Professor Popinjay's Compendium of Perspicacity

A Non-review by Professor Popinjay

Full disclosure. I’ve not really been a Transformers fan, or if I have been then I’ve been the type that gatekeeping Transformer elitist snobs have been angrily keeping behind the gate so as to maintain their feeling of superiority. I happily grant them that position because I’m sure it’s all they have and I shan’t be the one to deprive them.

I thought I’d take a minute out of my busy writing/drawing/pizza-making schedule to write this one up while it’s still hot and fresh as I have recently taken my two younger children to see Transformers One.

I took my two younger kids because I thought trailers made this look like it was for kids. Well, my kids enjoyed it. My daughter did not want to go until she heard there was a girl character. She enjoyed it too but wished there was more girl stuff. Probably a high expectation for a transformers film.

This movie was badassitronnnnnnnnnn. Yes, it was accessible for kids. There was no Megan Fox with her assitron hanging out in THIS kids movie. They did say the word badassitron about 67 times but, frankly, I couldn’t care less if any of my kids said badassitron.  No one was maliciously cursing anyone. I’d take issue with that. And yet, this film really didn’t pull any punches when it came to characters expressing their joys or anger. I found myself a bit shocked at how real the emotions were and I was getting the feels right along with the characters. I kept checking my kids because some deep stuff was going on and I had to wonder how it was affecting them. They were entranced.

This may have been marketed to kids but it was epic and profound. Being able to detect the clandestine tyranny under which these characters were being oppressed made every line meaningful and a foreshadowing of the treachery and revolution I knew was on the horizon. Maybe that means it was a little predictable but I won’t hold that against it. I sat, quite astounded, at how good this was.

I caught the humorous reference to the theme from the original animated Transformers film. I caught the Key and Peele reference. And I did think of Les Claypool every time the characters mentioned Primus. So the gatekeepers can lean back in their gaming chairs and slurp their energy drinks. I may not be a Transformers aficionado but I’ve seen the original and I’m just as mad as them that Weird Al didn’t have a song in this film. Also, where was the fast talking John Moschitta Jr. (aka Motormouth)? His wiki page says he’s still working. Where was Spike yelling “Oh Shit!”?

I’m being facetious. They went a different direction with this film and I’m glad. It has more of a soul than the original in my opinion. This was clearly made with love as well as an understanding of what modern audiences won’t smirk at. Good stuff.