MOVIES I LOVE: TRANSFORMERS

I first saw Transformers on July 4, 2007. It was on a Wednesday if I remember correctly. I had gone with my best friend, his sister, and their grandmother to see it. After the film, a violent storm raged that flooded the parking lot of our theater. My experience of seeing this film for the first time is still what I recount as easily my favorite experience I have had at the movies. The crowd we saw it with was responsive, me and my friend would gush to each other about the amazing action sequences (that are just as amazing today) in the film and ooh and aah, and at the end of the film the whole theater rose to their feet and cheered and applauded loudly (one of the few times I have actually witnessed this).

Now, why is it that I love this film so much? Why do I so easily and unapologetically embrace this film as one of my own personal favorites?

Transformers follows the Autobots and the Decepticons as they come to Earth in search of the all powerful All-Spark, a cube that in the wrong hands could lead to the destruction of Earth and mankind. The ruthless Decepticons want to rule the galaxy with the aide of the All-Spark, and it is the Autobots mission to stop the Decepticons before it is too late. Along for the mad-cap ride are Earthlings Sam and Mikaela.

One of the things that I LOVE about this film is Sam's story, his story is equally as interesting as the Autobots. I really like the story of your everyday normal teenager that is chosen to help save the world, and amongst great adversity has to find the courage inside of himself in order to do so. Yeah, it may be completely unbelievable that Sam would end up with the incredibly HAWT Mikaela (the film jump started Megan Fox's brief career as an actress. While she definitely can't act as can be evidenced in her other films, in Transformers she does a good job and is incredibly easy on the eyes and is fun to gawk at. One of my favorite scenes is when she leans over Bumblebee's hood, it was at this moment that a new sex icon was born. Legendary indeed), but that really doesn't detract from the film. I'll be one of the first to admit I REALLY do not like Shia Lebouf, but this is one of the few roles where he really fits the character and does a (surprise) great job. He is easy to root for and it is fun to imagine yourself in his shoes.

The action and SFX are fantastic, and I can always feel my blood start to pump whenever one of the films many action scenes rears their heads. From Decepticon Blackout laying waste to a U.S Military Base, to Barricade assaulting Sam in a garage, to Megatron's unfreezing at Sector 7, to the final heart-pounding climactic battle in downtown LA, all of the action scenes and the SFX that go along with them are of a superb quality. You'd think the action in the film would have grown dull by now when compared to the action scenes we get in films today....nope, the scenes are just as fresh and exciting as the day they premiered.

Easily the best part of the film are the Autobots and the Decepticons. From the introduction scene when we first get the full glory of Optimus Prime as he slowly transforms from semi-truck to robot as the other Autobots transform around him as well and the camera sweeps around...well, after that scene you should know if you're a fan or not, myself, I was in jaw-dropped awe then and I still am every time that scene occurs. The churning, twisting robotic parts, the sounds of the transformation all climaxing when Optimus finally speaks his first words....it gives me chills. My favorite Autobots are Optimus and Bumblebee, of course. In the later films, when Optimus tells Sam they will always be his friends....it's a sign of honor and respect, the fact that these super-intelligent robotic beings would consider you, a tiny human, their friend. Enough about the other films ( they are inferior to the first. the 2nd one is just too much and ends up becoming overkill. The 3rd film suffers from the same problem as the 2nd one, but luckily finds a better balance, not to mention the final 45 min or so action scene is frickin incredible), in this film one of the more profound parts is when Optimus gives a speech about the human race and how we should have the right to choose if we live or die and then says that freedom is the right of every sentient being. That scene really shows what Optimus and thusly the Autobots are really all about. Bumblebee also perfectly shows this when he is captured by humans and instead of fighting back and hurting the humans he submits himself as a sacrifice of sorts....all this occurs because he was protecting Sam. The Autobots are all about Loyalty, Sacrifice, and Honor. I personally would LOVE to fight alongside them. Ok, enough geeky nerdy fan gushing.

The Decepticons are just as cool as the Autobots, my favorite ones being Barricade, Blackout, and Megatron (of course). The only problem with The Decepticons is that they can be hard to tell who is who at times (this mainly occurs with Starscream and Megatron). Besides this though, they are still frickin bad-ass, and yes...I do love them as well.

Another thing I LOVE about Transformers is that it made it cool to be nerdy or geeky. Suddenly, it was ok to talk about the Transformers and have discussions amongst others about your favorite Autobot or Decepticon, and not be subjected to weird looks by others because of this. The film really brought the Transformers into the popular culture, and it has indeed changed our world. Camaro's have become one of the most desirable cars, and Decpticon/Autobot car stickers are often seen while driving on the highway. In fact (as I'm sure most people know) the Transformers have become so popular that they spawned two  inferior sequels and a fourth film has just recently been green-lit not to mention a state of the art thrill ride.


For me Transformers came out at the perfect time. It was the year of 2007. I was 17 years old, life was good, I was care-free, my best friend had just come down from California to visit for the summer, and I was having the time of my life (mind you, 2007 was not may favorite year, that honor would have to go to 2009, but 2007 is easily 2nd place).It was the perfect convergence of events, and that is probably why I look back on Transformers with such rose-colored glasses. Yeah, the jokes are  really stupid  but I always end up laughing my butt off nontheless, sure the character development is not as strong as it could be but it is still more than good enough for the film. What I'm getting at is that I understand why many dislike the film, but for myself it is that this film is indeed imperfect that gives it a charming, lovable quality. It is the imperfections that make the film stronger.

So yes, I proudly stand up as a big fan and lover of Transformers and even though there are those that dislike the film (and I understand why) I know I'm not alone in loving this film (and yes, I do look forward to the upcoming 4th installment)

4/5 Stars

Sidenote: my dream car would indeed be a Camaro.

THE RAID: REDEMPTION INSPIRED SMALLS TO GO OUT AND KICK ASS

The Raid: Redemption is easily the best action film I have seen in years. It follows Rama (Iko Uwais), a new recruit to the SWAT, as him and his team  raid a high rise apartment complex filled to the brim with unsavory characters  in an attempt to capture an evil narcotics lord who rules over the complex. Naturally things don't go as planned (do they ever?) and the SWAT quickly find themselves in a fight for their lives as their mission quickly switches to escape and survive.

Now, The Raid: Redemption is an Indonesian film and thus is filmed with subtitles. Honestly, subtitles have never bothered me much and in this film it's really the action that speaks louder than the words. So don't worry if you don't enjoy reading subtitles in a film, it won't matter much if you miss a sentence here or there. It really would be a shame if people let their dislike of subtitles stop them from seeing/enjoying this truly fun flick.

The Raid's plot is pretty cool, but it's more of a means to an ends...in this case, the action. The film promises tons of high octane action, and boy does it not disappoint. There are no stunt men, no CGI, no blue-screens...the action is real (or, as real as "Hollywood" action can get). The actors are the ones doing the fighting, and they are so incredibly skilled at this that I must ponder if they trained for the roles, or if they cast martial artists in the lead roles.

It does take a little while to get to the first fight scene, but once the action explodes it never stops until right before the final scenes. The action in the film is of the fast-paced, blink-and-you'll miss it variety....so don't blink (Trust me, you'll be glad you didn't). It's very impressive, and a definite breath of fresh-air compared to the otherwise stale action films Hollywood continues to churn out.

The Raid's cast does a more than adaquate job in the film. The ones that stand out are Joe Taslim as Jaka, the head of the SWAT. He is a bad-ass, but is also a very nice guy that genuinely cares about his team, by the end of the film he had become one of my favorite characters. Ray Sahetapy plays Tama, the evil druglord that Jaka's SWAT is out to capture. For most of the film he mainly stays in one room, gives orders, and looks menacing. That's perfectly fine with me, he makes for quite an intimidating villain even though his climax is a bit disappointing. Doni Alamsyah plays Andi, Tama's second in command who hides a secret. He doesn't really become a main character until the end, but for most of the film he does a good job and his secret is certainly surprising (I think the "Redemption" in the title refers to his character, but I'm not sure). Pierre Gruno plays Lieutenant Wahyu, the person who ordered the raid and has some dubious reasons as to why. For most of the film he seems like a coward, but it is later revealed that he actually does know how to fight and makes a pretty good impression.  Yayan Ruhian plays Mad Dog, Tama's muscle (He's like The Terminator if the Terminator knew martial arts). He makes for a disgusting and scary villain, and it is established early on that he is completely insane. His martial arts skills are jaw dropping, and the final fight between him, Rama, and Andi is one of my favorite fight scenes of all time. it goes on for at least fifteen minutes, and every time you think Andi and Rama have Mad Dog pinned he finds some way to wriggle out of it. It's the best action sequence in the film, and it's sure to stay with you for weeks afterwards. Last but definitely not least is Iko Uwais as the "Hero" of the film Rama. He is a new member of the SWAT and has his own reasons for joining the raid. From his first scene where he beats the crap out of a punching bag, you know that this guy's Pencak Silat skills (that's the name of the martial arts used in this film) are top notch. He does a pretty good acting job, and his action scenes (let's face it, 90% of the action scenes belong to him) are phenomenal and truly thrilling. It feels exhilarating to watch Rama take on hallways full of scumbag criminals with little else except for his fists. Iko Uwais makes a definite lasting impression in the role.


Now, onto my only complaints about the film. First off, the final scenes are somewhat of a letdown as the action cools off and slows down. Secondly, and my biggest complaint, is the title. Originally, this film was simply called The Raid, but was changed shortly before theatrical distribution to The Raid: Redemption in hopes that they could turn the film into a series. Personally, I just feel that The Raid fits the film better than The Raid: Redemption. These are very minor complaints that really shouldn't detract from the film at all. On a side note, I'm not really sure how I feel about the possibility of a sequel. I would probably see one, but at the same time this film is good enough to stand on its own and I fear that a sequel could harm the first film and it's reputation.

The Raid: Redemption is a hardcore action film that just about any guy or action lover should thoroughly enjoy (not to mention it's also TONS of fun). It is this generation's Die Hard (Yes, I went there).  It's guaranteed to inspire just about anyone to go forth and kick ass.

5/5 STARS- BETTER THAN SEX

SMALLS TAKES A TRIP TO CABIN IN THE WOODS

THIS REVIEW HAS SOME SPOILERS, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED

Cabin In The Woods sounds like your typical horror film. A bunch of stereotyped college kids go crash at a cabin in the woods where they are slowly off'd one by one. As the tagline says: "You think you know the story"...but you really don't. Cabin in the Woods takes the go-to premise of your by-the-numbers horror film and builds upon it in ways you could never imagine.

So, what's really going on in the film? Well, I can't do an adequate review without spoiling some things, so I'll try to keep the spoilers as minor as possible. I'll put an alert near the end of the review when the spoiler material is over so skip there now if you don't want to know anything about this special little film.

There is a shady company that specializes in the ritualistic slaughter of kids, teens, and college students. In each group that they monitor, the victims must fit into stereotyped groups: The Whore, The Virgin, The Athlete, The Fool, and The Scholar. Since no human being perfectly fits any of these stereotypes the company has to manipulate each victim in such a way that they BECOME that stereotype. Why are they doing this? Who do they work for? What is the true secret behind the cabin in the woods? I'm not telling, you'll have to watch and see for yourself.

In the group we focus on there is Marty (The Stoner, as portrayed by Fran Kranz...Marty is easily my favorite character), Curt (The Jock, as portrayed by Chris Hemsworth, the marketing would have you believe he is the main character here...but is he?), Jules (The "Fun" girl, as portrayed by the super-hawt Anna Hutchison who has a phenomenal ass), Dana (The "pure" girl, as portrayed by Kristen Connolly), and Holden (The Smart One, as portrayed by Jesse Williams).

Unlike other horror films, Cabin in the Woods actually builds up these characters and adds a little depth to them so they aren't just "The Funny Stoner", etc. These are human beings that we get to watch as they are slowly transformed into stereotypes during the course of the film. We are given time to know these characters and form bonds with them, so the deaths actually have weight behind them. You will care when a person dies.

Most of the film deals with how these people are manipulated, and the inner workings of the shady company. This makes for a pretty interesting film, but it wasn't quite all I had wanted it to be until the last act when they push this baby into overdrive. I won't say what exactly happens but shit gets real, we get some answers, and what is quite possibly the ultimate showdown occurs.

NO MORE SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT

Cabin of The Woods is a film that holds it's cards closely to its chest. It makes many bold choices that most other horror films would never dare to make (and I respect that), it re-defines the horror genre and how we view horror films, it saves the best for last, and it has one "out-of-left-field" cameo that had me cheering with joy. Quite simply, it's the horror film I have been waiting for. It's bound to generate discussions amongst horror and non-horror fans alike. You've never seen anything like it.

Honestly, I think a suitable replacement title could have been The Last Horror Film, because it really is exactly that.

Cabin in the Woods is a creative, fun, and original horror film that is a guaranteed treat for all.

5/5- BETTER THAN SEX

ALSO: If the Cabin in the film looks familiar, that's because it's the very same Cabin used in The Evil Dead 2