DAILY FILM DOSE: A Daily Film Appreciation and Review Blog: TRANSFORMERS

Thursday 5 July 2007

TRANSFORMERS


Transformers (2007) dir. Michael Bay
Starring: Shia LeBeouf, Josh Duhamel, Megan Fox, Anthony Anderson, John Turturro, Jon Voight

***1/2

Michael Bay pulls out all the stops and brings “Transformers” to the screen like only he can. Michael Bay makes his kind of films, so if you don’t like ‘em you probably won’t like “Transformers”.

“Transformers” is brawny machismo filmmaking. Fast cars, hot chicks, buff dudes, hard rock music, slo-mo explosions, big guns, big helicopters, and fighter jets. And when you include transforming robots that just sweetens the concoction.

The story centers on Sam Whitwiky, nerdy loser who buys his first car – a beat up yellow Camaro. His attachment to the car grows when he discovers it has a life of its own. Meanwhile, the U.S. military have been attacked by a series of alien robots (Decepticons) in the Middle East. The Decepticons proceed to hack into the military database system in search of a mysterious cube which fell to Earth from their home planet Cybertron many years ago. Sam discovers his car is actually one of a race of friendly robots (Autobots) who have come to protect Sam, who holds the key to finding the cube. A gigantic battle between the two sets of robots ensues to ensure the balance of peace on earth.

Taking a page from “War of the Worlds”, “Independence Day” and all other ‘aliens attack Earth films’, the suspense of the film derives from the reactions of the characters to the mystery surrounding the transformers. And even though we see our first robot transform in its full glory in the opening scene of the film, each time a new character sees something transform it’s like we’re seeing it for the first time as well. Bay embellishes these moments over and over again. But it never tires. The sight truly is awesome, due in large part to the seamless special effects of the robots.

Bay makes the CGI look so good because he puts them into real situations, real locations, real sets with real people. In the hands of someone like George Lucas who overuses the technology, the film could have quickly turned into an animated film. But we never feel as if we’re watching animated characters. The destruction is utterly real and knowing Michael Bay’s track record he probably destroyed a lot of property. When something explodes it’s a real explosion. As usual Bay never lets up and he takes great care to make every shot and every scene look good.

Though Bay is known for his action sequences, he also has his own brand of humour. And there’s nothing perfunctory about it either. “Transformers” is not ashamed to mock itself and its characters. Bay actually crafts some very witty and entertaining exchanges of dialogue. Sam’s parents steal their scenes from the robots when they barge into Sam’s bedroom. The quick dialogue is fun and razor sharp, and seems inspired by the madcapness of the Marx Brothers. Anthony Anderson is well cast as Glen Whitman, the nerdy hacker. The banter with Glen and his cousin whom we first see playing Dance Dance Revolution in his bedroom is hilarious. The moment is minute in the grand scheme of the film, but this attention to the detail elevates “Transformers” beyond just another action film.

As far as the story goes, it’s paper thin and unnecessarily so. There’s the obvious maguffin, in the form of the ‘energy cube’, and there’s more than enough speeches and voiceovered exposition that explain the backstory. I can’t let Bay off the hook on this one. If the attention to detail I just wrote about was taken to the plot, the film could have been even better.

Another fault is about the robot characters themselves. Though they are intricately designed, they lack any kind of character behind the metal. Bumblebee is the most interesting because of his attachment to Sam, but he rarely speaks due to a malfunction with his voice software program or something like that. Optimus Prime is a heroic and noble leader, but it’s because we are told that. Other than his speeches his nobility isn’t reflected in his actions. And aside from one line by Megatron to Starscream about their leadership quarrels, the Decepticons are non-existent as characters. I suspect these characters will be fleshed out in future sequels, so I guess we’ll have to wait.

The screening I attended on opening day was filled with a full house of 12-20 year-olds anxious and primed to enjoy the film. As a result the viewing experience was enhanced with audience participation. On three separate occasions there was loud thunderous applause in the middle of the film. Aside from maybe “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace” I can’t recall a screening in the last 10 years with more enthusiasm. So do yourself a favour, see the film soon, with an audience, in the theatre, you won’t be disappointed. Enjoy.


1 comment :

Anonymous said...

Great special effects. Screenplay written by teenage shut-ins for a teenage audience. Poor acting by the principals. Megan Fox is a babe and she is a horrible actress, not in the least believable. Some good laughs and some laughs at the awkward, hokey speeches by the Transformers. I realize that it was emulating the spirit of the Japanese animation but that was way goofy also. Capturing the spirit of bad dialogue just means more bad dialogue. The story was nonsensical with lots of running around and the running with the cube sequence went on way too long. It’s a great movie for teens but I found it excruciatingly boring when there were no effects on the screen. There’s lots and lots of product placement. I would rate it at 6 out of 10. Great effects but I wouldn’t want to sit through it again.