Transformers One: Behind The Shot with Megatron Actor and Director

Here is an interesting video that analyzes a particular shot from the film that comes at about the halfway point. The video has Megatron voice Brian Tyree Henry talking about a scene from the movie with director Josh Cooley and some of what goes it a shot from camera angle to lighting. Basically its a reminder that details matter. It might be considered a spoiler but it should be somewhat familiar if seen any trailers or TV spots or aware of dynamic between Megatron and Starscream. Thanks to Feris O. for the link.

Transformers One Director Talks Approach to Film, Easter Eggs

Transformers One official release in just days, below are some quotes from Director Josh Cooley as he discusses approach to the film and some of the decisions made on which characters/Easter eggs to include in the film. For the full interview click here. And yep, a sequel is under consideration if the film does well enough.

I wanted to make sure that when a superfan saw this, they went, “Yes, that is correct. This feels right.” And then also having it be accessible to somebody who has no idea what Transformers is. If they were to come in fresh off the street, it’s still accessible to them as well.

“Oh, this just doesn’t feel like Transformers.” So it was finding that balance as well with the tone and making sure it’s not just completely dark, but also not just completely making fun of itself or anything like that.

Maybe because of the 1986 movie, but Hot Rod was never in my mind ever because I was like, “That’s not right.” But I will say that the movie was made by a crew of fans. And so there are characters that they put in the background and have been brought forward that I didn’t even realize were designed as characters, if that makes sense. ...Oh, it’d be really great if it could be one of these characters, if you want to choose one of them,” which is kind of a random, something that you’re familiar with. So there were times when it was story-based. Other times it was just playing for the fun of it.

I’d say sometimes we had our lead animator, Stephen King at ILM, he’s a major, major Transformers fan. And so I would let him at times I’d just say, look, fill in this area with crowds, but bring forward anybody you want to bring forward in terms of the color or anything. And so I’d let him cast the characters that are getting kind of front-row shots. And so that’s all his love going out.

Transformers One Scoring Excellent Reviews

The review embargo for Transformers One has lifted and various entertainment websites have posted their reviews of the film. As of this writing, the film is sitting at a very good critic score of 89% on Rotten Tomatoes with many critics calling it the best Transformers film to date. Over all the critics call out excellent visuals, predictable but heartbreaking storyline, and better use of humor than trailers suggest. In the US, there is a fan event sneak preview this Saturday with official release on September 20. Below are some quotes from various reviews.

"The new film easily wipes away the bad taste 20 years of live-action Transformers movies may have left for some. It’s big, it’s beautiful, and it’s arguably the best Transformers movie ever. ...Despite what early trailers may have teased, the jokes are only there when needed. Lore is never more complicated than it has to be. And that friendship gone wrong is weaved into a much bigger, more shocking story. Then, once Transformers One gets into its third act, things get legitimately heartbreaking, adding to the drama and emotion." - Gizmodo

"...while it’s ultimately uneven and lacking the inventiveness or visual splendor it would have needed to be truly great, T1 manages to have more smarts and depth than it first lets on. It could serve as a setup for better films to follow, now that all the “origin story” table setting is out of the way. ...The most fascinating thing about the plot of Transformers One isn’t the deep, dark secrets that Orion and his friends discover. It’s the way that Orion learns what kind of leader he wants to be by watching what D-16’s anger over those discoveries does to him, and deciding what kind of leader he doesn’t want to be. ...I saw the film in 3D, which definitely enhances the film’s visuals, giving the central setting of Iacon City a wonderfully layered depth, but Transformers One never figures out how to make the most of its vistas in its action scenes, which often feel like arbitrary diversions from the story rather than involving sequences that contribute to the film or our understanding of the characters in a meaningful way. - Kotaku

"...the story has more humanity than the films that co-star human actors, and ultimately makes you feel the operatic tragedy of Megatron. ...The animation is sleeker than even the computer-animated TV series, though stops short of photorealistic like the live-action movies. Most notably, the characters have faces with eyes, noses and mouths like they did in the toys and old 2D cartoons, as opposed to the Michael Bay movies which fashioned their faces out of mechanical auto parts. Industrial Light + Magic still designed this animation." - Deadline

"There is tension to Transformers One if you have even a passing knowledge of the Transformers characters or mythos, a conflicting recognition that the film’s story is well-told even as it treads the familiar territory of other friends-to-enemies plotlines. ...And after one immediately recognizes that Sentinel Prime’s benevolent leadership is an obvious veneer for ulterior motives, the plot becomes as rote and predictable as a straight road leading from title to credits. ...With so much that Transformers One gets right, there’s still that nagging feeling that we’ve been there, done that. A rushed first act plows through its world-building with such efficiency that it sets a precedent for a tight pace that doesn’t allow much space to breathe between exciting action beats. Inversely, this leaves comedic moments feeling like forced token gestures, leaning hard into kinetic hyperactivity instead of telling jokes that aren’t already stale before the punchline lands." - AV Club

"It’s a pleasure, then, to report that the series’ first animated theatrical feature in nearly 40 years proves a thoroughly entertaining origin story that even the uninitiated can enjoy. Besides the raucous, de rigueur action sequences, Transformers One provides numerous witty jokes of both the verbal and visual variety and — surprise, surprise — genuine emotion. Consider this a franchise revitalized. ...The gorgeous 3D-style computer animation is a wonder to behold throughout, from the character designs (these seem the most expressive Transformers yet) to the elaborate action sequences (the race is a highlight) to the varied settings that make the environments seem fully lived-in. There’s so much visual imagination on display that multiple viewings seem essential to take it all in." - The Hollywood Reporter

Transformers One Australian Premiere

Transformers One held its Australian premiere Tuesday evening that was attended by Orion Pax voice Chris Hemsworth (also who is Austrlian) and Brian Tyree Henry (voice of D-16/Megatron), director Josh Cooley and longtime Transformers producer Lorenzo Di Bonaventura. In the US, this Saturday is a 5pm early screening fan event with the movie officially premiering on September 20th. 

Main takeaway for me from the photo of Henry in an awesome Megatron coat that I am curious to know where he got it. More photos from the premiere can be found here.

Transformers One Jersey Stop Motion, Clip, TV Spot and Voice Work

The Transformers One promotional campaign continues with more TV spots and others things. The latest is below starting with a stop motion using Transformers One toys with three leads from the movie and three football players including Calvin "Megatron" Johnson. He said he was the first Megatron but should be noted he was born in 1985, Megs was created in 1984. Oddly Scarlett Johansson continues to sit out of all the promotional material that continues to be released for the movie outside of stuff clearly filmed on the same day they filmed her voice work probably over a year ago. 

Aside from that, the second video is a clip of the team on a train trying to survive the changing terrain of Cybertron's surface, the third is a tease of the Optimus Prime vs Megatron fight and last is the four main leads doing some of their voice work with the final result.

"That's what I'm talking about!"

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