Animation Blog

Wisdom has it that one should not say or do anything while gripped in extreme anger or sadness. So here in our 3D animation studio Mediafreaks, we waited until a few good days before giving our take on the smashing box-office movie Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. As you might have heard, there are many people who were either overwhelmed or disappointed with this latest CGI movie from Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg.

There are spoilers so I hope you’ve watched the film before reading.

Let’s go back to the first film which was a respectable blockbuster back in 2007. Because the budget was a bit limited, there were only a few robots which were showcased. But it compensated with a tight narrative and some compelling emotional interaction between the Autobots and humans.

Fast forward to today’s sequel, the Revenge of the Fallen tried to improve on what it lacked – and tried to forsake everything else. It gave us a staggering forty-six Autobots and Decepticons with some fast-paced, adrenaline-pumping CGI sequences. But it seemed to have a loose plot and a lack of human touch.

But let’s first give credit where credit is due. The 3D animation models used here for the robots were very top-notch. It really had no problem convincing people that the robots were in the actual environment, complete with shadows and physics-obedient silky smooth movement.

Apart from the 3D models, the choreographies of the action sequences are nicely executed. You’d think that these Autobots and Decepticons are so heavy because of their hulking figures. But they were made to appear as though they were smooth-moving ballerinas.

We do however have reservations with the way certain animation sequences were inserted into the entire plot. A Decepticon disguised as a woman? Is this Terminator? Didn’t Bumblebee even detect the radiation signature of the lady when he rode with Sam Witwicky, the lead star of the film as played by Shia La Beouf (this actor’s surname has all the vowels in it).

This is not to act all obsessive-compulsive and debate with realism and the likes. This is after all a science fiction film – but the best science fiction films frame the outrageous concepts of their movies in a realistic environment. Plus, some of the antics are just slapstick.

Moreover, most of the disappointment with the film seems to be with the way the story was built – if ever there is a story to speak of. In a narrative device to create a reason for a sequel, director Michael Bay with the permission of executive producer Stephen Spielberg allowed the dead Megatron to be resurrected, essentially debunking the first film.

This would be good and all if there was a consistent thread to tie up the entire story. No, it relied on the suggestive foxiness of Megan Fox and slapstick humor to keep us going. As for the plot, it was a bit robotic, so to speak. The performances of the actors are just go-with-the-flow motions which fail to register one memorable scene.

Yes, I don’t know if you can consider memorable when John Turturro showed his briefs and behind in front of the camera.

It seems the entire point of the movie was to showcase the 3D animation grandeur of transforming robots. It seems the priority here is the action-packed fight scenes. With the success of Transformers Revenge of the Fallen in the box office, even with the negative views of critics, well I guess that was indeed the priority.

It was nice seeing Optimus Prime speak in his cartoon voice and to see my childhood robots come to life again. But the problem with sequels is that it can easily break down into a tried and tested formula to cash in profits. I believe that is what happened in this film.