LuckyWillTRANSFORMERS - ROLL OUT
September 17th 2008 05:12
In other words, it’s a good movie. Needless to say I loved transformers and with the 2nd instalment due for release in June next year, its time for everyone to get onboard the band wagon. Now in future blogs I will be posting updates on the progress of Transformers 2 so to get you all as excited as I am, here’s what you’ve missed so far.
They are a race of gigantic beings, of Robots in Disguise; once trapped in the realm of the 2nd dimension, they have shed their animated attributes to return in 3D. Chills ran down my spine as the shiny transformers emblem spiralled through space and the booming voice of Optimus Prime echoed throughout the room. This was the moment fans had been waiting 20 years for. The Transformers were back!
For the uninitiated to the Transformers phenomenon, here it is in a nutshell. They evolved from Japanese, cybernetic action figures into transforming robots from the 70’s until Hasbro took over and officially gave them the name Transformers. Since then there have been comic books, cartoons and a host of other products devoted to them but only one film made back in 1987…until now.
It took two of the best minds in Hollywood to bring Transformers, the movie, to life. In the directors chair sits Michael Bay; renowned for his brilliant action sequences and fondness for explosions as seen in Bad Boys, and Armageddon. If there’s one thing he loves, its destroying things. His producer, Steven Spielberg, is a man so adept at his art form that his Midas Touch can turn any script into a masterpiece. With such a powerhouse behind it, the success of this film was inevitable.
The film’s suspense is almost immediate, thanks to a clever marketing campaign. Circulating movie trailers had shown flickering, painfully indistinct images of a heli-transformer, Blackout, destroying a military base in Qatar. When the movie begins, the first thing we see is the ominous shadow of a Blackhawk helicopter silently gliding through the desert, like in Jaws, another Spielberg film, when ominous music plays as a the gigantic shark closes in on its prey. We know something’s coming. The military base tries to contact the chopper but surprise, surprise, it doesn’t respond. The chopper lands amidst a ring of armed soldiers and receives the command, “Pilot shut off the engine and exit the aircraft or we will kill you.” Big mistake. There’s an eerie silence, only the whirring blades of the chopper can be heard. Then suddenly the pilots face flickers, the blades stop, fold back and BOOM! The action begins.
Despite the drawcard being the giant robots, the main character is actually human. Actor Shia Labeouf, plays Sam Witwicky, a jittering 11th grade geek that has barely attained the ability to communicate with the opposite sex when he finds himself thrust into the frontlines of an intergalactic war. Apparently his great grandfather, whilst exploring the Arctic 100 years ago, accidentally uncovered the frozen leader of a deadly race of machines called Decepticons. Megatron, as he is known, had come to Earth in search of a powerful cube, the Allspark, that could potentially destroy the world by turning every piece of technology into a killing machine. Meanwhile another race, the Autobots, are out to prevent that plan from coming to fruition, saving humanity in the process and possibly even the universe. Their scout, BumbleBee, is secretly hiding on Earth as Sam’s car, unbeknownst to him. Eventually BumbleBee’s true identity is revealed and Sam joins the Autobots in their quest against the Decepticons.
Labeouf, as always, displays some fantastic acting, especially considering most of his co-stars are CGI. He tackles major battle scenes, awkward romantic endeavours and embarrassing family discussions with a frenetic teenage awkwardness that carries the film. The family environment created by Labeouf (Sam), Kevin Dunn (the father), and Julie White (the mother) feels so natural that, as an audience member, empathy comes easily and it’s hard not to laugh when saving the world is put on hold for an innocently intrusive mother to question Sam’s sex life. There are a lot of comic moments, like this, in the film that take you by surprise and give a break from the action.
But don’t worry, there’s plenty of that too; especially the final war between the Decepticons and… pretty much everyone else. The detail and fluidity of the transformations and movement was surprisingly realistic. When Optimus Prime first transforms, the camera pans around him as his grill lifts off; axle separates; chest plates open and the head emerges. Meanwhile an array of little details begin sliding into place, defining his face and limbs. The accompanying musical score is also worthy of mention as it adds a great sense of occasion and grandeur to the moment. I have to mention a particular scene in which Barricade, the evil police car, is running along, jumps through the air and has transformed by the time he hits the ground, accelerator flat to the floor. I have seen a lot of films but none that make something as unnatural as that look perfectly believable. Technology has reached a very exciting stage in its development where it’s nearly impossible to spot the special effects.
For the keen eye there are a host of subtle references scattered throughout the film as to its rich history. For example, Frenzy, that tiny shape-shifting robot from the recent film, is actually reminiscent of an old toy line called ‘Micro-change.’ These toys preceeded the transformer range as everyday items capable of “transforming” into robots to assist their allies. Frenzy may not be able to drive or fly but it does a mean impression of a portable radio and it’s intricate design and human-like mannerisms make it the most interesting and entertaining of the transformers to watch. In one scene the lanky bot actually strolls casually through a crowd of police, whistling innocently as if nothing odd were taking place.
The film also makes reference to the original smart car; the lovable VW, Herbie. Airing in 1968, ‘The Love Bug’ was a film about a car with a mind of its own. It starred Dean Jones as a hopeless race car driver who was followed home one day by a car he’d seen at a car yard. For Sam Witwicky, his old Camaro, BumbleBee, is strikingly similar and pulls all the same moves that Herbie did. At one point in the film it breaks down just as Sam is passing a particularly romantic spot leaving him alone with his gorgeous friend Mikaela. Worse yet, the song “Sexual Healing” just happens to suddenly begin blaring on the radio despite Sam’s best efforts to stop it. He too meets his car at a yard and is told by the salesman “the car picks the driver.” Pay attention to this scene and you may just notice a little VW is parked right beside Sam’s future car. Coincidence? I think not.
Other notable actors in the film are John Voight who plays the uptight defence secretary; a similar role to what he played in ‘Pearl Harbour,’ another of Michael Bay’s films. Hugo Weaving doesn’t have to step too far from his most notable role as Agent Smith (Matrix), to become the devilish Megatron. Despite being clouded by digital synthesisers, his language is very familiar. Finally Peter Cullen reprises his role as the voice of Optimus Prime. In fact, he is the only voice to carry over from the original animated film. Between gigs, Cullen has been best known for his work as the voice of Eeyore in Disney’s ‘Winnie the Pooh’, a far cry from a walking, robotic truck.
At the end of the film, Prime faces off against Megatron in an unofficial rematch to their battle in the 1987 animated film, declaring “At the end of this day, one shall stand, one shall fall.” These were his famous last words before a heroic death in that movie, lending a touch of nostalgia to the script. Can the great Optimus Prime transform his destiny?
I could go on forever about this film, and it may seem like I already have. The film is now available on DVD everywhere so there are no excuses for missing it. Stay tuned for updates on the approaching sequel because in 3D it could be something quite extraordinary.
For optimum enjoyment, start watching early; find the biggest TV you can; turn off the lights and crank up the sound. This is one film you will want to watch over and over and over…
BY WILL
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