Baying for more
From the small screen to the silver screen: Transformers and The Simpsons look good on paper but lack originality.
Michael Bay can be hailed as one of the best action directors in film history, his popcorn fluff yielding some of the highest box office earners in recent memory. He can also be called a blight on society with his soulless, shamelessly pro-American films that could give Nazi film-maker, Leni Riefenstahl, a lesson in propaganda. However, Transformers (12A) Bay's interpretation of the 1980s cartoon classic - is a step in the right direction, somewhat cutting back on the heart-rending military speeches and the incessant flag-waving.
What is also encouraging is that for once in a Bay movie, we have a leading man to believe in. Shia LeBeouf is a rising star and he takes centre stage as Sam Witwicky, a typical high school teenager who is trying to sell his grandfather's artefacts to buy a Camaro to impress class belter Mikaela Banes (Megan Fox). Little does he know that the Camaro is in fact Bumble Bee, a shape-changing robot sent to earth to search for a cube that will defeat the evil race of robots, known as the Decepticons. Sam's grandfather's artefacts hold the key and the race between the good Autobots, led by Optimus Prime, and the Decepticons, headed up by Megatron, is on.
Once the plot gets moving and the towering robots take over, LeBeouf and company are elbowed to the side and Transformers loses its humanity and humour. The movie makes its way towards the climatic street battle - the showcase - with patience but the fight scenes can be a little 'Power Rangersy' (now a recognised term) and the actual transforming is nothing we haven't seen in Citroen ads in the last year.
The same could be said about The Simpsons Movie (PG). In the opening few minutes, Homer turns to the audience of Itchy And Scratchy's latest outing and yells: 'I can't believe we're paying to see a movie you can get on TV for free! Everyone in the theatre is a sucker.' He's so right because The Simpsons Movie is just what you'd expect it to be a very long episode. This time out, Springfield is in the middle of an environmental crisis and the government is forced to place the town in a sealed dome. Naturally, Homer is blamed and the family are forced to flee the town to Alaska.
Can the family make a triumphant return and save everyone from a living death? The South Park movie spoiled us they moved up a gear in their first feature debut, but Matt Groening and team are content to be laissez faire about this monumental happening. The story has enough juice to keep the gags coming (although they do tend to get a little thin on the ground as it goes on), but fans will be disappointed to hear that favourites like Mr. Burns, Smithers, Skinner, Krusty and Moe are reduced to cameos. On the whole it's an enjoyable experience, but apart from the slick animation borrowed from Futurama, there's nothing wholly original going on here.