Transformers (film) movie

Transformers is a 2007 live action film adaptation of the Transformers franchise. The film stars Shia LaBeouf as Sam Witwicky, a teenager involved in the war between the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons. The Decepticons intend to possess the All Spark, the very object that created their robotic race, and use it to build a new army by giving life to the machines of Earth. Also starring are Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Jon Voight and John Turturro, as well as the voices of Peter Cullen and Hugo Weaving as Optimus Prime and Megatron respectively. The film was directed by Michael Bay, executive produced by Steven Spielberg, and written by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman.

Development of the film began with a 2003 treatment written by producers Don Murphy and Tom DeSanto. Spielberg acquired the treatment the following year and Orci, Kurtzman and Bay joined the project in 2005. The filmmakers wanted a realistic depiction of the story and, therefore, created a complex design aesthetic for the robots. Stressing their alien nature, the computer-generated characters were designed to have thousands of mechanical pieces move as they transformed and maneuvered. The United States military and General Motors lent support during filming, which saved money, provided vehicles, and added verisimilitude to the battle scenes.

Hasbro organized an enormous promotional campaign for the film, making deals with hundreds of companies. This advertising blitz included a viral marketing campaign, coordinated releases of prequel comics books, toys, and books, as well as product placement deals with GM and eBay. Transformers was a box office success despite mixed fan reaction to the radical redesigns of the characters and reviews criticizing the focus on the humans at the expense of the robots. It became the twenty-eighth most successful film released, grossing approximately US$706 million worldwide. The film revitalized media interest in the franchise, and a sequel is expected for release on June 26, 2009.

Contents [hide]
1 Plot
2 Production
2.1 Development
2.2 Design
2.3 Filming
2.4 Effects
2.5 Music
3 Cast and characters
3.1 Humans
3.2 Autobots
3.3 Decepticons
4 Release
4.1 Marketing
4.2 Home video
5 Reaction
5.1 Box office performance
5.2 Critical reception
5.3 Awards
6 Sequel
7 References
8 External links



[edit] Plot
The film begins with Optimus Prime explaining Cybertron's destruction at the hands of Megatron and his quest to obtain the All Spark. Megatron found it on Earth, but crash-landed in the Arctic Circle and was frozen in the ice. Captain Archibald Witwicky and his crew of explorers stumbled upon Megatron's body in 1897. Captain Witwicky accidentally activated Megatron's navigational system, and his eye glasses were imprinted with the All Spark's coordinates. Sector 7, a secret United States government organization, discovered the All Spark and built the Hoover Dam around it to mask the energy emitted by the Cube. The still-frozen Megatron was moved into this facility, and was reverse engineered to further advance human technology.

In the present day, the rest of the Decepticons — Blackout, Scorponok, Frenzy, Barricade, Starscream, Devastator and Bonecrusher — have landed on Earth and assumed the disguise of Earth vehicles (except Scorponok, who hides within Blackout). Blackout and Scorponok attack the U.S. SOCCENT FWD military base in Qatar and try to hack into the U.S. military network to find the location of Megatron and the All Spark. They fail when the base staff manually sever the cable connections. While Blackout destroys the rest of the base, Scorponok chases a small group of survivors who have photographic evidence of the robots, but he is eventually repelled. In this battle, the military discovers their only effective weapon against the Transformers' armor is high-heat sabot rounds.

After Blackout's failure, Frenzy infiltrates Air Force One to try again to hack into the military network, and in doing so also plants a virus. He finds the map imprinted on Captain Witwicky's glasses, which his descendant Sam intends to sell on eBay for money. Frenzy and Barricade begin tracking Sam's location. The Autonomous Robotic Organism (shortened to "Autobot") Bumblebee is also on Earth, disguised as a 1976 Chevrolet Camaro,[2] and is bought by Sam, out shopping for his first car. He helps him try to woo his crush, Mikaela Banes. Bumblebee leaves at night to send a homing signal to the rest of the Autobots, and Sam sees him in robot mode. Barricade confronts Sam and demands Archibald's spectacles. Bumblebee rescues him and Mikaela from Barricade. They leave to rendezvous with the rest of the Autobots. The Autobots — Optimus Prime, Jazz, Ironhide, and Ratchet — land on Earth and take on the forms of Earth vehicles. Sam, Mikaela, and the Autobots return to Sam's home to retrieve the glasses. Although the Autobots manage to get the glasses, agents from Sector 7 arrive and capture Sam, Mikaela and Bumblebee.

Frenzy, disguised as a cellphone, secretly accompanies the group to the Hoover Dam and releases Megatron from suspended animation. Locating the All Spark, he sends an alert to the other Decepticons. Sam convinces the Sector 7 agents to release Bumblebee so that he can get the All Spark to Optimus Prime. Frenzy's virus shuts down government communications, so the Autobot-human convoy go to the nearby Mission City, to get a radio that can communicate with the air force into taking the All Spark away. The Decepticons attack, and in the ensuing battle, Bonecrusher, Frenzy, Jazz, Devastator and Blackout are killed, before Sam rams the All Spark into Megatron's chest. Optimus takes a fragment of the All Spark from Megatron's corpse, but realizes that with it destroyed, Cybertron cannot be restored. He sends a signal to other surviving Autobots in the universe, directing them to their new home, Earth. Sector 7 is closed, and the dead Decepticons are dumped into the Laurentian Abyss. The surviving Starscream escapes into space.


[edit] Production

[edit] Development
"In all the years of movie-making, I don't think the image of a truck transforming into a twenty-foot tall robot has ever been captured on screen. I also want to make a film that's a homage to 1980s movies and gets back to the sense of wonder that Hollywood has lost over the years. It will have those Spielberg-ian moments where you have the push-in on the wide-eyed kid and you feel like you're ten years old even if you're thirty-five."
— Tom DeSanto on why he produced the film[3]
Producer Don Murphy had been planning a film adaptation of G.I. Joe, but when the United States invaded Iraq in March 2003, Hasbro suggested the Transformers instead.[4] Tom DeSanto joined the project because he was a big fan of the characters,[5] and they wrote a treatment featuring the Autobots Optimus Prime, Ironhide, Jazz, Prowl, Ratchet, Wheeljack, and Bumblebee, and the Decepticons Megatron, Starscream, Soundwave, Ravage, Laserbeak, Rumble, Skywarp and Shockwave.[6] DeSanto and Murphy met with comic book writer Simon Furman, and cited the Generation 1 cartoon and comics as their main influence.[4] They made the Creation Matrix their plot device, though Murphy felt it would have to be renamed because of the The Matrix film series.[7] DeSanto chose a human point-of-view in his treatment to engage the audience,[8] while Murphy wanted it to feel realistic, with a tone reminiscent of a disaster film.[7]

Steven Spielberg, a fan of the comics and toys,[5] signed on as executive producer in 2004, and John Rogers was hired to write the script.[9] His draft pitted four Autobots against four Decepticons,[10] and featured the Ark spaceship.[11] Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, fans of the cartoon,[12] were hired in February 2005 to begin a rewrite.[13] Spielberg suggested a focus of "a boy and his car".[14] This appealed to Orci and Kurtzman because it conveyed themes of adulthood and responsibility, "the things that a car represents in [the United States]".[15] Sam and Mikaela were the sole point-of-view given in their pass.[16] The Transformers had no dialogue, the producers fearing speaking robots would look ridiculous. The writers, however, felt that even if they did look silly, not having speaking robots would be a betrayal of the fanbase.[12] Spielberg read each of their drafts and gave notes on improvement.[14] Orci and Kurtzman remained throughout production, even rewriting robot dialogue during the sound mixing after finding unexpected quirks in the characters's animation.[17]

Michael Bay was asked to direct by Spielberg on July 30, 2005,[1] but he dismissed it as a "stupid toy movie."[18] Nonetheless, Bay wanted to work with Spielberg, and, upon visiting Hasbro, he gained a new respect for the mythology.[1] Bay considered the first draft "too kiddie", so he increased the military presence for greater realism.[19][1] The writers sought inspiration from G.I. Joe for the soldier characters, though they were careful not to mix the brands.[20] They also experimented with numerous robots, ultimately selecting the characters most popular among the filmmakers to form the final cast.[5] Bay acknowledged most of the Decepticons were selected before their names or roles were developed, as Hasbro needed to start designing the toys quickly.[21] Optimus, Megatron, Bumblebee and Starscream were the only characters present in the rewrites from start to finish.[12] 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, thinking it too small.[20] An early idea to have the Decepticons simultaneously strike multiple places around the world was also dropped.[16]


[edit] Design

The filmmakers incorporated valid physics into their designs, establishing the necessity for a robot's size to correspond to that of its disguise. The layout of Optimus Prime's robotic body within his truck mode is seen here.A major design decision was to ensure that the size of the robot correspond to that of the vehicle form it adopted as a disguise. This supported the Transformer's rationale for disguise-choice made during the voyage to Earth.[22] The concept of traveling protoforms was developed by Roberto Orci while wondering why "aliens who moonlight as vehicles need other vehicles to travel."[23] This reflected a desire to move to a more alien look, away from the "blocky like Generation 1 Transformers."[24] Another major influence in the designs was samurai armor, returning full-circle to the Japanese origins of the toy line.[22]

A product placement deal with General Motors supplied alternate forms for most of the Autobots, which saved $3 million.[25] GM also provided nearly two hundred cars destined for destruction in the climactic battle scene.[26] The United States military provided significant support, enhancing the film's realism: the film features F-22s, F-117s, and V-22 Ospreys, the first time these aircraft have been used for a film; soldiers served as extras, and authentic uniforms were provided for the actors.[1] A-10 Thunderbolt IIs and Lockheed AC-130s also appear. Captain Christian Hodge joked that he had to explain to his superiors the film wanted to portray most of their aircraft as evil Decepticons: however, he remarked "people love bad guys".[27]


[edit] Filming

Director Michael Bay filming at Holloman Air Force BaseMichael Bay planned an eighty-three day shooting schedule, and to save money he cut his usual fee by 30%.[1] He maintained the necessary pace by doing more camera set-ups per day than usual, and shot the film in the United States with a crew familiar to him.[19][25][1] A pre-shoot took place on April 19, 2006, and principal photography began on April 22 at Holloman Air Force Base,[2] which stood in for Qatar.[1] To film an attack by Scorponok on a village set at White Sands Missile Range, a sweep was performed to remove unexploded ordnance before set construction; ironically, the village would ultimately be blown up. The scene was broken down for the pilots flying the AWACS aircraft, who improvised dialogue as if it were an actual battle.[28][1]

The company also shot at the Hoover Dam and The Pentagon, the first time since the September 11, 2001, attacks that film crews had been allowed into these locations.[2] The external Hoover Dam scenes were shot before tourists arrived daily at 10:00 a.m., with shooting moving inside for the remainder of the day.[28] Production in California was based at Hughes Aircraft at Playa Vista, where the hangar in which Megatron is imprisoned was built.[28] Six weekends were spent in Los Angeles, California shooting the climactic battle, and elements of the battle were also shot on the Universal backlot and in Detroit.[2][28] The crew was allowed to shoot at Griffith Observatory, which was still closed for renovations begun in 2002.[2] Filming wrapped on October 4, 2006.[19]


[edit] Effects
Spielberg encouraged Bay to restrict computer-generated imagery to the robots and background elements in the action sequences.[1] Stunts such as Bonecrusher were performed live, while cameras were placed into the midst of car crashes and explosions to make it look more exciting.[26] Work on the animatics began in April 2005.[10] Bay stated Industrial Light & Magic made three-fourths of the film's effects, while Digital Domain made the rest,[1] including the Arctic discovery of Megatron, Frenzy's severed head, a vending machine mutated by the All Spark, and the Autobots' protoforms.[29] Many of the animators were big Transformers fans and were given free rein to experiment: a scene where Jazz attacks Devastator is a reference to a scene in The Transformers: The Movie where Kup jumps on Blitzwing.[30]

"I just didn't want to make the boxy characters. It's boring and it would look fake. By adding more doo-dads and stuff on the robots, more car parts, you can just make it more real."
—Michael Bay[31]
ILM created computer-generated transformations over six months in 2005, looking at every inch of the car models.[32] Initially the transformations were made to follow the laws of physics, but it did not look exciting enough and was changed to be more fluid.[33] Bay rejected a liquid metal surface for the characters' faces, instead going for a "Rubik's Cube" style of modeling.[1] He wanted numerous mechanical pieces visible so the robots would look more interesting, realistic, dynamic and quick, rather than lumbering beasts.[31][1] One decision made was that the wheels should stay on the ground for as long as possible, allowing the robots to cruise around as they changed.[34] Bumblebee uses a piece below his faceplate as an eyebrow, and pieces in his cheeks swivel to resemble a smile; all the characters' eyes are designed to dilate and brighten.[34] Bay instructed the animators to observe footage of two martial artists and numerous martial arts films to make the fights look graceful.[1]

Due to the intricate designs of the Transformers, even the simplest notion of turning a wrist needs 17 visible parts;[2] each of Ironhide's guns are made of ten thousand parts.[31] Such detail needed 38 hours to render each frame of animation,[2] which meant ILM had to increase their processing facilities.[35] Each rendered piece had to look like real metal, shiny or dull, which became difficult to model because the aged and scarred robots had to transform from clean cars. Close-up shots of the robots were sped up to look cool, but in wide shots the animation was slowed down to convincingly illustrate a sense of weight. Photographs were taken of each set and had a lighting environment produced within a computer so the robots would look like they were convincingly moving there. Bay, who has directed numerous car commercials, understood ray tracing was the key to making the robots look real, in which the CG models would look realistic based on how much of the environment was reflecting on their bodies.[30] Numerous simulations were programmed into the robots, so the animators could just focus on animating the particular areas needed for a convincing performance.[35]


[edit] Music
See also: Transformers: The Album and Transformers: The Score
Composer Steve Jablonsky, who collaborated with Bay on The Island, scored music for the trailers before work began on the film itself. Recording took place in April 2007 at the Sony Scoring Stage in Culver City, California. The score uses six major themes across ninety minutes of music, including the teaser music.[36] The Autobots have three themes, one named "Optimus" to represent their friendship with Sam, and another played during their arrival on Earth. The Decepticons have a chanted theme, which relies on electronics, unlike most of the score. The All Spark has its own theme as well.[37] Hans Zimmer, Jablonsky's mentor, also helped compose the score.[1]


[edit] Cast and characters

[edit] Humans
Shia LaBeouf starred as Sam Witwicky, who unwittingly buys Bumblebee as his first car. The character is based upon the mechanic Spike from the television series,[38] but the nickname was considered inappropriate because they dropped the character's profession.[39] Bay stated he wanted to make Sam be an average Joe, and not a geek. Bay initially considered LaBeouf too old, having only seen his performance in Constantine, but he was bowled over by the actor's enthusiasm.[1] A Transformers fan,[5] LaBeouf also reminded the filmmakers of the young Tom Hanks.[18] He worked out five days a week for three months and gained twenty-five pounds of muscle to prepare for the role, but realized during shooting that his role required agility rather than strength.[2] LaBeouf performed his own stunts, including a scene where Sam clings to a statue as Megatron approaches, with only a safety harness to protect him. "There are action stars who wouldn’t have been as dumb", he joked.[2]

Megan Fox plays Sam's crush, Mikaela Banes, whom he woos with Bumblebee's help. She is mechanically skilled because her father was a car thief. She had auditioned for Bay's production of The Amityville Horror. To make her give a tough performance, Bay often threatened to repeatedly film takes of scenes at night so she would appear frustrated and tired.[1] Fox gained ten pounds of muscle during shooting due to the physicality of the role.[2]

Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson play the soldiers, Captain William Lennox and Technical Sergeant Robert Epps, respectively. The characters are part of a seven-man Joint Special Operations Command team in Qatar, who survive Blackout's attack on the base. Lennox has a wife and newborn daughter in the United States. Duhamel and Gibson were fans of the toy line as children,[5] and the latter even paid the filmmakers so he could be in the film.[40] They spent three days in boot camp to prepare for the role. Gibson met combat controller Ray Bollinger, and spent time learning technical terms and military code to make his dialogue sound convincing.[5]

John Turturro played Agent Reggie Simmons of Sector 7. Bay wanted Steve Buscemi for the role, but he was busy, so Turturro, whom Bay had wanted to work with ever since seeing The Big Lebowski, was cast instead.[1] Turturro gave a slapstick performance, which was intended to be in contrast to the serious military scenes, so that a sense of fun would not completely disappear.[20] The actor claimed to have based his performance on the director, although Bay himself stated he cannot see anything of himself in Turturro's performance. A backstory was fashioned for Simmons, explaining his family had served in Sector 7 for generations, giving him a mother's boy personality. Bay deleted these many jokes as they were too crude.[1] Michael O'Neill played Simmons's superior, Tom Banachek.

Rachael Taylor played Maggie Madsen, who assists the Department of Defense in decoding the virus left by Frenzy. She realizes that those hacking into the government's data files cannot be human, due to the ease with which they made the attack. The writers had initially envisioned Maggie as quirkier and more cyberpunk.[20] The filmmakers opted for Taylor's natural Australian accent to give the film a global sensibility.[2] She found many of her scenes difficult because of the high heels she had to wear.[40] Anthony Anderson played Glen Whitmann, a computer hacker and friend of Maggie, while Jon Voight played the United States Secretary of Defense John Keller.

Other characters include Kevin Dunn and Julie White as Sam's parents, Ron and Judy, while Bernie Mac cameoed as Bobby Bolivia, a used car dealer from whom Sam purchases Bumblebee.


[edit] Autobots
Peter Cullen voices Optimus Prime, the Autobot leader who comes to Earth to destroy the All Spark in order to end the war, even if this means merging with it and killing himself to do so. Don Murphy decided after discussions with fans on his website that they wanted the surviving voices from the 1980s cartoon.[7] Cullen described reprising the role as easy as "slipping into an old pair of very comfortable shoes that you haven't worn for a while", and was grateful to the fans for wanting him back.[41] His vocal performance consisted of much improvisation with Bay, and portraying the traditional heroism of the character as well as bringing a sense of humor.[42] Bay told the animators to seek inspiration from Liam Neeson to inspire Optimus's body language.[1] Optimus transforms into a Peterbilt truck. The original cab over design was rejected because that would only transform into a twenty-feet tall model of the character, because the filmmakers wanted him to stand twenty-eight feet tall.[1] Optimus has red flame artwork on his blue body. This acted as a compromise between Hasbro, who wanted to retain the character's iconic red chest, and Bay, who felt red alone would not photograph well.[26] Hasbro rejected early designs as there was too much blue.[22] Optimus's head was also built on set.[1]

Optimus's scout Bumblebee transforms into a 1976 Chevrolet Camaro, and upgrades into the 2009 model.[2] Bay rejected the G1 form of the Volkswagen Beetle, as it reminded him of Herbie the Love Bug. Hasbro did not mind as long as the car remained yellow. In reference to his original form, the Beetle is parked next to Bumblebee when Sam is buying it.[26] The modern Camaro was chosen for its friendly appearance,[2] while the old model was chosen to show that Sam's father could only buy him the cheapest, lamest car. In the film, Bumblebee upgrades because of Mikaela calls his choice of form "a piece of crap".[26] Bumblebee communicates with radio soundbites because of his damaged vocal processor. The decision was inspired by Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, as the writers wanted to show that his bond with Sam was beyond words.[43] They had considered using lines from various Paramount films, including "I feel the need for speed!" from Top Gun, but it was considered too obvious.[44] Credited clips used in the film include John Wayne from El Dorado and Nichelle Nichols as Uhura from the Star Trek television series. Mark Ryan voiced the character for his two lines at the film's end, when he regains his voice. He had acted as a stand in for the robots during filming, giving actors someone to react to, both physically where appropriate and providing dialogue.[45] A full-size puppet was also used,[2] while the animators modeled the character on Michael J. Fox.[1]

Darius McCrary voices Jazz, a lieutenant who develops a fondness for urban culture. McCrary said he was honored to follow in the footsteps of Scatman Crothers, who voiced Jazz on television. "When I was actually [recording], I really did feel Scatman's presence," he said.[46] Mark Ryan had tried out numerous voices for Jazz, including a Sean Connery impersonation, before McCrary was cast.[45] Jazz transforms into a Pontiac Solstice, a car the director considered too small, but he decided not to argue with GM.[21] Hasbro felt it was still a "cool silver sports car" reminiscent of his G1 Porsche 935 form.[26] The screenwriters chose to kill off Jazz as they felt he was the most likeable character after Optimus and Bumblebee.[47]


Alternate modes. Top: Starscream.
Mid, left to right: Optimus Prime, Ironhide, Ratchet and Barricade.
Bottom, left to right: Bumblebee, Jazz.Jess Harnell voices Ironhide, who transforms into a GMC Topkick pick-up truck. He is the grumpy weapons specialist of the group. Peter Cullen voiced Ironhide on television and also auditioned to reprise the role.[48] When Ryan was voicing the character on set, he had used a Southern accent as Cullen did.[45]

Robert Foxworth voices Ratchet, the team's medical officer. He transforms into Search and rescue Hummer H2. The writers had wanted to keep his G1 ambulance form, but the producers wanted something else. Hasbro did not mind if the character was either an ambulance or a fire apparatus.[10]


[edit] Decepticons
Hugo Weaving voices Megatron, the Decepticon leader who crash-landed in the Arctic thousands of years ago in his quest to obtain the All Spark. When he is defrosted, he keeps his original alien jet form out of vanity.[27] Frank Welker, who played the part on television opposite Peter Cullen, auditioned to reprise the role. Bay considered his voice too soft, and he also felt it would be disrespectful to ask Welker to change his voice. Weaving's voice had been part of the inspiration Bay had given to his animators for the character, and the character's voice had become that of Weaving in the director's imagination. The actor recorded his lines in Australia, where he was directed by Bay through iChat.[1] The change from Megatron's G1 Walther P38 pistol form was done to avoid morphing. Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman also felt it would be "the equivalent to Darth Vader [becoming] his own lightsaber and having someone else swing him around."[27] Fans disliked leaked images of the character's head design, which was much narrower, so it was redesigned during filming.[22] Optimus calls Megatron his brother; Cullen interpreted this line literally,[49] but while the writers state this was the case in early drafts, they consider the line in its final context to be metaphorical.[20]

Reno Wilson voices Frenzy, a small and vicious spy who transforms into a boombox and later into a mobile phone. Frenzy was primarily animated by a French man who gave the character quirky movements: Bay could tell which shots were not done by him and felt the character totally changed in those scenes.[1] A puppet was also used on set.[2] Frenzy was originally named Soundwave, but the writers decided to rename him as he was too different from the original character.[27] Jess Harnell voices Barricade, (a Saleen Mustang police car), whom Frenzy guides to Sam. The character was inspired by the G1 Autobot Prowl, as the writers thought a Decepticon seeking authority would use the police car form.[27]

Blackout transforms into a MH-53 Pave Low helicopter, with his minion Scorponok attaching to him. Soundwave had been considered for this role,[50] with Ravage as his minion,[43] but Hasbro insisted Soundwave have a music-based role.[10] Scorponok was chosen after the writers discovered him in the pages of The Ultimate Guide, and felt he was appropriate to the setting.[51] A model of his tail was built,[52] while primacord explosives were used for his ripple movements in the sand. This was potentially dangerous to cast members, therefore creating genuine terror in the film's shots.[1]

Charlie Adler voices Starscream, Megatron's second-in-command. Despite being a popular character, his role is limited because of the film's running time.[20] Nonetheless, a post-credits scene of him escaping Earth was added because audiences at test screenings wanted to know what happened to him.[1] He transforms into an F-22 Raptor, which serves to update his G1 form of the F-15 Eagle, which used to be the most technologically advanced jet. This continues the character's role as the powerful air commander.[1]

Jim Wood voices Bonecrusher, who attacks Optimus on the highway to Mission City. The animators modelled his fighting styles on hockey and football players,[1] and his alternate form of the Buffalo H Mine-Protected vehicle was altered with a larger fork.[27] For Devastator, the crew chose to use an M1 Abrams tank prop built for xXx: State of the Union.[2] The character was intended to be named Brawl, but the subtitled line where the character names himself in Cybertronian reads "Devastator reporting". It was not fixed despite being pointed out by the writers twice.[53]


[edit] Release
Transformers had its worldwide premiere at N Seoul Tower on June 11, 2007.[54] It premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival on June 27 via digital satellite feed,[55] and in Rhode Island on June 28. The Rhode Island premiere was a freely available event offering fans to buy tickets for $75 to benefit four charities: the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, the Autism Project of Rhode Island, Adoption Rhode Island, and Hasbro Children's Hospital.[56] The film was released on IMAX on September 21, 2007,[57] with an additional two minutes that were not seen elsewhere.[58]


Mountain Dew sidewalk chalk advert featuring Bumblebee on a New York City pavement, by Julian Beever
[edit] Marketing
Further information: Transformers movie toy line, Transformers: Movie Prequel, Transformers: Movie Adaptation, Transformers: Ghosts of Yesterday, and Transformers: The Game
Hasbro made deals with 200 companies across 70 countries to promote the film.[59] Their toy line for the film was created over two months over late 2005/early 2006, collaborating heavily with the filmmakers.[24] A pair of preview toys, Protoform Optimus Prime and Starscream, were released in the U.S.A. on May 1, 2007, before the first wave of figures were released on June 2.[24] The line featured characters not in the film, including Arcee.[22] A second wave of toys set for late 2007 is labeled the "Allspark Power" line, which includes ordinary vehicles in the film turned into Transformers, and repaints of existing toys.[60] The toys feature "Automorph Technology" in which moving parts of the toy allow other parts to shift automatically.[61] Michael Bay directed tie-in commercials for General Motors, Burger King and PepsiCo,[62] while props including the Chevrolet Camaro used for Bumblebee and the Allspark, were put up for charity on eBay.[63] A viral marketing alternate reality game was employed through the Sector 7 web site, which presented the film and all previous Transformers toys and media as part of a cover-up operation called "Hungry Dragon," perpetrated by a "real life" Sector 7 to hide the existence of "real" Transformers. The site featured several videos recording "evidence" of Transformers on Earth, with cameos by G1 characters Grimlock and Bumblebee.[64]


[edit] Home video
Transformers was released in Region 1 territories on October 16, 2007 on DVD and HD DVD formats. The standard DVD was released in single disc and two disc editions.[65] The Wal-Mart edition of the DVD included an animated version of the prequel comic book, entitled Transformers Beginnings. Mark Ryan, Peter Cullen and Kevin Dunn reprised their roles, while Frank Welker played Megatron.[66] The Target casing is a transformable two-dimensional image of Optimus Prime,[67] and it contained a prequel comic book focusing on the Decepticons.[66] The DVD sold 8.3 million copies in its first week, making it the fastest-selling DVD of 2007 in North America, and it sold 190 thousand copies on HD DVD, which was the biggest debut yet on the format.[68] The DVDs altogether sold 13.74 million copies, becoming the most popular DVD of 2007.[69]


[edit] Reaction
Transformers fans were initially divided over the film due to the radical redesigns of many characters, although the casting of Peter Cullen was warmly received.[22] Transformers comic book writer Simon Furman and Beast Wars script consultant Benson Yee both warmly received it as spectacular fun, but Furman argued there were too many human storylines.[70] Yee felt that being the first in a series, the film had to establish much of the fictional universe and therefore did not have time to focus on the Decepticons.[71] Nonetheless, the film created a greater awareness of the franchise and drew in many new fans.[72] Transformers' box office success led to development of films based on Voltron and Robotech,[73] as well as a Knight Rider remake.[74]


[edit] Box office performance
The film was released in ten overseas markets on June 28, 2007, including Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and the Philippines. Transformers made $29.5 million in its first weekend, topping the box office in ten countries including a $1.7 million four-day weekend gross in Singapore, the biggest yet.[75] It grossed $5.2 million in Malaysia, becoming the most successful film in the country's history.[76] Transformers opened in China on July 11, setting a record for the biggest foreign language film opening there, with $3 million.[77] It became the second highest-grossing foreign film behind Titanic, making $37.3 million.[78] The film was officially released in the United Kingdom on July 27, making £8.7 million, and helped contribute to the biggest attendance record ever, for that weekend. It was second at the U.K. box office, behind The Simpsons Movie.[79] The film has grossed $706.3 million worldwide, including $319 million in the United States, making it Michael Bay's highest grossing film to date, not adjusting for inflation.[80]

The film was released in the U.S. and Canada on July 3, 2007, with 8 p.m. preview screenings on July 2. The previews earned $8.8 million,[81] and in its first day of general release it grossed $27.8 million, a record for Tuesday box office attendance. It broke Spider-Man 2's record for the biggest July 4th gross, making $29 million.[82] On its opening weekend, Transformers grossed $70.5 million, amounting to a $155.4 million opening week, giving it the record for the biggest opening week for a non-sequel.[83] The opening's domestic gross was 50% more than what Paramount Pictures expected, with one executive attributing it to word of mouth, telling parents that "it's OK to take the kids." A Cinemascope poll indicated the film was most popular with children and parents, including older women, and attracted many African American and Latino viewers.[84]


[edit] Critical reception
56% of the 195 reviews of the film listed on Rotten Tomatoes were favorable. 68% of the thirty-six reviews from major news outlets listed in the "Cream of the Crop" section were positive.[85] It earned a Metacritic score of 61/100 (generally favorable) from thirty-five reviews.[86] IGN's Todd Gilchrist found it Michael Bay's best film, and "one of the few instances where it's OK to enjoy something for being smart and dumb at the same time, mostly because it's undeniably also a whole lot of fun."[87] The Advertiser's Sean Fewster found the visual effects so seamless that "you may come to believe the studio somehow engineered artificial intelligence".[88] The Denver Post's Lisa Kennedy praised the depiction of the robots as having "a believably rendered scale and intimacy"[89] and ABC presenter Margaret Pomeranz was surprised "that a complete newcomer to the Transformers phenomenon like myself became involved in the fate of these mega-machines."[90] Ain't It Cool News's Drew McWeeny felt most of the cast grounded the story, and that "it has a real sense of wonder, one of the things that’s missing from so much of the big CGI lightshows released these days."[91] Author Peter David found it ludicrous fun, and that "[Bay] manages to hold on to his audience's suspension of disbelief long enough for us to segue into some truly spectacular battle scenes."[92]

Despite the praise for the visual effects, there was division over the human storylines. The Hollywood Reporter's Kirk Honeycutt liked "how a teen plot line gets tied in to the end of the world,"[93] while Empire's Ian Nathan praised Shia LaBeouf as "a smart, natural comedian, [who] levels the bluntness of this toy story with an ironic bluster."[94] Ain't It Cool News founder Harry Knowles found the military storylines distracting from Sam, a conflict of Bay and Steven Spielberg's styles.[95] James Berardinelli hated the film as he did not connect with the characters in-between the action, which he found tedious.[96] Los Angeles Times's Kenneth Turan found the humans "oddly lifeless, doing little besides marking time until those big toys fill the screen,"[97] while ComingSoon.net's Joshua Stames felt the Transformers were "completely believable, right up to the moment they open their mouths to talk, when they revert to bad cartoon characters."[98] Daily Herald's Matt Arado was annoyed that "the Transformers [are] little more than supporting players", and felt the middle act was sluggish.[99] CNN's Tom Charity questioned the idea of a film based on a toy, and felt it would "buzz its youthful demographic... but leave the rest of us wondering if Hollywood could possibly aim lower."[100]


[edit] Awards
Before its release, Transformers was voted "Best Summer Movie You Haven't Seen Yet" at the 2007 MTV Movie Awards.[101] Entertainment Weekly named Bumblebee as their fourth favorite computer generated character,[102] while The Times listed Optimus Prime's depiction as the thirtieth best film robot, citing his coolness and dangerousness.[103] Visual effects supervisor Scott Farrar was honored at the Hollywood Film Festival and Hollywood Awards Gala Ceremony on October 22, 2007 for his work on the film.[104]


[edit] Sequel
Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg are expected to return as director and executive producer for Transformers 2, and Paramount has announced a June 26, 2009 release.[105] Shia LaBeouf,[106] Megan Fox[107] and Peter Cullen are signed on to return.[108] Before Transformers was released, Bay expressed interest in an aircraft carrier character,[109] while producer Tom DeSanto was interested in the Dinobots, Constructicons, and Soundwave.[110] Ehren Kruger was hired to write the script, alongside the returning Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman.[111] The script is incomplete due to the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, but filming is expected to begin on June 2, 2008.[112] Meanwhile, IDW Publishing will release its own sequel to the film, Transformers Movie Sequel: The Reign of Starscream, the first issue of which is due in April 2008.[113]