconceived notions at the door.

Overall, Transformers is not a masterpiece, but it is a summer blockbuster. Seeing this movie is pure summer escapism, and it does a decent job at entertaining. There are several glaring plot-holes, and while expected in this type of film, they can be a bit jarring. Why would Optimus Prime try to evade helicopters by running around, wouldn’t it be easier to transform and roll out? And why would he just hang out under a bridge, completely disappearing from the scene, when Bumblebee is trying to save Shia only 50 feet away? It’s times like that you wonder if the writing was just bad, if the budget was running low, or a little of both. Out of 100 GMC product placements, Transformers rolls out with 65. It’s not a good flick, but it is a summer flick that delivers what you want on a hot summer day.