TRANSFORMERS
January 21st 2010 18:52
Category: Videos
Based on Hasbro’s Transformers Action Figures
Director: Michael Bay
Story by: John Rogers, Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman
Screenplay by: Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman
Producers: Don Murphy, Tom Desanto, Lorenzo Di Bonaventura & Ian Bryce
Starring: Shia LaBeouf (Sam Witwicky), Megan Fox (Mikaela Banes), Josh Duhamel (Captain Lennox), Jon Voight (Secretary of Defence John Keller), Peter Cullen (Optimus Prime), Mark Ryan (Bumblebee), Darius McCrary (Jazz), Robert Foxworth (Ratchet), Jess Hartnell (Ironhide/Barricade), Hugo Weaving (Megatron), Charlie Adler (Starscream), Jim Wood (Bonecrusher) & Reno Wilson (Frenzy)
Released by: Paramount Home Entertainment
Running Time: 138 minutes Rating: M
This is apparently not the first time that the Autobots and Decepticons have duked it out on the big screen; in fact according to my sources they first made their debut in an animate feature way back when. Now if you are someone who is not au fait with the whole Transformer’s shtick then you are not alone, prior to watching this particular major special effects extravaganza I had very little idea of what the heck was going on and just exactly what the entire story was behind it all. In fact about the only thing I did know, which is probably the same thing that most people know about this oeuvre is that it involves giant robots which can transform into various everyday or military vehicles from a Cadillac to an F-22 Raptor jet fighter.
Now as the franchise is owned by Hasbro, they of GI Joe fame, there was the danger that like the GI Joe film this particular feature could have essentially ended up being nothing more than a two hour plus extended toy commercial, thankfully such was not the case. An effort has been made here to present a compelling, action packed and engaging story more than showcase a toy manufacturer’s product and it shows; there is a plot, character development and a concerted effort to keep the entire thing consistent. There is no laziness in this film with storyline and plot elements here.
Looking at the way the drama unfolds in this film it is very much a converging of two streams that start out in different locations and eventually merge into a single river that eventually carries the drama and action to what could be considered its logical conclusion. Each stream has its own important element that is needed for the greater whole which unfolds once the two streams merge, to continue this aqueous metaphor. Interestingly the tempo in these streams is completely different, one builds up over time with action and tension whilst the first initial stream has a brief current of tranquillity then explodes into full scale carnage and chaos on a massive scale.
It all begins with a special operations unit returning back from a mission to their base in Qatar, they are winding down and looking forward to returning stateside after how many months deployment into the Middle East. Seated in the back of Osprey V-22 aircraft members of this team are chatting about the various ordinary things of an everyday normal life, from watching the Red Sox on a weekend to the joy of holding your newborn daughter in your arms, it’s a moment of calm, one that is not destined to last. Once the team is back on deck, everything seems to run with typical military routine until the radar picks up an unidentified bogey. A Blackhawk chopper with the tail sign 4500X saunters on into the base airspace and seems to studiously avoid giving out any response to the entreaties of the base air control. A check reveals that the chopper was meant to have been shot down somewhere over Afghanistan months ago, so what exactly is this? The soldiers on station are about to find out…
Meanwhile stateside at a college history lesson we are introduced to Sam Witwicky, descendant of Captain Witwicky a famous explorer of the arctic its surrounds back in the nineteenth century. Captain Witwicky is the great grandfather of Sam, and although the young student has no real idea of it, he made a discovery deep within the polar ice that would have a severe impact on the course of human civilization. If only he knew just how significant that discovery would have been. Sam however has no idea about this and in fact he views his family history as something to be hawked in order to raise the cash to get his first car, he has raging hormones and as every young lad his age knows chicks dig cars and he’s keen on meeting that special someone. Strangely it is his obsession with getting a car that will be the catalyst to change his life and eventually lead to great change for the world as he and everyone else knows it. Motown and the automakers that are based out of that city would no doubt be ecstatic over this very fact.
So as the movie progresses the story flashes between these two very different protagonists, the Special Forces team members doing it hard in the desert then the young college kid attempting to be cool and cope with his life, which on the surface looks to be not too hard. Each of these two strands is allowed to progress until they become intertwined into a single unified strand in which the impending climax and fate of all is set to be determined. There is plenty of action, drama, moments of humour and pathos. In fact as the move reaches its crescendo there are some real poignant moments where I shed a few tears, I have to say I had no idea what to expect with this film and I was most pleasantly surprised. Just goes to show that with Transformers there definitely more than meets the eye….
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