''Transformers'' is a series of
science fiction action films
Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe.
Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...
based on the
''Transformers'' franchise of the 1980s.
Michael Bay directed the first five films: ''
Transformers
''Transformers'' is a media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Tomy, Takara Tomy. It primarily follows the Autobots and the Decepticons, two alien robot factions at war that can transform into other forms ...
'' (2007), ''
Revenge of the Fallen'' (2009), ''
Dark of the Moon'' (2011), ''
Age of Extinction'' (2014), and ''
The Last Knight'' (2017),
and has served as a producer for subsequent films. A sixth film ''
Bumblebee
A bumblebee (or bumble bee, bumble-bee, or humble-bee) is any of over 250 species in the genus ''Bombus'', part of Apidae, one of the bee families. This genus is the only extant group in the tribe Bombini, though a few extinct related genera ...
'', directed by
Travis Knight
Travis Andrew Knight (born September 13, 1973) is an American animator, producer, director, and former rapper who has worked as the lead animator and current CEO for the stop-motion animation studio Laika, and directed the films '' Kubo and the T ...
and produced by Bay, was released on December 21, 2018. A seventh film, ''
Rise of the Beasts'', directed by
Steven Caple Jr., is to be released in 2023.
The series has been distributed by
Paramount Pictures and, for the first two films,
DreamWorks Pictures
DreamWorks Pictures (also known as DreamWorks SKG and formerly DreamWorks Studios, commonly referred to as DreamWorks) is an American film company and distribution label of Amblin Partners. It was originally founded on October 12, 1994 as a liv ...
. The original ''Transformers'' series has received negative to mixed reception, except for ''Bumblebee'', which received positive reviews. It is the
13th-highest-grossing film series, with a total of $4.8 billion; two films in the series have grossed over $1 billion each.
Films
Development
''Transformers'' (2007)
For the first film, producer
Don Murphy
Don Murphy (born April 1967) is an American film producer who produced '' Natural Born Killers'', ''Real Steel'', '' Splice'' and many other films, including ''Transformers'' and '' Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen''.
Personal background
...
was planning a
''G.I. Joe'' film adaptation, but when the U.S. launched the
invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq was a United States-led invasion of the Republic of Iraq and the first stage of the Iraq War. The invasion phase began on 19 March 2003 (air) and 20 March 2003 (ground) and lasted just over one month, including 26 ...
in March 2003,
Hasbro
Hasbro, Inc. (; a syllabic abbreviation of its original name, Hassenfeld Brothers) is an American multinational conglomerate holding company incorporated and headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Hasbro owns the trademarks and products of K ...
suggested adapting the
Transformers franchise
''Transformers'' is a media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Takara Tomy. It primarily follows the Autobots and the Decepticons, two alien robot factions at war that can transform into other forms, suc ...
instead.
Tom DeSanto
Tom DeSanto (born January 1, 1968) is an American film producer and screenwriter.
Career
DeSanto is a founding writer/producer behind several of the biggest franchises in movie history (''X-Men'', ''Transformers''). DeSanto's films have gross ...
joined Murphy because he was a fan of the series.
They met with comic book writer
Simon Furman
Simon Christopher Francis Furman (born 22 March 1961) is a British comic book writer who is best known for his work on Hasbro's ''Transformers'' franchise, starting with writing Marvel's initial comic book to promote the toyline worldwide, a ...
, and cited the
Generation 1 cartoon and comics as their main influence.
They made the
Creation Matrix
The Autobots are the main protagonists in the fictional continuities of the Transformers multimedia franchise, and are depicted in a collection of various toys, cartoons, films, graphic novels, and paperback books first introduced in 1984. The ...
their
plot device
A plot device or plot mechanism
is any technique in a narrative used to move the plot forward. A clichéd plot device may annoy the reader and a contrived or arbitrary device may confuse the reader, causing a loss of the suspension of disbelie ...
, though Murphy had it renamed because of the
film series ''The Matrix''.
DeSanto chose to write the
treatment from a human point of view to engage the audience, while Murphy wanted it to have a realistic tone, reminiscent of a
disaster film.
The treatment featured the
Autobot
The Autobots are the main protagonists in the fictional continuities of the Transformers multimedia franchise, and are depicted in a collection of various toys, cartoons, films, graphic novels, and paperback books first introduced in 1984. The ...
s
Optimus Prime
Optimus Prime, , is a fictional character in the ''Transformers'' franchise. The Transformers characters were developed for an American market after Hasbro representatives visited the 1983 Tokyo Toy Show. The characters were modified and the ...
, Ironhide,
Jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
,
Prowl,
Arcee, Ratchet, Wheeljack, and
Bumblebee
A bumblebee (or bumble bee, bumble-bee, or humble-bee) is any of over 250 species in the genus ''Bombus'', part of Apidae, one of the bee families. This genus is the only extant group in the tribe Bombini, though a few extinct related genera ...
, and the
Decepticon
The Decepticons are the main antagonists in the fictional continuities of the ''Transformers'' multimedia franchise. They are depicted as a faction of sentient robotic lifeforms led by Megatron, identified by a purple face-like insignia. Capa ...
s
Megatron
Megatron is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the ''Transformers'' media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Takara Tomy. Megatron is the cruel and tyrannical leader of the Decepticons, ...
,
Starscream,
Soundwave, Ravage,
Laserbeak
''The Transformers'' is an American animated television series that originally aired from September 17, 1984, to November 11, 1987, in syndication
based upon Hasbro's ''Transformers'' toy line. The first television series in the ''Transformer ...
, Rumble,
Skywarp
''The Transformers'' is an American animated television series that originally aired from September 17, 1984, to November 11, 1987, in syndication
based upon Hasbro's ''Transformers'' toy line. The first television series in the ''Transformer ...
and
Shockwave.
Steven Spielberg, a fan of the comics and toys,
signed on as
executive producer in 2004.
John Rogers wrote the first draft, which pitted four Autobots against four Decepticons,
and featured the
Ark
Ark or ARK may refer to:
Biblical narratives and religion Hebrew word ''teva''
* Noah's Ark, a massive vessel said to have been built to save the world's animals from a flood
* Ark of bulrushes, the boat of the infant Moses
Hebrew ''aron''
* ...
spaceship.
Roberto Orci
Roberto Gaston Orcí (born July 20, 1973) is a Mexican-American film and television screenwriter and producer. He began his longtime collaboration with Alex Kurtzman while at school in California. Together they have been employed on television ...
and
Alex Kurtzman
Alexander Hilary Kurtzman (born September 7, 1973) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for his work on the ''Star Trek'' franchise since 2009, co-writing the scripts to ''Transformers'' (2007), '' Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen'' and ...
, fans of the cartoon,
were hired to rewrite the script in February 2005. Spielberg suggested that "a boy and his car" should be the focus.
This appealed to Orci and Kurtzman because it conveyed themes of adulthood and responsibility, "the things that a car represents in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
".
The characters of Sam and Mikaela were the sole point of view given in Orci and Kurtzman's first draft.
The Transformers had no dialogue, as the producers feared talking robots would look ridiculous. The writers felt that even if it would look silly, not having the robots speak would betray the fanbase.
The first draft also had a battle scene in the
Grand Canyon. Spielberg read each of Orci and Kurtzman's drafts and gave notes for improvement.
The writers remained involved throughout production, adding additional dialogue for the robots during the sound mixing (although none of this was kept in the final film, which ran fifteen minutes shorter than the initial edit).
Furman's ''The Ultimate Guide'', published by
Dorling Kindersley
Dorling Kindersley Limited (branded as DK) is a British multinational publishing company specialising in illustrated reference books for adults and children in 63 languages.
It is part of Penguin Random House, a subsidiary of German media co ...
, remained as a resource to the writers throughout production.
''Prime Directive'' was used as a
fake working title. This was also the name of
Dreamwave Productions
Dreamwave Productions was a Canadian art design studio and comic book publisher founded in 1996. Best known for its comic book adaptations of Transformers, the company shut down on January 4, 2005.
History
Brothers Pat Lee and Roger Lee founde ...
' first
''Transformers'' comic book.
Michael Bay was asked to direct by Spielberg on July 30, 2005,
but he dismissed the film as a "stupid toy movie".
Nonetheless, he wanted to work with Spielberg, and gained a new respect for the mythology upon visiting Hasbro.
Bay considered the first draft "too kiddie", so he increased the military's role in the story.
The writers sought inspiration from G.I. Joe for the soldier characters, being careful not to mix the brands.
Because Orci and Kurtzman were concerned the film could feel like a
military recruitment
Military recruitment refers to the activity of attracting people to, and selecting them for, military training and employment.
Demographics
Gender
Across the world, a large majority of recruits to state armed forces and non-state arme ...
commercial, they chose to make the military believe nations like
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
were behind the Decepticon attack as well as making the Decepticons primarily military vehicles. Bay based Lennox's struggle to get to the Pentagon phone line while struggling with an unhelpful operator from a real account he was given by a soldier when working on another film.
Orci and Kurtzman experimented with numerous robots from the franchise, ultimately selecting the characters most popular among the filmmakers to form the final cast.
Bay acknowledged that most of the Decepticons were selected before their names or roles were developed, as Hasbro had to start designing the toys.
Some of their names were changed because Bay was upset that they had been leaked. Optimus, Megatron, Bumblebee and Starscream were the only characters present in each version of the script.
Arcee was a female Transformer introduced by Orci and Kurtzman, but she was cut because they found it difficult to explain robotic gender; Bay also disliked her motorcycle form, which he found too small.
An early idea to have the Decepticons simultaneously strike multiple places around the world was also dropped, being used later in the film's sequels.
''Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen'' (2009)
In September 2007, Paramount announced a late June 2009 release date for the sequel to ''
Transformers
''Transformers'' is a media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Tomy, Takara Tomy. It primarily follows the Autobots and the Decepticons, two alien robot factions at war that can transform into other forms ...
''. A major hurdle that was overcome during the film's production was the
2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, as well as possible strikes by the
Directors Guild of America
The Directors Guild of America (DGA) is an entertainment guild that represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry and abroad. Founded as the Screen Directors Guild in 1936, the group merge ...
and the
Screen Actors Guild
The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) was an American labor union which represented over 100,000 film and television principal and background performers worldwide. On March 30, 2012, the union leadership announced that the SAG membership voted to m ...
. Bay began creating
animatics
A storyboard is a graphic organizer that consists of illustrations or images displayed in sequence for the purpose of pre-visualizing a motion picture, animation, motion graphic or interactive media sequence. The storyboarding process, in t ...
of action sequences featuring characters rejected for the 2007 film; this would allow animators to complete sequences if the
Directors Guild of America
The Directors Guild of America (DGA) is an entertainment guild that represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry and abroad. Founded as the Screen Directors Guild in 1936, the group merge ...
went on strike in July 2008, which ultimately did not happen.
The director considered making a small project in between ''Transformers'' and its sequel, but knew "you have your baby and you don't want someone else to take it".
The film was given a $200 million budget, which was $50 million more than the 2007 film,
and some of the action scenes rejected for the original were written into the sequel, such as the way Optimus is reintroduced in this film.
Lorenzo di Bonaventura
Lorenzo di Bonaventura (; born January 13, 1957) is an American film producer and founder and owner of Di Bonaventura Pictures. He is best known for producing the G.I. Joe and ''Transformers'' film series. The films he produced have earned ove ...
said the studio proposed filming two sequels simultaneously, but he and Bay concurred that was not the right direction for the series.
Writers
Roberto Orci
Roberto Gaston Orcí (born July 20, 1973) is a Mexican-American film and television screenwriter and producer. He began his longtime collaboration with Alex Kurtzman while at school in California. Together they have been employed on television ...
and
Alex Kurtzman
Alexander Hilary Kurtzman (born September 7, 1973) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for his work on the ''Star Trek'' franchise since 2009, co-writing the scripts to ''Transformers'' (2007), '' Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen'' and ...
originally passed on the sequel because of a busy schedule. The studio began courting other writers in May 2007, but as they were unimpressed with their
pitches, they convinced Orci and Kurtzman to return.
The studio also signed on
Ehren Kruger
Ehren Kruger (born October 5, 1972) is an American film screenwriter and producer. He is best known for writing three of the five installments in the original ''Transformers'' film series: '' Revenge of the Fallen'', '' Dark of the Moon'', and ' ...
, as he impressed Bay and Hasbro president
Brian Goldner
Brian David Goldner (April 21, 1963 – October 11, 2021) was an American business chief executive and film producer. He was the chief executive officer of the American toy and media company Hasbro from 2008 until his death.
Early life
Goldner w ...
with his knowledge of the Transformers mythology, and because he was friends with Orci and Kurtzman.
The writing trio were paid $8 million.
Screenwriting was interrupted by the
2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, but to avoid production delays the writers spent two weeks writing a
treatment, which they handed in the night before the strike began,
and Bay expanded the outline into a sixty-page
scriptment
A scriptment is a written work by a movie or television screenwriter that combines elements of a script and treatment, especially the dialogue elements, which are formatted the same as in a screenplay. It is a more elaborate document than a standa ...
,
fleshing out the action, adding more jokes,
as well as selecting the majority of new characters.
The three writers spent four months finishing the screenplay while "locked" in two hotel rooms by Bay: Kruger wrote in his own room and the trio would check on each other's work twice a day.
Orci described the film's theme as "being away from home", with the Autobots contemplating living on Earth as they cannot restore Cybertron, while Sam goes to college.
He wanted the focus between the robots and humans "much more evenly balanced", "the stakes
obe higher", and the science fiction elements more prominent.
Lorenzo di Bonaventura
Lorenzo di Bonaventura (; born January 13, 1957) is an American film producer and founder and owner of Di Bonaventura Pictures. He is best known for producing the G.I. Joe and ''Transformers'' film series. The films he produced have earned ove ...
said that in total, there are around forty robots in the film,
while
ILM Ilm or ILM may refer to:
Acronyms
* Identity Lifecycle Manager, a Microsoft Server Product
* '' I Love Money,'' a TV show on VH1
* Independent Loading Mechanism, a mounting system for CPU sockets
* Industrial Light & Magic, an American motion ...
's Scott Farrar has said there are actually sixty.
Orci added that he wanted to "modulate" the humor more,
and felt he managed the more "outrageous" jokes by balancing them with a more serious plot approach to the Transformers' mythology.
Bay concurred that he wanted to please fans by making the tone darker,
and that "moms will think its safe enough to bring the kids back out to the movies" despite his trademark sense of humor.
Before ''Transformers'' was released, producer DeSanto had "a very cool idea" to introduce the Dinobots, while Bay was interested in an
aircraft carrier, which was dropped from the 2007 film. Orci claimed they did not incorporate these characters into ''Revenge of the Fallen'' because they could not think of a way to justify the Dinobots' choice of form,
and were unable to fit in the aircraft carrier.
Orci also admitted he was also dismissive of the Dinobots because he does not like dinosaurs. "I recognize I am weird in that department", he said, but he became fonder of them during filming because of their popularity with fans. He added "I couldn't see why a Transformer would feel the need to disguise himself in front of a bunch of lizards. Movie-wise, I mean. Once the general audience is fully on board with the whole thing, maybe Dinobots in the future." However, Michael Bay said he hated the Dinobots and they had never been in consideration for being featured in the movies. It is the last film in the series to be distributed by DreamWorks.
''Transformers: Dark of the Moon'' (2011)
For the third film, as a preemptive measure before the release of ''Revenge of the Fallen'', Michael Lucchi and Paramount announced on March 16, 2009, that a third film would be released in
IMAX 3-D on July 1, 2011, which earned a surprised response from director Bay:
Screenwriters
Roberto Orci
Roberto Gaston Orcí (born July 20, 1973) is a Mexican-American film and television screenwriter and producer. He began his longtime collaboration with Alex Kurtzman while at school in California. Together they have been employed on television ...
and
Alex Kurtzman
Alexander Hilary Kurtzman (born September 7, 1973) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for his work on the ''Star Trek'' franchise since 2009, co-writing the scripts to ''Transformers'' (2007), '' Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen'' and ...
, who had worked on the two previous ''Transformers'' films, declined to return for the third film, with Kurtzman declaring that "the franchise is so wonderful that it deserves to be fresh, all the time. We just felt like we'd given it a lot and didn't have an insight for where to go with it next". ''Revenge of the Fallen''s co-writer
Ehren Kruger
Ehren Kruger (born October 5, 1972) is an American film screenwriter and producer. He is best known for writing three of the five installments in the original ''Transformers'' film series: '' Revenge of the Fallen'', '' Dark of the Moon'', and ' ...
became the sole screenwriter for ''Dark of the Moon''. Kruger had frequent meetings with
Industrial Light & Magic's (ILM) CGI
visual effects
Visual effects (sometimes abbreviated VFX) is the process by which imagery is created or manipulated outside the context of
a live-action shot in filmmaking and video production.
The integration of live-action footage and other live-action foota ...
producers, who suggested plot points such as the scenes in Chernobyl.
On October 1, 2009, Bay revealed that ''Dark of the Moon'' had already gone into pre-production, and its planned release was back to its originally intended date of July 1, 2011, rather than 2012. Due to the revived interest in
3-D technology brought in by the success of ''
Avatar
Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appeara ...
'', talks between Paramount, ILM, and Bay had considered the possibility of the next ''Transformers'' film being filmed in 3-D, and testing was performed to bring the technology into Bay's work. Bay originally was not much interested in the format as he felt it did not fit his "aggressive style" of filmmaking, but he was convinced after talks with ''Avatar'' director
James Cameron,
who even offered the technical crew from that film. Cameron reportedly told Bay about 3-D, "You gotta look at it as a toy, it's another fun tool to help get emotion and character and create an experience."
Bay was reluctant to film with 3-D cameras since in test he found them to be too cumbersome for his filming style, but he did not want to implement the technology in post production either since he was not pleased with the results. In addition to using the 3-D Fusion camera rigs developed by Cameron's team,
Bay and the team spent nine months developing a more portable 3-D camera that could be brought into location.
On the day of the film's release, Shia LaBeouf announced that ''Dark of the Moon'' will be his last ''Transformers'' film.
In a hidden extra for the
Blu-ray
The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of st ...
release of ''Revenge of the Fallen'', Bay expressed his intention to make ''Transformers 3'' not necessarily larger than ''Revenge of the Fallen'', but instead deeper into the mythology, to give it more character development, and to make it darker and more emotional.
Having been called ''Transformers 3'' up to that point, the film's final title was revealed to be ''Dark of the Moon'' in October 2010. After ''Revenge of the Fallen'' was almost universally panned by critics, Bay acknowledged the general flaws of the script, having blamed the
2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike prior to the film for many problems. Bay promised to not have the "dorky comedy" from the last film.
''Transformers: Age of Extinction'' (2014)
In February 2012, producer di Bonaventura stated that a fourth film was in the works, aiming for a 2014 release, with Michael Bay to direct and produce. On the same day, Paramount Pictures and Michael Bay announced a June 27, 2014 release date for a fourth film.
Ehren Kruger
Ehren Kruger (born October 5, 1972) is an American film screenwriter and producer. He is best known for writing three of the five installments in the original ''Transformers'' film series: '' Revenge of the Fallen'', '' Dark of the Moon'', and ' ...
would pen the script and
Steve Jablonsky
Steve Jablonsky (born October 9, 1970) is an American composer for film, television and video games, best known for his musical scores in the ''Transformers'' film series. Some of his frequent collaboration partners include film directors Michae ...
would score the film, as each had for the previous film. The film is set five years after the events in ''Transformers: Dark of the Moon''.
Shia LaBeouf
Shia Saide LaBeouf (; born June 11, 1986) is an American actor, performance artist, and filmmaker. He played Louis Stevens in the Disney Channel series ''Even Stevens'', a role for which he received Young Artist Award nominations in 2001 and ...
did not return in any future installments.
Mark Wahlberg
Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg (born June 5, 1971), former stage name Marky Mark, is an American actor, businessman, and former rapper. He has received multiple accolades, including a BAFTA Award, and nominations for two Academy Awards, three ...
was instead cast in the lead role as new character, Cade Yeager. In November 2012, casting began to search for two more leads.
Isabelle Cornish,
Nicola Peltz
Nicola Anne Peltz Beckham (born January 9, 1995) is an American actress. Primarily known for her roles in dramatic film and television, she has performed in some blockbuster adaptations and has since been nominated for a Young Hollywood Award. ...
,
Gabriella Wilde
Gabriella Zanna Vanessa Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe (born 8 April 1989), known professionally as Gabriella Wilde or Gabriella Calthorpe, is an English actress and model.
She has appeared in the films '' St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Go ...
, and
Margaret Qualley
Sarah Margaret Qualley (born October 23, 1994) is an American actress and model. A daughter of actress Andie MacDowell, she trained as a ballerina in her youth. She made her acting debut with a minor role in the 2013 drama film ''Palo Alto'', a ...
were all considered to play Cade's daughter Tessa Yeager, while
Luke Grimes
Luke Timothy Grimes (born January 21, 1984) is an American actor. He is known for his role as real life Navy SEAL Marc Alan Lee in the acclaimed film ''American Sniper''. He played Christian Grey's brother, Elliot, in the film '' Fifty Shades of ...
,
Landon Liboiron,
Brenton Thwaites
Brenton Thwaites (born 10 August 1989) is an Australian actor. Beginning his career in his home country in 2011, he had a starring role on the series ''Slide'' and later appeared on the soap opera ''Home and Away''. Since moving to the United S ...
,
Jack Reynor
Jack Reynor (born 23 January 1992) is an Irish-American actor. His notable roles include the films '' What Richard Did'', '' Transformers: Age of Extinction'', ''Glassland'', ''Macbeth'', '' Sing Street'', and ''Midsommar'', as well as the seri ...
, and
Hunter Parrish
Hunter Parrish Tharp (born May 13, 1987) is an American actor and singer. He is known for playing the role of Silas Botwin in the Showtime series '' Weeds'' and for his performances in the Broadway productions of ''Godspell'' in the role of Jes ...
were all considered to play Tessa's race-car-driving boyfriend, Shane Dyson. Bay announced on his website that Reynor would portray Shane and that the fourth film would start the next installment in the overall series; the film was to be a darker sequel to ''Dark of the Moon'' and have a different feeling.
Peter Cullen
Peter Claver Cullen (born July 28, 1941) is a Canadian voice actor. He is best known as the voice of Optimus Prime in the original 1980s ''Transformers'' animated series, reprising the role many times since 2007. He has also voiced many other ...
, who voiced
Optimus Prime
Optimus Prime, , is a fictional character in the ''Transformers'' franchise. The Transformers characters were developed for an American market after Hasbro representatives visited the 1983 Tokyo Toy Show. The characters were modified and the ...
in the films, was to reprise his role.
Tyrese Gibson
Tyrese Darnell Gibson (born December 30, 1978) is an American actor and singer. He released his self-titled debut album in 1998, which featured the single " Sweet Lady", peaking at number twelve on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100. His second ...
was in talks to reprise his role as Sgt. Robert Epps from the original trilogy.
Glenn Morshower
Glenn Morshower is an American character actor. He is best known for playing Secret Service Agent Aaron Pierce in '' 24'' and Colonel (later General) Sharp Morshower in the ''Transformers'' film series. He has also appeared in many feature fil ...
stated that he was contracted for two films and he was to reprise his role. It was later announced that he would not be return until the next film. With a budget of $165 million, filming was expected to take place in London between April and November 2013—once ''
Pain & Gain
''Pain & Gain'' is a 2013 American action comedy film directed by Michael Bay and starring Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson, and Anthony Mackie. It is based on the activities of the Sun Gym gang, a group of ex-convicts and bodybuilders convicted ...
'', another film that Bay was directing, had finished editing.
On January 8, 2013, it was announced that Reynor was joining Wahlberg in the lead. On March 26, 2013, Nicola Peltz was cast as the female lead. Bay confirmed that the movie was to be in 3D. Bay revealed to Collider that actor
Stanley Tucci
Stanley Tucci Jr. ( ; born November 11, 1960) is an American actor and filmmaker. Involved in acting from a young age, he made his film debut in John Huston's '' Prizzi's Honor'' (1985), and continued to play a variety of supporting roles in fil ...
had joined the cast, and that the film would be the first feature film to be shot using smaller
digital IMAX 3D cameras. On May 1, 2013, actor
Kelsey Grammer
Allen Kelsey Grammer (born February 21, 1955) is an American actor and producer. He gained notoriety and acclaim for his role as psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the NBC sitcom ''Cheers'' (1984-1993) and its spin-off ''Frasier'' (1993-2004), ...
was cast as the lead human villain named "Harold Attinger". On May 6, 2013, actress
Sophia Myles
Sophia Jane Myles (; born 18 March 1980) is an English actress. She is best known in film for portraying Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward in ''Thunderbirds'' (2004), Isolde in '' Tristan & Isolde'' (2006), Darcy in '' Transformers: Age of Extincti ...
was cast in a major supporting role. That same month, Chinese actress
Li Bingbing
Li Bingbing (; born 27 February 1973) is a Chinese actress and singer who rose to fame with her role in '' Seventeen Years'' (1999) and since then received critical acclaim for her roles in ''A World Without Thieves'' (2004), '' Waiting Alone'' (2 ...
and comedian
T. J. Miller joined the cast.
Actor T.J. Miller would be playing the best friend of Wahlberg's character who is a mechanic. Also revealed were two Autobots who would have the following alternate modes—a black-and-blue 2013
Bugatti Veyron
The Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 is a mid-engine sports car, designed and developed in Germany by the Volkswagen Group and Bugatti and manufactured in Molsheim, France, by French automobile manufacturer Bugatti. It was named after the racing driver P ...
Grand Sport Vitesse named "Drift", and a green 2014
C7 Corvette Stingray concept named Crosshairs. A truck from
Western Star Trucks
Western Star Trucks Sales, Inc. is an American truck manufacturer headquartered in Portland, Oregon, and a subsidiary of Daimler Truck North America, which is in turn a wholly owned subsidiary of the Germany-based Daimler Truck.
History
In 196 ...
would be Optimus Prime's new alternate mode for the movie. Bumblebee's new alternate mode was revealed to be a modified vintage 1967 Chevrolet Camaro, which later transforms into a 2014 Chevrolet Camaro concept. A green military vehicle (later confirmed to be Hound) and a white emergency response vehicle were also revealed.
Filming began in June 2013, in
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
,
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
,
Austin, Los Angeles, and
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...
. The film was released on June 27, 2014.
''Transformers: The Last Knight'' (2017)
In March 2015,
Deadline Hollywood
''Deadline Hollywood'', commonly known as ''Deadline'' and also referred to as ''Deadline.com'', is an online news site founded as the news blog ''Deadline Hollywood Daily'' by Nikki Finke in 2006. The site is updated several times a day, wit ...
reported that Paramount Pictures was in talks with
Akiva Goldsman
Akiva J. Goldsman (born July 7, 1962) is an American filmmaker. He is known for making motion pictures and adaptations of popular novels.
Goldsman's filmography as a screenwriter includes '' The Client''; '' Batman Forever'' and its sequel '' ...
to pitch new ideas for the ''Transformers'' franchise's future installments. The studio intends to do what
James Cameron and
20th Century Fox
20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...
have been doing in planning three ''
Avatar
Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appeara ...
'' sequels, and what Disney has done to revive ''
Star Wars'', with sequels and spin-offs. Paramount wants to have their own cinematic universe for ''Transformers'', similar to
Marvel
Marvel may refer to:
Business
* Marvel Entertainment, an American entertainment company
** Marvel Comics, the primary imprint of Marvel Entertainment
** Marvel Universe, a fictional shared universe
** Marvel Music, an imprint of Marvel Comics
* ...
's/
Disney
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
's
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published by ...
(which had been one of Paramount's previous film series), and
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
/
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
'
DC Extended Universe
The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films and television series produced by DC Studios and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is based on characters that ...
. Goldsman is the head of the future projects, and worked with franchise director
Michael Bay, executive producer
Steven Spielberg, and producer
Lorenzo di Bonaventura
Lorenzo di Bonaventura (; born January 13, 1957) is an American film producer and founder and owner of Di Bonaventura Pictures. He is best known for producing the G.I. Joe and ''Transformers'' film series. The films he produced have earned ove ...
to organize a "writers' room" that incubates ideas for potential ''Transformers'' sequels, prequels and spin-offs. The writers' room members include:
Christina Hodson
Christina Hodson is a British screenwriter, known for ''Bumblebee'' (2018) and ''Birds of Prey'' (2020). Her 2016 film '' Shut In'' appeared on the 2012 Black List, an annual list of Hollywood's best-liked unproduced screenplays, as have two ...
, Lindsey Beer, Andrew Barrer, and Gabriel Ferrari (''
Ant-Man
Ant-Man is the name of several superheroes appearing in books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby, Ant-Man's first appearance was in ''Tales to Astonish'' #27 (January 1962) but first appeared in cost ...
''),
Robert Kirkman (''
The Walking Dead''),
Art Marcum & Matt Holloway,
Zak Penn
Zak Penn (born March 23, 1968) is an American screenwriter. Penn wrote and directed '' Incident at Loch Ness'' and ''The Grand'', wrote the script for ''The Incredible Hulk'', co-wrote the scripts for '' X2'', '' X-Men: The Last Stand'', and th ...
(''
Pacific Rim Uprising
''Pacific Rim Uprising'' is a 2018 American science fiction monster film directed by Steven S. DeKnight (in his feature-film directorial and writing debut), and written by DeKnight, Emily Carmichael, Kira Snyder and T.S. Nowlin. It is the ...
''),
Jeff Pinkner
Jeff Pinkner (born November 16, 1964) is an American television and movie writer and producer.
Life and career
Born to a Jewish family,[The Amazing Spider-Man 2
''The Amazing Spider-Man 2'' (internationally titled ''The Amazing Spider-Man 2: Rise of Electro'') is a 2014 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. The film was directed by Marc Webb and produced by Avi A ...]
''),
Ken Nolan
Ken Nolan () is an American screenwriter and novelist best known for adapting the 2001 biographical war film ''Black Hawk Down'' from the non-fiction book of the same name.
Life and career
Nolan was born in Detroit and raised in Buffalo, New Y ...
, and Geneva Robertson-Dworet.
Kirkman left the room after just one day to undergo throat surgery. In July 2015, Akiva Goldsman and
Jeff Pinkner
Jeff Pinkner (born November 16, 1964) is an American television and movie writer and producer.
Life and career
Born to a Jewish family,[G.I. Joe
''G.I. Joe'' is an American media franchise and a line of action figures owned and produced by the toy company Hasbro. The initial product offering represented four of the branches of the U.S. armed forces with the Action Soldier ( U.S. Army), Ac ...]
'' and ''
Micronauts
Micronauts is a North American science fiction toyline manufactured and marketed by Mego from 1976 to 1980. The ''Micronauts'' toyline was based on and licensed from the ''Microman'' toyline created by Japanese-based toy company Takara in 1974. ...
'' properties, Paramount began to negotiate with
Art Marcum and Matt Holloway
Art Marcum and Matt Holloway are an American screenwriting duo, best known for writing the scripts of ''Iron Man'' and '' Punisher: War Zone''.
Career
In 2008, Marcum and Holloway wrote the script of Marvel Studios' superhero film ''Iron Man'' ...
(''
Iron Man''), as well as Ken Nolan (''
Black Hawk Down''), to write the film. Lindsey Beer and Geneva Robertson-Dworet were also brought aboard for writing duties.
After ''
Transformers: Age of Extinction'', Bay had decided not to direct any future ''Transformers'' films. But in early January 2016, in an interview with ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'', he stated that he would return to direct the fifth film, and that it will be his last ''Transformers'' film.
Paramount Pictures spent $80 million on production in Michigan, in return for $21 million in
state incentives, under agreements entered into before the state legislature eliminated the film office incentive program in July 2015. In April 2016, Paramount hired cinematographer Jonathan Sela. On May 17, Bay revealed the official title of the film to be ''The Last Knight'' on his
Instagram account, where he also posted a production video showing a close-up of Optimus Prime's face with purple eyes instead of blue, and his face mostly discolored. The official Twitter account showed a 19-second short video in morse code that translates to "I'm coming for you May 31". On May 31, it was revealed that Megatron would return in the sequel.
''Bumblebee'' (2018)
''Bumblebee'' is a spin-off film centered on the ''
Transformers
''Transformers'' is a media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Tomy, Takara Tomy. It primarily follows the Autobots and the Decepticons, two alien robot factions at war that can transform into other forms ...
'' character of the
same name. It was to be a
prequel to the film series, then it was later declared a
reboot
In computing, rebooting is the process by which a running computer system is restarted, either intentionally or unintentionally. Reboots can be either a cold reboot (alternatively known as a hard reboot) in which the power to the system is physi ...
of the franchise.
The design and style of the film included both elements from the existing franchise as well as influences from ''
Transformers: Generation 1'' franchise of toys.
Principal photography
Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production.
Personnel
Besides the main film personnel, such as a ...
on the film began in July 2017, in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
and
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
, California. It was released on December 21, 2018, to positive reviews. Following the film's critical success, Hasbro intends to continue and evolve the franchise similar to ''Bumblebee''.
''Transformers: Rise of the Beasts'' (2023)
In March 2019, producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura announced ongoing developments for a follow-up to ''Bumblebee''.
By January 2020, it was officially announced that a sequel to ''Bumblebee'' was in development with a script written by
Joby Harold
Joby Harold is an English screenwriter, producer and director who runs Safehouse Pictures with his producing partner, Tory Tunnell. The company was co-founded in 2005.
Career
Harold's latest projects are the upcoming films ''Space Mountain' ...
, alongside an adaptation of ''
Transformers: Beast Wars'' with a script written by
James Vanderbilt
James Platten Vanderbilt (born November 17, 1975) is an American filmmaker best known for the films ''Zodiac'' (2007), ''White House Down'' (2013), ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' (2012), ''The Amazing Spider-Man 2'' (2014), '' Independence Day: Resur ...
.
The film was then scheduled for release on June 24, 2022, that May,
while in November,
Steven Caple Jr. was hired to serve as director on the project, which serves as both a ''Bumblebee'' sequel and ''Beast Wars'' adaptation.
In April 2021,
Anthony Ramos
Anthony Paul Ramos Martinez (born November 1, 1991) is an American actor and singer. In 2015, he originated the dual roles of John Laurens and Philip Hamilton in the Broadway musical '' Hamilton''. Ramos also appeared in the 2021 film version o ...
was cast in one of the lead roles for the film, with
Dominique Fishback in final talks to play the lead role. The project will be a joint-venture production between Hasbro, eOne, and Paramount Pictures.
Principal photography began in June 2021, with the official title announced as ''Transformers: Rise of the Beasts'', confirmed to be set after the events of ''Bumblebee''.
''Rise of the Beasts'' was scheduled to be release on June 24, 2022,
but was delayed to June 9, 2023.
Untitled prequel film (2024)
In September 2015, Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari, who were previously a part of the
shared universe writers' room, were hired to write a film that will explore the origins of Cybertron with a working title of "Transformers One".
In April 2020,
Josh Cooley
Joshua Cooley (born May 23, 1979) is an American animator, screenwriter, director and voice actor. He is best known for directing the 2019 film ''Toy Story 4'', the fourth film of the Toy Story (franchise), ''Toy Story'' franchise, for which he ...
signed on to direct the animated prequel film. Barrer and Ferrari will co-write a new draft of their previous script, with Cooley. Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Mark Vahradian will serve as producers. The story will take place entirely on Cybertron, and will explore the relationship between Optimus Prime and Megatron, "separate and apart" from what has been portrayed in the live-action films. The project will be a joint-venture production between Hasbro Entertainment,
eOne
Entertainment One Ltd., trading as eOne, is an American-owned Canadian multinational entertainment company. Based in Toronto, Ontario, the company is primarily involved in the acquisition, distribution, and production of films and television s ...
,
Paramount Animation
Paramount Animation is an American animation studio, serving as the animation division and label of Paramount Pictures, a subsidiary of Paramount Global. The division was founded on July 6, 2011, following the box office success of Paramount's ow ...
, and Paramount Pictures.
The film is scheduled for release on July 19, 2024.
In December 2022, the title was reported to be ''Transformers: A New Generation''.
Future
* Untitled Angel Manuel Soto film: In March 2021, another film entered development directed by
Angel Manuel Soto, from a script written by Marco Ramirez. The plot will take place separately from films that have previously released, while Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Don Murphy, and Tom DeSanto remain involved in their producing roles. The project will be a joint-venture production between eOne and Paramount Pictures.
* Untitled ''Rise of the Beasts'' sequels: In February 2022 at the ViacomCBS Investors' Event, Paramount announced that ''Rise of the Beasts'' will be the first installment of a new trilogy of films.
* Untitled ''Transformers: The Last Knight'' sequel: Originally announced during the ongoing plans for a "Transformers Cinematic Universe" with a scheduled release date of June 28, 2019; the film was removed from Paramount's release schedule following the negative reception to ''The Last Knight''.
By March 2019, producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura confirmed that another film referred to as "''Transformers 7''" is still in development,
though the film will not be a direct sequel to the previous installment.
In September 2021,
Josh Duhamel
Joshua David Duhamel (; born November 14, 1972) is an American actor and former fashion model. After various modeling work, he made his acting debut as Leo du Pres on the ABC daytime soap opera '' All My Children'' and later starred as Danny M ...
had expressed interest in reprising his role as Col. William Lennox.
Potential shared universe
In March 2013, during the release of ''
G.I. Joe: Retaliation'', producer di Bonaventura announced the studio's plans to develop a ''
G.I. Joe
''G.I. Joe'' is an American media franchise and a line of action figures owned and produced by the toy company Hasbro. The initial product offering represented four of the branches of the U.S. armed forces with the Action Soldier ( U.S. Army), Ac ...
/Transformers'' crossover. On July 26, 2013, ''G.I. Joe: Retaliation'' director
Jon M. Chu stated that he is also interested in directing a ''Transformers/G.I. Joe'' crossover film.
Despite di Bonaventura stating that a crossover was not in the immediate plans for the franchises,
he acknowledged that it is something they intended to do.
In July 2021, producer Di Bonaventura and actor
Henry Golding
Henry Ewan Golding (born 5 February 1987) is a Malaysian-British actor and television host. Golding has been a presenter on BBC's ''The Travel Show'' since 2014. He is known for his film work, playing the role of Nick Young in ''Crazy Rich Asia ...
expressed interest in the possibility of doing the crossover film.
In March 2015, Paramount hired Academy Award-winning screenwriter
Akiva Goldsman
Akiva J. Goldsman (born July 7, 1962) is an American filmmaker. He is known for making motion pictures and adaptations of popular novels.
Goldsman's filmography as a screenwriter includes '' The Client''; '' Batman Forever'' and its sequel '' ...
to oversee and compile a team of writers, to pitch ideas for future films with the intention of expanding the franchise into a cinematic universe. Twelve individual stories were written and pitched for the cinematic universe. Goldsman was tasked with developing a multi-part sequel storyline, along with prequels and spin-off films. A "brain-trust" was commissioned to guide the productions of these stories, including Goldsman, Michael Bay, and producers Steven Spielberg and Lorenzo di Bonaventura. The team of writers who were hired included:
Robert Kirkman,
Art Marcum, Matt Holloway,
Zak Penn
Zak Penn (born March 23, 1968) is an American screenwriter. Penn wrote and directed '' Incident at Loch Ness'' and ''The Grand'', wrote the script for ''The Incredible Hulk'', co-wrote the scripts for '' X2'', '' X-Men: The Last Stand'', and th ...
,
Jeff Pinkner
Jeff Pinkner (born November 16, 1964) is an American television and movie writer and producer.
Life and career
Born to a Jewish family,[Christina Hodson
Christina Hodson is a British screenwriter, known for ''Bumblebee'' (2018) and ''Birds of Prey'' (2020). Her 2016 film '' Shut In'' appeared on the 2012 Black List, an annual list of Hollywood's best-liked unproduced screenplays, as have two ...]
, Lindsey Beer,
Ken Nolan
Ken Nolan () is an American screenwriter and novelist best known for adapting the 2001 biographical war film ''Black Hawk Down'' from the non-fiction book of the same name.
Life and career
Nolan was born in Detroit and raised in Buffalo, New Y ...
,
Geneva Robertson-Dworet, and
Steven DeKnight. Goldsman described the writer's room collaboration process, as a way to map out stories that can be further developed by the projects that are
green-lit
To green-light is to give permission to proceed with a project. The term is a reference to the green traffic signal, indicating "go ahead".
Film industry
In the context of the film and television industries, to green-light something is to ...
by the brain trust; stating: "...if one of the writers discovers an affinity for
particular story they can drive forward on treatments that will have been fleshed out by the whole room."
In August 2017, following the poor reception of ''The Last Knight'' which Goldsman co-wrote, the filmmaker officially left the franchise.
In December 2018, di Bonaventura stated that there will be further films in the series, while also acknowledging that the franchise will make some changes in tone and style due to the success of ''Bumblebee''.
A
crossover film with the
''G.I. Joe'' film series is also being developed.
Short films
''Transformers: Beginnings'' (2007)
Released separately from the first film on home release in October 2007, on DVD as a Walmart Exclusive; the short is an animated prequel, presented in the form of a
motion comic
A motion comic (or animated comic) is a form of animation combining elements of print comic books and animation. Individual panels are expanded into a full shot while sound effects, voice acting, and animation are added to the original artwork. Tex ...
, with narration from the character Bumblebee.
Mark Ryan provides the
voice-over work for the role, while the short depicts Megatron's arrival on Earth, as well as Archibald Witwicky's discovery 4 million years later. The short skips to 2003 with Bumblebee arriving on Earth, and Sector 7's pursuit of him.
''Sector 7 Archive'' (2019)
Released on the home video release of ''Bumblebee'', two short films under a "Sector 7 Archive" label were released.
''Agent Burns: Welcome to Sector 7'' (2019)
A short released as an in-universe orientation video, of Agent Burns addressing new hires.
''Sector 7 Adventures: The Battle at Half Dome'' (2019)
A short film, released in the form of a motion comic, taking place two years after the events of ''Bumblebee'' which depicts a fight between Bumblebee and Soundwave. When Sector 7 is attacked by Soundwave, Bumblebee arrives to protect them. During the ensuing battle, Soundwave demands that Sector 7 give back what belongs to the Decepticons.
Web series
''Transformers: Cyber Missions'' (2010)
A 13 episode long web mini series released in 2010 and set within and using the Transformers design from the continuity of the live action movies. It was released on Hasbro's website and in 2011 re-released on Transformers official YouTube channel. The series was made by TG Studios in only three months. It is set between the events of ''Revenge of the Fallen'' and ''Dark of the Moon''.
''Bumblebee's First Life on Earth'' (2019)
is a 3-episode long retelling of the first half of the ''Bumblebee'' film with no spoilers. The series was released on Paramount Pictures' Japanese
Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
account.
Principal cast and characters
Cast
Additional crew and production details
Reception
Box office performance
Critical and public response
With the exception of ''Bumblebee'', common elements of the original film series received negative reception, such as the repeated formulaic plots, acting, dialogue, filming, Transformer redesigns,
sophomoric
Sophomoric humor is that which is juvenile and puerile. It is a type of comedy that often includes toilet humor and gags that are based on an appeal to a silly sense of immaturity. The word sophomoric, an adjective dating from 1813, is used to r ...
and
toilet humor
Toilet humour, or potty or scatological humour (compare scatology), is a type of off-colour humour dealing with defecation, diarrhea, constipation, urination and flatulence, and to a lesser extent vomiting and other bodily functions. It sees sub ...
, female character
objectification
In social philosophy, objectification is the act of treating a person, as an object or a thing. It is part of dehumanization, the act of disavowing the humanity of others. Sexual objectification, the act of treating a person as a mere object of sex ...
, the Transformers being reduced to secondary characters in their own films, clichéd and controversial characterizations, aimless story arcs, lack of character development, inconsistent tone, incoherent action, questionable
marketing
Marketing is the process of exploring, creating, and delivering value to meet the needs of a target market in terms of goods and services; potentially including selection of a target audience; selection of certain attributes or themes to emph ...
, poor writing,
racial and cultural stereotypes, overuse of
MacGuffin
In fiction, a MacGuffin (sometimes McGuffin) is an object, device, or event that is necessary to the plot and the motivation of the characters, but insignificant, unimportant, or irrelevant in itself. The term was originated by Angus MacPhail for ...
s,
product placement,
CGI, long running times, and excessive
retroactive continuity changes.
The first ''Transformers'' film received mixed reviews, with praise for the groundbreaking visual effects, musical score, action sequences, Labeouf's performance, and Peter Cullen's return as Optimus Prime. There was some criticism of the Transformer redesigns, the screen time for certain characters, and the product placement.
Film critic Roger Ebert gave the film three stars, writing "It's goofy fun with a lot of stuff that blows up real good, and it has the grace not only to realize how preposterous it is, but to make that into an asset."
The second film, ''Revenge of the Fallen'', received mostly negative reviews.
Roger Ebert gave the film one star, calling it "a horrible experience of unbearable length, punctuated by three or four amusing moments." The characterization of the Autobot twins, Skids and Mudflap, was heavily criticized.
Peter Travers
Peter Joseph Travers (born ) is an American film critic, journalist, and television presenter. He reviews films for ABC News and previously served as a movie critic for ''People'' and ''Rolling Stone''. Travers also hosts the film interview prog ...
of ''Rolling Stone'' magazine labeled them: "two of the most offensive bots in screen history...who do black stereotypes in ways that would shame
Jar Jar Binks
Jar Jar Binks is a fictional character of the Gungan race from the '' Star Wars'' saga created by George Lucas. Jar Jar appears throughout the ''Star Wars'' prequel trilogy – as a major character in '' Episode I: The Phantom Menace'', with ...
" and concluded the film "has a shot at the title Worst Movie of the Decade." Others described them as "something out of an old
minstrel show
The minstrel show, also called minstrelsy, was an American form of racist theatrical entertainment developed in the early 19th century.
Each show consisted of comic skits, variety acts, dancing, and music performances that depicted people spec ...
" with "conspicuously cartoonish, so-called black voices that indicate that minstrelsy remains as much in fashion in Hollywood as when, well, Jar Jar Binks was set loose by
George Lucas." Reviews also criticized the excessive running time, inappropriate humor, the rehashing of the MacGuffin-focused plot, nonsensical dialogue, heavy focus on the humans, and indistinguishable robots crashing into each other. Positive aspects noted by critics include Peter Cullen's voiceover work, the visual effects, music, and action.
The third film, ''Dark of the Moon'', received mixed reviews but was considered an improvement over the second film. Praise was directed toward the visuals, editing, music, and the voicework of Peter Cullen and
Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Simon Nimoy (; March 26, 1931 – February 27, 2015) was an American actor, famed for playing Spock in the '' Star Trek'' franchise for almost 50 years. This includes originating Spock in the original ''Star Trek'' series in 1966, th ...
, while the acting and story were criticized.
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw (born 19 June 1962) is a British writer and film critic. He has been chief film critic at ''The Guardian'' since 1999, and is a contributing editor at ''Esquire''.
Early life and education
Bradshaw was educated at Haberdasher ...
of ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' gave the film a mixed review, saying, "It is as if Bay, perhaps influenced by some stinging critiques, has made an aesthetic policy decision. Because this film is not quite as stupid as the others...But let's face it, these touches are atypical. After half an hour it turns into the same headbanging, eardrum-brutalising action-fest as the other two films." Bradshaw also notes the impressive effects in the Battle of Chicago at the climax and how the
September 11 attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commer ...
inspired it.
A. O. Scott of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' called ''Dark of the Moon'' among Michael Bay's best films but said, "I can't decide if this movie is so spectacularly, breathtakingly dumb as to induce stupidity in anyone who watches, or so brutally brilliant that it disarms all reason. What's the difference?" Scott also criticized the film for continuing the series' pattern of "tongue-in-cheek
revisionist history" by using the
Space Race
The Space Race was a 20th-century competition between two Cold War rivals, the United States and the Soviet Union, to achieve superior spaceflight capability. It had its origins in the ballistic missile-based nuclear arms race between the t ...
as the catalyst for the film's events. Dan Kois of ''The Village Voice'' also criticized Michael Bay's continuation of "exploiting America's iconic tragedies for maximum impact." He emphasized the 9/11 comparison by noting Chicago being declared "Ground Zero" and pointing out the "re-creation of the
1986 ''Challenger'' disaster, right down to that lopsided fireball blooming over the ocean." Chris Hewitt of
''Empire Online'' gave the film 2 out of 5 stars, saying that ''Dark of the Moon'' is better than ''Revenge of the Fallen'' but not by much. Hewitt praised the last 45 minutes and the best use of 3D since
''Avatar'' but panned the choppy editing, lazy writing, the slow first hour, the level of violence in the robot fights, and considered Bay's use of the
Chernobyl disaster as a plot device as being in poor taste. Also criticized were Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson for being reduced to needless supporting characters, Shia LaBeouf's Sam Witwicky being an unlikable character, and actors John Malkovich, Alan Tudyk, and Ken Jeong for being used as "cheap-seats comedy relief."
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley
Rosie Alice Huntington-Whiteley (born 18 April 1987) is an English model and actress. She is best known for her work for lingerie retailer Victoria's Secret, formerly being one of their brand "Angels", for being the face of Burberry's 2011 bran ...
's Carly was criticized for being an undeveloped female lead with no purpose in the plot except to be a sex object and damsel with Tom Charity of ''CNN Entertainment'' claiming that she "makes
Megan Fox
Megan Denise Fox (born May 16, 1986) is an American actress. She made her acting debut in the family film '' Holiday in the Sun'' (2001), which was followed by numerous supporting roles in film and television, such as the teen musical comedy ...
look like
Meryl Streep
Mary Louise Meryl Streep (born June 22, 1949) is an American actress. Often described as "the best actress of her generation", Streep is particularly known for her versatility and accent adaptability. She has received numerous accolades throu ...
." Roger Ebert rated the film 1 out of 4 stars, and Peter Travers of ''Rolling Stones'' called it "a movie bereft of wit, wonder, imagination, and any genuine reason for being."
Christopher Orr of ''
The Atlantic
''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science.
It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...
'' said ''Dark of the Moon'' is an improvement over the previous film in almost every way apart from its length, praising the special effects, 3D usage, and intense action. He criticized the retrograde depiction of the female characters, the
September 11
Events Pre-1600
* 9 – The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends: The Roman Empire suffers the greatest defeat of its history and the Rhine is established as the border between the Empire and the so-called barbarians for the next four hu ...
undertones of the Chicago climax, and the uncomfortable level of violence from the Transformers.
''Age of Extinction''
and ''The Last Knight''
both received negative reviews and are the lowest-rated films in the series. For ''Age of Extinction'', some praised elements include the visual effects, musical score, serious tone, action sequences, as well as the performances of Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci, Kelsey Grammer, and Peter Cullen. Critics panned it for its excessive product placement, the nearly three-hour runtime, poor writing and editing, the introduction of the "Transformium" element, and the idea of human-made Transformers. Also criticized was the racist stereotypes in the film, with David Edelstein of ''Vulture'' using actress
Li Bingbing
Li Bingbing (; born 27 February 1973) is a Chinese actress and singer who rose to fame with her role in '' Seventeen Years'' (1999) and since then received critical acclaim for her roles in ''A World Without Thieves'' (2004), '' Waiting Alone'' (2 ...
as an example of the stereotype of "all Chinese people being adept in the martial arts." Sam Adams of ''
IndieWire
IndieWire (sometimes stylized as indieWIRE or Indiewire) is a film industry and review website that was established in 1996. The site's focus was predominantly independent film, although its coverage has grown to "to include all aspects of Holl ...
'' labeled ''Age of Extinction'' "a new, terrible kind of cinema" that could have been written by "a high school sophomore with a permanent hard-on." Angela Wattercutter of
''Wired'' magazine criticized ''Age of Extinction''
's insensitive use of the
War on Terror
The war on terror, officially the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), is an ongoing international counterterrorism military campaign initiated by the United States following the September 11 attacks. The main targets of the campaign are militant ...
and the September 11 aftermath as inspiration with the Transformers treated as "
enemy combatants
Enemy combatant is a person who, either lawfully or unlawfully, engages in hostilities for the other side in an armed conflict. Usually enemy combatants are members of the armed forces of the state with which another state is at war. In the case ...
" and "alien terrorists", and being hunted by Kelsey Grammer's xenophobic government agent. Wattercutter even notes that the film has a captive Autobot making an offhanded joke about
waterboarding
Waterboarding is a form of torture in which water is poured over a cloth covering the face and breathing passages of an immobilized captive, causing the person to experience the sensation of drowning. In the most common method of waterboard ...
. The designs of the Autobots, such as Hound, Drift, and Crosshairs, drew criticism, with Drift being called a Japanese stereotype and an example of
yellowface
Portrayals of East Asians in American film and theatre has been a subject of controversy. These portrayals have frequently reflected an ethnocentric perception of East Asians rather than realistic and authentic depictions of East Asian cultures, c ...
. The dark depiction of Optimus Prime also drew criticism for being unpleasant and unfaithful to the character. Critics also panned the film for portraying the Dinobots as mindless robots devoid of their personalities and reducing them to a
deus ex machina
''Deus ex machina'' ( , ; plural: ''dei ex machina''; English "god out of the machine") is a plot device whereby a seemingly unsolvable problem in a story is suddenly and abruptly resolved by an unexpected and unlikely occurrence. Its function ...
appearing late in the film despite being a focal point in the marketing. Critics noted
Nicola Peltz
Nicola Anne Peltz Beckham (born January 9, 1995) is an American actress. Primarily known for her roles in dramatic film and television, she has performed in some blockbuster adaptations and has since been nominated for a Young Hollywood Award. ...
's character as a sexualized underage girl and damsel-in-distress with no sense of agency whose sole purpose is to have the male leads fight over her. Her character's relationship with Jack Reynor also drew backlash as critics accused Michael Bay of treating
statutory rape
In common law jurisdictions, statutory rape is nonforcible sexual activity in which one of the individuals is below the age of consent (the age required to legally consent to the behavior). Although it usually refers to adults engaging in sexual ...
as a joke and attempting to defend it with the
Romeo and Juliet law
In common law jurisdictions, statutory rape is nonforcible sexual activity in which one of the individuals is below the age of consent (the age required to legally consent to the behavior). Although it usually refers to adults engaging in sexua ...
.
For ''The Last Knight'', critics criticized the confusing plot, messy narrative, script, characters and screen time for some characters, excessive length and constant format changes throughout the film, while positive elements focused on the visuals, action, music and the performances of Mark Walhberg, Anthony Hopkins, John Goodman and Peter Cullen. Yohana Desta of
''Vanity Fair'' called the film "an apocalyptic identity crisis come to life" and "an unruly Frankenstein's monster with shoddy stitchwork." Desta noted that despite the film's nonsensical/non-existent plot, the visual effects remain impressive.
Christopher Orr of
The Atlantic
''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science.
It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...
criticized the film for attempting to connect the Transformers to
Stonehenge and
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, and called it the worst retelling of Arthurian legend of the year, even worse than Guy Ritchie's ''
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword''. Rebecca Farley of ''
Refinery29'' and Dana Schwartz of ''Marie Claire'' were critical of the underdeveloped female characters. Farley accused the production of trying to insert last-minute "tween girl empowerment" after
Millie Bobby Brown
Millie Bobby Brown (born 19 February 2004) is a British actress and producer. She gained recognition for playing Eleven in the Netflix science fiction series ''Stranger Things'' (2016–present), for which she received nominations for two Prim ...
's success in ''
Stranger Things'', noting that the marketing made
Isabela Moner appear to have a prominent role in the film, when she does not. Farley also labeled
Laura Haddock
Laura Jane Haddock (born 21 August 1985) is an English actress. She is known for portraying Zoë Walker in '' White Lines'', Kacie Carter in '' Honest'', Lucrezia in '' Da Vinci's Demons'', Meredith Quill in ''Guardians of the Galaxy'' and its s ...
's character the film's "textbook Strong Woman" cliché since she plays a highly educated and athletic woman harassed by female family members for being single and the male protagonist for "wearing a stripper dress." Schwartz cites Wahlberg's character for referring to Moner's as "Little
J. Lo" because of her Latina heritage, and Haddock being portrayed as the
"British Megan Fox" for their similar appearances.
Ian Freer
Ian or Iain is a name of Scottish Gaelic origin, derived from the Hebrew given name (Yohanan, ') and corresponding to the English name John. The spelling Ian is an Anglicization of the Scottish Gaelic forename ''Iain''. It is a popular name in Sc ...
of ''
Empire
An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
'' magazine rated the film 2 out of 5 stars. Freer said that like the previous films, it is "bogged down in backstory, lacks a real feel for its characters and still can't find a way to make its robot-on-robot action exhilarating... It is amazing how a series with so much nostalgic goodwill, technical finesse and behind the scenes talent have led so often to experiences that are so joyless."
The 2018 spin-off film, ''Bumblebee'', received positive reviews with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 90%, making it the highest-rated film in the series. Critics praised it for its lighter tone, story, visuals, acting, direction, and faithfulness to the 1980s Transformers show.
Glenn Kenny
Glenn Kenny (born August 8, 1959) is an American film critic and journalist. He writes for ''The New York Times'' and '' RogerEbert.com''.
Biography
Kenny attended William Paterson University, where he majored in English literature.[Amblin
Amblin Entertainment, Inc., formerly named Amblin Productions and Steven Spielberg Productions, is an American film production company founded by director and producer Steven Spielberg, and film producers Kathleen Kennedy (producer), Kathlee ...]
films. In a review for ''The Hollywood Reporter'', Justin Lowe praised the improved digital effects, including the "sharp visual details, realistic
color shading and seamless transitions between robot and vehicular forms." Lowe also noted the film's focus on a PG tone despite its PG-13 rating, its character-driven story, and its improved humor compared to its predecessors. David Fear of ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' noted the film for borrowing elements from
''E.T.'', ''
The Iron Giant
''The Iron Giant'' is a 1999 American animated science fiction film produced by Warner Bros. Feature Animation and directed by Brad Bird in his directorial debut. It is based on the 1968 novel '' The Iron Man'' by Ted Hughes (which was publis ...
'', and
John Hughes films, and commented: "the usual
Americana
Americana may refer to:
*Americana (music), a genre or style of American music
*Americana (culture), artifacts of the culture of the United States
Film, radio and television
* ''Americana'' (1992 TV series), a documentary series presented by J ...
-on-steroids vibe of the Bay movies are , replaced with a less bombastic combination of bot-outta-water shenanigans... and sensitive, not-at-all sappy drama."
Accolades
The franchise has been frequently praised and won awards for its sound design. Michael Bay praised the crew and highlighted the importance of sound saying "I have like 2,000 people — through their artistry — making my dreams a film," Bay said. "The artistry of this sound group is just amazing. I love, love sound. It's 45-50% of the movies."
Academy Awards
Golden Raspberry Awards
Other media
In addition to the films, the film series has a promotional expanded series that is set both before and after the events of the films. This includes comic books, video games, and novels. While the novels are partially based on the films themselves, and the video games are not in the same continuity as the films, the comic books and graphic novels are in the same continuity and fill in several parts of the stories from the films. Also, ''
Transformers: The Ride 3D'' is an amusement ride based on the film series. The ride introduced a new character, Autobot Evac, voiced by Dustin James Leighton.
See also
* ''
The Transformers: The Movie'', a 1986 animated film based on the original TV series
*
''G.I. Joe'' film series (soon to be a shared cinematic universe with
ROM
Rom, or ROM may refer to:
Biomechanics and medicine
* Risk of mortality, a medical classification to estimate the likelihood of death for a patient
* Rupture of membranes, a term used during pregnancy to describe a rupture of the amniotic sac
* ...
,
M.A.S.K.,
Visionaries and
Micronauts
Micronauts is a North American science fiction toyline manufactured and marketed by Mego from 1976 to 1980. The ''Micronauts'' toyline was based on and licensed from the ''Microman'' toyline created by Japanese-based toy company Takara in 1974. ...
)
Notes
References
External links
*
*
{{Portal bar, United States, Japan, United Kingdom, Film, Science fiction, Martial arts, 2000s, 2010s
Action film series
Alien invasions in films
American film series
Science fiction franchises
DreamWorks Pictures films
Paramount Pictures franchises
Science fiction film series
Film series introduced in 2007