When a Bumblebee spin-off was originally announced many fans (myself included) baulked at the idea of another tired Transformers movie! Director Michael Bay had gone from a fun Steven Spielberg-produced rollercoaster ride with a heart to a cold, confusing, mechanical mess spanning 5 increasingly overblown instalments.
However, director Travis Knight’s (Kubo and the Two Strings) soft reboot returns to the fabled Generation 1 (G1) source: an era rich in nostalgia, lore and synonymous with timeless Spielbergian suburbia. The eighties, where Knight and this fellow Transformers fan came of age. It's 1987 when Rick Astley was number one in the charts and Michael Jackson followed up Thriller with Bad.
Now, as someone who is averse to spoiling things, the opening of Bumblebee evoked the sense of wonder this lifelong Star Wars fan had when seeing JJ Abrams' The Force Awakens in 2015. It's a mission statement that will transport fans back to the original animated series, movie and the hallowed pages of Marvel's weekly comic in a way Bay has failed miserably to do since 2007.
In the wake of familial tragedy. This is a Transformers movie scaled back into something entirely character-driven with shades of The Iron Giant and Batteries Not Included. In doing so, Knight creates a poignant prequel with a humble VW bug, Hailee Steinfeld is fantastic as Charlie who befriends the Autobot scout forming a relationship that echoes Elliott and E.T. in Spielberg's most autobiographical film, and Bumblebee becomes the best live-action film from the franchise...
Paramount Pictures has released an official trailer for Bumblebee, starring Hailee Steinfeld, and it's pure nostalgia for G1 fans (myself included) featuring Decepticons Soundwave and Shockwave battling Autobot leader Optimus Prime on Cybertron. Surely Megatron will appear in all his G1 glory and transform into a Walther P38?
The Transformers spin-off is a welcome reboot for the franchise and sees director Travis Knight replacing Michael Bay at the helm. Like JJ Abrams, Knight is unashamedly channelling classic Amblin movies from the eighties as he tells Empire magazine:
"Growing up in the eighties, the most powerful stories were the Amblin stories. They had a thinking brain; a strong, beating heart; and a poetic soul. They evoked wonder and laughter and tears every single time. So knitting those two things together: my love of Transformers and my love of Spielberg and Amblin, was something I really wanted to evoke in this film. And it didn't hurt that Steven Spielberg was an executive producer on the movie! Having this guy who has been an icon for me my entire life and being able to collaborate with him and make this film in a way that evokes what was so special about those movies to me as a kid was a joy."
Bumblebee is shaping up to be the live-action Transformers movie I've always wanted since the animated series, movie and Marvel comic from the eighties. If Stan Bush's The Touch is played during the movie, there'll be tears of joy from this Transformers fan. In Travis Knight I trust.
Let's hope Hasbro has enough tie-in toys in stock because these are going to fly off the shelves. Especially as there's no Star Wars movie in cinemas this December.
Following the first teaser trailer for Transformers spin-off Bumblebee starring Hailee Steinfeld and John Cena. Paramount Pictures has released a featurette introducing director Travis Knight (Kubo and the Two Strings).
“At Laika, we try to find an artful balance of darkness and light and intensity and warmth and humor and heart,” Knight said. “The idea of being able to bring that kind of philosophy to Bumblebee was really exciting.”
The first teaser for Bumblebee seemingly taps into the current nostalgia for the eighties epitomised by Netflix's Stranger Things.
“I was a child of the ‘80s. I grew up loving those classic, Spielbergian coming-of-age tales, and that was something that I wanted to bring to Bumblebee,” Knight added.
With Knight's proven pedigree in animation and storytelling, Bumblebee could be the surprise heartfelt hit of the holiday season and the Transformers film fans (myself included) deserve.
What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below.
A bit of context. I met Nick Smith at Vintage Video, a club for fans of film and TV sci-fi, whilst we were undergraduates at Bournemouth University in the early nineties. We became instant friends and shared an affinity for Doctor Who and Star Wars. So much so, we worked on several video projects together. For example Ventolin Catharsis and December Duet, which channelled our mutual fascination for all things gothic.
Whilst our lives have taken distinctly different paths, we've remained in touch, through the power of communication technology, since graduation all those years ago. Heck, I still have ambitions to complete our 'gothic trilogy' one day on the streets of Miami.
When I heard about Nick's movie Cold Soldiers, filmed in Charleston, SC, I was instantly reminded of the Cybermen and watching classic Doctor Who serials together. I may have demonstrated my near-faultless impression of David Banks' Cyberleader sans voice modulation.
Here, Nick shares the highs and lows of getting his film Cold Soldiers made and distributed.
Guest post by Nick Smith
Like I always say, George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, has a lot to answer for. He encouraged a generation of filmmakers to tell big-screen stories, wearing their influences on their samurai sleeves, becoming part of the sideshows of movie merchandising, publicity and distribution. George’s experimentation with digital video and effects are a reason why digital filmmaking is so prevalent today. In his youth, he had an obvious passion for movies and made lots of dough following it. He made it look easy.
It ain’t.
Moviemaking isn’t all skywalking. It requires long days, sacrifices of time, money and personal life, heavy lifting and uncertainty. Where do the little guys fit into all this hard labour, the ones with the passion but no dough? If they’re like me, they find a way to keep making movies any which way they can.
There’s a lot of chitter chatter in the indie film industry, but many projects never get made. For the feature film Cold Soldiers, my co-producer Trevor Erickson and I were faced with a choice: spend our time looking for investors and distributors, pitching an idea to doctors, lawyers and business angels or make the movie. We went ahead and made the movie, released this month on Amazon. Not exactly the Grauman’s Chinese Theater, but it’s a start.
The mission, which we chose to accept, was to make an action movie with memorable characters, suspense, knock-down drag-out fights, car chases and an involving, surprising plot. We wanted to work with local actors and crew and we didn’t want interference from some executive producer from on high, taking away our creative freedom. The main obstacle was lack of budget and we knew we had one shot at this – no Special Edition.
Cold Soldiers is set in a max security hospital full of spies and military guys who’ve failed their missions. Psychiatrist John Dance interacts with the patients, reporting to the institute’s review board, which includes his wife Rebecca. Meanwhile, a shadow force busts out of the hospital to bump off board members.
When Rebecca is targeted, John has to find out who’s involved before he becomes a widower. In his world no one can be taken at face value, forcing the psychiatrist to analyze everything.
So far, so thrilling. There’s also a love triangle, a sword fight, car chases and gun battles. More importantly, characters that the audience will (hopefully) care about. I learned how important that was as I was filming – and how many nuances the actors could add to their parts.
While we were filming all our action shenanigans, I learned a few more handy facts:
1. Sound is Hella Important!
I thought I had it down, aware that sound quality can make a film amateurish or Hollywood level. There are still a few moments where the sound could be better. Spending as much time as possible on sound, while we were shooting, would have saved a lot of heartache in the edit suite.
2. Ask and you shall receive (sometimes)
We waited for ages before we approached the military vehicle provider Force Protection. We thought they’d turn us away, especially since their vehicles appeared in Transformers. They immediately told us that Michael Bay hadn’t given them a penny and lent us their vehicles gratis.
3. Finding a distributor is no picnic, Booboo!
One potential distributor wanted to sell DVDs in cardboard sleeves; another wanted me to use a pseudonym. We took a long time to find the right fit and really an indie-friendly company who we could have an informal relationship with. We found them in Miami-based Maverick Entertainment.
4. There are many ways to share a film!
DVD, streaming, alternate screening venues… these days there are more ways to show a movie than home video editions of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. Being flexible and looking beyond a big theatrical release is the key to getting a film in front of as many eyes as possible. Since there are a lot of martial arts antics in Cold Soldiers, we screened a workprint at East West Health Arts, a dojo in Charleston, South Carolina. Didn’t see that one coming!
However you find it or view it, check out this little movie fan’s epic – it’s handmade, heartfelt and a lot of fun. Enjoy the ride and Honor the Code.
You can buy or rent Cold Soldiers on Amazon (affiliate link).
Have you seen Cold Soldiers? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Paramount Pictures has dropped the first official teaser trailer for the upcoming Transformers live-action spin-off, Bumblebee.
"On the run in the year 1987, Bumblebee finds refuge in a junkyard in a small Californian beach town. Charlie (Hailee Steinfeld), on the cusp of turning 18 and trying to find her place in the world, discovers Bumblebee, battle-scarred and broken. When Charlie revives him, she quickly learns this is no ordinary, yellow VW bug."
All the feels. My generation grew up with Hasbro's inspired rebranding - with a lot of help from Marvel - of Takara's Japanese puzzle toys Diaclone and Micro Change, and I wasn't expecting something that would resonate so deeply. Bumblebee was one of the very first Transformers I owned and the beloved Autobot stood sentry, alongside his leader Optimus Prime, in my childhood bedroom.
I'm getting a The Love Bug and The Iron Giant vibe. The prequel is seemingly a soft reboot of the Transformers live-action franchise harkening back to the Generation 1 (G1) era from the eighties. And with director Michael Bay no longer at the helm, there's a genuine pathos and sense of wonder that has been sorely absent since the first live-action movie which owed much to executive producer Steven Spielberg.
Bumblebee, directed by Travis Knight (Kubo and the Two Strings) and starring Hailee Steinfeld (Edge of Seventeen), is in cinemas this December. Could this be a new beginning for the Hasbro cinematic universe including G.I. Joe, M.A.S.K., Micronauts, ROM: Spaceknight, Visionaries and Power Rangers? Excuse me whilst I rewatch the excellent Transformers instalment of The Toys That Made Us now streaming on Netflix.
Looking forward to Bumblebee? Let me know in the comments below.
This June director Michael Bay begins filming the next instalment in the Transformers cinematic franchise, with Mark Wahlberg reprising his role as Cade Yeager from Age of Extinction, due for release summer 2017.
Transformers: The Last Knight.
Fans need not fear this is the final movie in the $3.7 billion dollar grossing series. A Bumblebee spin-off is set to follow in 2018 with a sixth Transformers film to arrive in multiplexes everywhere in 2019. Hollywood can't get enough of these transforming toys to the detriment of new IPs.
So, who's the Last Knight? Rumours suggest none other than ROM: Spaceknight. A toy released by Parker Bros., which had a Marvel comic tie-in, and now belongs to Hasbro.
Franchise stalwart Josh Duhamel is returning to the fray after he went missing in action in Age of Extinction. However, Megan Fox was last seen in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and can be seen next in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows.
Are you looking forward to more Autobot vs Decepticon battles? Let me know in the comments below.
Hasbro has been watching the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and DC Universe (DCU) with envious eyes. The toy company has announced a ten year plan for four more Transformers movies, which will form the bedrock of a transmedia universe. This will most likely include spin-off movies focussing on popular characters such as Bumblebee.
"You’re going to see a new Transformers movie coming from Hasbro and Paramount and Michael Bay and our other partners," said Hasbro Studios president Stephen Davis, adding, "We decided that we wanted to plot out the next 10 years of the Transformers franchise, so we got together in a room over a three-month period of time." Davis refers to the likes of Akiva Goldsman, who won an Academy Award for her A Beautiful Mind screenplay.
The franchise is no darling of the critics, but the box office suggests there's a rabid fanbase for Rock'em Sock'em Robots in IMAX 3D.
Brace yourself for more, much more, than meets the eye!
The Transformers cinematic franchise is undergoing a seismic shift to encompass transmedia storytelling as seen in the spectacularly successful Marvel Cinematic Universe and DC Universe.
A writer's room is being assembled, by director Michael Bay and producer Steven Spielberg, including Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead), Jeff Pinkner (Fringe) and Andrew Barrer & Gabriel Ferrari (Ant-Man), with the aim of developing sequels and spin-offs set in the same cinematic universe. One such project maybe a prequel set on the robots' homeworld of Cybertron.
Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner has hinted at a Bumblebee spin-off:
"As we go forward, we would imagine several more Transformers Movies,” Goldner said (via TFW2005.com). “Not just in the current lineage but also spin-offs and focusing on certain key characters that are beloved by the world over. Many of you know Bumblebee; the yellow Camaro… formally known as a yellow VW Bug. He is a beloved character by kids all over the world. We could see stories told around Bumblebee and other characters. We are in a process of building the brand equity around the comic book business, our TV Business, our digital gaming business and adding to that our new movie business of Transformers.”
Despite my enthusiasm for the first Transformers movie, the franchise quickly derailed, in creative terms, despite continued box office success. That said, I enjoyed Age of Extinction more than I'd care to admit; I'm a sucker for dinosaurs and robots...
Robots riding dinosaurs! What could possibly go wrong? Transformers: Age of Extinction looks likely to dominate the US box office over the Fourth of July weekend!
The fourth installment of bombastic bot-bashing from Michael Bay has met with derision from critics. Ain't It Cool News' Harry Knowles pulls no punches in his review. However, cinemagoers appear undaunted by Bayhem amped to the nth degree and an exhausting running time of 165 minutes. Age of Extinction took an estimated $100 million dollars during its opening weekend.
"I think putting Mark Wahlberg front and centre accomplished what we wanted to do, and that's re-energise the franchise," Paramount vice chairman Rob Moore said.
"He appeals to audiences, both critically and as an action star."
Should Michael Bay ditch directorial duties and let someone else takeover for the inevitable fifth film? It wasn't so long ago The Fast and the Furious franchise received a reboot to stellar success both critically and commercially. Let's have that awesome Transformers car chase we've all been waiting for in IMAX 3D.
Who would you like to see direct Transformers? Let me know in the comments below.
A full length trailer for Transformers: Age of Extinction premiered last night.
This TV Spot introduces Mark Wahlberg’s character Cade Yeager, a deadbeat mechanic who discovers a derelict Transformer, and culminates in a clash between Optimus Prime and Grimlock.
Transformers: Age of Extinction premieres July 10th in the UK. Let the Bayhem begin...
“Wow! I just embarrassed myself at CES. I rarely lend my name to any products, but this one is just stellar. I got so excited to talk, that I skipped over the Exec VP’s intro line and then the teleprompter got lost. Then the prompter went up and down – then I walked off. I guess live shows aren’t my thing.”
Transformers fans should get a kick out of this official tie-in even if Michael Bay's latest movie collapses into migraine-inducing nihilism! Read the review on Film4 here.
In a self-publicising letter that would make James Cameron envious, Michael Bay opines the 'perfect' viewing conditions for theatrical 3D playback of his latest Transformers movie.
With escalating ticket prices, in the midst of an economic recession, audiences should demand the highest standards of theatrical presentation - properly calibrated home cinemas can easily best most multiplexes. That said, it's not just about the technology, it's the story that truly matters... Try certifying that with THX?
Readers will know that the Transformers were a huge part of my childhood and may recall how much I enjoyed Transformers: A popcorn movie that deftly mixed Spielbergian hijinks with Bayhem until that, troubled, final reel.
The first sequel crashed and burned (ashamed to admit that I own the IMAX Edition, a Wal*Mart exclusive, on Blu-ray disc). But, for some inexplicable reason, I'm looking forward to Dark of the Moon sans Megan Fox. How about you?
Buy Transformers: Dark of the Moon merchandise from The Entertainer.
Paramount Home Entertainment has revealed the specs for the upcoming Blu-ray release of Michael Bay's blockbuster hit 'Transformers' (link to my review), due to hit store shelves on September 2nd.
On this two disc special edition, video will be presented in 2.35:1 1080p AVC and be accompanied by both a 5.1 PCM and 5.1 Dolby TrueHD lossless soundtracks.
Extras for the release are exhaustive, and include:
* Commentary: Commentary by Director Michael Bay * Featurette: OUR WORLD: * Featurette: The Story Sparks HD * Featurette: Human Allies HD * Featurette: I Fight Giant Robots HD * Featurette: Battleground HD * Featurette: THEIR WAR: * Featurette: Rise of the Robots HD * Featurette: Autobots Roll Out HD * Featurette: Decepticons Strike HD * Featurette: Inside the AllSpark HD * Featurette: Transformers Tech Inspector (TBD) HD * Trailers: TRAILERS (will play after the feature via a menu) * Trailers: Iron Man Trailer HD * Featurette: MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE * Trailers: Transformers Teaser Trailer HD * Trailers: Rise of the Autobots HD * Other: Transformers H.U.D. (Heads Up Display) * Other: BD-Live Features (TBD) * Featurette: From Script to Sand: The Skorponok Desert Attack HD * Featurette: Concepts HD * Trailers: Trailers HD: * Trailers: Teaser Trailer 1 HD * Trailers: Theatrical Trailer 2 HD * Trailers: Theatrical Trailer 4 HD * Easter Eggs: EASTER EGGS: * Easter Eggs: Michael Bay Cameo HD * Easter Eggs: Girl in Dress HD * Easter Eggs: Bay Bot HD * Easter Eggs: Casting Mojo HD
Although no official announcement has been made by Paramount, Transformers is a prime candidate for the D-BOX Motion Code™ system! Jumper (Blu-ray) showcases the feature to dazzling effect.
Transformers is going to be a system seller this upcoming holiday season! You'll be able to pre-order Transformers from my Blu-ray Shop and support my blogging. Your support is very much appreciated and, most importantly, at no additional cost to yourself! Thank you.
The news Blu-ray supporters have been waiting for! Reuters confirms that Warner Bros. is to back the Blu-ray format exclusively!
"The window of opportunity for high-definition DVD could be missed if format confusion continues to linger. We believe that exclusively distributing in Blu-ray will further the potential for mass market success and ultimately benefit retailers, producers, and most importantly, consumers," Warner Bros. Chairman and Chief Executive Barry Meyer said in a statement.
From Michael Bay on Blu-ray/HD DVD and Transformers
"Well another studio down. Maybe I was right? Blu-ray is just better. HD will die a slow death. It's what I predicted a year ago. Now with Warner's down for the count with Blu-ray. That makes it easier for Wal-Mart to push Blu-ray. And whatever Wal-Mart pushes - wins. HD better start giving out those $120 million dollars checks to stay alive. Maybe they can give me some so I can give it to my Make-A-Wish charity, just to shut me up. Have faith people Transformers will come out in Blu-ray one day..."
Personally, I can't wait for Batman Begins, The Lord of the Rings and The Matrix trilogies! Where Warner Bros. leads, other studios will, ultimately, follow! Warner Bros. will continue supporting HD DVD until May 2008. However, after that time, the studio will be exclusively Blu. To read the full article, please click here.
Incidentally, whilst on the subject of Blu-ray and Reuters. Reuters has republished a post of mine, via BlogBurst, here.
If the Blu-ray Macworld rumours are correct, this will be a great month to go Blu!
It is a world Transformed. Where things are not what they seem. It is the world of The Transformers. A world of Heroic Autobots and Evil Decepticons.
I'll presage this review with the following caveats. Transformers is one of my all-time favourite toy lines (an admission made in many a previous post)! The notion of a live-action movie, directed by Michael Bay, left me apathetic. I really enjoyed The Island (2005)!
Knowing that this movie was going to be big on excess, I hadn't foreseen that the regular Pepsi, I'd purchased in the cinema foyer, would be super-sized too! Fellow Star Wars fans may be interested to learn that a very cool Nintendo Wii redemption machine spouted sound effects and dialogue from our beloved saga! At first, I thought I was hallucinating - RD-D2 beeps and Obi-Wan Kenobi intoned "Trust your feelings!"
Not since Jurassic Park (1993) has an audience (myself included) been so willingly caught up in movie mayhem - like osmosis. This happened during Saturday evening's showing of Transformers at the Odeon, Colchester. Incidentally, I watched Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) and For Your Eyes Only (1981) at this venue.
Unlike Steven Spielberg's deft (if no less commercial) decision to delay the dinosaur reveal in Jurassic Park for up to an hour. Michael Bay, aided and abetted by Spielberg's distrust of a generation exposed to instant gratification, thrusts us, tumbling, into the action!
Blackout, a monstrous Decepticon, and the first Transformer introduced, makes a bombastic entry; heralded by a cacophony of sonic booms that would delight even the most demanding fan of James Cameron tech noir. Keep your ears peeled for the classic Transformers transformation sound, taken from the original Marvel cartoon series, now amped up to deafening levels and with no signs of distortion. This sent chills of excitement down my spine!
There's much to enjoy not least the attention to detail lavished on the Transformers, themselves, by Industrial Light & Magic (ILM). Whether watching charismatic lead Sam Witwicky (played by Shia LaBeouf) whose empathy with Bumblebee, an Autobot scout, recounts Elliott's friendship with E.T. (1982) or an Autobot titan emerge from a suburban swimming pool and step over a young girl carrying a plush My Little Pony (another successful Hasbro franchise, which shared names with Transformers and G.I. Joe. For example, Beachcomber, Cosmos, and Seaspray were both My Little Ponies and Transformers characters, and Firefly was both a My Little Pony and a G.I. Joe character).
There's humour too! And laugh-out-loud you will! Sam Witwicky astride his mother's bicycle and pursued by Bumblebee, brought the house down and could have been taken from any number of popular Spielberg produced movies such as The Goonies (1985) or Explorers (1985). Frenzy (the original toy was an audio tape cassette and one of the earliest Transformers I owned), an impish switchblade endoskeleton of a Decepticon, delights in Gremlins (1984) mayhem, droid-like discourses and an homage to John Carpenter's The Thing (1982). Diagetic and non-diagetic sound is used to underscore the comedy too.
Enter Optimus Prime. Of all the Transformers, Optimus Prime is held in greatest reverence (on a personal note my late mother bought me the original Optimus Prime - as a surprise gift - whilst I was off, sick, from school in 1984). No longer a Freightliner Cab-over-engine. Prime's alternate mode, a Peterbilt 379, replete with stylish flame decals, reminded me of Kenner's M.A.S.K Rhino toy (Kenner merged with Hasbro in the early 90's). When he gracefully transforms into a gleaming god-like mecha I gulped and wiped tears from my eyes!
Advertising aplenty! A movie about toys wouldn't be ironic sans product placements! And Transformers is filled to the max with Hewlett Packard, Apple and endless eBay expositions.
Aside from the usual gripes levelled at Michael Bay - disorientating camera angles propelled by dizzying editing and jarring slow-mo, which culminates in a palpable sense of nausea (taking the roller coaster metaphor too literally). All-in-all Transformers transported me back to a galaxy far, far away and left me smiling from ear-to-ear.
This weekend I really can't wait to see the first live-action Transformers movie in Colchester, Essex! My generation grew up with Hasbro's inspired rebranding - with a lot of help from Marvel - of Takara Tomy's Japanese puzzle toys Diaclone and Micro Change. And Transformers, alongside their ingenious stablemates, Microman and Zoids, are amongst some of the most imaginative and clever toy lines ever conceived.
Critics may lambaste Hollywood for its voracious consumer-orientated ideology in the wake of Star Wars revolutionising merchandising - eclipsing box office receipts tenfold. I'm guilty of perpetuating the phenomenon, and dutifully aspire to George Lucas' and Steven Spielberg's adoration of toys; the term gadgets sweetens the pill somewhat. Movie-making is a glorious playtime, which can, at its best, also instruct and educate. Go on fellow deconstructionists, discuss.
So, Michael Bay, director of Transformers, it's over to you for some serious Autobot vs Decepticon bot-bombast! Review to follow.
Today I'm proud to announce a new site sponsor! NerdyShirts.com. They have just released 4 Limited Edition Re-Issue classic Transformers T-shirts to mark the release of the Michael Bay live action movie.
Please read their official press release:
"NerdyShirts.com was launched in 2004 by Myke Armstrong and Jacob Fatoorechi, and was incorporated into the MyFatRobot family of sites in April 2006 by Myke, Jacob, and William Barnes. NerdyShirts offers original funny, nerdy, and nostalgic tee shirts all printed on 100 percent cotton American Apparel shirts. In addition to all original designs, NerdyShirts buys full designs and even design concepts from site visitors or customers, and offers an affiliate program for tee shirt sales. New designs are released every Monday, and most are available in both men's and women's sizes."
Earlier this year, NerdyShirts redesigned its website and has planned a whole string of shirt releases, and we're in the midst of working out both plans. We're the "little guy" of the t-shirt business, but we're growing fast and strong from our nerdy and proud community (just like us!).
