The Man Behind Optimus Prime

 

Transformers : Revenge of the Fallen (trailer 2 2009)

 

Transformers The Movie Revewied

Transformers is a true-to-form summer blockbuster. Based on an already successful toy and TV cartoon franchise, Transformers recreates in the big screen the same awe inspiring imagination that many of us who grew up watching them on TV experienced. Maybe because Peter Cullen voiced Optimus Prime, the same guy who voiced Optimus Prime in the cartoons. I’m not gonna dwell on the plot, it’s basically Autobots vs. Decepticons on Earth, duh.

But many familiar guys are here. Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Ratchet, Jazz, and Ironhide for the Autobots. Megatron, Starscream, Barricade, Devastator, Bonecrusher, and Blackout for the Decepticons. Bumblebee is updated. He used to be a VW bug. He’s a Camaro now. Megatron is a jet with a big gun. He used to be just a big gun, often fired by Starscream. I remember Ratchet as an ambulance. He’s someting else in this movie. Devastator was the Constructicons combined into one. He’s his own Decepticon in this movie as a tank. Barricade was a racing car, but not one of the original Decepticons. He’s a Ford Mustang police squad car in this movie. Soundwave, my favorite Decepticon is missing. I liked him primarily because of his Cylon Raider-like voice. Yes, that’s the Cylons from old school Battlestar Galactica.

The action is fast and furious and, often, very hard to appreciate in one sitting. Too many things flying off and exploding. In the city street fight scene, Ironhide performs all sorts of acrobatic moves that I didn’t catch in the big screen. You have a 60 ft robot cartwheeling and tumbling on the streets to avoid incoming missiles. But it took me several loops to fully appreciate the scenes. All I remember from the theater was that it was a cool fight.

Another scene worth several views is Starscream jacking up the F-22’s. This scene really shows you how much more powerful the Transformers are from the human-made machines.

Aside the Autobots and Decepticons, one actor stood out for his comedic scenes, John Turturro as Agent Simmons of Sector 7. As the main representative for the secretive government department, John Turturro has the duty of retrieving Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) because of Sam’s dealings with the NBE’s (the Transformers). A summer blockbuster is not complete without funny parts. And Agent Simmons has the goofy scenes reminding you that this movie is not to be taken seriously and is all for fun.