Transformers One

The success of Bumblebee seems to have breathed new life into the Transformers films, resulting in the sequel Transformers: Rise of the Beasts and the prequel film Transformers One (TF One), which marks the franchise’s return to theatrical feature animation since 1986. Despite a more tempered reaction to the initial trailer, thanks in part to the mild confusion over the overall timeline post-Bumblebee caused by executive flip-flopping, I remained cautiously optimistic for TF One, enough to pick up an Optimus Prime popcorn bucket from a local Cinemark as well as jump at the chance to purchase tickets for an early TF One Fan Event for the Wednesday of release at a local AMC. Within that time, though I had heard positive word of mouth from previous early screenings, I also went so far as to hold off on buying any actual toys until I had seen the movie for myself to form my own opinion, regardless of availability. Upon finally getting the chance to see it, I genuinely found it to be the best piece of Transformers media I had seen (aside from the current Skybound comic) since Bumblebee.

Transformers: EarthSpark - Expedition

As most Transformers fans are familiar with, the franchise goes through a refresh every three years in an effort to attract new fans. 2022 saw the launch of the most recent incarnation, Transformers: EarthSpark, on Paramount+, which follows the batch release format and completed its first Season last year, with a second on the way as of this writing. As someone who has been watching it in an effort to stay current with the TV side of the franchise as much as possible, I so far don’t find it to be on the same level as Prime or Animated in terms of story, but I think it has some great animation and interesting ideas, such as the concept of the Terrans and the Season 1 antagonist Mandroid, and I’m at least curious to see what the second season will bring (that said, the Season 1 ending was a little rough).

Last year, a video game based on the cartoon was also announced called Transformers: EarthSpark – Expedition (Expedition), which caught my interest due to being what seemed more like the sort of Transformers console gaming experience I been wanting since Fall of Cybertron, though I had already tempered my expectations due to it being a family-oriented game published by Outright Games. Said expectations were met just by glancing at gameplay on display at Comic-Con that year, but I still wanted to experience it myself, eventually getting it on sale for Black Friday after it came out later in the year. Despite a PS5 version having been announced, I could not find any evidence of its availability in the US, which led me to get the PS4 version with a free PS5 upgrade. While the game did meet my already tempered expectations, I feel like it could still have been better.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

Following the success and positive reception to the 2018 Bumblebee film, Paramount Pictures and Hasbro began to rethink the direction of the live-action Transformers universe, including a mix of live-action and animated films. Around this time, following a period of G1 oversaturation, Hasbro seemed to collectively remember that other portions of the brand exist and that not everyone started with or has nostalgia for the 1984 version, and so the first of these films, the live-action Rise of the Beasts, borrows characters and concepts from Beast Wars, the first new iteration of Transformers from 1996. While I do have some experience with the Beast Wars cartoon, as well as the Beast Machines sequel series, I will admit that I don’t have any clear memory of it, since I watched it on DVD when I was a kid, and out of order at that, plus it was not my gateway into the franchise (for me it was the 2001 Robots in Disguise series). Still, I became curious about it due to how good the last film was and that the director, Steven Caple Jr. (Creed II), is a fan of Beast Wars, giving me some hope for its quality despite trailers presenting an increasingly-worryingly complex plot. After getting to attend a Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Early Access Fan Event screening at AMC, my fears were assuaged and it turned out far better than I could have expected.

Second Look - Transformers: The Last Knight

Note: This review contains spoilers for Transformers: The Last Knight.

When I first watched Transformers: The Last Knight (TLK), I was able to view it in a theater one day early as part of AMC’s Optimus Prime Time event, which included a special lanyard and a T-shirt, both of which I still own even after having since downsized my Transformers collection. My original review of the film, which I wrote that night and posted the following day, was a lot more positive, likely influenced by having seen it in a theater that appeared to be filled with other Transformers fans. After having rewatched Age of Extinction (AOE), I decided to give The Last Knight another shot to round out my reevaluation of the live-action films prior to Bumblebee. This time, however, my view on it is a lot more negative.

Second Look - Transformers: Age of Extinction

Note: This review contains spoilers for Transformers: Age of Extinction.

Three years after Transformers: Dark of the Moon, a fourth live-action Transformers film, subtitled Age of Extinction, was released with the intent of kickstarting a new trilogy. When I first watched this film in the theater, and on subsequent viewings, my outlook on it was generally positive, as I had found it to be vast improvement over the first three installments to the point where I saw it as the best of the series. After Bumblebee proved to be a genuinely good movie in its own right, I decided to go back and reevaluate how I felt about this movie, viewing it through a Blu-ray release that featured the presentation of the IMAX version. While I still like it on some level, I noticed more of its flaws this time around.

Transformers: Prime - One Shall Stand

Note: This review contains spoilers for Transformers: Prime - One Shall Stand and the Transformers: Prime cartoon.

Even 10 years after its debut, Transformers: Prime remains one of my favorite Transformers cartoons, if not one of my favorite animated series in general. In light of the show’s 10^th anniversary, I decided to revisit one of the two feature-length edits of the show released by Shout! Factory, Transformers: Prime - One Shall Stand, which combines seven episodes of the series from the end of the first Season and the beginning of the second, removing commercial breaks and repeated scenes. While I have previously viewed the seven episodes both individually as they aired and in combined form, I had not previously reviewed the combined version. After giving it another look, I thought it worked very well for what it set out to accomplish and served to remind me why I loved the show in the first place.

Transformers: Devastation

While I haven’t played many games made by PlatinumGames, and I probably won’t, one game I was instantly attracted to was their take on Transformers in the form of Transformers: Devastation, thanks in part to the developers’ usual gameplay style and their attempts to capture the feeling of the 1984 The Transformers cartoon as close as possible. While I did play this game when it came out and liked it, I never gave the game a proper review since I was losing my enthusiasm for writing reviews at the time. After deciding to go back and do the game better justice, it’s still one of the better Transformers games out there and it manages to create a world with some interesting potential that will sadly never get properly fleshed out.

Second Look - Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark (PS3)

After playing through Transformers: War for Cybertron and its sequel Fall of Cybertron again, I decided to take another look at a third game in the series, Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark, developed by Edge of Reality rather than High Moon. What made this game stand out, however, was that it was advertised as a crossover between the aforementioned Cybertron games and the live-action film continuity, specifically the then-new Transformers: Age of Extinction. On my initial playthrough my thoughts on the game were a bit mixed, however after a second playthrough and some additional continuity research, I found my impressions a little more negative than they were before.

Second Look - Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Note: This review contains spoilers for Transformers: Dark of the Moon.

After taking another look at the storytelling mess that is Transformers:Revenge of the Fallen, I decided it might be worth taking another look at Transformers: Dark of the Moon, in light of how the Bumblebee film’s high quality got me to reevaluate the previous films. Though it was difficult finding the right time to do so due to its length, I managed to find a long-enough period of time after I finished revisiting the video game prequel to the movie. While the film itself is still a vast improvement over the previous film and has some great moments in it, there are some issues with its pacing that prevent it from being more enjoyable than it actually is.

Second Look - Transformers: Fall of Cybertron (PS3)

Following the release of Transformers: War for Cybertron, a sequel was released in 2012 called Transformers: Fall of Cybertron, continuing the story of the previous game. I recall being hyped for this game when it first came out, and upon playing it believed it to have lived up to that hype, though I had decided to replay it following the preceding game to see if my opinion had changed at all after eight years. While I maintain that Fall of Cybertron is one of the best Transformers games that’s been released thus far, I ran into some technical difficulties that I hadn’t seen before, which ended up affecting my experience to a degree.

Second Look - Transformers: Dark of the Moon (PS3)

During my efforts to look back on the Transformers games set in Warfor Cybertron’s continuity to celebrate its 10^th anniversary, I decided to also take another look at the video game tie-in to Transformers: Dark of the Moon, one of my favorite Transformers games and arguably one of the better representations of the live-action film continuity. Things got off to a rocky start, however, since the game somehow managed to render itself literally unplayable on the PlayStation 3 I originally played it on. Fortunately, I happened to have another, separate PS3 that our family uses to watch movies, and upon the initial install, the game ran without issue. After getting to experience the game for the first time again, I thought it held up well after nearly a decade, even with some imperfections in the storytelling.

Second Look - Transformers: War for Cybertron (PS3)

For much of Transformers history, the video game offerings have often been considered one of the weaker aspects of the franchise, with the most tolerated one being the 2004 Transformers game based on the Transformers Armada cartoon. In 2010, the High Moon Studios-developed game Transformers: War for Cybertron displayed that it was, indeed, possible to make a good game based on the franchise and its core concepts, with the overall quality of Transformers games having largely improved since then. To celebrate the 10^th anniversary of this (for its time) ground-breaking game, I decided to revisit it to see how well it held up, as well as offer a bit of a retrospective on its place in canon and overall impact on the brand. Despite some issues with the game on a technical level, I found it to still be a solid experience after all this time.

Transformers: Prime - The Game (3DS)

Note: The following review contains spoilers for Transformers: Prime - The Game and the Transformers: Prime cartoon.

In 2010, Hasbro launched what is known within Transformers fandom as the “Aligned” continuity family, which was intended to create a more unified Transformers universe rather than the regular reboot every five or so years. As some continuity kerfuffles (patched up largely through the Covenant of Primus book) and the advent of later continuities have proven, such as the current-airing Cyberverse cartoon on Cartoon Network and IDW’s Transformers comic receiving a complete continuity reboot earlier this year, this obviously didn’t pan out as well as intended. However, the central piece of fiction was the Transformers: Prime cartoon on The Hub Network (which I have talked about before). While the Prime cartoon was in its second Season, a video game adaptation telling an original story, dubbed Transformers: Prime – The Game, was released on Wii, DS and 3DS in October 2012, with a Wii U version released a month later as a launch title for the system. Unlike many previous Transformers games, what makes this game unique is that the story is the same across all platforms, with only the presentation being different. As I had been wanting to play the game for a while, I would eventually obtain the 3DS version, and even then I only got around to playing it recently; though it didn’t take as long to play as I thought it would, it was still overall a fun experience while it lasted.

Second Look - Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Note: The following review contains spoilers for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and potentially other Transformers stories.

Following the success of the 2007 Transformers film, a sequel was inevitable. This sequel, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (ROTF), was released in 2009 to negative reviews, not helped by the script being one of many victims of a then-recent Writer’s Guild of America strike. Though I reviewed this film already, I’ve been wanting to re-review it for a while as I wasn’t sure whether the thoughts presented in it were entirely my own. For this, I decided to watch the movie again, this time via the Walmart-exclusive Big Screen Edition Blu-ray; though I’m not one to actively support Walmart, this set is unique in that it also includes the IMAX footage, a rarity amongst home video releases. Upon what is approximately my third or fourth viewing of this movie, I can safely say that, even as a Transformers fan, I genuinely did not enjoy it.

Bumblebee

Following the failure of Transformers: The Last Knight at the box office, the next scheduled film in the Live-Action Film Series, a prequel titled Transformers Universe: Bumblebee Bumblebee: The Movie Bumblebee, was set to be the last one while Hasbro rethinks the direction of the franchise. The change in Director from Michael Bay to Travis Knight, in addition to the trailers, had me curious about how this movie would turn out, since Knight’s directorial debut, Kubo and the Two Strings, turned out really well. Upon being able to see a recent early screening of the movie two weeks before its official release (in which it will go head-to-head with Aquaman), it turned out to far exceed my expectations in the best possible way.

As the war for Cybertron rages on, while the Autobot cast from the 2007 movie loads into escape pods, Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen) sends Bumblebee (Dylan O’Brien) to Earth to establish a base of operations for the Autobots. On 1987 Earth, Bumblebee crash-lands, interrupting a military exercise. Following a battle with the Decepticon Blitzwing (David Sobolov), Bumblebee blacks out. Meanwhile, teenager Charlie Watson (Hailee Steinfeld) is facing challenges in her daily life, including not getting along with her family and holding a job at Hotdog on a Stick, wishing she could have her own car. On her birthday, she stumbles upon a yellow Volkswagon Beetle, which turns out to be Bumblebee in disguise. As Bumblebee starts to get along with Charlie, the Decepticons Shatter (Angela Bassett) and Dropkick (Justin Theroux) are hot on his trail.

The story is written very well, telling a story that works (mostly) well as a prequel to the 2007 movie while being very easy to follow and able to stand up on its own. This is backed by some very good casting, especially on the parts of Hailee Steinfeld as Charlie Watson and pro wrestler/internet meme John Cena as Agent Jack Burns, in addition to some very well-timed and largely tasteful humor. There are a number of moments between Charlie and Bumblebee that evoke The Iron Giant in a good way, taking a note from the Transformers: Prime cartoon, which feels better than the human/robot relationships in the other live-action movies. As a prequel, there are at least a handful of retcons that more observant viewers of these films may notice (such as, among other things, the origin of Bumblebee’s lack of a voice box and some backstory of Sector 7), though the story is overall good enough that these discrepancies can be overlooked.

One thing of note is the general design of the robot characters is different than in previous live-action films, though generally for the better. The designs are sort of a happy medium between the G1 cartoon and the live-action aesthetic, being much more heavily streamlined than in Age of Extinction and The Last Knight. On Cybertron, the robots (and the planet Cybertron) much more closely resemble the G1 incarnations while taking cues from the Fall of Cybertron game, whereas the Earth designs of the characters Blitzwing and Bumblebee take more liberties (the latter being a cross between G1 and the 2007 movie in robot mode) while new characters Shatter and Dropkick (the latter of whom isn't wholly original; it’s complicated) make use of the aforementioned streamlined “movie” look. As noted in a special behind-the-scenes video following the screening, they actively tried to give each robot a unique silhouette and color scheme, which, combined with Travis Knight’s animation experience and there being a much smaller robot cast this time around, worked out very well in the end.

Though there are a lot more quiet moments in this movie, the few action scenes are just as intense as ever, though improved by the shrunken robot cast. Bumblebee only ever battles one or two Decepticons at any time, making them much more intimate and increasing the tension of each fight. This is helped by the more conservative presence of explosions, making them feel much more well-deserved. The final battle with Shatter and Dropkick, who feel a lot more fleshed out than most other past Decepticons, is a true spectacle, as are flashback scenes to the war on Cybertron, thanks to more intimate framing that makes you feel like you're in the middle of the action.

Bumblebee is very solid and legitimately the best of the Transformers Live-Action Film Series. The change in Director to Travis Knight provides a much-needed change of pace and an overall much different feel from the other live-action movies; I would even dare say it’s what the 2007 movie should have been. Transformers fans, whether they enjoy the live-action movies or not, will find some entertainment in this movie, as it represents the best of what the film series has to offer (more die-hard fans will also enjoy some seemingly Easter egg references to other incarnations of the brand). Non-fans are likely to find some entertainment as well, as the movie is more accessible to casual viewers than previous films. The idea has been floating around that there is potential for this film to be good starting point for Hasbro to reboot the live-action films and/or use it as a starting point for a planned cinematic universe; if this turns out to be true, I wouldn’t mind either way.

To read more Transformers-related reviews, see our Transformers Review Hub.

2017 - The Highlights (Tetris_King)

With another year drawing to a close, it is once again time to reflect on what we did and did not like about it. As with last year, a large number of new movies were watched and a good amount of new games were played, resulting in a rather lengthy list I found difficult to trim down. Much like last year, due to the high volume of movies from this year that I actually enjoyed, I have split my top movies of the year between live-action and animation. As per usual, the lists below are presented in no particular order, with links to reviews on the blog where applicable.

Top Live-Action Movies of 2017

Wonder Woman

After a few missteps while struggling to keep up with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it looks like the DC Extended Universe may finally be headed in the right direction. Wonder Woman succeeds where it predecessors failed, providing an enjoyable experience with an overall more light-hearted tone and a hero you actually want to root for. With a sequel set for release in a couple years, hopefully the DCEU can live up to what Wonder Woman has to offer.

Transformers: The Last Knight

Beginning from this movie, the Transformers Live-Action Film Series is set to become its own Cinematic Universe. Having been hyped enough to attend a special early screening, I found myself enjoying the film in spite of its flaws (more on that below). While the movie has a lot of plot in it, the well-placed humor and world-building (including borrowing elements from the “Aligned” continuity) kept my interest throughout. If the upcoming Bumblebee: The Movie, to be directed by Laika alumni Travis Knight, is any good, then the new Cinematic Universe might turn out well in the end.

Logan

Another R-rated X-Men movie produced after the success of Deadpool, Logan puts the spotlight on Wolverine once again, this time taking place in a future without mutants as he winds up protecting both an out-of-control Charles Xavier and a small child with mutant powers similar to his own as they make their way to a supposed mutant sanctuary. Logan manages to both tell a well-written mature story and make itself accessible to newcomers, meaning you do not need to have seen any of the previous X-Men movies to follow along. In short, Logan is a mature comic book movie done right, as well as a great movie on its own merits. The black-and-white version, Logan Noir (included with the Blu-ray), is also worth a viewing, since, though telling the same story, it offers a much different experience.

Wonderstruck

Having enjoyed Hugo, I was intrigued to find out another Brian Selznick book was being adapted, to the point where I bought the book at the signing I was at and read it shortly thereafter. The movie, written by Selznick, is not only a streamlined, faithful adaptation of the book, it also tells a rather engaging story that makes it an enjoyable movie in its own right (though it does drag a little bit in one spot). It doesn’t have the same tone or style as Hugo, however I loved Wonderstruck all the same.

Thor: Ragnarok

The Thor movies have never been the strongest movies in the MCU for me, and so this newest entry caught me by surprise. Not only is this movie highly entertaining to watch, I would honestly consider it one of the best movies of Phase 3 so far. It breathes new life into the Thor sub-series by not taking itself entirely seriously, with moments of genuine humor found all throughout the movie as well as some new development on the Hulk. Only time will tell if this new take on the God of Thunder will carry over into the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War.

Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi

Following up on The Force Awakens, this movie picks up where it left off and provides a lot more insight into Rey and Kylo Ren. As with Transformers: The Last Knight, a lot of events transpire in this movie, some of which could arguably have been shortened a little, however I found the story engaging and found myself overall enjoying it. It’s not exactly the best Star Wars movie one could hope for, however it is worth watching, especially if you want to see the late Carrie Fisher play Princess Leia one last time.

Top Animated Movies of 2017

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Dark Side of Dimensions

As a Yu-Gi-Oh! fan, I was already looking forward to this movie upon learning details at a Comic-Con panel featuring creator Kazuki Takahashi himself. Taking place after the end of the original manga, the movie introduces a new villain, Aigami, while placing the spotlight on Seto Kaiba and his growing ambitions to defeat the Pharaoh in a Duel. The movie is animated spectacularly and gives some good character development to both Yugi and Kaiba as they head towards their future goals, plus it was actually nice to hear the English voice actors reprise their roles once more. Aigami is also given some good development for a movie-exclusive character, which is more than I can say for Anubis from the Pyramid of Light movie, though even as a Yu-Gi-Oh! fan I couldn’t quite understand how Dimension Dueling, Aigami’s preferred method, worked exactly. Still, the movie is highly entertaining for existing fans of the series and is worth a look.

Your Name.

My interest in this movie came from hearing how successful and highly praised this boy-meets-girl story was in its native Japan, and so I took the chance to view it as part of a limited theatrical run. I could see where the praise was coming from, as I got emotionally invested in both the plot and characters. I don’t want to give anything away, though I would consider Your Name. a must-see anime film.

Loving Vincent

This movie’s premise is rather interesting, telling the story of someone investigating renowned artist Vincent van Gogh’s final days and getting multiple viewpoints on how his death played out. While the story is very engaging, the main draw is the movie’s animation style, being animated entirely using 65,000+ paintings that emulate van Gogh’s particular painting style to amazing effect. This, combined with imagery and characters inspired by the subjects of van Gogh’s paintings, creates a very immersive world that you’ll want to visit again.

Top Games of 2017

Little Nightmares

Little Nightmares is a horror game that’s very effective at building up and maintaining an atmosphere throughout. While not the type of horror you can find in Resident Evil 7, this game goes more for the psychological, and the overall design and aesthetic contribute to this expertly well to create a very unnerving experience. With a string of DLC and a comic book currently being rolled out, this is an experience I’d gladly revisit once it’s all been made available.

Puyo Puyo Tetris

In a rather unexpected crossover, the Puyo Puyo and Tetris puzzle game series have come together for the first time, delivering normal Puyo Puyo and Tetris gameplay in addition to a number of other game modes (including a mode that combines the two games together). The music and sound design are also good, as is a surprisingly entertaining story mode featuring Puyo Puyo characters meeting a new set of characters representing Tetris. Though I had more fun with the Tetris segments due to personal skill level, I did find myself getting the hang of Puyo Puyo’s gameplay over time, which helped me get more into the other game modes. This is a great game for puzzle fans, especially for those who enjoy Tetris and/or Puyo Puyo.

Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy

Having never played any of the Crash Bandicoot games prior to this collection (unless the cameo in Skylanders: Imaginators counts), I found myself really enjoying it. Though difficult, the three games in this collection have a world and characters that keep you wanting more even in the face of failure, especially in regards to the first installment. With intricately remade graphics, great voice acting and a catchy soundtrack that doesn’t stop, Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is the perfect starting point for any new Crash Bandicoot fan.

Cuphead

Before this game was released, I was hyped up by the art direction alone, taking inspiration from 1930’s cartoons and being animated entirely by hand. The game itself has a very strong difficulty curve, however beating a boss to get their Soul Contract is very satisfying and makes you want to go back for more. The visuals capture the 1930’s aesthetic very faithfully, which, along with the gameplay, make the game’s lengthy development cycle worth it. Regardless of whether you're in it for the gameplay, the animation is something that would make me recommend it to those who are fans of this particular style or possibly even animation students looking to study said style.

Top Disappointments of 2017

Transformers: The Last Knight

In spite of my praise for this movie above, I recognize the movie has some issues. Aside from any plot holes (one being Bumblebee’s new ability to Iron Giant himself back together to sell more toys), the movie has an overabundance of story, including a whole Suicide Squad-style sequence that ultimately goes nowhere, and so things could have easily been cut to shorten the run time. There’s also admittedly an overabundance of new characters, most of which don’t even have toys to sell, and the short screen time for many of them makes it a little difficult to care. Regardless, the next two films, one of which centers on Bumblebee, have a chance to rectify where this one went wrong.

Despicable Me 3

After the disappointment of Minions, Illumination had the opportunity to steer the Despicable Me franchise back on track. Unfortunately, while somewhat better than Minions, this movie suffers from an overabundance of sub-plots, leaving not much room for development for either characters or story and lowering my expectations for a teased fourth installment. The only real saving grace of the movie is Trey Parker as the entertaining villain Balthazar Bratt, and even then, his performance alone could not salvage it.

Sharknado 5: Global Swarming

The Sharknado series began as a funny joke, however that joke has probably more than run its course. While it may have been able to sustain itself for 3 movies and pushed it a bit with 4, the fifth annual installment, Global Swarming, fails to really capture the same enjoyment, relying more heavily on B-list cameos, plot contrivances, shoe-horned references and ripping off better movies to keep swimming. Though the ending teases the inevitable Sharknado 6, it seems like it may be time for this shark to finally stop swimming.

Ghost in the Shell (2017)

I’ll admit my experience with Ghost in the Shell lies mainly within the 1995 animated feature and the Stand Alone Complex (SAC) anime series, however I actually enjoyed those unlike this movie. Casting controversies aside, the 2017 movie manages to capture the look of Ghost in the Shell, though I can’t say the same about the feel. It does take some scenes from the 1995 movie almost wholesale to try and ground it within that setting (while also borrowing elements from SAC), however it can’t seem to decide whether it wants to be a remake or tell an original story, overall just falling short of its real potential. If you’re looking to have a good time with Ghost in the Shell, you may as well just stick with the 1995 movie instead.

Justice League

After Wonder Woman pushed the DCEU in the right direction, Justice League feels more like a step back. Odd villain choice aside, the movie attempts to emulate the MCU’s The Avengers without understanding exactly what made it work so well, establishing a team before many of the individual members rather than the other way around. There is some humor in places and the movie is overall a major step up from Batman v Superman, however that isn’t saying much and it overall wasn’t as fun as the movie it was trying to copy. The upcoming Aquaman movie has some promise to turn things back around, hopefully borrowing more from Wonder Woman rather than this film.

Honorable Mentions

The Hitman’s Bodyguard

Though a bit of a sleeper movie, The Hitman’s Bodyguard is one that I found rather enjoyable. The main draw though is that it co-stars both Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson, each essentially playing a version of their most famous characters (Wade Wilson/Deadpool and Nick Fury, respectively); the two of them have surprisingly good chemistry together, their characters being good foils for each other. It’s not likely the two will share a movie like this again (pending company merger notwithstanding), though in any case it’s still worth a viewing.

Skylar & Plux: Adventure on Clover Island

Another game in the recent 3D platformer revival boom, what attracted me to this particular title was, in addition to the art direction, the ability to manipulate time to solve puzzles. Though it has some shortcomings (including some technical issues), the game is actually pretty enjoyable and I found the approach to puzzle-solving interesting. While not perfect, the game presents enough potential for a follow-up title, though whether the developer will tap into this potential remains to be seen.

Rime

While I was once again captivated by the art direction, what interested me was the idea of exploring an island and solving puzzles (though it presents itself in a more linear, story-focused fashion). The puzzles can get a little difficult, however this did not stop me as I wanted to get through it and discover what the island was all about. These puzzles, coupled with a powerful ending (plus one of the best tutorials I have ever seen), make Rime definitely worth a look.

Second Look - Transformers (2007)

Note: This review contains unmarked spoilers relating to the Transformers Live-Action Film Series.

While the Transformers brand had not been dormant since the 1980s, its popularity did stagger a bit, to where it managed to run continuously in some form for about 20 years without really hitting mainstream popularity. In 2007, the first ever live-action movie based on the brand, simply titled Transformers, was released to mixed reception, however it did manage to bring more attention and renewed interest to Transformers as a whole, which eventually lead to a tetralogy of films before shifting more towards the direction of a Cinematic Universe. In honor of the 10^th anniversary of this film, we present a second look at Transformers (2007).

Years ago, war was waged on the planet Cybertron over the Allspark, a special cube that is the source of Transformers life. To prevent the Decepticons from using the Allspark for their own gain, the Allspark was launched into space, only for Cybertron to begin slowly dying, resulting in a mission to retrieve the cube from planet Earth, where it eventually landed. On a US military base on Qatar, the Decepticon Blackout stages an attack to steal important data by disguising himself as a downed military copter, with William Lennox (Josh Duhamel) and a group of other military men to fend for themselves. Meanwhile, Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) is buying a used car, one which turns out to be more than meets the eye.

The story is pretty easy to follow and, by comparison to other movies in the Live-Action Film Series, is pretty light on overt references to preceding Transformers lore. Regardless, while it is written pretty decently, it is not without its flaws. In particular, there are some scenes involving toilet humor that could have been removed to make a stronger narrative, a particularly infamous scene being Bumblebee (voiced by various audio clips early on, Mark Ryan at the end) taking a piss on Agent Seymour Simmons (John Turturro). One other scene that could definitely have been shortened significantly is a scene where the Autobots wait outside Sam’s room as he searches for his grandfather’s glasses. When his parents enter the room, his mom (Julie White) comes to the conclusion he had been pleasuring himself; it’s safe to say that the length and awkwardness of this entire scene are not the only reasons it received an edit for some television broadcasts.

In spite of this, the movie is actually really funny in places, especially in scenes involving actors Bernie Mac (as used car salesman Bobby Bolivia) and Anthony Anderson (as computer expert Glenn Whitman). There is also plenty of action in the movie, although it’s usually more interesting to watch whenever it involves the military, to the point where one can wonder why William Lennox is not the main character in place of Sam Witwicky, if only because Sam’s side of the story seems to have been written a bit more awkwardly than Lennox’s side. In scenes not involving the military, however, two standout action sequences are the fight between Autobot Bumblebee and Decepticon Barricade (Jess Harnell), and the intense highway battle as the Autobots and Decepticons travel to Mission City for the final battle; a highlight in the latter is Decepticon Bonecrusher (Jimmie Wood) making use of his vehicle mode tires as though they were roller skates.

Optimus Prime (right) and Bonecrusher (left) battling on the highway.

There are still some small plot holes in the movie, although most, if not all, of these gaps have since been filled in by tie-in media, mostly in the numerous comic books for the first three movies released by IDW Publishing (to be more fully resolved by writer/editor John Barber’s material for the Dark of the Moon tie-ins). This includes one particular hole in that Barricade, in spite of being featured in the highway battle, does not appear in the battle in Mission City; the Reign of Starscream sequel comic answers this by showing that Barricade crashed somewhere on the highway.

While it is a flawed story, it is still fairly enjoyable in spite of this. However, what makes the film particularly noteworthy is its impact on later installments in the Transformers franchise. The Allspark is a concept introduced in this film, which would go on to be featured as a major plot device in the 2008 Transformers Animated cartoon, which also took inspiration from this film for the initial Cybertronian design for Megatron. Another impact on Animated was the decision to change the character of Hot Shot in the planning stages to Bumblebee, explaining his personality shift from previous incarnations, although Hot Shot would later appear in the series via a minor cameo in Season 3. This movie’s depiction of Bumblebee also notably had an impact on the later Transformers: Prime cartoon, in that Bumblebee speaks through various sounds before regaining the ability to speak at the end; he would continue to be voiced in the (as of this writing) currently-running 2015 Robots in Disguise cartoon, a sequel series to Prime. This is to say nothing of Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen) featuring a mouth in this movie to allow for wider range of expression, which has since been adopted into other media for this reason.

Optimus Prime as seen in the 2015 Robots in Disguise cartoon, also voiced
by Peter Cullen.

The robot characters themselves are animated spectacularly well, with the animations managing to hold up after 10 years. Due to the way they are designed, it can be really interesting to see all the moving parts on the robots, including while idle, acting as a good display of skill on the part of the animators at Industrial Light and Magic. That being said, the robot designs have since been simplified starting from Age of Extinction, adding more solid parts and brighter colors to make them easier to keep track of for some audiences. If you’re an observant viewer, however, it is still possible to tell the characters apart on screen in part due to their varying silhouettes, though the smaller robot cast in this movie compared to later installments certainly helps when watching the climactic battle in Mission City.

The acting of the robot characters is good, most especially Peter Cullen notably returning to voice Optimus Prime beginning from this movie after having not voiced the character since the original 1984 cartoon. Peter Cullen has since become more of a staple in most Transformers media, proving his sheer passion for the character in the quality of his acting. Megatron, however is not voiced by Frank Welker in this movie, rather he is voiced by Hugo Weaving, who does an interesting take on the character as he does a good effort in emulating Welker. Welker himself would not actually voice the character again until The Last Knight, though he did have a presence in the movies beginning from Revenge of the Fallen, among them voicing Galvatron in Age of Extinction. Charlie Adler does an interesting take on Decepticon Starscream, although he would continue to improve with the character’s increased screentime in the following two movies (before Starscream’s death in Dark of the Moon).

The music by Steve Jablonsky, while good, is unfortunately not particularly memorable, though the score has since been released on CD for those who are curious. The licensed music, on the other hand, stands out from the other background music, in particular the song “What I’ve Done” by Linkin Park, which has an association with the movie perhaps on par with the association Stan Bush’s “The Touch” has with the 1986 movie. Also noteworthy is the song “This Moment” by Disturbed, which makes an appearance during the ending credits.

While the movie isn’t exactly being celebrated to the same extent as the 1986 animated feature, there is still some effort to pay homage to the movie’s 10^th anniversary. As part of the Japanese release of the The Last Knight toyline (over there called Transformers: The Last Knight King), Takara Tomy has a special subline called Transformers Movie The Best, featuring repaints of previously-released Movie toys to make their paint schemes more accurate to their on-screen counterparts. Ironically, however, none of the toys featured are actually from the original Movie toyline, though their heart is definitely in the right place.

This, for example, is based on a toy from the Revenge of the Fallen toyline.

As part of the movie’s continuing legacy, as mentioned previously, the Live-Action Film Series has since evolved into a Cinematic Universe, beginning with The Last Knight. There are, however, some rather noticeable retcons that more observant viewers can spot between the 2007 movie and The Last Knight. For instance, while The Last Knight makes a big deal about Bumblebee being able to speak again, including through some dialogue making overt reference to when Bumblebee was last heard speaking, the moment loses some of its intended impact when one remembers that Bumblebee was, in fact, able to speak at the end of this movie, only to be immediately forgotten in the sequels and related media taking place after the 2007 film. Then there’s the nature of the Allspark, which gets forgotten about by the end of Age of Extinction and for the entirety of The Last Knight, in favor of introducing the character Quintessa as their creator in reference to the Quintessons from the Generation 1 continuity. The Last Knight also seems to stretch the truth a little in regards to how long the Transformers have been on Earth, even factoring in other tie-in media, in a similar fashion to how the Marvel Cinematic Universe started to contradict what was presented in Iron Man regarding how long the organization S.H.I.E.L.D. has been around.

Though things have definitely changed about the Live-Action Film Series since its initial release, Transformers (2007) is still enjoyable to watch after 10 years, though it does have some rough edges that would eventually be improved upon in later installments. While divisive, the movie can still be credited for bringing the Transformers franchise back into the public eye and creating renewed interest in the brand after nearly 20 years. As a bonus, this movie also saw the return of Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime, and later Frank Welker as Megatron, in subsequent media. It’s not a movie for everyone, however I would still recommend giving it a fair shot if you are at all curious about it, especially since the movie itself has had its own impact on Transformers media.

[OLD] Transformers: The Last Knight

This film has been re-reviewed. Read it here: https://trophyunlocked.blogspot.com/2023/06/second-look-transformers-last-knight.html

Following the release and success of Age of Extinction, an effort has been made to turn the Transformers Live-Action Film Series into a Cinematic Universe as a way to cash-in on the recent trend to emulate the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This includes releasing a new Transformers film every year, or at least for the next three years, starting with the fifth installment, subtitled The Last Knight. In my anticipation to see this movie after enjoying the previous installment, I was able to view an early screening at AMC in 3D IMAX, in what was called the Optimus Prime Time event, in which attendees to the screening also received a free T-shirt and lanyard commemorating the event. While the movie certainly has flaws, I still enjoyed the movie, which I see as a good sign for the new direction of the Transformers Live-Action Film Series going forward.

In medieval England, the Knights of the Round Table are struggling in an epic battle, prompting the wizard Merlin (Stanley Tucci) to summon the aid of the Knights of Iacon, whose existence he had previously kept secret. In the present day, the world has fallen into chaos in the wake of Optimus Prime’s departure at the end of Age of Extinction, with Transformers being hunted down by a new group called the TRF. Meanwhile, on Cybertron, Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen) has met his maker, Quintessa (Gemma Chan), who subsequently brainwashes him, now under the name Nemesis Prime, into carrying out her plan to restore Cybertron at the cost of Earth.

The plot of the movie is generally easy to follow, although I will admit that the plethora of new characters introduced may muddy things for some people, as it now gives them more things to keep track of. That said, the movie seems to have embraced going in a sillier direction where it does not take itself so seriously, which I think will help the new Cinematic Universe in the long run. Though there is plenty of humor and well-spaced action scenes, a lot of the humor comes from an increase in cursing and rude gestures, however these things are not new to this continuity. On the subject of continuity, there are plenty of call-backs not only to previous installments in the Live-Action Film Series, but also to a number of things previously established in the Transformers mythos.

The visual effects are spectacular as always, especially in 3D, with each robot designed in a way to help them stand out, such as bright colors and more streamlined designs. There are, however, still a good amount of moving mechanical parts to provide some solid eye candy for those looking for it. The acting is also good, with some voice actors providing multiple roles in a way that still sound unique from each other. A couple stand-outs include Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime (as always) and Sir Anthony Hopkins as Sir Edmond Burton, the latter of which provides a good source of humor and helps tie the story to its medieval theme.

Transformers: The Last Knight is an excellent installment in the Transformers Live-Action Film Series and a great celebration of the series' 10^th anniversary. The story manages to make great use of its medieval theme, though, while not a complicated plot, there’s evidently at least a couple of retcons to try and make it work and the huge number of new characters can make some viewers not follow the fight scenes as easily. Still, this movie proves to be a step in the right direction for the new Cinematic Universe and is easily a must-see for both Transformers fans and fans of the Live-Action Film Series in particular.