As my blog is ably called "Mark the Transformer: More Than Meets the Eye," I thought I should go back to my 80's roots and see the transformation of a classic cartoon series to this new adaptation that blends eye-defying CGI and special effects with the old-skool plot of robotronic good vs. evil. As it was directed by Michael Bay, I knew this film was going to sacrifice story for bombs/explosions, and the result was a film of pure fun and action, but it could have been "more than meets the eye" in some respects.
See, my brother and I grew up on Transformers while were kids growing up in Oklahoma/Germany. Heck, even my mom remembers a few names among the dynamic robot factions who clash for supremacy. My parents still hold some of our toys intact back at home.
Basic storyline of the film: as adapted from the original, there is a battle on earth between two warring sides for the ultimate prize: the "all-charge cube," which grants unlimited power to breathe life into electronic/mechanic nouns. Pit some humans into the mix, and you got yourself a 2 hour plus film of Michael Bay goodness. Action, explosions, and a few pick-up lines for the gorgeous ladies who grace the screen. Oh, you have a plot somewhere too.
What do I mean about Michael Bay? He is known for creating films that usually have plots that are massive in scale, but he simplifies them to a point for the audience where they follow only one sub-plot until the end. Watch Bay's "Pearl Harbor," which is supposed to document our abrupt involvement into World War II, but turns up to be a love triangle film between Josh Hartnett, Ben Affleck, and Kate Beckinsale. "Armaggedon" pits Ben Affleck and Bruce Willis in saving the world from a giant rock, but turns into a story of sacrifice and love with Liv Tyler playing the tragic love victim of a father's love (Willis) and her lover's sacrfice (Affleck).
So with Transformers, it was utter happiness to see my favorite heroes on screen again: the Autobots. Optimus Prime (with Peter Cullen bringing back his vocal chords once more to bring him back to life) brings the heat with his old pals Bumblebee, hip-hop style Jazz (one of my favorites when I was a kid), Ratchet, and Ironhide. They are out to stop the Decepticons, whose intention is to get the all-charge, dominate earth, and then, the universe.
The main character is Sam, a luckless in love high school kid who lands his first car...which happens to be Bumblebee. After run-ins with a Decepticon cop car, Sam becomes the focal point from all sides because his grandfather's glasses contain the discovery of the location of the all-charge cube. Both factions need his father's glasses to pinpoint the location of the cube.
That's where the story stops, and for me, unfortunately stops. Even though Transformers is a Good v. Evil story from the 80's generation of kids, Bay again takes one huge plot and minimalizes it into one sub-plot: Sam to destroy the all-charge cube and get his girl Mickaela (played by Megan Fox), and oh yeah, there are huge robots to help him or stop him along the way.
Massive explosions, eye-jarring action, and chaotic mettalic pounding: Bay-style. The plot at times focuses more on the human characters than the Autobots/Decepticons themselves. We get to meet the cynical machines and the good Transformers, but we don't get to know about the old-skool Jazz (the little Autobot who keeps it real, voiced by Darius McCrary) and the hard-pressed Starscream (Decepticon).
Throw in a few soldiers (one played by Tyrese, who was pretty cool in the film), an Aussie, blonde bombshell hacker (like that's real), Sam's hippie parents, and a Secretary of Defense who turns from a serious politician to a cowboy (Jon Voight), you got Michael Bay running the game.
So for the money I paid, I enjoyed it and it was cool to see the fun back in movies again this summer. Yet I sorely missed the opportunity they had to bring back some of the plot and glue to keep this movie going. Where's Hot Rod? Ultra Magnus? What's in it for the Autobots? Why did the Decepticons betray Cybertron in the first place? Was there a filibuster in the Cybertron Congress?
But, in retrospect, seeing this film brought back what this cartoon did for my brother and I when we were kids: it brought wonder. Robots transforming into bigger things and for the Autobots, keeping the peace. For the Decepticons, it was domination and control. That's why I named this journal the way I named it: I do believe in transformation for a higher purpose, and that "all-charge" cube comes in the energon super-human form of Jesus Christ, who uses his Holy Spirit to charge us up for our original purpose: to become in the image of the machine maker, God.
Playing with those toys, I would envision scenarios for myself during play time of who would win the universe. Too bad most of my toys were Decepticons. But hey, Starscream was one bad dude...
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