So I saw Transformers 2 yesterday…the rest of it is under a cut to avoid spoilers

So I saw Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen yesterday. I didn’t think it was so horrible, not horrible enough to warrant Ebert’s merciless review of it.

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I realized this movie pays homage to the original animated Transformers Movie in a way that the first Bay version didn’t. There are several lines and scenes that seem ripped directly from the animated film. Optimus Prime’s death while fighting Megatron, Megatron’s return to base and beating up Starscream… I wish he’d blown him to bits instead of just beating him with his detached arm. The whole idea of the Matrix of Leadership is the core of the original animated movie, and Ironhide griping about being too old for this crap is another similarity to the original film but that’s where the comparisons stopped for me.

Visually, parts of the movie are stunning and must have take the digital cinematic team months to complete. The desert fight scenes are breathtaking, but there are scenes that look too cartoony for my taste. There’s a scene where a probe enters Spike’s brain via his nose and wriggles around for a bit before exiting; this looks very cartoonish either due to bad shading or this two minute sequence not getting as much attention to detail as the big battle scenes.

As for the two racist robots… or so I’m told by every media outlet that has covered the film and this new controversy. I didn’t see it, and before anyone gets their knickers in a twist, I didn’t see it because those same two robots could have been played for the dumb hick stereotype (ala Cletus on the Simpsons) with the same voices, facial expressions and looks. I thought it was stupid, but the whole movie was stupid blow em up fun for me. I didn’t go to the film looking for Oscar caliber performances, I didn’t expect much in the way of a plot and was surprised that there was a plot.

To summarize for anyone who isn’t planning on seeing it or will wait till DVD: Some time has passed since the Autobots joined up with the military and are working with them to wipe out the last of the Decepticons on Earth. The last of the Original Primes who turned evil has resurrected Megatron via the last bit of the Cube that was destroyed in the last movie. This Prime is the First Decepticon, and he’s seeking the Matrix to restart a machine that will use Earths sun for more Energon. If he succeeds, no more Earth. For some reason, there’s a side love story between Spike and his girlfriend from the first movie and him going off to college.

I think that movies should be entertaining, not necessarily social or political statements. Sometimes a movie is just a movie and that’s all I wanted when I sat down in the theatre yesterday. Overall, it was a decent movie for $5.50 and I’ll probably get a copy when its on sale for $10 at Target.

Published by cypheroftyr

Tanya DePass is the founder and Director of I Need Diverse Games, a not-for-profit organization based in Chicago, which is dedicated to better diversification of all aspects of gaming. I Need Diverse Games serves the community by supporting marginalized developers, attendance at the Game Developer Conference by participating in the GDC Scholarship program, helps assist attendance at other industry events, and is seeking partnership with organizations and initiatives. Tanya is a lifelong Chicagoan who loves everything about gaming, #INeedDiverseGames spawn point, and wants to make the industry better and more inclusive for everyone. She’s part of the Rivals of Waterdeep actual play stream on twitch.tv/rivalsofwaterdeep, a partnered Twitch variety broadcaster; and often speaks on issues of diversity, feminism, race, intersectionality & other topics online, at conventions and as a public speaker.. She’s also contributed to publications at Green Ronin, Paizo and Monte Cook Games and is the co-developer for the Fifth Season RPG based on N.K. Jemisin’s three time Hugo award winning Broken Earth trilogy. She’s the creator and Creative Director of Into the Mother Lands, a Twitch supported RPG and Actual Play stream, airing weekly on her channel, twitch.tv/cypheroftyr. Additionally, she is a Senior Annenberg labs Civic Media Fellow at USC. She’s also the creator and Creative Director of Into the Mother Lands, a new sci fi afro-futurist RPG developed with a team of all POC and Black creators; live streamed on her twitch channel, /cypheroftyr. She’s named as one of The Game Awards Future Class 2020, a diverse group of builders, thinkers and dreamers whose voices elevate and diversify our artform. It recognizes individuals around the world who represent the bright, bold and inclusive future for video games. She was also named as one of Gamers of the Year 2020 by Kotaku along with three of her contemporaries. She was also invited to the Xbox MVP program in February 2021. Her work to make the industry more inclusive has been highlighted in Game Changer, Directed by Tina Charles, WNBA star & olympian as well as filmmaker. The short documentary premiered at Tribeca 2021, as part of the Queen Collective; an initiative started by Queen Latifah, supported by Proctor & Gamble in an effort to get more Black women into film making. Game Changer was also featured as part of BETHer’s 2021 Juneteenth Programming on 19 June 2021. Tanya is the programming & diversity coordinator for OrcaCon and GaymerX. She also serves on the Board of Directors for OrcaCon and was named the Chair for Take This in January 2023. She often speaks on issues of diversity, feminism, race, intersectionality & other topics at conventions. Her writing about games and games critique appears in Uncanny Magazine, Polygon, Wiscon Chronicles, Vice Gaming, Paste Games, Mic, and other publications. She’s the editor of Game Devs and Others: Tales from the Margins (2018, CRC Press) and contributed to The Advanced Game Narrative Toolbox. (2019, CRC Press) Writer Bio for pubs: Tanya is the Founder and Director of I Need Diverse Games, a not-for-profit organization based in Chicago. She’s part of Rivals of Waterdeep, an actual play D&D show on twitch.tv/rivalsofwaterdeep; the programming coordinator for OrcaCon & GaymerX; and often speaks on issues of diversity, feminism, race, intersectionality & other topics at conventions. She’s on the Board of Take This as well as a Stream Ambassador, and was part of the inaugural cohort of The Game Awards Future Class. Her work to make the industry more inclusive has been highlighted in Game Changer, Directed by Tina Charles, WNBA star & olympian as well as filmmaker. The short documentary premiered at Tribeca 2021, as part of the Queen Collective; an initiative started by Queen Latifah, supported by Proctor & Gamble in an effort to get more Black women into film making. Game Changer was also featured as part of BETHer’s 2021 Juneteenth Programming on 19 June 2021.