NEWS: Chris Gore's Footage Fetishes: Transformers' Formula for Success

CULTURE: Chris Gore's Footage Fetishes: Transformers' Formula for Success

The toy that changed a generation is now a movie that owes its success to a simple tried and true formula for summer box office gold. Transformers the movie is set to break not only box office records but action figure sales records as well. As of this writing, tracking companies report that 90% of audiences are rating Transformers “Excellent” to “Very Good.” The weekend is not even here, and in a few days, the film has racked up over $84 million. In fact, the only segment of the audience that is the least enthusiastic, according to industry tracking has been, not surprisingly, females 25 and over. But was there any ever doubt that this film was always more of a “guys” movie?


After this summer, kids will be naming their pets "Optimus Prime."

The action director film geeks love to hate, Michael Bay, had a helping hand in crafting the universal storyline from the master of the summer movie epic, Steven Spielberg. Perhaps that’s why the heart and soul of Transformer’s story is rooted in delivering very basic elements that are known to add up to a hit movie. Yet this formula must be so carefully mixed, that even the slightest deviation will lead to disaster.

The formula goes something like this:
Relatable Character with a Simple Goal + Cute Sidekick/Pet
+ Action x Comedy ÷ Universal Themes
x Heroes ÷ Villains
+ The “X” Factor =
Successful Summer Movie

Let me break it down for you.

Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) is the face audience's can identify with.

Relatable Character with a Simple Goal
Shia LeBouf has been called the new “Tom Hanks” but that’s probably a little too soon. Really, he’s just a likable kid. His character’s goal, to get his first car and possibly “talk” to a girl, is incredibly relatable to males of any age. And the way that Shia plays every scene is with that wide-eyed sense of wonder. He’s the character audiences look to when they want to know how to react. His performance grounds the film in a reality that makes the fantastic events believe-able. Sure, sounds simple, and its easy to type that sentence, but not so easy to pull off in a major effects film, see countless examples of duds from previous summers.

Cute Sidekick/Pet
Sam Witwicky has a pet. It’s a cute Chihuahua and it’s name is Mojo. And when it’s bad, he calls him “Bad Mojo.” Mojo has a broken leg. And we feel sorry for it as Sam must administer the tiny dog pain pills. And Mojo pees on a Transformer’s foot. And it’s cute, cute, so cute! In fact, it borders on cute overload but the dog which appears just enough to avoid being annoying.


It's not violence, it's "action."

Action
The film contains 15 action set-pieces, each with their own simply defined goal – get away from the killer alien robot, try not to get killed by the alien robot, run away from the car that might be a killer robot, run away and try to kill the killer robot that is killing everything. In addition, robots fighting just look cool. The only complaint here may be that the action is so fast and furious as to sometimes seem confusing. But it’s robots beating the crap out of each other!


Anthony Anderson on the right, provides plenty of humor, an essential summer movie element.

Comedy
Shia LeBouf’s character Sam Witwicky provides plenty of laughs as a geeky virgin, but Anthony Anderson is the true comedic standout in every scene he’s in. Michael Bay deserves credit for allowing these actors to improvise much of the comedy loosening up the tension normally accompanied by impending doom. Not to mention Bernie Mack’s hilarious scene as a sleazy used car salesman that would be fun to watch in any movie.

Heroes ÷ Villains
There are an abundance of loveable and love-to-hate characters in Transformers, in fact, enough for several sequels, which I’m sure are already in the planning and/or toy design phase. Bumble Bee (that yellow Camaro) is especially filling in as E.T. Optimus Prime’s regal and bad ass manner makes you miss him when he’s not around.

Universal Themes
This is something we call can relate to. And when I say “all” what I mean specifically is the intended demographic for this movie hovering around the 14-15 year-old male or the segment of the population of men who stand firmly in the 14-15 year-old male mindset which, let’s be honest, is a significant part of the male population.


Mikaela (Megan Fox) is the girl in the movie most guys (and girls) would like to...

So, what universal themes are contained in Transformers?
I want a car.
I want my parents to leave me alone.
I want a hot girlfriend.
I want an adventure.
I want my own robot from space to protect me from bullies.
I think we can all relate to these things.


The key element to the success of Transformers is seeing something we've never seen before.

The “X” Factor (Something We’ve Never Seen)
Without the “X” Factor, all the previously mentioned elements mean nothing. This most important part of the formula is usually represented by something new and fresh. It’s something never before seen on a movie screen, but backed up by all the previously mentioned familiar elements.

So, to future summer blockbusters, show us something we’ve seen a million times but show it to us in a way we’ve never seen.

Gore gone.

Chris_Gore no longer collects action figures. He ran out of room.

Too many people, not enough robots. The action scenes are all cut to hell. Too many characters with nothing to do. Too much focus on characters that aren't doing anything.

Blah.

ohh mannn transformers no doubt is the best movie ever

but why oh why is it 2 1/2 hours LONG?
surely 14-15 year old males don't have that kind of attention span?

I loved it, but the whole codebreakers stuff cold've been completely excised I would not have missed it AT ALL.

That said, SWORD ARM!

I didn't even notice the fact that it was 2 1/2 hours. I was too busy being all in suspense and absolute wonder. I think that this movie, unlike most movies containing treasured and immensly important moments of my childhood, actually did the subject matter justice. It seemed really true to it, I think. Even with the cheesy love story and bullcrap. At least the characters were likeable enough to tolerate.

I don't think it's a guy movie at all, and I hate it when people say that. But I'm also the kind of girl that wanted Hot Wheels at McDonald's instead of the Barbies. Too many females 25 and over are stuck up and lame anyway. "When you grow up, your heart dies." DID THEY LEARN NOTHING FROM BREAKFAST CLUB!?!?

Anyway, I liked the movie a great deal. Bumble Bee is my favorite.

I absolutely loved it; and will probably be going to see it again.

I could have sat there for 4 hours if it had been that long!

LOVED IT!

if by "heart" you mean "tolerance for michael bay", you're absolutely right.

Well, there had to be enough time for plot development and award-winning dialogue.

Oh wait, this movie had none of that? Yeah, it might be a little long then.

I'm stunned that anyone thought this was a good movie. Nothing happens for like the middle hour or so. If I wouldn't have been there with other people I would've walked out from boredom.

My favourite was Prowler. I was sad to see him get blasted in the cartoon movie, and now he seems to have been replaced by a Decepticon... or was there an evil police car too, the whole time? I never really paid that much attention, to be honest. I just wanted my own tapes that turned into little birds and panthers and found out all sorts of things about my evil classmates...

Everyone keeps saying 'go see this movie.' I was going to anyway, but now it's been making me feel more hopeful.

Even if I still don't think Optimus would ever go for the flame deco.

Heh, I keep hearing Leonard Nimoy's voice saying "Here's a hint!" before Galvatron blasts Starscream. Starscream's a whiny little bitch! Skywarp's where it's at!

i loved it.. one or two scenes seemed to drag, but i just assumed that was for the younger crowd.

they got me
hook.
line.
sinker.

SPOILERS! (Click to view)

The movie was good ol' fashioned cornball summer movie silliness with really goddamn impressive special effects. I can't wait for the inevitable sequel.

I had a geeky erection for the entire film once Blackout transformed in the beginning and made "the sound"

I saw it Tuesday and have had a warm fuzzy feeling ever since.

I think it would be incredibly ignorant of me to say I don't like things that are formulatic. I'm sure I do. I don't like this kind of formula, though. I've seen enough dumb action movies with a cute sidekick and tacked on love story and I never really liked them.

Exactly.

SPOILER-ISH:
And I'm still confused as to why they had to go to downtown LA with the box thingy.

STUPID....! which in essence is the final addition to any summer movie that makes millions of dollars.....but yes I liked the special effects.One only wonders what the movie could have been if they kept the feel of the cartoon .....as for Shia being the new Tom Hanks ;thats just ridiculous.......he is just an actor and not a great one at thAt except for the fact that he will be in every Speilberg movie which comes out for now on.There is a misunderstanding between what is actually good and what makes money.

Dude, +1 million

I almost exploded when they made "the sound".

Just never mind.

Not worth watching. I went with 15 people, half loved it and half hated it. Not sure what makes it swing which way for people. Go see die hard, you'll enjoy it more.

When it comes to the revival of Transformers, you bet your ass they do. Besides, the real core audience isn't the 14-15 year old crowd. It's the kids that don't wanna grow up, that were around to horde the original toys, and watch the series as the new episodes aired for the first time.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought that.

As for downtown LA it's clearly because....ummm...you know, so there's buildings to destroy when the fight or something...

I think it's safe to say that anyone who didn't enjoy this movie expected something more than mindless robot eyecandy. Seriously, it's a movie based on a fucking cartoon...I didn't expect to see some Isaac Asimov-ish Optimus Prime battling robot discrimination from humans who refuse to see him as equal.