Earlier this week, after much urging, pleading and begging, I took the children to see Transformers the movie. Now some of you twenty-something males will remember the original animated series of Transformers -cartoons based on a Japanese toy. But for those of you who haven’t a clue, click here. You can even watch some episodes here courtesy of You Tube.
My nephew was hugely into the Transformers. His bedroom was full of Transformers merchandise, from wallpaper and duvet covers to tee-shirts and pen sets. And the toys were amazing. Some incredible engineering there I can tell you. He had cars, trucks, airoplanes, everything and they all “transformed” into alien robots. I wish he’d kept them.
Anyway, although I was never that interested in the cartoon series I would often sit and suffer them for the sake of my nephew who loved them but I really wasn’t mad keen on going to see this mega-movie based on the series.
I tried to get out of it by asking my Transformers-fan nephew to take them but he’d already seen it (of course). However he did say it was so good that he would pay to see it again. But only if I went with them.
So I did. And I actually enjoyed it. From what I can remember of the cartoon series, the movie kept true to the original idea. Apart from feeling a bit dizzy at times by the sheer exhilaration of some of the visuals, I was glad I went. It was fast, loud, exciting, clichéd and full of the predictable cheesy US blockbuster stuff that we’ve all come to know and love/hate. Entertaining nonetheless. I certainly didn’t regret paying the ticket fees. And, as an original Transformers fan, nor did my nephew - twice!
What I found amusing in the film was that the US Secretary of Defense character gets to be a bit of a hero and considering who was the SecDef when filming was taking place (old Rumsey), this part of the film was more incredible than than the transforming alien robots. And there’s a teeny part where someone goes into the President’s office and although we don’t see the President’s face because his legs are propped up on his desk and his feet are in the way, he says something like “can you wrangle me up some ding dangs darlin’ “ in a very Bush-like Texan drawl. (BTW, read this for an amusing aside)
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Anyway, next film . . . and some indulgent alone-time, a DVD lent to me by my sister who insisted that I would love it. Mel Gibson’s Apocalypto.
Now, Mel makes good films, I’m not denying that. But he does love a good bloodfest doesn’t he (think Passion and Braveheart). He leaves nothing to the imagination in terms of graphic violence and barbarity and he does, in my humblest, go to excessive levels. I know there are other bloodbath films (Tarantino, Scorcese etc. all of which I would drown myself to avoid, given the need) but Gibson tries to dress up this similar lust for blood in a credible plot with a social message of sorts and it really hasn’t worked for me yet.
All in all, as strange as it may sound, I really don’t know if I liked this film or not.
The film is subtitled which isn’t a problem and it’s set around the declining days of a Mayan civilisation. It’s been criticised by archeologists and historians alike as being historically inaccurate and has also been accused of being racist. Well I don’t know enough about Mayan civilisation or culture to have an intelligent opinion about this but the film certainly depicts a very savage and barbaric set of people and methinks Gibson has probably taken many historical liberties for the sake of his art. And when it showed some Spanish ships anchored off-shore at the end of the film, presumably coming to *deliver* the savages from their hellhole, I did groan a bit at the haughtily smug Christian priest sat onboard one of the boats coming in-shore.
On the upside, I did enjoy and appreciate the storyline surrounding the hero of the film, Jaguar Paw. As unlikely as much of it was, his story was tender and inspiring. And there are some adrenaline-packed scenes and breath-taking cinematography but, otherwise, for me, it was proper gruesome and just seemed like an excuse to fit as much blood, guts and gore as possible into a movie.
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And finally, yesterday me and my two youngest went to see Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix. I won’t say too much about this film suffice to say that betwixt the three of us, we voted this movie the best we’d seen for years (well actually, between me and you, I crossed my fingers, mostly because I could not be unfaithful to the Pirates trilogy but also because imo there have been better films). Anyhoo, t’was quite brilliant just the same with superb special effects and some pretty scary moments. And I must say, the acting by Daniel Radcliffe, who plays Potter, has notably matured and improved since his early Potter days when he really was quite rubbish at it.
Watch out for this delightfully mystical character - Luna Lovegood, played by Evanna Lynch. She is most bewitching and quite compelling to watch.
Thank you for the tip about Potter latest film, Earthpal. We don’t go out very much for films, because of our nephew, a Down syndrome, living with us, otherwise I’ll have to wait for the telly exhibition, perhaps six months from now.
It’s really good Jose. I loved it. Pure fantasy escapism. It will be most stimulating for your lovely nephew. Well done for taking care of him. It’s hard bringing up someone elses child, even children without disabilities. My nephew (the Transformers fan) lived with us for ten years (long and sad story) from the age of six and he’s been an absolute star. It was very difficult at first, we were really way too young to be parents, but there was no other option and he has turned into a decent and kindly young man.
Much respect to you Jose.