For higher or worse, the Michael Bay Transformers movies outline a whole period of the franchise. Bay’s films helped consumer within the new wave of blockbuster style movies alongside the Marvel Cinematic Universe and The Darkish Knight Trilogy; helped cemented IMAX because the dominant premium theatrical expertise, and launched a complete new era to the lore and characters of Transformers. That stated, Bay’s run on Transformers was a really blended bag of fine, dangerous, and ugly outcomes – and that’s very evident in vary of success (or not) Bay had with adapting iconic Transformers characters for the massive display screen.
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Beneath we breakdown among the largest character FAILS in Bay’s Transformers movies – whereas additionally giving him flowers for the characters he acquired proper.
Jazz – WRONG
One of many earliest and largest purple flags about Bay’s Transformers films was the character of Jazz. Within the G1 cartoon, Jazz was the loyal lieutenant of Optimus Prime and a standout character within the collection, together with his Jazz-inspired improv model of fight, and the best way he walked, talked, and even showcased breakdance strikes with the swag of Eighties city America.
It was surprising (on the time) to see Michael Bay take that iconic character and cut back him to offensive hip-hop stereotype who was indiscernably in his character design, and clearly coded to be the “black” member of the Autobots squad. Issues solely acquired that rather more offensive when Jazz was the primary main member of the Autobots to be killed off within the first Transformers film, solely compounding the variety of offensive cliches at work.
The current movie Tranformers: Rise of the Beasts tried to appropriate issues by making Pete Davidson’s Mirage a stand-in for Jazz, however the Bay model of the character solely seems to be worse with time.
Soundwave – WRONG
One other probably the most iconic characters from the unique Transformers G1 cartoon, Soundwave was truly a number of Transformers in a single – to not point out one of many biggest toys the franchise ever produced.
True to his title, Soundwave eschewed a standard Transformers “car mode”; as an alternative, the Decepticon Communications Officer took the shape of a big tape deck, and his “mini-cassette” tapes have been every capable of remodel into their very own robotic infiltrators or fighters, together with the dog-like Ravage, bird-like Laserbeak, and piston-armed robotic Rumble. The toy was top-of-the-line Transformers ever produced, with precise metallic bits and an precise tape deck within the robotic determine, with tapes that might remodel into the robotic spies Soundwave commanded.
Michael Bay’s Soundwave understandably needed to be up to date for the digital age of the 2000s, however having the enduring villain function an orbital satellite tv for pc spying on Earth was lame – and later making him right into a Mercedes automobile didn’t reserve it. Like so a lot of Bay’s Transformers characters, it was exhausting to tell apart his sharp-edged design from so many different Decepticon foes, which was a criminal offense, contemplating how iconic Soundwave’s look was. Whereas Bay acquired some facets of the character proper (like Ravage and Laserbeak), he even tousled simple bits, like mimicking Soundwave’s iconic voice.
The Dinobots – WRONG
The Dinobots are in all probability the largest breakout successes of the second wave of G1 Transformers characters, combining two of younger boys’ favourite two issues: robots and dinosaurs. Nevertheless, the unique Transformers cartoon collection made Grimlock and his group of Dinobots (Slag, Sludge, Snarl, and Swoop) into rowdy anti-hero varieties, whose signature primitive dialect and intelligence have been as iconic as their robotic dinosaur kinds.
By the point the fourth film Transformers: Age of Extinction arrived, Michael Bay was clearly on inventive burnout. The movie used the Dinobots as the middle of its promotional marketing campaign, however when it got here time for the movie to ship, followers acquired nothing however huge disappointment. Bay’s model of the Dinobots have been senseless, colorless, brutes that by no means uttered a phrase of dialogue. Their complete position within the movie was a climatic rampage in opposition to enemy forces, earlier than disappearing endlessly.
Worst of all: Bay didn’t even hassle to creat precise dinosaur kinds for the Dinobots, as an alternative mixing Japanese mythology with organic historical past, ensuing within the Dinobots trying like legendary creatures as an alternative of dinosaurs. Yikes.
The Twins (Skid & Mudflap) – WRONG
Skids and Mudflap are two of probably the most obscure Autobot characters on the market – which is possibly why Michael Bay figured nobody would discover or care when he re-imagined them as “The Twins” Skids and Mudflap in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. However oh, we observed, and boy did we care!
Like Jazz, The Twins sparked main controversy for being clearly coded to be offensive African-American caricatures. Highlights like proudly proclaiming illeteracy or sporting gold enamel made The Twins appear as if they simply walked off the set of a Cybertronian rap video. The backlash could have labored, as Bay minimize the characters’ look from the following movie, Darkish of the Moon.
Devastator – SO WRONG
This one hurts as a result of it’s a transparent case of Michael Bay snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. By and co. did a positive job adapting the person Development characters for the display screen in Revenge of the Fallen, and had followers hyped for a climax that promised to carry them collectively into the mixed type of “Devastator” in full IMAX glory. As one of many largest, baddest, and most iconic foes of Transformers, Devastator’s big-screen debut was a franchise milestone.
Sadly, Bay dropped the largest ball – actually. The ultimate design for the film model of Devastator is among the worst in all of Transformers and the epitome of the insane quantity of over-thining the filmmaker did together with his model of Transformers. Certain, Bay’s Devastator displays the precise mechanical physics of all these building autos merging – however who the hell cares when the mixed type is such an eyesore? The digestive-cycle super-attack of sucking up every part and pooping it out a flaming butt-mixer was absurd; turning a pair wrecking balls into precise gigantic robotic testicles baffles the thoughts when you think about Industrial Mild & Magic had computer systems truly explode attempting to render footage of these balls in full IMAX.
Bay’s Devastator is sort of presumably one the largest wastes of manufacturing effert, display screen time and display screen house ever put to movie.
Bumblebee – Proper
The unique G1 Bumblebee was a lovable (if not mouthy) sidekick character, however Bay’s Transformers movies reworked him right into a bonafide display screen icon. By centering the story round “Bee’s” relationship with human Sam Witwicky (Shia Labeouf), Bay gave that first movie a wise nostalgic mix of a boy owing his first automobile and his first pet. These core theme resonated with so many viewers and allowed them to bond with Bumblebee in an intimate manner that’s in any other case not possible for big GGI robotic character.
Bumblebee would solely get extra badass and hilarious because the franchise went on – which is why Paramount well gave him the soft-reboot/prequel shot of his personal solo movie. Now Bumblebee is among the main faces of the Transormers franchise, and the non-verbal twist on the character Bay launched has each change into synonymous with Bumblebee (even within the newer movies), and is among the kinder-coded representations within the collection. It additionally says one thing that that Bay made such a breakthrough with a personality that avoids his traditional decisions in dialogue.
Megatron – RIGHT
There’s a complete separate debate available in regards to the total design aesthetic of Bay’s Transformers movies, and the way a lot it deviates from the collection’ G1 roots. Nevertheless, placing that debate apart: Megatron is greater than a glance, he’s a complete vibe, and it was essential that Bay get the character proper. Due to an important vocal efficiency from Hugo Weaving (the Matrix Trilogy) film followers acquired the Megatron they deserved.
Megatron could symbolize the only largest win Michael Bay achieved in presenting a brand new imaginative and prescient of Transformers. Regardless of retaining the identical confusingly spik and color-muted design aesthetic, Megatron was distinct sufficient to carry the display screen, and the change to make his car mode a speedy tank as an alternative of a pistol truly made sense within the context of the movie. Even with the modifications to the Decepticon chief, the true spirit of Megatron at all times confirmed via, making certain we had the correct counter-balance to the largest presence on the Autobots facet…
Optimus Prime – SO RIGHT
They stored the character design G1-accurate (for probably the most half). They stored him colourful. Most essential of all, they went out and tapped the one one that may correctly carry him to life onscreen: unique Transformers cartoon voice actor, Peter Cullen.
None of Michael Bay’s Transformers films would’ve labored if Optimus Prime had ever been executed unsuitable. The truth that Bay was profitable and as soon as once more making Optimus Prime a generational icon – on a worldwide blockbuster scale – arguably redeems anything he did unsuitable on this checklist – or with the Transformers franchise as a complete.
Each Transformers film is streaming on Paramount+
