''Transformers'' (Alternate Version)

Transformers is a 2007 American science fiction action film based on the toy line of the same name created by Hasbro. The film, which combines computer animation with live-action filming, was directed by Steven Spielberg. It was produced by Don Murphy and Tom DeSanto, and is the first installment in the live-action Transformers film series. The film stars Shia LaBeouf as Sam Witwicky, a teenager who gets caught up in a war between the heroic Autobots and the villainous Decepticons, two factions of alien robots who can disguise themselves by transforming into everyday machinery, primarily vehicles. The Autobots intend to use the AllSpark, the object that created their robotic race, to rebuild their home planet Cybertron and end the war, while the Decepticons have the intention of using it to build an army by giving life to the machines of Earth. Tyrese Gibson, Josh Duhamel, Anthony Anderson, Megan Fox, Rachael Taylor, John Turturro, and Jon Voight also star, while voice actors Peter Cullen and Frank Welker voice Optimus Prime and Megatron respectively. Murphy and DeSanto developed the project in 2003, and DeSanto wrote a treatment. Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman were hired to write the screenplay. The U.S. Armed Forces and General Motors (GM) loaned vehicles and aircraft during filming, which saved money for the production and added realism to the battle scenes. Hasbro's promotional campaign for the film included deals with various companies; advertising included a viral marketing campaign, coordinated releases of prequel comic books, toys, and books, as well as product placement deals with companies such as GM, Burger King, and eBay. Transformers received mixed to positive reviews from critics and fans, and is the 87th highest-grossing film of all-time and was the fifth highest-grossing film of 2007, grossing $709 million worldwide, with an estimated 46 million tickets sold in the US. The film won four awards from the Visual Effects Society and was nominated for three Academy Awards, for Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Visual Effects. LaBeouf's performance was praised by Empire, and Cullen's reprisal of Optimus Prime from the 1980s television series was well received by fans. It was soon followed by four sequels: More Than Meets the Eye (2009), Dark of the Moon (2011), and Age of Extinction (2013), the later two of which grossed $1 billion. A fifth installment was released on June 21, 2017. This alternate version of the film rather focuses on Transformers.

Plot
During the war for Cybertron, all Autobots and Decepticons are damaged (except for Autobot leader Optimus Prime and Decepticon leader Megatron), forcing them to use the Allspark to bring several Protoforms onboard the ships of both factions to life. Optimus is able to acquire the Allspark, activating the new Autobots, who are named Jazz, Ratchet, Ironhide, and Bumblebee. However, Megatron breaks in, steals the Allspark, and activates the Protoforms onboard on the Decepticon ship, creating Starscream, Skywarp, Thundercracker, Barricade, Soundwave, and Shockwave. However, during the battle between the troops, both factions are sucked into a portal to Earth as well as their spaceships. On Earth, the Autobots and Decepticons must find any remaining Energon resources to survive on the planet. Both are lucky, able to have enough Energon. With their ships destroyed, the Autobots use their ship's remains and create a brand new ship called the Ark while the Decepticons use their ship's remains to build a new ship called the Nemesis. Shockwave as well discovers one way to find out the Allspark's location on the planet. When they discover an ancient Decepticon leader who leaded prior to Megatron imprinted the location on the glasses of a human explorer named Archibald Witwicky, and they must not let the Autobots discover this, taking on the forms of Earth vehicles. However, Bumblebee spies but is noticed and captured. Bumblebee, however, escapes by taking on the form of a hatchback and returns to the Autobots. When the Autobots discover Witwicky's great-great grandson Sam is selling the glasses, 'Bee is sent to protect the boy but Barricade interferes to take the glasses, but Bumblebee bests him. When Sam and his classmate Mikaela are introduced to the Autobots, Optimus reveals that Megatron will not only power the Protoforms but also might power Earth's machines and destroy the planet. A group of Sector Seven agents including Seymour Simmons discover Sam, Mikaela, Barricade and Bumblebee, Sector Seven takes them all into custody, and the Autobots fail the rescue. The next day, the groups connected to the Transformers are gathered at Hoover Dam by Sector Seven director Tom Banachek. Meanwhile, Optimus obtains the glasses. When the Allspark is found at the Dam, Soundwave has spotted and sends his Decepticon Mini-Cassettes Rumble and Frenzy to attack and help steal the Allspark. While the humans are able to defeat the cassettes, the Decepticons attack Mission City, where the Decepticons are defeated and damaged. When Megatron tries to kill Jazz, Bumblebee intervenes. Before Megatron can kill both Autobots, Optimus arrives the two fight before Sam brings the Allspark. Before removing an Allspark shard to rebuild Cybertron, Optimus activates the Allspark, which launches a beam at Megatron, killing the Decepticon leader. However, it turns out that the Decepticons have also removed a shard, and Starscream (as new leader) departs and leaves on Nemesis. Realizing that Decepticons have arrived at the planet, Optimus says the Autobots should stay on Earth before a plan can be devised.

Cast

 * Shia LaBeouf as Sam Witwicky, the young descendant of an Arctic explorer who stumbles on a big secret which becomes the last hope for Earth.
 * Tyrese Gibson as Sgt. Robert Epps, a U.S. Air Force Combat Controller and technical sergeant of a Special Operations team based at the U.S. SOCCENT base in Qatar.
 * Josh Duhamel as Capt. William Lennox, the leader of the Army Rangers team in Qatar.
 * Anthony Anderson as Glen Whitmann, a hacker friend of Maggie's.
 * Megan Fox as Mikaela Banes, a classmate of Sam who assists him in his mission by using skills she learned as a juvenile car thief.
 * Rachael Taylor as Maggie Madsen, a hacker recruited by the U.S. Defense Department.
 * John Turturro as Agt. Seymour Simmons, a member of Sector 7 Advanced Research Division.
 * Jon Voight as John Keller, the U.S. Secretary of Defense.
 * Amaury Nolasco as ACWO Jorge "Fig" Figueroa, a Special Operations soldier who survives the destruction of the SOCCENT base in Qatar and was also a member of Captain Lennox's team.
 * Zack Ward as First Sergeant Donnelly, a member of Captain Lennox's team.
 * W. Morgan Sheppard as Captain Archibald Witwicky, Sam's great-great-grandfather who accidentally activates The Fallen's navigational system.
 * Bernie Mac as Bobby Bolivia, a used cars salesman.
 * Glenn Morshower as Colonel Sharp (credited as "SOCCENT sergeant")

Voices

 * Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime, the Autobot leader who transforms into a blue and red 1996 Peterbilt 379. Peter Cullen had previously voiced Optimus Prime in the original 1980s cartoon and was chosen to reprise his role, which was warmly welcomed by audiences and considered one of the film's best aspects.
 * Nolan North as Bumblebee, the Autobot scout and Sam's new guardian who transforms into a yellow and black 2007 Chevrolet Beat concept.
 * Terrence Howard as Jazz, the Autobot second-in-command who transforms into a grey 2006 Pontiac Solstice.
 * Mark Ryan as Ironhide, the Autobot weapons specialist who transforms into a red Ford F-Series pickup truck.
 * Frank Welker as Megatron, the Decepticon leader who transforms into a grey M1 Abrams tank. Welker reprises his role from the original series just like how Cullen voiced Optimus Prime again.
 * Keith David as Barricade, the Decepticon scout who transforms into a maroon and gunmetal grey 2010 Lancia New Stratos concept.
 * Fred Tatasciore as Thundercracker, a Decepticon scientist and Seeker who transforms into a silver McDonnell Douglas F-15 jet.
 * Reno Wilson as Frenzy, the Decepticon hacker and Soundwave's minion, who transforms into a cassette.
 * Steve Blum as
 * Starscream, Megatron's second-in-command and Seeker leader who transforms into a white, black, and red McDonnell Douglas F-15 jet.
 * Shockwave, the Decepticon scientist who transforms into a purple Cybertronian tank.

Non-speaking characters

 * Soundwave, Megatron's third-in-command who transforms into a MH-53J Pave Low III.
 * Skywarp, a Decepticon scout and Seeker who transforms into a gunmetal grey and blue McDonnell Douglas F-15 jet.
 * Rumble, a Decepticon and Soundwave's minion who transforms into a cassette.
 * Ravage, a Jaguar-like Decepticon and Soundwave's minion who transforms into a cassette.
 * The Fallen, former Decepticon leader and Megatron's mentor.

Development
Don Murphy was planning a G.I. Joe film adaptation, but when the United States launched the invasion of Iraq in March 2003, Hasbro suggested adapting the Transformers franchise instead. Tom DeSanto joined Murphy because he was a fan of the series. They made the Creation Matrix their plot device, though Murphy had it renamed because of the film series The Matrix. DeSanto chose to write the treatment from a human point of view to engage the audience, while Murphy wanted it to have a realistic tone, reminiscent of a disaster film. The treatment featured the Autobots Optimus Prime, Ironhide, Jazz, Prowl, Arcee, Ratchet, Wheeljack, and Bumblebee, and the Decepticons Megatron, Starscream, Soundwave, Ravage, Laserbeak, Rumble, Skywarp and Shockwave. John Rogers wrote the first draft, which pitted four Autobots against four Decepticons, and featured the Ark spaceship. Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, fans of the cartoon, were hired to rewrite the script in February 2005. The producers suggested that "a boy and his car" should be the focus. This appealed to Orci and Kurtzman because it conveyed themes of adulthood and responsibility, "the things that a car represents in the United States". The characters of Sam and Mikaela were the sole point of view given in Orci and Kurtzman's first draft. The Transformers had no dialogue, as the producers feared talking robots would look ridiculous. The writers felt that even if it would look silly, not having the robots speak would betray the fanbase. The first draft also had a battle scene in the Grand Canyon. Spielberg read each of Orci and Kurtzman's drafts and gave notes for improvement. The writers remained involved throughout production, adding additional dialogue for the robots during the sound mixing (although none of this was kept in the final film, which ran fifteen minutes shorter than the initial edit). Furman's The Ultimate Guide, published by Dorling Kindersley, remained as a resource to the writers throughout production. Prime Directive was used as a fake working title. This was also the name of Dreamwave Productions' first Transformers comic book. Michael Bay was asked to direct by the producers on July 30, 2005, but he dismissed the film as a "stupid toy movie". After that, the producers instead hired Steven Spielberg after the producers thought that Spielberg was a good director. Orci and Kurtzman experimented with numerous robots from the franchise, ultimately selecting the characters most popular among the filmmakers to form the final cast. Spielberg acknowledged that most of the Decepticons were selected before their names or roles were developed, as Hasbro had to start designing the toys. Some of their names were changed because Spielberg was upset that they had been leaked. Optimus, Megatron, Bumblebee and Starscream were the only characters present in each version of the script. An early idea to have the Decepticons simultaneously strike multiple places around the world was also dropped.

Design
The filmmakers created the size of each robot with the size of their vehicle mode in mind, supporting the Transformer's rationale for their choice of disguise on Earth. The concept of traveling protoforms was developed by Roberto Orci when he wondered why "aliens who moonlight as vehicles need other vehicles to travel". This reflected a desire to move to a more alien look, away from the "blocky" Generation 1 Transformers. Another major influence in the designs was samurai armor, returning full-circle to the Japanese origins of the toy line. The robots also had to look alien, or else they would have resembled other cinematic robots made in the image of man. A product placement deal with General Motors supplied alternate forms for most of the Autobots, which saved $3 million for the production. GM also provided nearly two hundred cars, destined for destruction in the climactic battle scene. The U.S. Armed Forces provided significant support, enhancing the film's realism: the film features F-22s, F-117s, and V-22 Ospreys, the first time these aircraft were used for a film; soldiers served as extras, and authentic uniforms were provided for the actors. A-10 Thunderbolt IIs and Lockheed AC-130s also appear. Captain Christian Hodge joked that he had to explain to his superiors that the filmmakers wanted to portray most of their aircraft as evil Decepticons: however, he remarked "people love bad guys".

Effects
Spielberg was encouraged to restrict computer-generated imagery to the robots and background elements in the action sequences. Stunts such as Thundercracker smashing through a bus were done practically, while cameras were placed into the midst of car crashes and explosions to make it look more exciting. Bay indicated that three quarters of the film's effects were made by Industrial Light & Magic, while Digital Domain made the rest, including the Arctic discovery of The Fallen; Frenzy's severed head; a vending machine mutated by the Allspark, and the Autobots' protoforms. Many of the animators were big Transformers fans and were given free rein to experiment: a scene where Jazz attacks Skywarp is a reference to a scene in The Transformers: The Movie where Kup jumps on Blitzwing. Due to the intricate designs of the Transformers, even the simplest motion of turning a wrist needs 17 visible parts; each of Ironhide's guns are made of ten thousand parts. Each rendered piece had to look like real metal, shiny or dull. This was difficult to model because the aged and scarred robots had to transform from clean cars. Close-up shots of the robots were sped up to look "cool", but in wide shots the animation was slowed down to convincingly illustrate a sense of weight. Photographs were taken of each set. These were used as a reference for the lighting environment, which was reproduced within a computer, so the robots would look like they were convincingly moving there. Bay, who has directed numerous car commercials, understood ray tracing was the key to making the robots look real; the CG models would look realistic based on how much of the environment was reflecting on their bodies. Numerous simulations were programmed into the robots, so the animators could focus on animating the particular areas needed for a convincing performance.

Music
Composer Steve Jablonsky, scored music for the trailers before work began on the film itself. Recording took place in April 2007, at the Sony Scoring Stage in Culver City, California. The score, including the teaser music, uses six major themes across ninety minutes of music. The Autobots have three themes, one named "Optimus" to represent the wisdom and compassion of the Autobot leader, and another played during their arrival on Earth. The Decepticons have a chanted theme which relies on electronics, unlike most of the score. The AllSpark also has its own theme. Hans Zimmer, Jablonsky's mentor, also helped to compose the score.

Marketing
Hasbro's toy line for the film was created over two months in late 2005 and early 2006, in heavy collaboration with the filmmakers. Protoform Optimus Prime and Starscream were released in the United States on May 1, 2007, and the first wave of figures was released on June 2. The line featured characters not in the film, including Arcee. A second wave, titled "AllSpark Power", was set for release late 2007, which consisted of repaints and robotic versions of ordinary vehicles in the film. The toys feature "Automorph Technology", where moving parts of the toy allow other parts to shift automatically. Deals were made with 200 companies to promote the film in 70 countries. Michael Bay directed tie-in commercials for General Motors, Panasonic, Burger King and PepsiCo, while props – including the Chevy Beat used for Bumblebee and the AllSpark – were put up for charity sale on eBay. A viral marketing alternate reality game was employed through the Sector 7 website, which presented the film and all previous Transformers toys and media as part of a cover-up operation called "Hungry Dragon," perpetrated by a "real life" Sector 7 to hide the existence of genuine Transformers. The site featured several videos presenting "evidence" of Transformers on Earth, including a cameo from the original Bumblebee.

Release and reception
Transformers had its worldwide premiere at N Seoul Tower on June 10, 2007. The film's June 27 premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival used a live digital satellite feed to project the film on to a screen. A premiere took place at Rhode Island on June 28, which was a freely available event giving attendees the opportunity to buy tickets for $75 to benefit four charities: the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, the Autism Project of Rhode Island, Adoption Rhode Island, and Hasbro Children's Hospital.The film was released in IMAX on September 21, 2007, with additional footage that had not been included in the general theatrical release.

General
Transformers fans were initially divided over the film due to the radical redesigns of many characters, although the casting of Peter Cullen was warmly received. Transformers Transformers comic book writer Simon Furman and Beast Wars script consultant Benson Yee both considered the film to be spectacular fun, as well as the fact that it focused more on the Transformers. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale. The film created a greater awareness of the franchise and drew in many new fans. Transformers' box office success led to the active development of films based on Voltron and Robotech, as well as a Knight Rider remake.

Critical reception
Review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes gave the film an approval rating of 57% based on 220 reviews, with an average rating of 5.8/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "The effects are staggering and the action is exhilarating." On Metacritic, the film has an average score of 61 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". IGN's Todd Gilchrist called it Spielberg's best film, and "one of the greatest action films to see about an alien war". The Advertiser's Sean Fewster found the visual effects so seamless that "you may come to believe the studio somehow engineered artificial intelligence", and ABC presenter Margaret Pomeranz was surprised "that a complete newcomer to the Transformers phenomenon like myself became involved in the fate of these mega-machines". Ain't It Cool News's Drew McWeeny felt most of the cast grounded the story, and that "it has a real sense of wonder, one of the things that's missing from so much of the big CGI lightshows released these days". Author Peter David found it fun, and said that "[Spielberg] manages to hold on to his audience's suspension of disbelief long enough for us to segue into some truly spectacular battle scenes". Roger Ebert gave the film a positive review, giving it 3 stars out of a 4, writing: "It's fun with a lot of stuff that blows up real good, and it shows us a really interesting action robot/alien film." Praising the visual effects, there were positive thoughts about the Transformer storylines. The Hollywood Reporter's Kirk Honeycutt liked "how alien robots need sources to be found on foreign planet", while Empire's Ian Nathan praised Shia LaBeouf and the Transformers as "a smart, natural comedian, [who] must help out and discover what his new big buddies need to survive". James Berardinelli liked the film as he connected with the characters. Los Angeles Times' Kenneth Turan found the Transformers "the big alien robots who show up in the film appear basically in the entire movie which is real entertaining",