Category: developers journal

Transformers 2 – a brutal display of visual and computing power

Author: Daemon June 24, 2009

Yesterday I went to see Transformers 2, it was some Press Screening, and a friend of mine got the tickets.

As a side note: suck it USA & Europe! Croatia first gets to see movies in cinema, due to our somewhat stupid tradition to rotate movies on Thursday rather than on Friday. So there.

So anyway, Transformers 2. There is nothing much to say about the movie. The story barely makes sense, and for the better part of the movie I was even not trying to follow it. The dialogues are non existent. But. And this is one huge but. The visual spectacle that Michael Bay (director) provided for us common people is just mind blowing. Funny thing that I said “blowing” because for most of the movie you watch things blow up. Seriously, from the moment Transformers 2 starts, shit blows up all over the place. Think of any object or building – chances are it was blown up.

If things are not exploding, getting crushed, smashed or in some way reduced to small chunks, then all the characters are cracking jokes. Most of the people will criticize Transformers 2, that it is just too funny and immature. I mean, when 10 ton giant robot shoots advanced weaponry into your direction, it is pretty hard to crack a joke. However, everyone does. All the time. In fact, this is breakdown of the Transformers 2, presented in this neat graph:

Transformers Graph

The love part had to be there so guys can take their chicks to see this. I mean, if it was just immature jokes and robots blowing shit up, you would never get her to go see Transformers 2 with you.

But I in no way hold this structure it against it. It’s supreme fun to watch this movie. You sit down, strap yourself in the chair, with 2-3 ice cold beers (yes, they sell beer in our cinemas) and a snack, and you enjoy the display. And WHAT a display it is. It’s like Bay hired absolutely everyone on this planet that can do 3D animation / modelling / FX, put them all in some underground bunker filled with state of the art computers and rendering farms and told them: “I want you to make everything explode. EVERYTHING. But in the cutest way possible.” And then he phoned US Army, Navy and Airforce, and told them: “Give me all your toys. Yes, all of them. All the jets, bombers, and helicopters, all the boats, destroyers, carriers and submarines, all the hovercrafts, tanks, infantry and jeeps. Yes, all. Why? Well, I want to blow them up!!!!”

If aliens from a distant planet landed today and asked us to show them how far has our race technologically progressed, I would first show and explain them Google, and then show them Transformers 2.

Author
Daemon