Post by Quorthon on Jul 4, 2007 16:18:33 GMT -5
Transformers
Science Fiction/Action
2007
Color
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Directed by: Michael Bay
USA
There are a lot of nerds out there. Star Trek nerds, Star Wars nerds, Godzilla nerds, Anime nerds, Transformers nerds, etc. Well, I’m the last one. A Transformers nerd. I loved it when I was a kid, I loved it all over again as an adult when Beast Wars aired, and I’ve been a Transnerd ever since. But Transformers has been through its highs and lows over the years. Cheap, overly-simple toys at times. Shows that purge the depths creating new lows in animation and writing (I’m looking at YOU Transformers: Armada!). And then there was word that every Transformers fans’ wet dream was coming true: A live action movie. I couldn’t wait.
But! I’m a movie fan. I’m a gamer and I listen to underground Metal. I’ve been witness to a lot of video game-based trite, plundered of the very heart and soul of the franchise (like Resident Evil) and handed over to some of the worst director’s the film world has to offer. In many cases, comic book fans have suffered the same fate. But for them, at least, things started looking up when X-Men and Spider-Man set new standards for comic book superhero movies.
Transformers, however, has fans and a following similar to that of gamers. We are some hardcore nerds. We’re picky as hell about every little detail of our beloved franchise. I know enough about Hollywood to know that they are excellent at brutalizing long-loved cult franchises and favorites. Hollywood knows about as much about the world of nerds and geeks as it does about underground music, video games, and how to make a good horror movie. In case you didn’t get it, I’m saying Hollywood sucks at understanding things that have long been held alive by cult fandom alone.
That said, for as much as I wanted a live-action Transformers movie, I dreaded what Hollywood would do to the poor thing. The way hardcore Trekkies have that loathing for Brannon Braga because he’s “just ruining what Gene Roddenberry created.” Trust me, a lot of those people are livid with the way that guy’s been running things.
Anyway, my film finally came along. And I was crazy with anticipation for it. I bought four of the toys before the film was even released. I feared the worst, and hoped for the best. And thank the matrix (TF nerd reference), the movie didn’t let me down.
Transformers, the 2007 movie, is essentially the story of the Autobots and Decepticons as their war gets spread to Earth. They’re searching for the Allspark, which grants life to Transformers. And of course, humans get mixed up in the fiasco. The movie, as a whole, is a brief retelling of the original pilot (3-part) of the original Transformers TV series, with Hollywood’s generous remixes to the plot. Almost none of which I’ll point out here.
Here’s the breakdown:
The Good:
--With Spielberg “Executive Producing,” we all know the film is going to get the very best in one area: Special Effects. The effects are brilliant. It’s actually difficult to tell the animated robots from the physical props.
--The acting is generally pretty good. Star human, Shia LeBeouf, does a decent job, though has some duds for dialog here and there.
--None of the Transformers are relegated to comic-relief characters. The closest was Frenzy (a little wirey guy associated with police car Barricade, originally associated with Soundwave, who is absent in the film).
--Excellent action scenes that keep attention throughout.
--That classic Transformers “transforming” sound makes an appearance, but is a little underused.
--The Transformers look pretty cool, although, only Optimus Prime stays really true to his original forms. Through almost all Transformers stories, he is a semi (or large truck like a fire engine) colored red, blue, and white or silver. His is easily the most recognizable character, and the most true to his classic design.
--Any cliché moments with the human characters are kept to a minimum.
--The funny parts are typically not stupid. They don’t turn the film into a comedy.
--Tyrese Gibson doesn’t ruin the film, and neither does Bernie Mac. Bernie Mac was played for laughs and he had a bit part that wasn’t invasive to the film. Tyrese Gibson was a supporting player and didn’t get in the way of the film. To see an example of a minority character practically ruining a film, look at the remake of “13 Ghosts” or “The Fifth Element.” There are a lot of writers in Hollywood that can’t seem to write minorities as characters beyond “tough angry bad-ass” or “comic-relief goon.” Even worse when said minority is a rapper or some hip-hop "artist."
--Dialog and moments that are throw-backs to the original 1986 animated film which starred, of all people, Leonard Nimoy, Judd Nelson, Robert Stack, and Orson Welles.
--Optimus Prime voiced by Peter Cullen—who voiced Optimus back in the day.
--The movie is huge, and has a lot going on.
--There is no blood, guts, or gore. But there is plenty of action-violence going on. A lot of guns and missiles firing. No more than the average Saturday-morning run of cartoons. Some images of Transformers being killed looks pretty cool.
--Bumblebee communicates by reciting recorded audio from radio broadcasts. (His voice has problems.) Typically, this is pretty cheesy, and really was in an old 80’s flick called “The Explorers” where it was used as a plot device of pure annoyance. Yes, aliens will likely learn our language from our broadcasts, so it’s to be expected in some of these kinds of stories. It wasn’t annoying here. In fact, it’s actually a throw-back to the 1986 film: Wreck-Gar and the Junkions in the original film all speak using Earth-based audio. It’s much cheesier in that film.
--The story is good, and not a wild variance from the world of Transformers. It’s explained in a way that the average mainstream movie-goer shouldn’t have a problem with it. For me, it was weird seeing my geekdom brandished across the big screen. I couldn’t help but wonder how many people in the theater had never before heard words like “allspark,” or “Cybertron.”
Didn’t Hurt It, Didn’t Help:
--A lot of the action is awfully close to the camera. A few more long shots to show off the Transformers models would’ve been great.
--Bumblebee is a Camaro. [EDIT] Apparently, as the story goes, this is Volkswagen's fault. They wouldn't allow the use of the VW Bug, which then explains Bumblebee's slamming against an old VW Bug in the film as kind of a jab against the company. So this would then seem to not be the fault of the filmmakers.
--While the Transformers look really good, and animate really well, their faces look quite bizarre. Almost like some of them were “over-designed” to make them look more “machine-like.”
--Occasional dialog and humorous moments that are a bit obnoxious, or dumb.
--Many of the more popular characters that return are not voiced by their traditional voice actors. I’m sure they wanted a “meaner” sounding Megatron and Starscream, but their original voices were the best.
--Better-than-expected music. Not perfect, but not bad.
--I understand that, in order to make this a mainstream success, they had to have some heavy emphasis on the human characters. But for my tastes, I would’ve much preferred to get to know the Transformers a little more. As any TF fan would. For us, it’s never about the friggin’ puny little humans (just like Megatron!), it’s about the Transformers.
--Sam Witwicky (LeBeouf) is never referred to as “Spike,” which was his name in the old series.
--The only sexuality in the film is relegated to some dialog.
--Light swearing/foul language.
The Bad:
--Starscream is woefully underused in the film. This is one of my favorite characters in the TF universe, and we get almost no time with him.
--Megatron and Starscream have a very rocky relationship with one another, this wasn’t touched upon, and for that matter, we hardly get to know any of the Decepticons. They’re a little one-dimensional, which is very unfortunate. Megatron, in the wide world of Transformers, is a complex, cold, calculating character—and far from one-dimensional.
--A little too light on the character development for many of the Transformers. We don’t even get to know a couple of them (like Bonecrusher).
--The new "Transformers Theme" song is pretty crappy. It also mixes Industrial/Electronica with some Rapping. I heard it online, and not once in the movie. The original song is much better, especially the (slightly cheesy) Metal version from the '86 film (by long-dead band Lion).
The Ugly:
--Several classic characters are no where to be seen. Soundwave, Shockwave, Hot Rod (often known as Rodimus these days because Hasbro lost the rights to the name “Hot Rod”), Grimlock or the other Dinobots (who are good guys for those of you who don’t know), the Constructicons and Insecticons (who are both bad guys).
An Oddity:
--In the film, the character “Devastator” is named “Decepticon Brawl” in toy form. Devastator was originally a giant robot assembled by six smaller ones. He was originally formed from the Constructicons.
A Note About the Toys:
--They’re detailed, complex, and articulated. Some of the best Hasbro has made to date. They’re even accurate to their on-screen counterparts.
--Jazz and Ratchet are called “Autobot Jazz” and “Autobot Ratchet.” In case you were wondering, this is because Hasbro apparently lost the rights to the much simpler forms of the names, “Jazz” and “Ratchet.”
Memorable Scene:
--Bumblebee vs. Barricade, which is also great because it’s Chevy vs. Ford. Camaro vs. Mustang.
--The opening sequence when Blackout makes his presence known.
Acting: 8/10
Story: 9/10
Atmosphere: 8/10
Cinematography: 9/10
Character Development: 6/10
Special Effects/Make-up: 10/10
Nudity/Sexuality: 1/10 (just some dialog)
Violence/Gore: 8/10
Sets/Backgrounds: 9/10
Dialogue: 7/10
Music: 7/10
Writing: 8/10
Direction: 8/10
Cheesiness: 2/10
Crappiness: 0/10
Overall: 8/10
Despite some of the problems with the film, it is a long way from being a disappointment. In fact, I was very happy with it, hardcore nerd that I am. It has had some changes in order to make it accessible to mainstream audiences (and because Hollywood can’t do something without tampering here and there). Highly recommended, especially to Transformers fans, Science Fiction nuts, and general geeks. Hollywood didn’t screw it up. In fact, it made me really want to watch the original show, which I have on DVD.
Science Fiction/Action
2007
Color
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Directed by: Michael Bay
USA
There are a lot of nerds out there. Star Trek nerds, Star Wars nerds, Godzilla nerds, Anime nerds, Transformers nerds, etc. Well, I’m the last one. A Transformers nerd. I loved it when I was a kid, I loved it all over again as an adult when Beast Wars aired, and I’ve been a Transnerd ever since. But Transformers has been through its highs and lows over the years. Cheap, overly-simple toys at times. Shows that purge the depths creating new lows in animation and writing (I’m looking at YOU Transformers: Armada!). And then there was word that every Transformers fans’ wet dream was coming true: A live action movie. I couldn’t wait.
But! I’m a movie fan. I’m a gamer and I listen to underground Metal. I’ve been witness to a lot of video game-based trite, plundered of the very heart and soul of the franchise (like Resident Evil) and handed over to some of the worst director’s the film world has to offer. In many cases, comic book fans have suffered the same fate. But for them, at least, things started looking up when X-Men and Spider-Man set new standards for comic book superhero movies.
Transformers, however, has fans and a following similar to that of gamers. We are some hardcore nerds. We’re picky as hell about every little detail of our beloved franchise. I know enough about Hollywood to know that they are excellent at brutalizing long-loved cult franchises and favorites. Hollywood knows about as much about the world of nerds and geeks as it does about underground music, video games, and how to make a good horror movie. In case you didn’t get it, I’m saying Hollywood sucks at understanding things that have long been held alive by cult fandom alone.
That said, for as much as I wanted a live-action Transformers movie, I dreaded what Hollywood would do to the poor thing. The way hardcore Trekkies have that loathing for Brannon Braga because he’s “just ruining what Gene Roddenberry created.” Trust me, a lot of those people are livid with the way that guy’s been running things.
Anyway, my film finally came along. And I was crazy with anticipation for it. I bought four of the toys before the film was even released. I feared the worst, and hoped for the best. And thank the matrix (TF nerd reference), the movie didn’t let me down.
Transformers, the 2007 movie, is essentially the story of the Autobots and Decepticons as their war gets spread to Earth. They’re searching for the Allspark, which grants life to Transformers. And of course, humans get mixed up in the fiasco. The movie, as a whole, is a brief retelling of the original pilot (3-part) of the original Transformers TV series, with Hollywood’s generous remixes to the plot. Almost none of which I’ll point out here.
Here’s the breakdown:
The Good:
--With Spielberg “Executive Producing,” we all know the film is going to get the very best in one area: Special Effects. The effects are brilliant. It’s actually difficult to tell the animated robots from the physical props.
--The acting is generally pretty good. Star human, Shia LeBeouf, does a decent job, though has some duds for dialog here and there.
--None of the Transformers are relegated to comic-relief characters. The closest was Frenzy (a little wirey guy associated with police car Barricade, originally associated with Soundwave, who is absent in the film).
--Excellent action scenes that keep attention throughout.
--That classic Transformers “transforming” sound makes an appearance, but is a little underused.
--The Transformers look pretty cool, although, only Optimus Prime stays really true to his original forms. Through almost all Transformers stories, he is a semi (or large truck like a fire engine) colored red, blue, and white or silver. His is easily the most recognizable character, and the most true to his classic design.
--Any cliché moments with the human characters are kept to a minimum.
--The funny parts are typically not stupid. They don’t turn the film into a comedy.
--Tyrese Gibson doesn’t ruin the film, and neither does Bernie Mac. Bernie Mac was played for laughs and he had a bit part that wasn’t invasive to the film. Tyrese Gibson was a supporting player and didn’t get in the way of the film. To see an example of a minority character practically ruining a film, look at the remake of “13 Ghosts” or “The Fifth Element.” There are a lot of writers in Hollywood that can’t seem to write minorities as characters beyond “tough angry bad-ass” or “comic-relief goon.” Even worse when said minority is a rapper or some hip-hop "artist."
--Dialog and moments that are throw-backs to the original 1986 animated film which starred, of all people, Leonard Nimoy, Judd Nelson, Robert Stack, and Orson Welles.
--Optimus Prime voiced by Peter Cullen—who voiced Optimus back in the day.
--The movie is huge, and has a lot going on.
--There is no blood, guts, or gore. But there is plenty of action-violence going on. A lot of guns and missiles firing. No more than the average Saturday-morning run of cartoons. Some images of Transformers being killed looks pretty cool.
--Bumblebee communicates by reciting recorded audio from radio broadcasts. (His voice has problems.) Typically, this is pretty cheesy, and really was in an old 80’s flick called “The Explorers” where it was used as a plot device of pure annoyance. Yes, aliens will likely learn our language from our broadcasts, so it’s to be expected in some of these kinds of stories. It wasn’t annoying here. In fact, it’s actually a throw-back to the 1986 film: Wreck-Gar and the Junkions in the original film all speak using Earth-based audio. It’s much cheesier in that film.
--The story is good, and not a wild variance from the world of Transformers. It’s explained in a way that the average mainstream movie-goer shouldn’t have a problem with it. For me, it was weird seeing my geekdom brandished across the big screen. I couldn’t help but wonder how many people in the theater had never before heard words like “allspark,” or “Cybertron.”
Didn’t Hurt It, Didn’t Help:
--A lot of the action is awfully close to the camera. A few more long shots to show off the Transformers models would’ve been great.
--Bumblebee is a Camaro. [EDIT] Apparently, as the story goes, this is Volkswagen's fault. They wouldn't allow the use of the VW Bug, which then explains Bumblebee's slamming against an old VW Bug in the film as kind of a jab against the company. So this would then seem to not be the fault of the filmmakers.
--While the Transformers look really good, and animate really well, their faces look quite bizarre. Almost like some of them were “over-designed” to make them look more “machine-like.”
--Occasional dialog and humorous moments that are a bit obnoxious, or dumb.
--Many of the more popular characters that return are not voiced by their traditional voice actors. I’m sure they wanted a “meaner” sounding Megatron and Starscream, but their original voices were the best.
--Better-than-expected music. Not perfect, but not bad.
--I understand that, in order to make this a mainstream success, they had to have some heavy emphasis on the human characters. But for my tastes, I would’ve much preferred to get to know the Transformers a little more. As any TF fan would. For us, it’s never about the friggin’ puny little humans (just like Megatron!), it’s about the Transformers.
--Sam Witwicky (LeBeouf) is never referred to as “Spike,” which was his name in the old series.
--The only sexuality in the film is relegated to some dialog.
--Light swearing/foul language.
The Bad:
--Starscream is woefully underused in the film. This is one of my favorite characters in the TF universe, and we get almost no time with him.
--Megatron and Starscream have a very rocky relationship with one another, this wasn’t touched upon, and for that matter, we hardly get to know any of the Decepticons. They’re a little one-dimensional, which is very unfortunate. Megatron, in the wide world of Transformers, is a complex, cold, calculating character—and far from one-dimensional.
--A little too light on the character development for many of the Transformers. We don’t even get to know a couple of them (like Bonecrusher).
--The new "Transformers Theme" song is pretty crappy. It also mixes Industrial/Electronica with some Rapping. I heard it online, and not once in the movie. The original song is much better, especially the (slightly cheesy) Metal version from the '86 film (by long-dead band Lion).
The Ugly:
--Several classic characters are no where to be seen. Soundwave, Shockwave, Hot Rod (often known as Rodimus these days because Hasbro lost the rights to the name “Hot Rod”), Grimlock or the other Dinobots (who are good guys for those of you who don’t know), the Constructicons and Insecticons (who are both bad guys).
An Oddity:
--In the film, the character “Devastator” is named “Decepticon Brawl” in toy form. Devastator was originally a giant robot assembled by six smaller ones. He was originally formed from the Constructicons.
A Note About the Toys:
--They’re detailed, complex, and articulated. Some of the best Hasbro has made to date. They’re even accurate to their on-screen counterparts.
--Jazz and Ratchet are called “Autobot Jazz” and “Autobot Ratchet.” In case you were wondering, this is because Hasbro apparently lost the rights to the much simpler forms of the names, “Jazz” and “Ratchet.”
Memorable Scene:
--Bumblebee vs. Barricade, which is also great because it’s Chevy vs. Ford. Camaro vs. Mustang.
--The opening sequence when Blackout makes his presence known.
Acting: 8/10
Story: 9/10
Atmosphere: 8/10
Cinematography: 9/10
Character Development: 6/10
Special Effects/Make-up: 10/10
Nudity/Sexuality: 1/10 (just some dialog)
Violence/Gore: 8/10
Sets/Backgrounds: 9/10
Dialogue: 7/10
Music: 7/10
Writing: 8/10
Direction: 8/10
Cheesiness: 2/10
Crappiness: 0/10
Overall: 8/10
Despite some of the problems with the film, it is a long way from being a disappointment. In fact, I was very happy with it, hardcore nerd that I am. It has had some changes in order to make it accessible to mainstream audiences (and because Hollywood can’t do something without tampering here and there). Highly recommended, especially to Transformers fans, Science Fiction nuts, and general geeks. Hollywood didn’t screw it up. In fact, it made me really want to watch the original show, which I have on DVD.
