Movie reviews: The Transformers (2007)

Transformers

Action/sci-fi

Runtime: 144 min

stars 2.5/4

The Transformers franchise was an eighties cult phenomenon, and a big part of my childhood. it was a great cartoon series and a line of action figures that were, looking back, some of my favourite toys as a kid. I have a good decade between now and the last time i ever even touched a transformer though i have seen the original ‘86 film on TV since then (man that takes me back) and the time has given me some perspective on the series though i have to admit I’m still gonna be a little biased in favour my childhood memories.

The Basic plot of the film is not much different then that of the original series, that being a war has raged for a really long time on a planet known as cybertron between the Autobots and the Decepticons. This time round, as Optimus Prime explains voiced by Peter Cullen of the original show, the war has ravaged the Transformers planet to the extent that it is incapable of supporting life anymore (weird place for an environmental message I thought) and the only thing that can possibly save cybertron is a powerful cube called the AllSpark (reminiscent of the Energon cubes of the show) unfortunately the decepticon head honcho Megatron is also seeking the AllSpark for it’s power to boost his diminished rooster of Decepti-Creeps (didn’t get that reference? search youtube for IronHide) Megatron has been looking the AllSpark for a while but gets trapped in the Arctic and freezes where, in the eighteen hundreds he is happened upon by an American explorer who also happens to the ancestor of our (human) protagonist Sam “Spike Witwicky (though i can’t remember anybody ever calling him Spike to the nod the G1 fans kinda falls flat) who has a map that Megatron burned into the glasses (and retina) of his great-great granpappy.

the map of course leads to the AllSpark, which the newly arrived Decepticons are looking for.

The second plot line involves a group of Special Forces soldiers in Qatar who are on their way back home and can’t wait to get reacquainted with their various foodstuffs, Women, Children and the like when they are attacked by the decepticon scorpinock. and this is where we can forget all about the plot, Who needs it? not this movie apparently seeing how it kicks it into high gear fairly early into the film and doesn’t stop until the lights go back on. this film is as action packed as they come and certainly the movie Micheal Bay was born to direct.

The

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Decepticon Profile: Starscream

In the 2007 Movie the writers agreed that Starscream would maintain his negative attitude and rivalry against Megatron. Although Starscream selfishly escapes when he notices the Decepticons had been demolished by the Autobots, the movie doesn’t do a good job of showing the rivalry between the two. Following Transformers tradition, Starscream can turn into a full powered jet. In this case he turns into a modified F-22, being bigger than the average Decepticon. Starscream’s Jet characteristics give him the ability to make huge jumps when he’s in robot mode. He can also use any of his two wings as deadly swords against his enemy.
 

Decepticon Profile : Barricade

As far as toys go, Barricade came included with the Race Track Patrol Package along with Roller force, Ground Hog and Motorhead. Oddly, in the Transformers: Energon series Barricade appears as leader of a group of Decepticons that combine to build the body of Bruticus-Maximus, and he’s portrayed as a missile truck.

Barricade from Transformers can transform into a Mustang Saleen S281 police car in the 2007 Transformers film, making him look like the Generation 1 Transformer Prowl. With his police car form he can easily hide from the humans and authorities, making him an excellent hunter and powerful opponent against Autobot Bumblebee. In the movie he gets to catch Sam Witwicky and interrogates him about his grandfather’s glasses that hold they to Megatron’s geographical location. It’s interesting to note that when he transforms into a car he can use a holographic devise and reproduce a human semblance that seems to drive both Barricade and Starscream in at least one occasion.

Barricade was originally supposed to be Brawl according to early versions of the script. However Brawl ended up being another evil Decepticon and his name was switched to Barricade. Whilst in car mode, depicted in his rear is a slogan that reads: “To punish and enslave”. According to the official video game, Barricade stands 16 feet tall and can boost his speed up to 300mph. However, director Michael Bay insists that he’s 18 feet tall and the Deluxe toy version implies a height of 19 feet – shoulder length. It’s a little known fact that Barricade appears in the movie’s prequel comic alongside Starscream and Blackout. When Barricade lands on earth he searches and destroys the police car from which he takes his alternate form, making sure there’s no one left alive. These three Decepticons carelessly fell into a trap planted by Sector 7 that was originally intended to capture Bumblebee. Of course they wasted no time in annihilating all the human military forces before such trap could catch them. After this massacre, Barricade pretends to lose Bumblebee and lets Starscream and Blackout follow him from the clouds.

In the movie, Barricade from Transformers is one of the most important and influential Decepticons. Alongside Starscream and maybe Scorponok he is generally assumed to remain alive for the sequel since no signs of his death are shown. However in the leaked script version he does die from an attack performed by Autobot leader Optimus Prime. However much anticipation covers this topic since the movie writers themselves imply that its an issue to be possibly addressed in the sequel.