By Jason Apuzzo. • It’s been a long time since our last Invasion Alert!, but I wanted to wait until the new Transformers: Dark of the Moon trailer was out before doing another installment … and that’s where we’ll start today, with Michael Bay’s spectacular trailer to what will likely be the summer’s biggest hit. I haven’t given Michael Bay enough credit in previous Invasion Alerts! for crafting what has obviously become a highly entertaining, epic-in-scale and surprisingly emotional series in the Transformers films – the cream of the recent ‘alien invasion’ genre. How much do I like Bay’s stuff? I’ll say what most critics won’t admit to but probably are thinking – which is that the Transformers movies are likely going to be remembered as among the best ‘alien invasion’ flicks since the 1950s … whether they have their innocuous origins in Hasbro toys or not.
The great thing about the Transformers films, in my opinion, is that they’re not only enormous in scale, but they get all the human touches right – with their warm, earthy characters, realistic family dynamics, and lively sense of humor. You’ve got to be a major stick-in-the-mud to not find these movies a lot of fun. The films also have a pro-American, pro-military, middle class vibe to them – and it’s hard not to like all the campy fetishism associated with the cars, motorcycles, gadgets, military hardware, hot chicks, etc. These films indulge every high school male fantasy imaginable, but do so with stye and humor.
The other aspect of these films that stands out, of course, is their War on Terror subtext – and there is a quite palpable 9/11-quality to the new Transformers trailer, with alien invaders arriving in downtown Chicago and toppling a gigantic building, with major characters scrambling to get out of it. Am I the only one who was thinking of the World Trade Center watching that sequence?
I like that Bay isn’t flinching in depicting this type of thing on-screen. We’re almost ten years past the original attacks, and I sense that people have forgotten what a horrific day that was – and what its larger implications were for our culture. This is exactly what sci-fi does at its best: in the midst of indulging our fantasies, it reminds us of the real world we’re living in and all of its challenges.
And speaking of indulging our fantasies … what are we thinking of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley? She’s looking a little plain-vanilla/girl-next-door to me in comparison to the edgier, minx-like Megan Fox. I also preferred Ms. Fox’s blasé, cheeky attitude toward the robot mayhem; Rosie seems a little too scared in the clips I’ve seen. Just a thought.
In any case, I’m very much looking forward to Dark of the Moon – especially this cool-looking new villain (see the top of this post), ‘Shockwave,’ who reminds me of Gort. I don’t think this new Dark of the Moon trailer was quite as strong as the initial teaser trailer, and I would’ve preferred more emphasis on story than on CGI chaos, but I know the movie will be good – and probably jaw-dropping in 3D. Looking forward to it. On the news front, here’s the plot synopsis to Transformers: Dark of the Moon, here Rosie Huntington-Whiteley talks about Michael Bay’s work ethic, here she talks about wanting a wedding scene in the next film, and Bay himself talks to MTV about the film here and here.
• All of a sudden Tron: Legacy director Joe Kosinski is becoming Hollywood’s go-to alien invasion guy. His new project Oblivion – about a soldier in a post-apocalyptic future who battles savage alien life forms – just picked up Tom Cruise as its star, and Kosinski’s project Archangel (about “a secret unit of the military that tracks and hunts down aliens among us”) just picked up a screenwriter. Plus, Kosinski is apparently shepherding Disney’s reboot of The Black Hole, not to mention the Tron sequels (see here and here).
I’m glad to hear about all these projects, but other than me is anybody else concerned that Mr. Kosinski is currently supervising about $500 million-worth of tentpole movies – after his Tron: Legacy was only so-so? Mr. Kosinski hasn’t even made his second feature film yet, so I’m hoping somebody’s looking underneath the hood here on all these huge projects. It took years for people like George Lucas, Steven Spielberg or James Cameron to get these kinds of opportunities thrown at them, even after producing huge box-office hits. By contrast, Kosinski’s Tron had major character and story problems that prevented it from becoming the blockbuster it should’ve been, and continuing the Tron franchise has as a result become an iffy venture. Anyway, we’ll keep an eye on all these projects as they evolve …
• Aside from Oblivion and Archangel, we just had another huge new wave of alien invasion projects announced. Ender’s Game looks to be a go (see here and here), Ray Bradbury’s masterpiece The Martian Chronicles has just been optioned by Paramount, Cloverfield’s Matt Reeves will be adapting the classic alien invasion short story “8 O’Clock in the Morning” (which was made into They Live by John Carpenter back in the 80s), and Dimension just picked up a project called The Greys. Plus, Neill Blomkamp’s Elysium with Matt Damon and Jodie Foster will apparently have an alien civilization component, and Will & Jaden Smith and M. Night Shyamalan are about to team on a sci-fi project called One Thousand A.E.
• Meanwhile, Super 8 and Cowboys & Aliens motor along toward their release dates. Jon Favreau talks about Cowboys here, and there are some new revelations about the film here and here. Also, Harrison Ford recently had some harsh words for today’s soulless, VFX-fueled fantasy films. Ford and Favreau seem to be going old-school with Cowboys, drawing from the John Ford-John Wayne Westerns for inspiration. We’ll see if that works out.
There is a new Super 8 TV spot out here, some new details about the film have emerged here, and J.J. Abrams will apparently be producing a new film called Zanbato, involving Japanese history and “swashbuckling robots with swords.” Go figure.
• On the Creature Invasion front, Piranha 3DD just began shooting and announced its cast! Hooray! Gary Busey will be appearing in the film (how perfect is that?), and as if that’s not enough … there’s a new production still out for the semi-competing film Shark Night 3D. Competing 3D fish films! Nothing makes me happier. In other Creature Invasion news, director Gareth Edwards talks about the Godzilla reboot, and Troll Hunter has a new American trailer.
• In other Sci-Fi/Alien Invasion News, you can find out some interesting new details about the Steven Spielberg/TNT series Falling Skies here and here, plus you can see a long preview for the series here; there’s chatter about the next Star Trek movie here and here; actor Taylor Kitsch talks about Battleship and John Carter of Mars here and here; there are some new rumors out about Ridley Scott’s Prometheus here and here; check out some fun pictures from the Men in Black 3D set here and here; Avatar 2 and 3 will be shooting in Manhattan Beach; Kate Beckinsale has been offered the female lead in Total Recall; The Darkest Hour will now be released in December, while Apollo 18 will now be released in August; Stephen Lang talks about Terra Nova, and you can find out more about that show here and here; Steven Spielberg’s A.I. just hit Blu-ray, as will I Am Number Four on May 24th; the indie alien invasion thriller Attack the Block has a new trailer out, and just picked up distribution; and the Sundance sci-fi hit Another Earth has a new trailer and poster out.
AND IN TODAY’S MOST IMPORTANT NEWS … in honor of Piranha 3DD beginning production, we thought we’d take a look at the first production still (above) released for the semi-competing film Shark Night 3D, featuring actress Sara Paxton in a highly precarious situation. Govindini chimes in that I look a lot like the shark when I’m hungry.
And that’s what’s happening today on the Alien Invasion front!
Posted on April 30th, 2011 at 12:49m.
I always thought The Transformers films — and all of Michael Bay’s films, for that matter — are so uncool, that they are cool … if that makes sense.
One of the many things I love about this site is that you and Govindini have unconventional opinions backed up by a wealth of knowledge and craftsmanship in its presentation. I’m so happy to read work from people that also have a positive, articulated position on Michael Bay and The Phantom Menace. I can’t tell you how many times I tell people I like Bay and Episode I and get laughed out of the room before I get to explain my opinion.
I disagree with you about Christopher Nolan, and Zack Snyder, but it’s always enlightening to read, anyway.
Back to Transformers … that 9/11 imagery hit me too, but it doesn’t surprise me. Bay and his screenwriters didn’t shy away from attacking Obama foreign policy in Revenge of the Fallen, and because of that, I think the film made the most daring statement I have ever seen in a blockbuster. If you remember, the crew travels from Egypt to Jordan without going through Israel. SInce the film zeroed in on Obama, to me, it said if this dude and his appeasment policies continue …there will be no Israel.
I just bought AI on Blu last night, and plan to watch it next week. To me, its a fascinating disaster — I find myself unable to take my eyes off it, and it sticks with me after I see it. That’s strange, because I’m nauseated by some elements of it.
Thanks so much Vince, as always!
… and let me tell you, Revenge of the Fallen was even more hard-core than you may recall! There’s a point mid-way through the film when the main villain tells people, by way of a broadcast in Times Square, that “your leaders have deceived you” … and as he says this, the image on a Times Square flat screen cuts immediately to Obama. It’s a great moment – look for it! I also love the sniveling Obama Administration representative who wants to ‘negotiate’ with the Decepticons. Good stuff.
As for A.I., I find that film to be fascinating, exasperating, and deeply emotional. Spielberg’s ability to dig deeply into human loneliness is underrated; it’s what makes him a genuinely great director when he makes the effort – which he obviously did with that film. But A.I. is a hard film to enjoy, as easy as it is to admire.
That’s one mega Invasion Alert, Jason. I’m also looking forward to the next “Transformers” film, and agree that the last two were underrated. The effects were incredible, and it looks like they’ve amped them up for the next one. And I love the whole working in of the Moon Landing ’69 and the conspiracy theories related to it. As for Rosie Huntington-Whitely vs. Megan Fox, the jury’s still out on that …
Thanks, R. Yes, the Moon Landing-space race element is apparently a big aspect of the new film, which should be fun. And as for the dueling female leads, I will endeavor to keep an open mind …
I am not ashamed to admit that I enjoyed the first Transformers movie quite a bit. It has narrative disjunctions and there’s plenty else you can criticize about it, but ultimately it’s just plain fun. But Transformers 2 was pretty much awful. A few awesome action scenes notwithstanding, the movie as a whole was just a lot of loud noise and chopped up images, interspersed with stupid, offensive humor. Also, while I greatly appreciate the positive depiction of American soldiers as honorable family men/super-warriors and the sequel’s slaps at Obama, I also remember the original film’s parody of Bush as two red-socked feet, complete with a silly imitation voice, and pretty strong suggestions of complete incompetence. The movies also traffic in lots of conspiracy theories about the US government, including the fact that the feds have been hiding the ultimate evil Megatron in the Hoover Dam, allowing him to escape and cause massive death and destruction, plus mocks the Wtiwickys for their naive trust in America’s national security forces. So the film’s are neither fully political conservative nor fully pro-America.
So when you say “the Transformers movies are likely going to be remembered as among the best ‘alien invasion’ flicks since the 1950s,” I have to say, Really? Better than Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T.? Heck, I’d even put Independence Day above the Transformers flicks. And when you say “they get all the human touches right – with their warm, earthy characters, realistic family dynamics, and lively sense of humor,” I have to say, What the heck are you smoking? Human touches? The second film especially had barely a flicker of humanity in the entire thing. All characters were completely reduced to plot devices/one-liner spouters, and no real emotion was allowed to get anywhere near the movie.
So I will go see the third one, but I don’t have my hopes up.
(As to A.I., I think it’s one of the most profound and philosophically searching films in years, almost certainly the finest piece of hard sci-fi of the new millenium. At the same time, it’s over-long, weak at points, and I agree, hard to really *enjoy* even while you’re in awe.)
First of all, I smoke Parodi fine Italian cigars. Thanks for asking. 😉
Let’s first stipulate Stephen that none of the films we’re talking about here – Transformers, Independence Day, E.T., etc. – present us with characters exhibiting Shakespearean depths. What we’re discussing here are big, frothy summer sci-fi movies that labor under a different set of narrative burdens than, say, a Woody Allen film – or a David Mamet play. What sci-fi movies of this type demand, in my opinion, is that they ground their fantasy in realistic, recognizable human situations so that people are able to take the fantasy seriously – suspend their disbelief, essentially, and lose themselves in the story. In my opinion Bay’s films do that, including the much-maligned Revenge of the Fallen.
I don’t subscribe to all the bad-mouthing Revenge has gotten (including by the filmmakers themselves); all I can say is that it worked sufficiently for me, particularly the great early gag with the robot chick stalking Shia at college as Megan Fox visits him – or the bit about John Turturro working in a deli, which was a scream. Perhaps I’m shallow, but that stuff amused the hell out of me and made me invest in the characters. I also liked the part about Megan Fox kissing Shia back to life. There was something sweet and humanistic about that; I can tell you that Govindini loved that scene, and I suspect a lot of women out on Friday night movie dates appreciated it, as well. So many sci-fi films of this sort traffic in a kind of light misogyny, but Bay’s films generally give women important roles to play. Transformers basically made Megan Fox’s career, after all; what’s she done since?
It’s worth mentioning that Revenge was actually the #1 film at the box office for 2009 (Avatar made most of its money in 2010), and until Avatar came along it was also the #1 selling Blu-ray of all-time. How did that happen? I doubt it was purely because of the spectacle. I think it’s because Bay created characters that lots of middle-American guys in particular can relate to, and put those characters into colorful situations. And yes, I do think these films stack up nicely against Spielberg’s early sci-fi classics. Honestly I’m not a big fan of E.T., and as good as Close Encounters is it traffics in a lot of the same opera buffa middle class humor that the Transformers films have. Ditto for Independence Day. I absolutely love that film, but I always fast-forward past the Randy Quaid stuff … and the film has no Megan Fox or Rachael Taylor or Isabel Lucas (Viveca Fox is pretty fine, though), so the female quotient is not as high.
A few final words about the ‘politics’ of Transformers. You mention that the film features “conspiracy theories about the US government,” something which is a fairly standard trope for sci-fi (even the extremely right-wing Heinlein did it in The Puppet Masters.) There’s a distinction to be made here, however, between skepticism directed at the military – which is most definitely not something Bay espouses – and skepticism toward the federal government. You’ve forgotten, for example, that one of the main heroes of Transformers is actually the Secretary of Defense (Jon Voight), a classic military ramrod figure right out of ’50s sci-fi! When was the last time a film made a SecDef one of its primary protagonists? Even Independence Day, if you will recall, turned the SecDef into an asshole who covers-up Area 51. Ditto for the conspiratorial military figures of Close Encounters (and we’ll probably be getting more of that in this summer’s Super 8). The Transformers films, much like Bay’s Pearl Harbor, romanticize the American military to a degree we almost never see – but they also exhibit a skeptical view toward the federal government and its competency and/or impulses toward secrecy. Personally I don’t have a problem with that.
As far as the Bush two red-socked feet thing, I’ll give you that. He was calling for a Twinkie, or something? Yes, that took me out of the film initially, but I recovered when I got a better overall sense of where Bay was going. I’ll tell you, though, Obama and his administration got it much worse in Transformers 2, basically being depicted as traitors.
Upon reading your comments about the Transformers films, here is an analysis that I posted on another blog about the series:
Paramount held off on a GI-JOE film for a while because they feared releasing a “pro-American war film” and opted for Transformers instead. Here is where things get interesting. When GI-Joe was finally released, the Americanism was played down, the term “war ” was avoided, and the director said the film represented “an Obama world”. The film was not really a success (150 mill domestic/ approx 300 mill world/ 175 mill budget). The Transformers films did what Paramount feared GI-JOE would do. It was pro-American military (they work with the Autobots to save the world in both films and had them fighting heroically in the middle east), dealt with war (our world, their war), pro- fighting for freedom, sympathetic to the Bush Administration (even though there is the Ding Dong joke; Jon Voight as his Secretary of Defense is a protagonist and actually fights decepticons, carries out the President Bush’s multiple orders which are seen as the right ones, and under the Bush administration we have the forging of the alliance with the Autobots and British to form the NEST teams), and not too sympathetic to the Obama Administration (antagonistic National Security Adviser, shutting down the NEST teams, consider negotiating with the Decepticons and handing Sam over to the Decepticons, and ceasing all Anti-Decepticon operations; the military even has to act behind the Obama Administrations back, while they had the full support of the Bush Administration).
Result: Transformers (150 mill budget/ 319 mill domestic/ 709mill world)
Transformers 2 (200 mill budget/ 402 mill domestic/ 836 mill world)
That’s quite interesting, Omar – thanks for that.
Loved the first Transformers movie. How many movies of that type featured A-10 Warthogs and an AC-130! In the type of wars the US is fighting right now those “low-tech” planes are much more valuable than the glamorous fighters. The human element especially the group of soldiers, the hackers and Jon Voight was nice. I left the 2nd movie really disappointed. Perhaps seeing Princeton portrayed as some party school filled with Victoria Secret models was too much for me. As someone who went to graduate school I can testify that was not the Princeton I remembered, hee hee. The 2nd felt rushed and the soldiers had nothing to work with. Hopefully Bay and the creative crew will do a much better job with the 3rd.
No Victoria’s Secret models at Princeton, Michael? I’m shocked! They must all be at Yale. 😉