Before reading this, look at the posters for the various live action Transformer films that have been released. Now, if the titles were removed from the posters, would there be any way to tell them apart?
Chances are, probably not. And that is the deep-rooted flaw of Michael Bay’s now ten-year-old Transformer series; each film feels like more of the same. Each movie has a scene where it is revealed that the Transformers somehow were involved with major historical events, each movie has Optimus Prime giving a monologue at least three times, each movie has the same moments, but with different locations, characters and events substituted in.
When compared to another long running series that continues to make a lot of money; "The Fast and the Furious." The most recent film has a solid, but not incredible, 66 percent on RottenTomatoes. The highest rated "Transformers" film, the original 2007 movie, sits at 53 percent.
Now, why would a series that has gone on for longer than the Transformers movies, be better received even in its later years? Well, the "Fast and the Furious" movies have two major things over the "Transformers" movies; energy and the willingness to change.
Granted, while most of its changes aren’t groundbreaking, the Furious series has grown from commercial successful, but critical bombs, to movies that are respected for their over the top nature. That’s because despite the implausibility of the scenes and stories, there is still a good-natured energy to the events. It’s all based around family, and that always is at the core. Even in the exposition heavy scenes, characters bounce lines off each other like the bratty kids at a family reunion. It’s all very positive in its energy.
Transformers, on the other hand, is a world that is draped in dull, serious moments. When a joke does try to exist, it is normally overly crude and inappropriate. Let’s not forget that classic comedic moment from the first movie when Bumblebee peed on a CIA operative. And then when he did it again in the next film on Sam’s girlfriend. The humor doesn’t land because it is clearly manufactured. It’s faux humor, trying to be squeezed into an overly serious world.
Furious is willing to change though. The studio realized that eventually people were getting tired of the same old street racing shtick, so they evolved. They introduced new stars, new story ideas, new creators, and these changes helped the films improve. Transformers has had the same director for five films in a row. It has also switched up writers constantly, but with a few remaining consistent.
With "The Last Knight" being Michael Bay’s last Transformer film, maybe there is one day hope for the series to turn quality. After all, the original Transformers animated film is noteworthy for being extremely emotional and poignant, referred to by many as being a “guy cry” film. A turn for the series would be great, maybe the rumored "Bumblebee" solo movie could be good; it’s supposed to be directed by the helmer of "Kubo and the Two Strings" after all. It would be a shame for the series to continue to be so one note and pathetically dull.
Because, at the end of the day, there is something inherently interesting and creative about the idea of Transformers. These robots that can change and hide among everyday human objects could hold a lot of potential. The animated shows have always been relatively well received, and even the past few video games have been acclaimed for delving into the series more military roots on their home planet.
Although, audiences are the ones who pay for the tickets and put money in the studios pockets. If the audience rating site Cinemascore has anything to say about the Transformer movies, they’re all classics, with each one receiving A’s on average, the opposite of the average 29 percent RottenTomatoes score. But, the audience pays the bills, so as far as Paramount is concerned, who cares about quality, and bring on the 45-minute-long final battle sequences.