Unabashed

Just a quick note on one of the Greatest Movies of All Time.

Now, I know I’m a little quick to get excited about something, especially when it’s still fresh in my mind and I’m in the throes of wanting more, which is exactly why I waited almost two weeks to mention the movie Transformers, which I give my absolute highest possible rating. I saw it on opening day and was absolutely tingling with excitement. The only negative from my point of view was the chippy English chick (Rachael Taylor) who was a hard sell as IT genius Maggie Madsen. In fact her smug little morally-superior expression just left me in utter disbelief that the casting director, who put together an otherwise outstanding cast, totally shit himself with this role. She’s not just a little off; she’s not even in the same galaxy. She’s barely believable as a human being, much less as an IT guru.

I’ll go on to say that this was the best adaptation of any comic book or cartoon movie ever. Better than Spiderman, Daredevil (which might have had the worst cast ever), X-men, Hulk and any other franchise you might point out. I am a comics fanboy from way back, too, so don’t test me with your snide comments about a my being a newcomer to the genre. I was hoping for an X-men movie in the seventies and I positively lusted for an adaptation of the Silver Surfer in some format. Now that it’s been done I still haven’t seen it. One rumor of Galactus being some malformed cloud rather than his giant blue and purple self as sculpted by the greatest comic book artist ever (Jack Kirby) gave me a bad session of internal hemorrhaging. I’ll also go on to say that there have been a good number of new movies worth seeing lately, which in my view is a lot better than it’s been over the last few years, as with most of the comics adaptations and the Star Wars films: I get really, really excited only to find the movie wasn’t all that good after all. Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine makes me wish he would stab himself in the face with his own claws. Don’t get me started on the ginormous waste that is Ben Affleck or any of the other stars of Daredevil. I really liked 300–more than the comic book, actually, so I should say it’s an adaptation of the highest merit. I also liked Casino Royal, although that’s just a good movie–not an adaptation (other than from Ian Flemming’s book). King Kong was one that I was very excited about but, despite some incredible effects, the movie left me slightly cold. But now: Transformers. Giant robots fighting giant robots, randomly changing into cars and trucks and tanks and jets and helicopters. The awesomeness that is Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime. Yes: I am a fanboy of the old Transformers cartoon from the 80s. And yes, I am glad somebody other than Zack Snyder finally got an adaptation right.

Of course, the Transformers were originally created (way back in the early 80s) solely for the merchandising possibilities, which proved to be a stroke of marketing genius, because fanboys such as myself bought up all we could during the Transformer’s heyday. And so, too, was this movie created for exactly the same reasons, but then what nowadays isn’t? I put off buying a PS3 until I saw the trailer for the Transformers game, which prompted me to get off my ass and buy both. I’m glad I did. I can’t believe more video game makers don’t take advantage of the giant-robot-destroys-city market. What else will I buy? Well, of course I must buy the toys (for my children!), and I’ll get the bluray DVD when it comes available, and then I’ll be waiting for T2 Judgment Day. Wait, that’s been done already, hasn’t it? I wonder what they’ll call the sequel of Transformers? Transformers America: TransAm? Heheh, use that one and it’ll cost you :-)

written by Matt Mitchell \\ tags: optimus prime, transformers