TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS, THE FASCINATING ACTION SERIES IS BACK
Cinema Writer/Film Critic Efe TEKSOY; wrote the action, adventure and science fiction film “TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS”, for America’s Los Angeles-based Internet Newspaper @alaturkanews.
A GLOBAL PHENOMENON SERIES
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, produced by Paramount Pictures, Skydance Media, New Republic Pictures, Di Bonaventura Pictures, Bay Films, Entertainment One, Allspark Pictures, and Hasbro, took its place in the vision as the new film in the series. In six adrenaline-fuelled films released in the last 16 years, the Transformers live-action series introduced viewers to the most surprising and different world of the science fiction genre. The series, which has become a global phenomenon with a box office revenue of 4.8 billion dollars in this process, takes the excitement to a whole new level by introducing new characters to its fans this time. The main shooting locations of this production, which was shot with a budget of 200 million dollars; It took place in Los Angeles, Peru, Montreal, and New York City. This time, our heroes take viewers on an adventure to travel the world with the Autobots in the ’90s and introduce a brand new Transformers breed, the Maximals, to the ongoing war between the Decepticons. Legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg is among the executive producers of the film directed by Steven Caple Jr. Intended to be the first part of a new trilogy, this production is based on the story of Transformers: Beast Wars, which follows the 1984 series and Transformers: Generation 1 founded by the animated film.
MAXIMALS
This thrilling epic adventure takes fans on a world tour this time, from 1990s New York to the primeval jungles of Peru and the farthest reaches of the universe. Judging by the subtext of the movie, the maximals know that humans are virtuous and think it’s worth fighting to save the world. In addition, the character of Optimus Prime; Based on this principle of virtue and morality, it does not hesitate to extend a helping hand to people it sees as enemies, and cooperates to protect the world. The German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, who made a breakthrough in Western philosophy and intellectual history, in his work, On the Genealogy of Morality: A Polemic, which is considered one of the most important works of modern European culture; “Those who see the good as enemies find exactly the bad enemies.” says and states that this is the least negligible thing. Just as Optimus, who initially saw people as enemies, found his main enemies Unicron and Terrorcon Scourge.
TOPIC OF THE FILM
It’s 1994 (the age of hip hop and Air Jordans), and former US Army veteran Noah Diaz is doing his best to support his family. After a series of events, he finds himself a friend of the Autobots. Meanwhile, at the archaeological museum on Ellis Island, young researcher Elena Wallace unknowingly triggers an alien beacon hidden inside an ancient statue. Receiving the call, Noah and the Autobots arrive just as the evil Terrorcon Scourge and his reptilian robotic Sweeps attack. When Scourge escapes with a mysterious artifact capable of summoning Unicron, a being of unimaginable size and destructive power, Noah and Elena join forces with the Autobots to try to prevent the destruction of the world. In this war; The Maximals, a new faction of the Transformers, join the Autobots as allies in World War.
Stars; Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback, Luna Lauren Velez, Dean Scott Vazquez, Tobe Nwigwe, Sarah Stiles, Leni Parker, Frank Marrs, Aidan Devine, Liza Koshy (voice) Pete Davidson (voice), Ron Perlman (voice) and Peter Cullen (voice).
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
The Maximals (aka the Beasts) and their arch-nemesis, the Predacons, who we met in the groundbreaking computer-animated TV series “Beast Wars: Transformers,” which aired for three seasons from 1996 to 1999, quickly became one of the most popular Transformers bands. The animated series won the prestigious Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation in 1998 and gave rise to the Monster Wars franchise. Producer Mark Vahradian says: “In this movie, you’ll learn that Monsters have existed on Earth longer than Autobots. They have witnessed the rise of humanity and shared some of their secrets with people. That’s why in 1994 they respect humanity more than the Autobots have yet. The monsters know that humans are virtuous, and they think it’s worth fighting to protect Earth.” The thrilling task of bringing the Maximals to the big screen cleared up all the ambiguities of the filmmakers, and the decision was made to include them as key characters in the Transformers adventure, in this movie where monsters have been shown to have existed on earth longer than the Autobots.
DESIGN OF THE MIRAGE CHARACTER
No Transformers movie would be complete without an army of gorgeous cars that shift shape and perform gravity-defying stunts. Cars in Transformers Rise of the Monsters include known favorites, along with an awesome convoy of new cars. Producer Mark Vahradian says: “Of course you’ll see Bumblebee as a Camaro and Optimus Prime as a container truck, but we had a long discussion about our new Autobot character, Mirage. Probably the most visible robot in the movie and I think it will be a fan favorite. We’ve thought of almost every car that comes to mind, but we’ve never thought of a Porsche. And it will be very special when you see this kind of Porsche transform into a robot form. With its rounded lines and beautiful design, it will really make the Mirage stand out.” Although the makers initially thought of the Mirage character as a Ferrari, they later considered making a Lamborghini. In the end, they decided that the Porsche 911 would be the perfect choice. Director Steven Caple Jr explains why a Porsche was chosen for the Mirage. “It’s actually a reference to Michael Bay’s movie Bad Boys. That movie was my first encounter with Porsche, and when I saw it, I was like, ‘It can’t be. Will Smith drives a very cool car!” I said. So it was fun to make a reference that way. Most of the cars were a kind of 90s nostalgia. Including the extremely rare Nissan Skyline. “It was very difficult to find that car. There are still very few on the roads and we hired them and used them as Nightbird’s characters. In this movie, we really pushed all the cars to the maximum. Literally, until the wheels fall off! People will like it.”
MYSTERY IN THE FOREST
Making a Transformers movie is always a big adventure and often involves traveling the world in search of amazing locations to feature in the movie. Previous episodes in the series have taken viewers to iconic sites such as Stonehedge and Egypt’s Great Pyramids. For the majestic third installment, Transformers Rise of the Beasts, the filmmakers challenged themselves to find locations of unparalleled size, scale, and splendor. They initially fell on Mount Kilimanjaro, an extinct volcano in Tanzania. But in the end, they chose Machu Picchu, a 15th-century Inca fortress in Southern Peru. The film’s producer, Mark Vahradian, says: “In the story, we couldn’t help but think of the big festival stage with hundreds of people wearing traditional costumes and our robots mingling with them. That’s why we wanted to go to Peru. First of all, because no one has ever made a big movie like this there in Peru before.”
LOGISTICS PLANNING THAT TAKES MONTHS
The Transformers Rise of the Beasts crew all traveled to Peru to shoot, while the average production often sent a second crew to a foreign location to capture footage and then project that footage onto LED screens in front of the actors in a studio. Shipping all the film equipment took months of logistical planning and shipping. Vahradian says: “It was a very difficult job because there are no techno cranes in Peru, so we had to bring everything from Mexico City and elsewhere. In addition, Machu Picchu, where we shot many scenes, and the Peruvian city of Cusco are at very high altitudes. So it was physically challenging for the whole team and the players as well.” Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura shares the same feelings; “The reason Peru isn’t used in this type of filmmaking is because they don’t have support systems. That’s why you encounter a lot of unknowns, and it’s not easy when you’re shooting in a forest.” he states.
SHOOTING IN ICONIC LOCATIONS
With unique access to one of the world’s most beautiful and iconic historical sites, the filmmakers spent most of their time in Machu Picchu. They shot the venue from start to finish with drones and hands-on camera gear developed specifically for shooting here. Since the use of a crane or dolly system is prohibited, a robot Stedicam was developed and used like a crane with a camera mounted on it. Because they shot so much on location, virtually no computer-generated footage of Macchu Picchu was needed, according to VFX supervisor Gary Brozencih. “The drone team did a particularly good job and gave us some very beautiful images that you will see in the movie. Overall, I think we did Machu Picchu justice while filming, so we didn’t change anything in the end.” Finally, the Transformers Rise of the Beasts crew filmed for six weeks in Peru with first crew. The second crew also filmed for another two weeks, and the enthusiasm they saw from the locals was phenomenal. producer Lorenzo Di Bonaventura says: “That’s one of the special things about Transformers. It crosses all borders. I’ve traveled the world and it’s always remarkable to see how deep the fan base is. It reminds me that these films appeal to a large global audience.” Shooting in the jungles of Peru and Machu Picchu was an inspiration for actor Anthony Ramos. Regarding this, Anthony Ramos says: “We toured the area when we first went and our guide said that the Inca people have existed for the last hundred years and nothing they built was used for warfare. Everything they built supported each other with the spirit of friendship. Everyone had a certain duty and everything was aimed at preserving life and serving other people. So it’s very clear that this place is very special, and it makes a lot of sense that it’s where robots and humans discover to be one with each other.”
EFE TEKSOY
REFERENCES
Friedrich Nietzsche, On the Genealogy of Morality: A Polemic (Ahlakın Soykütüğü Üstüne-Bir Kavga Yazısı), Ahmet İnam (translate), İstanbul: Say Yayınları press, 2022
