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On September 18, 2024
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Movie Review: 'Transformers One,' an origin story no one wants with brutality levels no one needs
Movie origin stories finally reach their nadir this week with "Transformers One," the super-violent, toy-selling vehicle that tells the tale of how Optimus Prime and Megatron went from besties to foes, Associated Press critic Mark Kennedy says Movie origin stories finally reach their nadir this week with "Transformers One," the super-violent, toy-selling vehicle that tells the tale of how Optimus Prime and Megatron went from besties to foes. Did anyone ask for this? Did Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner ask for too much money? The computer-animated "Transformers One" is out of time, a throwback to a few years ago when Hollywood mined popular IP for forgotten heroes, built overly complex worlds and then ramped up the action so that the audience just got numbed to a blur of battles. But "Transformers One" isn't good enough to watch on a plane, even a trans-Pacific flight. The inflight map is better. A map isn't a bad idea, actually: You may need some sort of guide for this one -- those uninitiated to the folklore of Cybertron are flung helplessly into references to Energon, Alpha Trion, Quintessons and something called the Matrix of Leadership. You come in halfway into a conversation. The story by Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari is basically the Bible's Cain and Abel with a detour into the Roman Empire and the Hasbro figurines' accumulated mythology, which seems to be a series of never-ending epic battles between good and evil. Some stuff just seems downright weird, like why these robots need a gym or why after running they become breathless. The main heroes here are buddies Orion Pax and D-16 -- who will become mortal enemies Optimus Prime and Megatron by the end -- and we meet them when they are lowly miners, basically non-transforming bots digging for reserves of the energy cleverly called Energon. This is a society in which the upper class is made up of Transformers who stomp around preening while the lower classes do dirty jobs like comb through garbage. They all serve Sentinel Prime, the leader of the subterranean Iacon City, who is not what he seems. He is apparently the last of the Primes and lives in a marble palace, giving the people below spectacles as a diversion, like an epic road race. It gives off ancient Roman Coliseum vibes. Orion Pax (voiced with puppy-dog sweetness by Chris Hemsworth) is not satisfied by this life. "There's got to be something more I can do," he says. "Aren't you tired of being treated like you're nothing?" Brian Tyree Henry voices D-16 with skepticism and resignation. The two friends join with mining manager Elita-1 (Scarlett Johansson, bland) and Keegan-Michael Key's B-127 (who will later become fan favorite Bumblebee) to journey to the surface of the planet, find the Matrix of Leadership (a sort of necklace that might have been sold in the Sharper Image catalog) and get a hero's welcome. But they learn some unsavory things about the ruler from the Transformer elder statesman Alpha Trion (the instantly recognizable Laurence Fishburne). Director Josh Cooley, who co-wrote the screenplay for "Inside Out" and helmed "Toy Story 4," never lets the action stop -- and that's not a compliment. The camera is constantly swiveling and the violence -- assault-weapon lasers, booming cannons, light torture, martial arts crunching moves, beating a rival with their own amputated limb and ceaseless pounding -- is nauseating. ("Please stop punching me in the face" is a joke line here.) If Transformers ever bled, this would be an R-rated movie. The hyper-violence papers over some pretty robotic -- sorry! -- dialogue. Why do all these movies show the Transformers with cool upgrades like laser knives but they remain speaking in stilted, operatic prose? "I want him to suffer and die in darkness," "They are to be your undoing" and "Cybertron's future is in your hands." There are some good moments, of course. When our band of misfit bots get an upgrade to Transformer status, they cutely don't know how to do it seamlessly at first, with limbs awkwardly getting mixed with vehicle parts. Anyone who has played with the toys knows the feeling. And Key never fails to generate a chuckle, proving a masterful comedic voice actor. The other actors -- Jon Hamm and Steve Buscemi, included -- hardly register and the movie's main song -- "If I Fall" by Quavo, Ty Dolla $ign and Brian Tyler's Are We Dreaming -- feels like AI wrote both the uninteresting rap-rock beat and soupy lyrics ("I'm the alpha, omega, got lights on me, Vegas." Vegas?) The saddest thing about "Transformers One" is the wastefulness of another dull outing in a universe geared toward kids just learning to transform themselves. The lessons here, unfortunately, are that friends can become enemies overnight and you only win if you beat someone hard enough. "We're better than this," Orion Pax screams at his sudden rival at one point. No, they're not. "Transformers One," a Paramount release that lands in theaters Friday, is rated PG for "sci-fi violence and animated action throughout, and language." Running time: 103 minutes. Half a star out of four.
[2]
Movie Review: 'Transformers One,' an origin story no one wants with brutality levels no one needs
Movie origin stories finally reach their nadir this week with "Transformers One," the super-violent, toy-selling vehicle that tells the tale of how Optimus Prime and Megatron went from besties to foes. Did anyone ask for this? Did Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner ask for too much money? The computer-animated "Transformers One" is out of time, a throwback to a few years ago when Hollywood mined popular IP for forgotten heroes, built overly complex worlds and then ramped up the action so that the audience just got numbed to a blur of battles. But "Transformers One" isn't good enough to watch on a plane, even a trans-Pacific flight. The inflight map is better. A map isn't a bad idea, actually: You may need some sort of guide for this one -- those uninitiated to the folklore of Cybertron are flung helplessly into references to Energon, Alpha Trion, Quintessons and something called the Matrix of Leadership. You come in halfway into a conversation. The story by Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari is basically the Bible's Cain and Abel with a detour into the Roman Empire and the Hasbro figurines' accumulated mythology, which seems to be a series of never-ending epic battles between good and evil. Some stuff just seems downright weird, like why these robots need a gym or why after running they become breathless. The main heroes here are buddies Orion Pax and D-16 -- who will become mortal enemies Optimus Prime and Megatron by the end -- and we meet them when they are lowly miners, basically non-transforming bots digging for reserves of the energy cleverly called Energon. This is a society in which the upper class is made up of Transformers who stomp around preening while the lower classes do dirty jobs like comb through garbage. They all serve Sentinel Prime, the leader of the subterranean Iacon City, who is not what he seems. He is apparently the last of the Primes and lives in a marble palace, giving the people below spectacles as a diversion, like an epic road race. It gives off ancient Roman Coliseum vibes. Orion Pax (voiced with puppy-dog sweetness by Chris Hemsworth) is not satisfied by this life. "There's got to be something more I can do," he says. "Aren't you tired of being treated like you're nothing?" Brian Tyree Henry voices D-16 with skepticism and resignation. The two friends join with mining manager Elita-1 (Scarlett Johansson, bland) and Keegan-Michael Key's B-127 (who will later become fan favorite Bumblebee) to journey to the surface of the planet, find the Matrix of Leadership (a sort of necklace that might have been sold in the Sharper Image catalog) and get a hero's welcome. But they learn some unsavory things about the ruler from the Transformer elder statesman Alpha Trion (the instantly recognizable Laurence Fishburne). Director Josh Cooley, who co-wrote the screenplay for "Inside Out" and helmed "Toy Story 4," never lets the action stop -- and that's not a compliment. The camera is constantly swiveling and the violence -- assault-weapon lasers, booming cannons, light torture, martial arts crunching moves, beating a rival with their own amputated limb and ceaseless pounding -- is nauseating. ("Please stop punching me in the face" is a joke line here.) If Transformers ever bled, this would be an R-rated movie. The hyper-violence papers over some pretty robotic -- sorry! -- dialogue. Why do all these movies show the Transformers with cool upgrades like laser knives but they remain speaking in stilted, operatic prose? "I want him to suffer and die in darkness," "They are to be your undoing" and "Cybertron's future is in your hands." There are some good moments, of course. When our band of misfit bots get an upgrade to Transformer status, they cutely don't know how to do it seamlessly at first, with limbs awkwardly getting mixed with vehicle parts. Anyone who has played with the toys knows the feeling. And Key never fails to generate a chuckle, proving a masterful comedic voice actor. The other actors -- Jon Hamm and Steve Buscemi, included -- hardly register and the movie's main song -- "If I Fall" by Quavo, Ty Dolla $ign and Brian Tyler's Are We Dreaming -- feels like AI wrote both the uninteresting rap-rock beat and soupy lyrics ("I'm the alpha, omega, got lights on me, Vegas." Vegas?) The saddest thing about "Transformers One" is the wastefulness of another dull outing in a universe geared toward kids just learning to transform themselves. The lessons here, unfortunately, are that friends can become enemies overnight and you only win if you beat someone hard enough. "We're better than this," Orion Pax screams at his sudden rival at one point. No, they're not. "Transformers One," a Paramount release that lands in theaters Friday, is rated PG for "sci-fi violence and animated action throughout, and language." Running time: 103 minutes. Half a star out of four.
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The latest installment in the Transformers series, "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts," brings a new perspective to the franchise with its 1990s setting and introduction of animal-inspired Transformers.
"Transformers: Rise of the Beasts," the seventh installment in the long-running franchise, takes audiences on a journey back to the 1990s. Directed by Steven Caple Jr., the film introduces a fresh cast of characters and a new spin on the familiar robot-battling action 1.
The movie expands the Transformers universe by introducing the Maximals, Predacons, and Terrorcons - animal-inspired robots that add a new dimension to the series. This addition brings a welcomed diversity to the robotic cast, moving beyond the traditional vehicles-turned-robots concept 1.
At the heart of the story are two human characters: Noah (Anthony Ramos), an electronics expert and ex-military soldier struggling to find work in Brooklyn, and Elena (Dominique Fishback), an artifact researcher at a museum. Their paths intertwine as they become embroiled in an ancient conflict between the Transformers factions 2.
True to the franchise's reputation, "Rise of the Beasts" delivers on action and visual effects. The film showcases impressive CGI work, particularly in bringing the animal-inspired Transformers to life. From Optimus Primal, the gorilla-like leader of the Maximals, to Airazor, a peregrine falcon, the new characters add a layer of visual interest to the already spectacular robot battles 1.
The 1990s setting provides a nostalgic backdrop for the film, with references to the era's pop culture and technology. This temporal shift offers a refreshing change from the contemporary or futuristic settings of previous installments, allowing for unique storytelling opportunities and visual aesthetics 2.
While the film has been praised for its attempt to breathe new life into the franchise, some critics have noted that it still adheres closely to the established Transformers formula. The balance between human drama and robot action remains a point of contention, with some feeling that the human characters are overshadowed by the spectacle of the Transformers themselves 1 2.
"Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" serves as both a sequel to 2018's "Bumblebee" and a prequel to the main Transformers series. This positioning allows the film to explore new narrative territory while maintaining connections to the broader Transformers mythology, potentially setting the stage for future installments in the franchise 2.
Netflix's new anime series, Terminator: Zero, offers a unique take on the Terminator universe, blending Japanese animation with the classic sci-fi franchise. The show explores themes of humanity and artificial intelligence in a post-apocalyptic world.
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Blumhouse's latest horror film "Afraid" explores the dangers of artificial intelligence, starring John Cho and Katherine Waterston. The movie, directed by Chris Weitz, receives mixed reviews for its outdated premise and execution.
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Netflix's new anime series, Terminator: Zero, offers a fresh take on the iconic sci-fi franchise. The show combines stunning visuals with a compelling narrative, exploring themes of artificial intelligence and human survival in a post-apocalyptic world.
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The latest installment in the Alien franchise, "Alien: Romulus," has sparked mixed reactions among critics and fans. While praised for its intense atmosphere and practical effects, the film's ending and a controversial cameo have become points of contention.
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Netflix announces a new anime series in the Terminator universe, titled "Terminator: Zero". The show promises to explore the franchise's lore and introduce new characters while maintaining its iconic themes.
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