For the most part, theTransformerssaga have stood pretty far from being critical favorites. They’re bland, filled with mostly-incomprehensible editing, and even worse dialogue. But that’s not to say there’s no merit to even the worst installments (in other words, those directed by Michael Bay).
It’s just that usually that merit comes in the form of an action sequence, as opposed to anything poignant or truly memorable. That wouldn’t come untilBumblebeeand, to a lesser extent,Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, which both also had solid action sequences in their own right.
15Scorponok vs. U.S. Army Rangers in the Desert in Transformers (2007)
Scorponok and Blackout’s attack on the U.S. military base in Qatar was a great way to open the firstTransformers. It’s one of the few times Michael Bay has seemed like an expert in tension-building, but once things get going it’s a little too darkly lit to be the film’s best or most coherent action sequence.
Instead, the film’s most exciting seuence is the desert-set one, when Scorponok returns to strike at Josh Duhamel’s Captain Lennox and his men. It’s a scene that stands out because, unlike the typical CGI robo-smashing, it’s a couple of soldiers trying to survive against a single overpowered (and intermittently subterranean) threat.
14The Battle of Mission City, Nevada in Transformers (2007
For the most part, the originalTransformers' climactic battle is where the whole “It’s all just blurry action and terrible dialogue” line of criticism came from. And it’s fully warranted.
Yet, the utter chaos (particularly in terms of the editing) is somewhat of an asset in hindsight. Outside ofDark of the Moon, it’s the one time the franchise has really sold the feeling of an intense singular battle in an even larger world between man and talking machine.
RELATED:Why Michael Bay Should Have Directed G.I. Joe Instead of Transformers
13Demolishor & Sideways Attack Shanghai in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
Widely and rightly considered one of theworst massively-budgeted Summer blockbustersto ever make a ton of money,Transformers: Revenge of the Fallenis a pretty rough watch. And it’s only gotten more problematic on several fronts as the years have progressed.
But it has a pretty terrific, and trailer-worthy, opening set-piece in Shanghai. An extended monologue reveals that the Autobots and humans have come up with a deal where the former will stay on Earth and intervene only if a Decepticon rears its ugly metallic head. Two of them do, and Demolishor in particular is pretty cool-looking, especially given its massive disparity to the visages used for most of the other Decepticons. Demolishor even gets to reveal the first hint of the film’s titular villain in his on-the-nosehere’s the plot and now it’s startingchunk of dialogue, so he serves several purposes.
12The Forest Fight in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
One of the series' most well-shot and memorable fights, the conflict between Megatron and Optimus Prime inTransformers: Revenge of the Fallenis easily one of the film’s few highpoints. It’s chaotic, sure, with the Autobot and Decepticon tumbling around and throwing one another through trees, but it’s of a smaller scale than the remainder of the film’s conflicts.
It also results in Optimus' death, which is a major through line in the film and the direct initiator of the film’s final, desert-set battle. In other words, it’s a fight that actually manages to have not only stakes but consequences…at least for a while.
11Devastator’s Assembly in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
Devastator stands out from the Decepticon pack because of its ability to be a massive vacuum cleaner. Of course, there’s a purpose to its suction: Uncovering a pyramid-hidden sun harvester. It’s not a battle scene so much as a change of pace; Itisa scene filled with action, just not of the Decepticon-Autobot bashing type.
With that said, the scene is tainted by Skids and Mudflap’s horrible dialogue and racist depictions, withSpongeBob SquarePants' Tom Kenny forced to spout lines like “Mean Decepticons suck!” There’s a way for side characters to look on and be presentwithoutnearly ruining the scene of which they’re a part.
10Tipsy Building Decepticon Dodge in Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)
Shockwave, a dangerous Transformerif ever there was one, is the highlight ofTransformers: Dark of the Moon(which is in and of itself easily the highpoint of Bay’s time with the franchise). It’s a Decepticon with massive destructive power, and its ability to shape-shift into a worm-like drill makes it the most interesting and memorable bot save for Optimus Prime and Bumblebee (Yes, more memorable than Megatron).
Shockwave gets a few moments to shine in the film, first during a brief scene in Chernobyl and then, to a greater extent, in the final battle in Chicago. Of course, the latter is superior, with Shockwave snaking its way up skyscrapers, shaking their stability to the point of destruction, all while soldiers evade its pointed, thrashing tendrils.
9Who Would You Be Without Me, Prime? in Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)
Long-time Optimus Prime voice actor Peter Cullen once revealed he had toaudition for Michael Bay’s 2007 reboot. It’s astonishing, because he’s inextricably linked to the character for fans, and even a general moviegoer wouldn’t be able to see an Optimus toy on the shelf in the mall afterwards and not have Cullen’s voice crystal clear in their heads.
But there’s also Leonard Nimoy as Sentinel Prime, and hearing the two of them share a scene is a pure joy. That said, their conversations are joyous for only a moment before their relationship turns acrimonious. Once the battle of Chicago (Which Sentinel has facilitated) winds down, it’s just Sentinel and Optimus on one of the few small bridges in the city that haven’t been obliterated entirely. There’s some threatening from Sentinel, a quick retort from Optimus, then a killing blow.
8Galvatron vs. Optimus Prime in Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)
Transformers: Age of Extinctionfound the franchise in a state of flux, but Bay was still all over it. In the end, the only thing that truly separatesAge of Extinctionfrom the previous three installments is that it skews more towards mean-spirited and feels like five hours whereas evenTransformers: Revenge of the Fallenonly felt like four.
But at least there’s a darker overall color tone to go along with the darker thematic tone, because it’s admittedly bit to intermittent good use. For instance, there’s Optimus Prime’s first encounter with the United States' attempt at a Transformer soldier: Galvatron. The film’s villain may have been a letdown in the end (Galvatron ends up being Megatron since he’s made with that Decepticon’s parts and so on and so forth) but Optimus getting a whole blown through him as a foe walks out of smoky destruction in slow motion behind him is both pretty Bay and pretty memorable.
7Dinobots, Charge! in Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)
Most ofTransformers: Age of Extinction’s nearly three-hour runtime is a slog, with the same bland type of loose plotting and action sequences with the novelty worn off. But then there are the Dinobots, who come in for the film’s admittedly nauseating final battle in Hong Kong.
In that lies the issue withAge of Extinction, it’s entirely a cash grab.Dark of the Moonwas a suitable conclusion to a narrative and a suitable point for some fresh blood, but instead it must have just been too logical (read: simple) to hire the same individual back to direct a fourth movie, as long as it can inspire dinosaur-like toys that will fly off the shelves. And that aspect would be logical, considering the Dinobots scene, brief as it is, is pretty darn exciting.
6Bumblebee vs. Nemesis Prime in Transformers: The Last Knight (2017)
It’s debatable whether Bay’sTransformersfilms have beautiful or ugly CGI, but one thing that’s for certain is that the brightly lit fight between Bumblebee and Nemesis Prime (a possessed Optimus) atop an aircraft carrier isTransformers: The Last Knight’s visual high point. That said, given the quality of the rest of the film, it’s not much of a competition.
Transformers: The Last Knightwas the franchise saying yes, it is out of ideas, and as incoherent as Bay’s previous films with the franchise were, his fifth is a bridge too far. Yet, at least ‘Optimus’ and Bumblebee’s bash has emotional stakes involved, and that’s a great thing when the scene is part of a movie fully devoid of emotion.
