Transformers (2007) — I Bought A Car. Turned Out To Be An Alien Robot.
Written: Jul 08 '07 (Updated Aug 24 '07)
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Product Rating:
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| Bang For The Buck |
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Pros: Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime; Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox; special effects
Cons: Pacing felt slow in many places; a bit silly at times
The Bottom Line: Transformers definitely proved to be more than meets the eye, with great hidden surprises for diehard fans.
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| elvisdo's Full Review: Transformers |
Upon watching the release of Michael Bay’s live-action version of Transformers, I realized that there were going to people of many factions watching this movie. On one side there are the kids who are familiar with the later versions of the robots in disguise from shows like Transformers Armada and Transformers Energon, not to mention Transformers Beast Wars prior to those two (this would be my son). There is the group that has no clue whatsoever what the Transformers is all about (this would be my wife). And there are the die-hards who were there from the very beginning and have been waiting 21 years since the last Transformers movie hit the big screen (this would be me). To this group, there is only Transformers Generation One that started back in 1984. Least I forget, there are the Michael Bay haters as well.
So how was this take on a toy property going to fare on the big screen? The last time such a project took an undertaking was the live-action Masters of the Universe starring Dolph Lundgren as He-Man. Needless to say that wasn’t a box-office success. Would the 2007 version of Transformers follow suit? It all depends on your point-of view.
The Cybertronian Wars Make Its Way to Earth
The war between the Autobots and Decepticons has ravaged Cybertron for thousands of years finally leading to the planet’s destruction. In order to restore the planet, the Autobots, led by their leader Optimus Prime, hope to recover the Allspark, an immensely powerful device to recreate their planet Cybertron. The Decepticons, on the other hand, want it for pure power. However, the Allspark has been scattered throughout the universe. This quest to find it has taken thousands of years but finally it is rediscovered on a planet called Earth. Scattered, both Autobots and Decepticons each rush to recover it first, and need the help of a human teenage boy named Sam Witwicky, who holds the clue the its whereabouts. But the U.S. Government holds a deadly secret that no one has known for the past eighty years, a frozen, deactivated body of the evil Megatron, the leader of the brutal Decepticons. If he awakens, the Cybertronian Wars begin anew with life and death hanging in the balance.
Transformers has been a long, long time in the making. For years, there have been rumours of a live-action production but nothing ever panned out. The success of this popular toy franchise has led to many different endeavours, such as many animated series, comic books, video games, and other merchandising. In 1986, Transformers: The Movie hit the big screen to the delight of many fans, most notably boys from ages 10-13. I remember sitting in the movie theatre and watching everything unfold on the big screen. It was epic in terms of the scope and where it fit into the Transformers universe. Twenty-one years later, director Michael Bay, along with producers Tom DeSanto, Don Murphy and Lorenzo di Bonaventura, and executive producer Steven Spielberg, wanted to recreate that magic. For the most part, they have succeeded in doing so.
This is a Transformers movie that blends all incarnations together into one, cohesive unit, with the Generation One universe serving as the main driving force for familiarity. I knew going into the movie that the robot designs were going to be the hardest part in convincing the hardcore fans, and understandably so. For years, there has being a definitive image on how these robots are supposed to look, and it’s hard to just let that all go. If this movie was made 10 years ago, I think it would have had a worse reaction. But since Generation One, there has been countless versions of the Transformers that has aired since 1984. In a way, that has helped soften the blow to these redesigned robots.
Michael Bay also wanted the Transformers to look realistic in a real world setting. I’ve thought about the same concept for years. I wondered how big Optimus Prime would really look when transforming from a truck to a robot. How tall would he be? The same would hold true with others like Starscream. Here is a fighter jet that is bigger than any one car. Wouldn’t he be a giant of a robot next to all of them? It would be an interesting exercise to see how it would all work out.
I actually enjoyed the complexities of the design. Industrial Light & Magic did an incredible job of portraying these robots in a very convincing manner. I know there are those who say that these robots look nothing like the ones from the cartoon. Keep in mind that the cartoon characters were streamlined to making it easier for the animators to draw. If anything, Bay’s versions remind me more of the illustrations that were also seen on the toy packaging depicting the individual characters. To me, that was the most realistic portrayal, and I’m sure Bay used that for inspiration.
However, I do have a problem with telling all these robots apart, especially during the battle scenes. Since most of them were coloured in the same metallic silver, it became extremely difficult to distinguish one from another. Some like Optimus Prime and Bumblebee have their trademark colours, which is easily recognizable from a glance. Others like Megatron and Starscream looked extremely similar to one another making it a lot more difficult, and quite confusing, to discern. Maybe I’m just getting too old for all of this.
But how does the human element play into all of this? With such a sci-fi feel, the humans help keep the story quite grounded. Shia LaBeouf has the distinct honour of playing Sam Witwicky, the human who befriends the Autobots. There is a reason why the Autobots choose to protect him as he holds the key to the Allspark. LaBeouf does a great job in is role, especially with his comedic timing. Megan Fox plays Mikaela Banes, Sam’s love interest. I’m just glad she doesn’t take a back seat and relegated to the damsel-in-distress role. She also may be running neck-in-neck against the robots for the role of eye candy. Other actors rounding out the human contingent are Jon Voight, John Turturro, Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson.
However, the stars of the movies are definitely the robots, but who was going to voice them? Fans were clamouring for the old voice actors from the cartoon series for the movie roles. Bay wasn’t too convinced about that idea, but conceded to one… Peter Cullen. To the outside world, the name has no meaning. To the Transformers fans, it means everything. The original voice of Optimus Prime from the animated series gets to reprise his role in this live-action movie. The casting of Prime really would have make or break this movie, and having Cullen on board serves not only as a bridge to the original cartoons but a message to the fans that the executives are listening to them. And this was the key to making it work. With Cullen as the voice of the autobot leader, there was a sense of comfort and familiarity that came along with it. All of a sudden, there was no need for any explanation to who this character was: he is Optimus Prime. Unfortunately, Bay didn’t feel the same way with Megatron. The incredibly talented Frank Welker, who has voiced many, many characters on television, didn’t get to rejoin Cullen. Bay felt that his voice felt too cartoonish for this project. Although it’s a shame that Welker didn’t get the part, at least Bay got someone of great stature to fill such a role, none other than King Elrond and Agent Smith himself… Hugo Weaving.
The movie is not without its flaws, though, and most of it comes from character development. I understand why there are only a handful of robots shown in this movie. If I were already overwhelmed with a few characters, having more than needed would have resulted in my system failure. But the ones that were showcased didn’t have much way of for character development, especially the Decepticons. There is an underlying assumption that people would know who they were and what their personalities would be like. In this case, Bay was catering more towards the fans.
I also wanted to see more of Cybertron, the Transformer’s homeworld. From the little that was featured, it reminded me of Coruscant from the Star Wars universe. But I guess some things need to be saved for the sequel.
The pacing was actually quite slow for my tastes. The climax at the end picked up the pace considerably but I felt it was dragging in the beginning. The whole part with the Autobots trying to look inconspicuous at the Witwicky house was just plain silly. It was evident that Bay was trying to play to younger crowd in the audience with these scenes. I wouldn’t have minded it as much if he didn’t draw it out for too long. I felt he could have edited this film down a bit more.
And I couldn’t believe the Easter Eggs that were thrown into the movie. Diehards will definitely pick on the little surprises peppered throughout. There were some nice homages to the 1986 Transformers: The Movie, with such lines from Optimus saying “One shall stand, one shall fall” or Sam cursing away like he did in the animated movie. There’s even a part when both Optimus and Megatron use their energy sword and mace. And who can forget the old VW bug next to Bumblebee at the used car lot in a nod to his original car form?
Bay’s signature is all over this movie. His propensity to blowing things up is ever present with all the destruction and mayhem shown. The bigger the explosion, the better in his mind. His movies are usually a hit or miss with me. In this case, I don’t think I would have really cared who directed it, as long as it was a job well done.
I knew coming into this movie that Transformers wasn’t exactly going to be what I remembered as a kid, and it shouldn’t. Just like Superman and Batman has evolved over time, so, too, should these robots in disguise. People think I’m a purist, and in many regards I can be, but I know when flexibility is needed in order to make things work. I’m not adverse to change as long as it makes sense and doesn’t disrespect the source material.
I just wished that the phrase "Bah Weep Grahna Weep Nini Bahn” made it in somewhere. Now that would have been the ultimate geek-out moment.
***Continuing the fun with my 2007 Canadiana Write Off. Where's the Canadian connection? Peter Cullen, the voice of Optimus Prime, was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Who knew Prime was a Quebecer?
Related Reviews
Transformers: The Movie (1986)
*** to Ms. Nocket, the score is tied at 3.
Recommended:
Yes
Movie Mood: Action Movie
Film Completeness: Looked complete to me.
Worst Part of this Film: Pacing
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Epinions.com ID:
elvisdo
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Member: Charles "The Grim One"
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Thank you to everybody who participated in both my write-offs. Until the next one!
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