By Ryan Farrell
You may have seen the toys, enjoyed the video games or watched the old cartoons, but one way or another, we’ve all heard of them. Who would have thought that a line of toys would snowball into something as huge as what TRANSFORMERS has become? Created in 1984, TRANSFORMERS became a million dollar corporation, existing in just about every form of media. And this summer, we get to experience the first TRANSFORMERS life-action movie ever. With all the improvements in special effects, executive producer Steven Spielberg has said that “it will blow your mind.” Need we say more?
THE STORY
Transformers are alien robots from the planet Cybertron. They have the ability to change from warrior-like machines into everyday objects, mainly vehicles. When an altercation over the Allspark takes place between the co-rulers of Cybertron, Optimus and Megatron, a war begins, splitting the Transformers into two dueling groups. Optimus and the Autobots fought for freedom, whereas Megatron and the Deceptacons were motivated by greed, fuelling their already evil nature. Optimus sends the Allspark to Earth, where it is recovered by Captain Witwicky. Eventually, the battle between the Autobots and Deceptacons is taken to Earth, putting the future of the human race in jeopardy.
CHARACTERS:
Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf)
A teenager who stumbles on Bumblebee when buying his first car. Sam also has the glasses that hold the map to the Allspark.
Optimus Prime
Optimus is the leader of the Autobots. He can take the shape of a Peterbilt car, but as a robot, he stands at about 28 feet tall and wields an arm cannon and a retractable faceplate.
Bumblebee
A scout for the Autobots who helps in the search for the Allspark. He takes the form of a Chevrolet Camaro and is eventually purchased by Sam Witwicky as his first car. He stands at 17 feet with arm cannons and shoulder missiles.
Jazz
One of the “cooler” characters in the film, Jazz uses a sword and a shield as a weapon. He can turn into a Pontiac Solstice.
Ironhide
One of Optimus’s oldest friends, Ironhide is usually the first one to jump into battle. He has a cowboy-like charm and can turn into a GMC Topkick pickup truck. In robot mode, he stands 26 feet tall and has a weapon on each arm.
Megatron
Leader of the Deceptacons. Megatron became too power hungry, wanting complete power over the Allspark, and started the war against the Autobots. Megatron’s Earth form is a jet, but while in robot mode, he stands at 34 feet tall and wields a huge arm cannon.