Ah, Transformers – where did it all go wrong?
Of course, some would ask whether anything went right with Michael Bay’s financially successful but critically panned trilogy. The Transformers cartoon was essentially an extended toy advert in many people’s eyes, and the films can easily be seen as an extension of that. But I have friends who loved the old cartoon series (more sophisticated at times than its premise would suggest), and who will forever have a soft spot in their heart for Optimus and company. But what about the films?
While I will admit that Revenge of The Fallen was a confusing mess and Dark of the Moon wasn’t much better, the series originally showed promise. The first film was unashamedly trashy and fun, and it didn’t take itself too seriously. The dialogue and acting left a little to be desired, but come on – this is a film about cool cars that turn into badass robots and beat the living daylights out of each other. You don’t expect Aaron Sorkin on scriptwriting duties. I was unfamiliar with the franchise before seeing the film, but its subtle blend of metal-on-metal-on-Megan Fox charmed me. When I heard there was a sequel in the works that promised even more epic battling, I looked forward to seeing it. But Revenge of the Fallen was a disappointment. The levity of the first film had turned into crass humour (three words: Giant Decepticon Testicles), the plot was stretched and nonsensical and worst of all, it was dull. These crimes were slightly lesser but similar in Dark of the Moon, which also suffered an absence of Megan Fox (the franchise’s best walking special effect) and an extreme running time that was not justified by the content.
Fundamentally, the second and third films strayed away from a winning formula. Transformers was never exactly going to be high cinema, but there’s no reason it couldn’t be an enjoyable, populist experience that justified the ticket price. Just look at some of the superhero films Marvel have put out in the last few years – they’re dumb, sure, but they’re great fun as well. The series needed tighter plotting, fewer characters and less aspiration to complicated themes. Transformers lost its way, and I think that it’s a great shame – the CGI is still breathtaking, and it seems like such a waste.
