When the trailer of the recent blockbuster movie Transformers was released a few months back, I was a bit intrigued as to how Hollywood would turn giant robots into a live-action movie, and make a hit out of it. The big screen adaptation of the sci-fi cartoon series proved to be much more than I expected, even far beyond most people have thought it would as it reached the top spot in the blockbuster list.
Transformers was directed by the Michael Bay, the man behind the Bad Boys series, Pearl Harbor, Armageddon, among a list of other films that would surely ring a bell for the action-flick fan. It was based from the toy franchise Transformers and revolves around the storyline of two factions of robots from another planet, the heroic Autobots headed by Optimus Prime, and the Decepticons led by Megatron, its nemesis. Their continuous battle against each other became the central theme of the cartoon series released in the 1980s and early 1990s, which also became the rally point of the story of the movie.
Placing a science fiction into the “Earth” setting sure creates a whirlwind of storylines and plots which is a light-year away from reality as depicted in the movie. From fictional government agencies and gigantic finds hidden beneath the Hoover Dam, the movie is not intended for the questioning moviegoer. The unwavering battle of the good robots against the bad ones brought to earth by their pursuit of a certain magical cosmic cube called “The Allspark”, was intertwined with stories of adolescent pursuits and heroic acts. This concoction of plots and subplots from the “real” and the “science fiction” part added to the movie’s appeal and dramatic effect.
One of the noteworthy highlights of the movie is of course the superb graphic effects that showcased the robots in their majestic grandeur. No one has ever seen such grace in movement with such gigantic machines. They have masterfully made use of the slow motion effect that made the battle and chase scenes more excruciatingly breathtaking. They also have made use of the camera’s full potential by providing the audience the best shots. With an outstanding cinematography, no one would ever think that the main characters Sam Witwicky (played by Shia LeBeouf) and Mikaela Banes (played by Megan Fox) were talking to a dummy while shooting.
Aside from the effects provided by the camera, the background sound also made its mark by providing the perfect ambience for every scene (for instance, rock tunes rendered the scoring for some of the fight scenes). These of course made the movie more thrilling. The flow of the story will not be that effective without the comical antics by the actors, specifically LeBeouf and Bumblebee, who gave most of the amusing remarks. Thanks to the screenplay provided by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and John Rogers which incorporated all the emotions that one could ever think of.
On the other side, the amount of time allotted for fight scenes somehow got the bulk of the movie and of the camera. The shots of the scenes, especially towards the end of the movie, became scattered and somehow made some robots vanish in an instant without any explanation. The anticlimactic death of Megatron was also a bit sudden and uncalled for. I was expecting a death that would create more impact as the robots end but it wasn’t exactly satisfied. However, all these were overshadowed by Michael Bay’s brilliant direction.
Indeed the makers of Transformers did a great job in creating a highly entertaining movie that would surely be enjoyed not only by moviegoers of all ages. This is a movie worth recommending to those who would want to experience pure action-packed pleasure. It sure deserved that standing ovation it got from the crowd when I watched it a couple of weeks ago. You might want to after you watch it.
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