Transformers

directed by Michael Bay
USA 2007

On the face of it Transformers is a story as old as the Greeks versus the Trojans, the difference being that these warriors are visitors from another planet, the 1980s-sounding Cybertron, and there isn’t a jot of poetry, tragedy, beauty, meaning or interest in this fight. The Autobots are trying to locate some all-important cube that looks like a Borg starship from Star Trek: The Next Generation before it’s found by the Autobots’ villainous alien brethren, the Decepticons. During their mission the Autobots blend into the earthly backdrop by turning into zippy cars and mondo trucks, a strategy that works particularly well in Southern California. Curiously, though the toys originated in Japan, no robot changes into a Toyota.

It’s kind of nifty when the robots transform the first time; they furiously shake back and forth like wet dogs desperately to dry off. But by the 99th time there’s no fun left at all, even during the rock-’em, sock-’em knockdown that delivers the movie, in Spielbergesque pastiche, first to a violent and then to a warm-and-fuzzy close. The actors tend to be more engaging, notably Mr. LaBeouf, who brings energy and a semi-straight face to the dumbest setup. Just as easy on the eyes, though for other reasons, are the two female leads, the genius hacker in throw-her-down heels (Rachael Taylor) and the grease-monkey bombshell (Megan Fox) who helps Sam rise to the manly occasion. These walking, talking dolls register as less human and believable than the Transformers, which may be why they were even allowed inside this boy’s club.

The movie waves the flag equally for Detroit and the military, if to no coherent end. Last year the director of General Motors brand-marketing and advertising clarified how the company’s cars were integral to the movie: “It’s a story of good versus evil. Our cars are the good guys.” And sure enough, most of the Autobots take the shape of GM vehicles, including Ratchet (a Hummer H2) and Ironhide (a TopKick pickup truck). The only Autobot that doesn’t wear that troubled automaker’s logo is the leader, Optimus Prime (a generic 18-wheeler tractor). Maybe that’s because the company didn’t want to be represented by a character that promises to blow itself up for the greater good, as Optimus does, especially one based on a child’s toy.

Shape-shifters of another kind, Hollywood action movies bend this way and that politically in a bid to please as many viewers as possible, but they almost always play out exactly the same, as entertaining violence leads to heroic individualism leads to the restoration of order. Transformers is no different, even if it does offer chewy distraction for the bored viewer: the would-be suicide bomber, American soldiers tearing it up in the Middle East while American cars keep up the fight at home, along with plugs for Burger King, Lockheed Martin, Mountain Dew and the Department of Defense. Why there’s even a president who asks for a Ding Dong. He’s wearing red socks like a big old clown, but no one really laughs.

Excerpt from Manohla Dargis, The New York Times

Posters

Theatrical Release: 21 June 2007 Taormina Film Festival

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DVD Review: Paramount (Two-Disc Special Edition) - Region 1 - NTSC

Big thanks to Yunda Eddie Feng for the Review!

DVD Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
Distribution	Paramount Region 1 - NTSC
Runtime	143 min
Video	2.35:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 7.0 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate
Audio	DD 5.1 English, DD 5.1 French, DD 5.1 Spanish
Subtitles	Optional English, French, Spanish
Features	Release Information: Studio: Paramount Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 2.35:1 Edition Details: • The Story Sparks • Human Allies • I Fight Giant Robots • Battleground • Rise of the Robots • Autobots Roll Out • Decepticons Strike • Inside the AllSpark • From Script to Sand: The Skorponok Desert Attack • Concepts • Trailers DVD Release Date: October 16th, 2007 slim double keepcase with clear plastic slipcover Chapters 23

Comments:

Video:
The 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen is technically flawless, but I wouldn’t use this as demo material. The problem lies in director Michael Bay’s visual style. Bay likes to swing cameras wildly, so you already have extreme motion blur. Although the computer-generated visual effects are impressive, the resolution is nowhere near as high as what the original film elements captured in the real world. Thus, much of the rapid action looks smudged. Also, many scenes featuring the robots take place at night. Therefore, one never really gets a good look at the Transformers, which was disappointing for me.

Audio:
I guess you could still use Transformers as demo material if you turn off the TV and have your friends listen to your home theatre system. The DD 5.1 English track is powerful and overwhelmingly immersive. The sound design piles on the demolition and destruction as if Michael Bay wanted to squeeze the life out of your ears. Dialogue does get buried sometimes, so if you live in an apartment, be prepared to keep fidgeting with the volume control.

You can watch the movie with DD 5.1 French and DD 5.1 Spanish dubs. Optional English, French, and Spanish subtitles as well as optional English closed captions support the audio.

Extras:
The fact that neither disc has trailers for other movies is a welcome surprise.

The only extra on Disc 1 is an audio commentary by Michael Bay. Bay is obviously enthusiastic about helming a live-action adaptation of iconic 1980s toys, and he provides a lot of solid technical information. However, he didn’t convince me that he made a great movie.

Disc 2 is divided into three sections: “Our World”, “Their War”, and “More Than Meets the Eye”.

In “Our World”, “The Story Sparks”, “Human Allies”, “I Fight Giant Robots”, and “Battleground” cover the movie’s genesis as well as early production phases. You get to see some early animatics that resemble the finished product quite a bit.

In “Their War”, “Rise of the Robots”, “Autobots Roll Out”, “Decepticons Strike”, and “Inside the AllSpark” shed light on the toys, the movie’s robots, and the complicated actions sequences both during and after principal photography.

In “More than Meets the Eye”, you get a detailed breakdown of one of the actions sequences, a video gallery of artwork, and trailers. You can watch Trailers 1, 2, and 4, but number 3 seems to have run into rights-clearance issues.

Finally, there are five easy-to-find Easter Eggs. In each of the subsections, move the cursor to the left of the words “Main Menu” to highlight a hidden icon. The first Easter Egg is a fake commercial for a Michael Bay Transformers toy. The second Easter Egg has footage of Michael Bay acting in front of a blue screen. The third Easter Egg shows footage of dogs. For the fourth Easter Egg, go to the Trailers section and move the cursor to the left of the words “More Than Meets the Eye” to see a woman losing her dress. You can find the fifth Easter Egg by moving the cursor below the words “Set Up” on the Main Menu; there, you get text pages of the DVD production credits.

- Yunda Eddie Feng

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