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Transformers (film)

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For the 1986 animated film, see The Transformers: The Movie.
Transformers
International poster
Directed byMichael Bay
Written byRoberto Orci
Alex Kurtzman
John Rogers
Produced bySteven Spielberg (executive)
Tom DeSanto
Don Murphy
StarringShia LaBeouf
Megan Fox
Josh Duhamel
Tyrese Gibson
Voices:
Peter Cullen
Hugo Weaving
CinematographyMitchell Amundsen
Edited byPaul Rubell
Glen Scantlebury
Thomas A. Muldoon
Music bySteve Jablonsky
Distributed byDreamWorks
Paramount Pictures
United International Pictures
Release dates
June 28 2007 (AUS)
July 2 2007 (US)
July 27 2007 (UK)
Running time
143 min.
Country United States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$151 million[1]
Box office$706,297,192

Transformers is a 2007 live action film adaptation of the Transformers franchise. The film stars Shia LaBeouf as Sam Witwicky, a teenager involved in a war between the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons: two races of alien robots who can disguise themselves by transforming into everyday machinery. The Decepticons desire control of the All Spark, the object that created their robotic race, with the intention of using it to build an army by giving life to the machines of Earth. Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Jon Voight and John Turturro also star, while Peter Cullen and Hugo Weaving provide the voices of Optimus Prime and Megatron respectively. The film was directed by Michael Bay and written by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman.

Development of the film began with a 2003 treatment written by producers Don Murphy and Tom DeSanto. Executive producer Steven Spielberg acquired the treatment the following year, and he hired Orci, Kurtzman and Bay on the project in 2005. The filmmakers wanted a realistic depiction of the story, and created a complex design aesthetic for the robots to stress their alien nature. The computer-generated characters were programmed to have thousands of mechanical pieces move as they transformed and maneuvered. The United States military and General Motors lent vehicles and aircraft during filming, which saved money for the production and added realism to the battle scenes.

Hasbro organized an enormous promotional campaign for the film, making deals with hundreds of companies. This advertising blitz included a viral marketing campaign, coordinated releases of Transformers prequel comics books, Transformers toys and books, as well as product placement deals with GM and eBay. Transformers was a box office success despite mixed fan reaction to the radical redesigns of the characters, and reviews criticizing the focus on the humans at the expense of the robots. It became the twenty-eighth most successful film released, grossing approximately US$706 million worldwide. The film revitalized media interest in the franchise, and a sequel is expected for release on June 26 2009. It earned three Academy Award nominations in the visual effects and sound categories.

Plot

The film opens with Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen), heroic leader of the benevolent Autobots, describing in a voice-over the destruction of the Transformers' home world, Cybertron. It was destroyed by the evil Decepticon leader Megatron (Hugo Weaving) in his quest to obtain the All Spark. The Autobots want to find the All Spark so they can use it to rebuild Cybertron and end the war between the Autobots and the Decepticons, while the Decepticons want to use it to defeat the Autobots and conquer the universe. Megatron found the All Spark on Earth, but crash-landed in the Arctic Circle and was frozen in the ice. Captain Archibald Witwicky and his crew of explorers stumbled upon Megatron's body in 1897. Captain Witwicky accidentally activated Megatron's navigational system and his eye glasses were imprinted with the coordinates of the All Spark's location. Sector 7, a secret United States government organization, discovered the All Spark in the Colorado river and built the Hoover Dam around it to mask its energy emissions. The still-frozen Megatron was moved into this facility and was reverse engineered to advance human technology.

In the present day, the rest of the Decepticons—Blackout, Scorponok, Frenzy, Barricade, Starscream, Devastator and Bonecrusher—have landed on Earth and assumed the disguise of Earth vehicles (except Scorponok, who hides within Blackout). Blackout and Scorponok attack the U.S. SOCCENT FWD military base in Qatar and try to hack into the U.S. military network to find the location of Megatron and the All Spark. Their mission is thwarted when the base staff severs the network cable connections. While Blackout destroys the rest of the base, Scorponok chases a small group of survivors who have photographic evidence of the robots, but he is eventually repelled. During this battle, the military discovers its only effective weapons against the Transformers' armor are high-heat sabot rounds.

After Blackout's failure, Frenzy infiltrates Air Force One to try again to hack into the military network, and in doing so plants a virus. He finds the map imprinted on Captain Witwicky's glasses, whose descendant, Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf), intends to sell on eBay. Frenzy and Barricade begin tracking Sam's location. The Autonomous Robotic Organism (shortened to "Autobot") Bumblebee is also on Earth, disguised as a 1976 Chevrolet Camaro,[2] and is bought by Sam while shopping for his first car. Bumblebee helps him woo his crush, Mikaela Banes (Megan Fox). Bumblebee leaves at night to transmit a homing signal to the rest of the Autobots and Sam sees him in robot mode. Barricade confronts Sam and demands Archibald's spectacles, but Bumblebee rescues him and Mikaela. They leave to rendezvous with the rest of the Autobots—Optimus Prime, Jazz, Ironhide, and Ratchet—who have landed on Earth and taken the forms of Earth vehicles as well. Sam, Mikaela, and the Autobots return to Sam's home and obtain the glasses; however, agents from Sector 7 arrive and capture Sam, Mikaela and Bumblebee.

Frenzy, disguised as a cellphone, secretly accompanies the group to Hoover Dam and releases Megatron from his frozen state. Locating the All Spark, Frenzy sends an alert to the other Decepticons. Sam convinces the Sector 7 agents to release Bumblebee so that he can get the All Spark to Optimus Prime. Frenzy's virus has shut down government communications, but a pair of hackers manage to establish a signal to the Air Force. The Autobot-human convoy goes to nearby Mission City to obtain a radio that will guide the Air Force's defense and secure a rendezvous point as a safe destination for All Spark. The Decepticons attack and Bonecrusher, Frenzy, Jazz, Devastator and Blackout are all killed during the ensuing battle, but Sam manages to ram the All Spark into Megatron's chest, killing Megatron and destroying the All Spark. Optimus takes a fragment of the All Spark from Megatron's corpse, but realizes that with its destruction, their home world Cybertron cannot be restored. Consequently, Optimus sends a signal to other surviving Autobots in the universe, directing them to their new home, Earth. The government orders the closure of Sector 7 and has the four Decepticons killed in Mission City battle dumped into the Laurentian Abyss. Starscream, who fled the battle, escapes into space.

Production

Development

"In all the years of movie-making, I don't think the image of a truck transforming into a twenty-foot tall robot has ever been captured on screen. I also want to make a film that's a homage to 1980s movies and gets back to the sense of wonder that Hollywood has lost over the years. It will have those Spielberg-ian moments where you have the push-in on the wide-eyed kid and you feel like you're ten years old even if you're thirty-five."
— Tom DeSanto on why he produced the film[3]

Producer Don Murphy was planning a G.I. Joe film adaptation, but when the United States took part in the invasion of Iraq in March 2003, Hasbro suggested adapting the Transformers franchise instead.[4] Tom DeSanto joined Murphy because he was a fan of the series.[5] They met with comic book writer Simon Furman, and cited the Generation 1 cartoon and comics as their main influence.[4] They made the Creation Matrix their plot device, though Murphy had it renamed because of the The Matrix film series.[6] DeSanto chose to write the treatment from a human point-of-view to engage the audience,[7] while Murphy wanted it to have a realistic tone, reminiscent of a disaster film.[6] Their treatment featured the Autobots Optimus Prime, Ironhide, Jazz, Prowl, Ratchet, Wheeljack, and Bumblebee, and the Decepticons Megatron, Starscream, Soundwave, Ravage, Laserbeak, Rumble, Skywarp and Shockwave.[8]

Steven Spielberg, a fan of the comics and toys,[5] signed on as executive producer in 2004. John Rogers wrote the first draft, which pitted four Autobots against four Decepticons,[9] and featured the Ark spaceship.[10] Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, fans of the cartoon,[11] were hired to rewrite the script in February 2005.[12] Spielberg suggested that "a boy and his car" should be the focus.[13] This appealed to Orci and Kurtzman because it conveyed themes of adulthood and responsibility, "the things that a car represents in [the United States]".[14] The characters of Sam and Mikaela were the sole point-of-view given in Orci's and Kurtzman's first draft.[15] The Transformers had no dialogue, as the producers feared talking robots would look ridiculous. The writers felt that even if it would look silly, not having the robots speak would betray the fanbase.[11] Spielberg read each of Orci and Kurtzman's drafts and gave notes for improvement.[13] The writers remained involved throughout production, rewriting dialogue for the robots during the sound mixing, after finding unexpected quirks in the characters' animation.[16]

Michael Bay was asked to direct by Spielberg on July 30 2005,[1] but he dismissed the film as a "stupid toy movie".[17] Nonetheless, he wanted to work with Spielberg, and gained a new respect for the mythology upon visiting Hasbro.[1] Bay considered the first draft "too kiddie", so he increased the military's role in the story.[18][1] The writers sought inspiration from G.I. Joe for the soldier characters, being careful not to mix the brands.[19] They also experimented with numerous robots from the franchise, ultimately selecting the characters most popular among the filmmakers to form the final cast.[5] Bay acknowledged that most of the Decepticons were selected before their names or roles were developed, as Hasbro had to start designing the toys.[20] Optimus, Megatron, Bumblebee and Starscream were the only characters present in each version of the script.[11] Arcee was a female Transformer introduced by Orci and Kurtzman, but she was cut because they found it difficult to explain robotic gender; Bay also disliked her motorcycle form, which he found too small.[19] An early idea to have the Decepticons simultaneously strike multiple places around the world was also dropped.[15]

Design

The filmmakers incorporated valid physics into their designs, establishing the necessity for a robot's size to correspond to that of its disguise. The layout of Optimus Prime's robotic body within his truck mode is seen here.

The filmmakers designed the size of each robot with the size of their vehicle mode in mind, supporting the Transformer's rationale for their choice of disguise on Earth.[21] The concept of traveling protoforms was developed by Roberto Orci when he wondered why "aliens who moonlight as vehicles need other vehicles to travel".[22] This reflected a desire to move to a more alien look, away from the "blocky" Generation 1 Transformers.[23] Another major influence in the designs was samurai armor, returning full-circle to the Japanese origins of the toy line.[21]

A product placement deal with General Motors supplied alternate forms for most of the Autobots, which saved $3 million for the production.[24] GM also provided nearly two hundred cars, destined for destruction in the climactic battle scene.[21] The United States military provided significant support, enhancing the film's realism: the film features F-22s, F-117s, and V-22 Ospreys, the first time these aircraft were used for a film; soldiers served as extras, and authentic uniforms were provided for the actors.[1] A-10 Thunderbolt IIs and Lockheed AC-130s also appear. Captain Christian Hodge joked that he had to explain to his superiors that the filmmakers wanted to portray most of their aircraft as evil Decepticons: however, he remarked "people love bad guys".[21]

Filming

Director Michael Bay filming at Holloman Air Force Base

To save money for the production, director Michael Bay reduced his usual fee by 30%. He planned an eighty-three day shooting schedule,[1] maintaining the required pace by doing more camera set-ups per day than usual. Bay chose to shoot the film in the United States instead of Australia or Canada, allowing him to work with a crew he was familiar with, and who understood his work ethic.[1][18][24] A pre-shoot took place on April 19 2006, and principal photography began on April 22 at Holloman Air Force Base,[2] which stood in for Qatar.[1] To film the Scorponok sequence at White Sands Missile Range, a sweep was performed to remove unexploded ordnance before building of a village set could begin; ironically, the village would be blown up. The scene was broken down for the pilots flying the AWACS aircraft, who improvised dialogue as if it were an actual battle.[25][1]

The company also shot at the Hoover Dam and The Pentagon, the first time since the September 11, 2001 attacks that film crews had been allowed at these locations.[2] The external Hoover Dam scenes were shot before tourists arrived daily at 10:00 a.m., with shooting moving inside for the remainder of the day.[25] Production in California was based at Hughes Aircraft at Playa Vista, where the hangar in which Megatron is imprisoned was built.[25] Six weekends were spent in Los Angeles, California shooting the climactic battle, with some elements being shot on the Universal Studios backlot and in Detroit.[2][25] The crew was allowed to shoot at Griffith Observatory, which was still closed for renovations begun in 2002.[2] Filming wrapped on October 4 2006.[18]

Effects

Spielberg encouraged Bay to restrict computer-generated imagery to the robots and background elements in the action sequences.[1] Stunts such as Bonecrusher smashing through a bus were done practically, while cameras were placed into the midst of car crashes and explosions to make it look more exciting.[25] Work on the animatics began in April 2005.[9] Bay indicated that three quarters of the film's effects were made by Industrial Light & Magic, while Digital Domain made the rest,[1] including the Arctic discovery of Megatron; Frenzy's severed head; a vending machine mutated by the All Spark, and the Autobots' protoforms.[26] Many of the animators were big Transformers fans and were given free rein to experiment: a scene where Jazz attacks Devastator is a reference to a scene in The Transformers: The Movie where Kup jumps on Blitzwing.[21]

"I just didn't want to make the boxy characters. It's boring and it would look fake. By adding more doo-dads and stuff on the robots, more car parts, you can just make it more real."
— Michael Bay on the level of detail he wanted for the robots[27]

ILM created computer-generated transformations over six months in 2005, looking at every inch of the car models.[28] Initially the transformations were made to follow the laws of physics, but it did not look exciting enough and was changed to be more fluid.[29] Bay rejected a liquid metal surface for the characters' faces, instead going for a "Rubik's Cube" style of modeling.[1] He wanted numerous mechanical pieces visible so the robots would look more interesting, realistic, dynamic and quick, rather than like lumbering beasts.[27][1] One such decision was to have the wheels stay on the ground for as long as possible, allowing the robots to cruise around as they changed.[30] Bay instructed the animators to observe footage of two martial artists and numerous martial arts films to make the fights look graceful.[1]

Due to the intricate designs of the Transformers, even the simplest notion of turning a wrist needs 17 visible parts;[2] each of Ironhide's guns are made of ten thousand parts.[27] Bumblebee uses a piece below his faceplate as an eyebrow, pieces in his cheeks swivel to resemble a smile, and all the characters' eyes are designed to dilate and brighten.[30] Such detail needed 38 hours to render each frame of animation,[2] which meant ILM had to increase their processing facilities.[31] Each rendered piece had to look like real metal, shiny or dull. This was difficult to model because the aged and scarred robots had to transform from clean cars. Close-up shots of the robots were sped up to look "cool", but in wide shots the animation was slowed down to convincingly illustrate a sense of weight. Photographs were taken of each set. These were used as a reference for the lighting environment, which was reproduced within a computer, so the robots would look like they were convincingly moving there. Bay, who has directed numerous car commercials, understood ray tracing was the key to making the robots look real; the CG models would look realistic based on how much of the environment was reflecting on their bodies.[21] Numerous simulations were programmed into the robots, so the animators could focus on animating the particular areas needed for a convincing performance.[31]

Music

See also: Transformers: The Album and Transformers: The Score

Composer Steve Jablonsky, who collaborated with Bay on The Island, scored music for the trailers before work began on the film itself. Recording took place in April 2007 at the Sony Scoring Stage in Culver City, California. The score, including the teaser music, uses six major themes across ninety minutes of music.[32] The Autobots have three themes, one named "Optimus" to represent their friendship with Sam, and another played during their arrival on Earth. The Decepticons have a chanted theme which relies on electronics, unlike most of the score. The All Spark also has its own theme.[33] Hans Zimmer, Jablonsky's mentor, also helped to compose the score.[1]

Cast and characters

Humans

Shia LaBeouf stars as Sam Witwicky, the teenager who unknowingly buys Bumblebee as his first car. The character is based upon the mechanic Spike from the television series,[25] but the nickname was considered inappropriate because the character's profession was dropped from the adaptation.[34] Bay stated he wanted to make Sam an average Joe, and not a geek. Bay initially considered LaBeouf too old, having only seen his performance in Constantine, but he was bowled over by the actor's enthusiasm.[1] A Transformers fan,[5] LaBeouf also reminded the filmmakers of the young Tom Hanks.[17] He worked out five days a week for three months and gained twenty-five pounds of muscle to prepare for the role, but realized during shooting that his role required agility rather than strength.[2] LaBeouf performed his own stunts, including a scene in which Sam clings to a statue as Megatron approaches, with only a safety harness to protect the actor. "There are action stars who wouldn’t have been as dumb," he joked.[2]

Megan Fox plays Sam's crush, Mikaela Banes, whom he woos with Bumblebee's help. Banes is mechanically skilled because her father was a car thief. She had previously auditioned for Bay's production of The Amityville Horror. To encourage a tough performance from Fox, Bay often threatened to repeatedly film takes at night so she would appear frustrated and tired.[1] Fox gained ten pounds of muscle during shooting to support the physicality of the role.[2]

Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson play the soldiers, Army Captain William Lennox and Air Force Technical Sergeant Robert Epps, respectively. The characters are part of a seven-man Joint Special Operations Command team in Qatar, who survive Blackout's attack on the base. Lennox has a wife and newborn daughter in the United States. Duhamel and Gibson were fans of the toy line as children,[5] and Gibson paid the filmmakers so he could be in the film.[25] They spent three days in boot camp to prepare for the role. Gibson met combat controller Ray Bollinger, and spent time learning technical terms and military code to make his dialogue sound convincing.[5]

John Turturro plays Reggie Simmons, a Sector 7 agent. Bay wanted Steve Buscemi for the role, but he was busy, so Turturro, whom Bay had wanted to work with ever since seeing The Big Lebowski, was cast instead.[1] Turturro gave a slapstick performance, which was intended to be in contrast to the serious military scenes, so that a sense of fun would not completely disappear.[19] The actor claimed to have based his performance on the director, although Bay stated he couldn't see anything of himself in Turturro's performance. A backstory was fashioned for Simmons, explaining his family had served in Sector 7 for generations, giving him a "mother's boy" personality. Bay cut these jokes as they were too crude.[1]

Rachael Taylor plays Maggie Madsen, who assists the Department of Defense in decoding the virus left by Frenzy. She realizes that those hacking into the government's data files cannot be human, due to the ease with which they made the attack. The writers had initially envisioned Maggie as quirkier and more cyberpunk.[19] The filmmakers opted for Taylor's natural Australian accent to give the film a global sensibility.[2] She found many of her scenes difficult because of the high heels she wore.[25]

Anthony Anderson plays Glen Whitmann, a computer hacker and friend of Maggie. Jon Voight plays the United States Secretary of Defense John Keller. Michael O'Neill plays Tom Banachek, the head of Sector 7. Kevin Dunn and Julie White play Sam's parents, Ron and Judy. Bernie Mac cameoes as Bobby Bolivia, a used car dealer from whom Sam purchases Bumblebee.

Autobots

Peter Cullen voices Optimus Prime, the Autobot leader who comes to Earth to destroy the All Spark in order to end the war. Don Murphy decided after discussions with fans on his website that they wanted the surviving voices from the original 1980s cartoon series, The Transformers.[6] Cullen described reprising the role as easy as "slipping into an old pair of very comfortable shoes that you haven't worn for a while", and was grateful to the fans for wanting him back.[35] His performance consisted of much improvisation with Bay, and portraying the traditional heroism of the character as well as bringing a sense of humor.[36] Bay told the animators to seek inspiration from Liam Neeson to inspire Optimus' body language.[1] Optimus transforms into a Peterbilt truck. The original cab over design was rejected because that would only transform into a twenty-feet tall model of the character, whereas the filmmakers wanted him to stand twenty-eight feet tall.[1] Optimus has red flame artwork on his blue body. This was a compromise between Hasbro, who wanted to retain the character's iconic red chest, and Bay, who felt red alone would not photograph well.[21] Hasbro had previously rejected designs of Optimus which were too blue.[21] Optimus' head was built on set as a prop.[1]

Mark Ryan voices Bumblebee for the character's two lines at the end of the film, when he regains his voice. For most of the film's duration, Bumblebee communicates with radio soundbites because of his damaged vocal processor. Before being cast in the role, Ryan had acted as a stand-in for the robots during filming, reading out their lines.[37] The decision to make Bumblebee silent was inspired by Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, in order to show that his bond with Sam was beyond words.[38] The filmmakers had considered using lines from various Paramount films, including "I feel the need for speed!" from Top Gun, but decided such lines would be too obvious.[39] Credited clips used in the film include John Wayne from El Dorado and Nichelle Nichols as Uhura from the Star Trek television series. A full scale puppet of Bumblebee was also used for the film. The animators modeled Bumblebee's performance on Michael J. Fox.[2] Bumblebee transforms into a 1977 Chevrolet Camaro, and upgrades into the 2009 model.[2] Bay rejected the character's form of the Volkswagen Beetle from The Transformers, as it reminded him of Herbie the Love Bug. Hasbro did not mind as long as the car remained yellow. In reference to his original form, the Beetle is parked next to Bumblebee when Sam is buying him.[21] The modern Camaro was chosen for its friendly appearance,[2] while the old model was chosen to show that Sam's father could only buy him the cheapest car he could find. In the film, Bumblebee upgrades because Mikaela calls his choice of form "a piece of crap".[21]

Darius McCrary voices Jazz, a lieutenant who develops a fondness for urban culture. McCrary said he was honored to follow in the footsteps of Scatman Crothers, who voiced Jazz on The Transformers. "When I was actually [recording], I really did feel Scatman's presence," he said.[40] Mark Ryan had tried out numerous voices for Jazz, including a Sean Connery impersonation, before McCrary was cast.[37] Jazz transforms into a Pontiac Solstice, a car the director felt was too small, but he decided not to argue with GM.[20] Hasbro felt it was still a "cool sports car" reminiscent of his original Porsche 935 form.[21] The screenwriters chose to kill off Jazz as they felt he was the most likeable character after Optimus and Bumblebee.[41]

File:Transformersvehicles.jpg
Alternate modes. Top: Starscream.
Mid, left to right: Optimus Prime, Ironhide, Ratchet and Barricade.
Bottom, left to right: Bumblebee, Jazz.

Jess Harnell voices Ironhide, who transforms into a GMC Topkick pick-up truck. The character is a cantankerous weapons specialist. Peter Cullen voiced Ironhide on The Transformers and auditioned to reprise the role in the film.[42] When Ryan was voicing the character on set, he used a Southern accent as Cullen did.[37]

Robert Foxworth voices Ratchet, the team's medical officer. He transforms into a Search and rescue Hummer H2. The writers had wanted to keep his ambulance form from The Transformers, but the producers wanted something else. Hasbro did not mind if the character was either an ambulance or a fire apparatus.[9]

Decepticons

Hugo Weaving voices Megatron, the Decepticon leader who crash-landed in the Arctic thousands of years ago in his quest to obtain the All Spark. When he is defrosted he keeps his original alien jet form out of vanity.[21] Frank Welker, who played the part on television opposite Peter Cullen, auditioned to reprise the role. Bay considered his voice too soft and felt it would be disrespectful to ask Welker to change it. Weaving's voice had been the inspiration Bay gave to his animators for the character, and the character's voice had become that of Weaving in the director's mind. Weaving recorded his lines in Australia, directed by Bay through iChat.[1] The deviation from Megatron's 1980s Walther P38 pistol form was done to avoid morphing. Orci and Kurtzman also felt it would be "the equivalent to Darth Vader [becoming] his own lightsaber and having someone else swing him around".[21] Fans disliked leaked images of the character's head design, so it was redesigned during filming. The prototype design had a much narrower face than the one seen in the finished film.[21] Optimus calls Megatron his brother; Cullen interpreted this line literally,[43] but while the writers state this was the case in early drafts, they consider the line in its final context to be metaphorical.[19]

Charlie Adler voices Starscream, Megatron's second-in-command. Despite being a popular character, his role is limited because of the film's running time.[19] A post-credits scene of him escaping Earth was added because audiences at test screenings wanted to know what happened to him.[1] He transforms into a F-22 Raptor jet, which is the successor to his original form, the F-15 Eagle. This keeps the character's role as the powerful and technologically advanced air commander.[21]

Reno Wilson voices Frenzy, a small and vicious spy who transforms into a boombox, and later into a mobile phone. Frenzy was primarily animated by one man, who gave the character quirky movements: Bay could tell which shots were not done by him and felt the character totally changed in those scenes.[1] A puppet was also used on set.[2] Frenzy was originally named Soundwave, but the writers decided to rename him because he was significantly different from the original character.[21] Jess Harnell voiced Barricade, a Saleen Mustang police car, whom Frenzy guides to Sam. The character was inspired by the G1 Autobot Prowl, because the writers thought a Decepticon displaying authority would use the police car form.[21]

Jim Wood voices Bonecrusher, who attacks Optimus on the highway to Mission City. The animators modeled his fighting styles on hockey and football players,[1] and his alternate form of the Buffalo H Mine-Protected vehicle was altered with a larger fork.[21] For Devastator, the crew chose to use an M1 Abrams tank prop built for xXx: State of the Union.[2] The character was intended to be named Brawl, but a subtitled Cybertronian line reads "Devastator reporting". It was not fixed despite recognition of the error.[44]

Blackout transforms into a MH-53 Pave Low helicopter, with his minion Scorponok attaching to him. Soundwave had been considered for this role,[45] with Ravage as his minion,[38] but Hasbro insisted Soundwave have a music-based role.[9] Scorponok was chosen after the writers discovered him in the pages of The Ultimate Guide and felt he was appropriate to the setting. A model of his head and tail was built, while primacord explosives were used for his ripple movements in the sand. This was potentially dangerous to cast members, generating genuine terror in the actors' performances.[46]

Release

Transformers had its worldwide premiere at N Seoul Tower on June 11, 2007.[47] The film's June 27 premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival used a live digital satellite feed to project the film on to a screen.[48] A premiere took place at Rhode Island on June 28, which was a freely available event giving attendees the opportunity to buy tickets for $75 to benefit four charities: the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, the Autism Project of Rhode Island, Adoption Rhode Island, and Hasbro Children's Hospital.[49] The film was released on IMAX on September 21 2007,[50] with an additional two minutes of footage that were not included in the general theatrical release.[51]

File:Julian Beever Mountain Dew art photo by David Shankbone.jpg
Mountain Dew sidewalk chalk advert featuring Bumblebee on a New York City pavement, by Julian Beever

Marketing

Further information: Transformers: The Movie toy line, Transformers: Movie Prequel, Transformers: Movie Adaptation, Transformers: Ghosts of Yesterday, and Transformers: The Game

Hasbro's toy line for the film was created over two months in late 2005/early 2006, in heavy collaboration with the filmmakers.[23] Protoform Optimus Prime and Starscream were released in the United States on May 1 2007, and the first wave of figures was released on June 2.[23] The line featured characters not in the film, including Arcee.[21] A second wave, entitled "All Spark Power", was set for release late 2007, which consisted of repaints and robotic versions of ordinary vehicles in the film.[52] The toys feature "Automorph Technology", where moving parts of the toy allow other parts to shift automatically.[53]

Deals were made with 200 companies to promote the film in 70 countries.[54] Michael Bay directed tie-in commercials for General Motors, Burger King and PepsiCo,[55] while props—including the Camaro used for Bumblebee and the All Spark—were put up for charity sale on eBay.[56] A viral marketing alternate reality game was employed through the Sector 7 web site, which presented the film and all previous Transformers toys and media as part of a cover-up operation called "Hungry Dragon," perpetrated by a "real life" Sector 7 to hide the existence of "real" Transformers. The site featured several videos presenting "evidence" of Transformers on Earth, including a cameo from the original Bumblebee.[57]

Home video

Transformers was released in Region 1 territories on October 16 2007 on DVD and HD DVD formats. The standard DVD was released in single-disc and two-disc editions.[58] The Wal-Mart edition of the DVD included an animated version of the prequel comic book, entitled Transformers Beginnings. Mark Ryan, Peter Cullen and Kevin Dunn reprised their roles, while Frank Welker played Megatron.[59] The Target casing is a transformable two-dimensional image of Optimus Prime,[60] and it contained a prequel comic book focusing on the Decepticons.[59] The DVD sold 8.3 million copies in its first week, making it the fastest-selling DVD of 2007 in North America, and it sold 190 thousand copies on HD DVD, which at the time was the biggest debut on the format.[61] The DVDs sold 13.74 million copies, making the film the most popular DVD title of 2007.[62]

Reaction

Transformers fans were initially divided over the film due to the radical redesigns of many characters, although the casting of Peter Cullen was warmly received.[21] Transformers comic book writer Simon Furman and Beast Wars script consultant Benson Yee both warmly received it as spectacular fun, but Furman argued there were too many human storylines.[63] Yee felt that being the first in a series, the film had to establish much of the fictional universe and therefore did not have time to focus on the Decepticons.[64] Nonetheless, the film created a greater awareness of the franchise and drew in many new fans.[65] Transformers' box office success led to the active development of films based on Voltron and Robotech,[66] as well as a Knight Rider remake.[67]

Box office performance

The film was released in ten international markets on June 28 2007, including Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and the Philippines. Transformers made $29.5 million in its first weekend, topping the box office in ten countries including a $1.7 million four-day weekend gross in Singapore.[68] It grossed $5.2 million in Malaysia, becoming the most successful film in the country's history.[69] Transformers opened in China on July 11, and became the second highest-grossing foreign film in the country (behind Titanic), making $37.3 million.[70] Its opening there set a record for a foreign language film, making $3 million.[71] The film was officially released in the United Kingdom on July 27, making £8.7 million, and helped contribute to the biggest attendance record ever for that weekend. It was second at the UK box office, behind The Simpsons Movie.[72] The film has grossed $706.3 million worldwide, including $319 million in the United States, making it Michael Bay's highest grossing film to date, not adjusting for inflation.[73]

The film was released in the United States and Canada on July 3 2007, with 8 p.m. preview screenings on July 2. The US previews earned $8.8 million,[74] and in its first day of general release it grossed $27.8 million, a record for Tuesday box office attendance. It broke Spider-Man 2's record for the biggest July 4 gross, making $29 million.[75] On its opening weekend, Transformers grossed $70.5 million, amounting to a $155.4 million opening week, giving it the record for the biggest opening week for a non-sequel.[76] The opening's domestic gross was 50% more than Paramount Pictures expected. One executive attributed it to word of mouth that explained to parents that "it [was] OK to take the kids". A Cinemascope poll indicated the film was most popular with children and parents, including older women, and attracted many African American and Latino viewers.[77]

Critical reception

Reviews of the film were generally favourable.[78] Review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes reported that 56% of critics gave the film positive write-ups, based on 195 reviews,[79] with a 68% rating from selected "notable" critics.[80] At the website Metacritic, which assigns its own subjective rating out of 100 to each review, the film has received an average score of 61, based on 35 reviews.[78] IGN's Todd Gilchrist called it Michael Bay's best film, and "one of the few instances where it's OK to enjoy something for being smart and dumb at the same time, mostly because it's undeniably also a whole lot of fun".[81] The Advertiser's Sean Fewster found the visual effects so seamless that "you may come to believe the studio somehow engineered artificial intelligence".[82] The Denver Post's Lisa Kennedy praised the depiction of the robots as having "a believably rendered scale and intimacy",[83] and ABC presenter Margaret Pomeranz was surprised "that a complete newcomer to the Transformers phenomenon like myself became involved in the fate of these mega-machines".[84] Ain't It Cool News's Drew McWeeny felt most of the cast grounded the story, and that "it has a real sense of wonder, one of the things that’s missing from so much of the big CGI lightshows released these days".[85] Author Peter David found it ludicrous fun, and said that "[Bay] manages to hold on to his audience's suspension of disbelief long enough for us to segue into some truly spectacular battle scenes".[86]

Despite the praise for the visual effects, there was division over the human storylines. The Hollywood Reporter's Kirk Honeycutt liked "how a teen plotline gets tied in to the end of the world",[87] while Empire's Ian Nathan praised Shia LaBeouf as "a smart, natural comedian, [who] levels the bluntness of this toy story with an ironic bluster".[88] Ain't It Cool News founder Harry Knowles felt Bay's style conflicted with Spielberg's, arguing the military story only served as a distraction from Sam.[89] James Berardinelli hated the film as he did not connect with the characters in-between the action, which he found tedious.[90] Los Angeles Times' Kenneth Turan found the humans "oddly lifeless, doing little besides marking time until those big toys fill the screen",[91] while ComingSoon.net's Joshua Stames felt the Transformers were "completely believable, right up to the moment they open their mouths to talk, when they revert to bad cartoon characters".[92] Daily Herald's Matt Arado was annoyed that "the Transformers [are] little more than supporting players", and felt the middle act was sluggish.[93] CNN's Tom Charity questioned the idea of a film based on a toy, and felt it would "buzz its youthful demographic... but leave the rest of us wondering if Hollywood could possibly aim lower".[94]

Awards

Before its release, Transformers was voted "Best Summer Movie You Haven't Seen Yet" at the 2007 MTV Movie Awards.[95] Entertainment Weekly named Bumblebee as their fourth favorite computer generated character,[96] while The Times listed Optimus Prime's depiction as the thirtieth best film robot, citing his coolness and dangerousness.[97] Visual effects supervisor Scott Farrar was honored at the Hollywood Film Festival and Hollywood Awards Gala Ceremony on October 22 2007 for his work on the film.[98]

In 2008, Transformers was nominated for three Academy Awards, in the fields of Achievement in Sound Editing, Achievement in Sound Mixing, and Achievement in Visual Effects.[99] The Visual Effects Society awarded Transformers four awards: for the best visual effects in an "effects driven" film and the "best single visual effects sequence" (the Optimus-Bonecrusher battle). The film's other two awards were for its miniatures and compositing.[100]

Sequel

Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg are expected to return as director and executive producer for Transformers 2, and Paramount has announced a June 26 2009 release.[101] Shia LaBeouf,[102] Megan Fox[103] and Peter Cullen are signed on to return.[104] In February 2008, Bay said that the Dinobots would not appear, but promised various Cybertronian species would be introduced.[105] Ehren Kruger was hired to write the script, alongside the returning Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman.[106] Filming is expected to begin on June 2 2008:[107] to avoid delays caused by the writers strike, Bay wrote the script himself.[108] IDW Publishing will release its own comic book sequel to the film, Transformers Movie Sequel: The Reign of Starscream, the first issue of which is due in April 2008.[109]

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External links

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