transformers (not the meralco ones)

Transformers? One word: GRAAABBBEEEEEEEE!!!!!

I saw the preview in wide screen noong nasa Pinas ako and I was so disappointed that it will not be shown until I’m gone. Preview pa lang talagang grabe na. And now that I watched it – kahit sa maliit na Tv ko lang sa kwarto – it still gripped me and firmly planted me in my seat for at least 140 minutes or so.

I thought I’ve seen awesome CGI’s before. But this one…. Grabe talaga! The transition of the main characters from cars, trucks, tanks, etc. to a robot is so fluid it makes you go “how the hell they’d do that?” The genius and magic of CGI at it’s best.

I can go on and on how I was mesmerized by the CGI – it’s the main selling point of the movie. It was what people are talking about. Coupled by the the slam-bang, heart-pumping, high-adrenalin action scenes from start to finish. But fortunately, there’s more to it. At least, it has a coherent story as well. Something most action-CGI films sorely lack.

It succeeded in presenting the story of Sam Wiki-something from a geeky young man to a hero who saved the world from destruction. You laugh with him, empathize with him and cheer for him in the end. But where the film succeded most is the fact that I felt – not only for Sam – but also for the robots! Maluha-luha ako nang ma-capture si Bumblebee. And I was hurting when Megatron was pounding on Optimus Prime. This is an animation action movie with a heart!

And so, it really is a good movie. Pero syempre hindi naman sya ganon ka-perfect. There are minor glitches here and there also.

Nakulangan ako sa scenes that will establish the panic and terror among humans nong naglalaban na ang mga Autobots and Decepticons. Lumabas na parang they were just doing their thing right in the middle of a busy, densely populated city na hindi na-aalarm ang mga tao – they just run and scream pag nandiyan na at tinatamaan na sila ng bala at mga nagbabagsakang robots or debris.

I find it a little odd also that the Secretary of Defense chose to stay holed up in a secret lab while he could’ve gone to a military command base and do his stuff rather than fighting it off with a silly miniature decepticon.

Medyo kinulang din pagdating sa dulo where it failed to give closure to some characters before the credits rolled. Ano’ng nangyari kay Defense Secretary and his cohorts left at the bottom of the Hoover Dam? Where were Sam’s parents taken, napalaya ba sila by the FBI before or after Bumblebee was given back to Sam? Gumaling ba ang paa ni Mojo?

Ah well, siguro talagang binitin ang mga ito dahil may sequel na in the planning board? They must have predicted early on that this will be a big hit and deserves a follow-up. I myself would love to see these robots again. Lately, ito lang ang movie that has kept me at the edge of my seat. Ngayon lang ulit ako nakaranas na pumalakpak and go “dali, dali!”. In short, this movie has reduced me to a 10-year old kid enjoying a movie with pure, unobliterated delight.

Which reminds me of Independence Day na ganon din ang naging reaction ko. The Will Smith starrer was so exciting lalo na yong scene where they planted the virus on the mother ship. Bakit ko naman na-mention ang Independence Day? Coz I found two things these two films have in common.

First – the reference to a “highly-classified” location of a “top-secret” government operation handling alien stuff. In ID, it was a roswell-type underground area in the middle of the desert. Dito sa transformers, they were more inventive – at the bottom of Hoover Dam!

Second – the use of Morse Code. Is it a sign that when all these space-age communication links go down, there’s nowhere else to go but back to the basics? Interesting, isn’t it.

Parang lumalabas nga na patterned ang storyline sa ID4. But hey, these things don’t take away the fact that Transformers is one hell of a film. Mukhang magsi-set na naman ito ng trend or a neo-pop culture like what Matrix did. And whatever critics would say, it doesn’t take away the pleasure of being entertained by a movie so well-crafted you’d thank Michael Bay a thousand times for being so brilliant.

And after all is said and done – here’s my final word: GRAAABEEEE!!!