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Transformers
***
*ing: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox
Directed by Michael Bay
Tagline: Their War. Our World
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Transformers has been one of Hollywood's surprise hits of the summer.
The franchise of robots possessing the ability to morph into vehicles
has always maintained a solid niche among little boys seeking out
an equivalent to Barbie dolls. But few would have been bold enough
to predict that the eponymous movie would attain the distinction of
highest opening weekend earnings among films that are not sequels.
The success can be attributed both to a solid marketing campaign that
churned out Transformers themed video games, toys and teasers in a
steady march up to the release of the movie, and also to the director's
skill in weaving a multi-layered theme appealing to casual movie-goers.
The movie kicks off with a prologue describing the contention between
the Autobots and the nefarious Decepticons. It lays out the significance
of the Allspark, the possession of which will allow one race to dominate
the other and explains why these inter-galactic beings have developed
a recent interest in our Earth. While this backdrop is a necessary
device to rope in casual viewers into the universe of Transformers,
it relies on monologue with limited visual content and is thus not
as compelling as the opening to Lord of the Rings to which it will
doubtlessly be compared.
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first half of the ensuing film is dominated by the life and circumstances
of one Sam Witwicky, a stereotypical geek with a penchant for hardware
but little in the way of social stature. He traces his roots to a
great Antarctic explorer who through serendipity discovered Megatron,
commander-in-chief of the Decepticons, embedded in an ice shelf and
managed to imprint the coordinates of the location of the Allspark
on to his spectacles. Sam is now hawking the bequeathed spectacles
on eBay in an attempt to generate some cash. It is his link to this
critical information that drags him into the battle between the Autobots
and Decepticons, triggered by his inadvertent purchase of an Autobot
as his first car. |
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There's
a little bit of something for everyone in the movie. The tale of a
socially inept boy avoiding domineering parents while developing a
bond with his first car and pursuing the girl of his dreams gives
it the look and feel of a teen movie. Those who grew up with Transformers
decades ago and have expanded their technical horizons since will
appreciate the esoteric references to quantum mechanics, artificial
intelligence and encryption. Science fiction groupies will enjoy references
to Asimov's laws governing robotic behaviour. 24 and West Wing fans
will relish the fast-paced nature of the film and incorporation of
government cover-ups and conspiracies into the plot.
The film is likely to draw mixed reviews from devotees of the Transformers
genre. While some fans may appreciate anything affiliated with the
franchise, others are likely to be disappointed in some respects.
The robots are less central to the movie than protagonist Sam and
only start drawing attention half-way through the film. For the most
part they are depicted as clunky automotons still adjusting to earth's
terrain and engaging in Godzilla style rumbles with their enemies.
This is a far cry from the slick operators in the animated incarnation.
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The director should be lauded for taking on a well known brand and
successfully incorporating it into an intricate plot. And the commercial
success of this first film has already raised expectations for a series
of sequels likely to develop a cult following. The verdict is that
this venture is definitely watchable but not really a must-see. It
tends to reach a point when the plot just gets protracted and predictable
and contrary to the beliefs of Autobot leader Optimus Prime, there
just isn't more than what meets the eye.
– Jazib Zahir *YUCK
**WHATEVER
***GOOD
****SUPER
*****AWESOME
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