2009 | U.S. | 150 minutes
Director: Michael Bay
Writers: Ehren Kruger, Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman
Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, John Turturro, Ramon Rodriguez
Distributor: DreamWorks SKG
Cdn video distributor: Paramount Home Entertainment
The negative reviews for Transformers: The Revenge of the Fallen all share a similar opinion. It’s noisy and incomprehensible. These naysayers see this as reason enough to dismiss the film. But for others — and the numbers suggest they are in the millions — it surely provokes a response of “So what?”
Especially for people like executive producer Steven Spielberg, who must be making a killing from this new Transformers franchise.
Unlike other big earners such as James Cameron, Peter Jackson, as well as Spielberg, Michael Bay is that rare breed of wildly-successful filmmakers who is most often viewed with derision. The stories he creates are not seemingly driven by plot or characters, but as an excuse to blow stuff up. That’s his schtick.
Of course there is a story somewhere in his films, and characters to explore. But they increasingly exist in a cinematic pyrotechnic nightclub of sorts, drowned out by the constant racket.
And many are appalled.
As the noise level increases, so does the criticism. But writing negative reviews is not enough for some. The Razzies have nominated his Armageddon and Pearl Harbor for both Worst Picture and Worst Director. South Park has taken a stab at him too. They all try to make Michael Bay look like a joke, but no one has made fun of the man better than Michael Bay himself.
Here are a couple of commercials he agreed to appear in. The first is for the Commonwealth Bank in Australia:
The next is this one for Verizon:
From the beginning the Michael Bay “look” has been consistent. His camera is constantly moving — always seeking the coolest angle — and frenetic pacing is the norm, even during those rare quiet moments.
And, of course, there’s lots and lots of stuff blowing up. Boring the viewer is not his game.
As his success grew, so did his budgets. With each successive hit, Bay has gloried in using all the toys of technology to make bigger and louder productions. Transformers: The Revenge of the Fallen is his busiest-looking film yet.
So far his technique has served him well, especially when merged with stories of underdogs who are thrust into impossible situations. Inevitably they pool their resources together and save the day. Sometimes the whole planet.
And there’s always a love story. Just enough to appease the women who would surely to dragged out to these testosterone-heavy extravaganzas.
This Transformers sequel certainly fits that familiar outline.
It’s not a secret formula, of course. Just about every major box office smash since the dawn of cinema has these essential ingredients. But none have the kinetic energy, action-packed content, or visual intensity of a Michael Bay film.
The only film of his that didn’t perform as strongly was The Island. It made a relatively paltry $36 million. But that was in North America. Elsewhere it made more than three times that amount and, to me, that’s the ironic part.
What’s ironic is that North American critics — our guides to the best the cinema has to offer — commonly worship the predominately art house films from these faraway lands. Films that are seen as superior to the loud, CGI-heavy mega-budget monstrosities Michael Bay now produces. And, to a degree, film fans here have been swayed by their opinions. Yet these countries — these sources of the most celebrated in art cinema — are the reason Michael Bay will always have a career.
Every one of his films — even an American flag-waver like Pearl Harbor — has consistently made just as much (usually more) overseas than it did domestically. So instead of knocking the guy, it might better serve a film scholar to understand why the rest of the world love his films so much.
The main reason is a simple one. Other countries love seeing money on the screen. They rarely get to see such indulgence in their own national cinema, so it’s a treat when they do get a taste. This is why even a perceived bomb such as Waterworld made $265 million worldwide — a comfortable margin to cover its $175 million budget — because, for whatever its failings, the money was there be be seen — on the big screen. Not just in the pockets of its stars or producers.
And from the looks of it, Transformers: The Revenge of the Fallen is much more opulent than the $200 million it supposedly cost (the advertised budget). It’s two-and-a-half hours of constant metal-crushing mayhem, with oodles of guns firing and shells exploding. More than enough to make an action fan scream with glee. So what if bullets are useless against the evil Decepticons? It looks cool, doesn’t it?
Throw in some humour — however weak and inappropriate — and the hot and steamy Megan Fox — however illogical her presence — and many are happy.
Does much of this action make any sense? Of course not. But, again, there’s that familiar retort of “So what?”
DreamWorks obviously understood this when they hitched their wagon to Michael Bay. Though their first film with him (The Island) was his least successful, they soldiered on and made Transformers together. As insurance, Spielberg added his name to all promotional material.
Spielberg obviously knows a meal ticket when he sees one.
- Theatrical release date: June 24, 2009
- Video release date: October 20, 2009
- Production Budget: $200 million
- Worldwide Box Office: $832,747,337
FUN COMPANION: One thing that’s curious about Transformers: The Revenge of the Fallen is how much it resembles the original Star Wars.
As you watch, try to imagine the Transformers characters as their Star Wars counterparts. Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) as Luke Skywalker, Mikaela Banes (Megan Fox) as Princess Leia, Agent Simmons (John Turturro) as Han Solo, Leo Spitz (Ramon Rodriguez) as Chewbacca, Optimus Prime as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Megatron as Darth Vader, Mudflap & Skids as C3PO & R2D2, Jetfire as the Millennium Falcon, the NEST Team as the Rebel fighters, Mr and Mrs Witwicky as Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru and, finally, The Great Pyramid as the Death Star.
It all fits remarkably well. Not exactly, but pretty damn close.
There’s a recent article about the union between DreamWorks and Michael Bay that begins with the famous saying “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Obviously shaping a story around the most successful premise in movie history was the plan here.
It’s also fitting that the likes of Michael Bay would not exist without George Lucas (the two are supposedly good friends) and Star Wars. This is unquestionably the one film that forever changed Hollywood and — more than a quarter century later — the industry is still trying to mimic its success.