Steve Jablonsky's Transformers
While Michael Bay’s Transformers franchise may be divisive, Steve Jablonsky’s score for the films certainly isn’t. You wouldn’t imagine the kind of soulful and beautiful/peaceful music in these movies when you first look at them or think about them. You probably expect hard metal music more akin to Pacific Rim to go with giant robotic life-forms bashing and shooting each other. While this does happen and the plots of the movies may be thin and generic, there is no doubt that the franchise’s strongest element is the music. Jablonsky’s name should be more recognizable now because of these films but he will most likely be overlooked because he’s associated with these movies. I personally enjoy the original trilogy and anything after Dark of the Moon, to me, is gutter trash. I will be going in depth about 5 songs from the first film and 6 songs from Dark of the Moon. Sorry but ROTF gets no love because it has no memorable music. The peak of Jablonsky’s work is in DOTM. Without the music I’m sure that less people would be inclined to sit through the Transformers movies unless they really like heavy action but it’s the really cool special effects, characters, music, and action that bring this blogger around to stay. Without any further ado, let’s dive in.
Autobots
We’ll start with the first movie and the first piece we’ll begin with is Autobots. Off the get go it establishes a serious tone- whatever the story will be about, it is important and this movie will not be a comedy. At 18 seconds in, the theme begins and it has a feel of nobility, whoever the story is about, they are a well-renowned character/race. A perfect introductory theme that establishes and exemplifies strength, power, and regality. The vocals at 1:00 prove this and then end at 2:10 as the title is shown. Short but powerful.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w581xiVe0Q8
Bumblebee
The next piece I’ll be interpreting is Bumblebee’s theme. The theme is very calm and suits nighttime much more fittingly than the daytime. As I like to think and ponder a lot, this theme connects with me because I can imagine myself standing in the middle of an open field at night looking up at the stars into infinity acknowledging my life and existence and everything that has led up to this point in my life, why I made the choices I made, the things I said or did, the people I’ve met; that my life has happened the way it’s happened for a reason that only I will ever truly understand. People think it’s pointless to think in such a deep way and find it a waste of time but I myself cannot help but always ponder why my life is the way it is and I think of my past and grateful for all the experiences that have made me who I am today. I even go back farther to before myself, and think about humanity, our very existence on this Earth. I think about the natural aspects of the world and the universe; night is an invitation for deep thought. I think of the concept of life itself and picture it as a line and the planet’s progess from its infancy to now as well as the dawn of the human race and how it has amazingly evolved into what it is. There is a divinity in all of it. There is something spirtual when we as humans get happy when we see a rainbow or watch the rain come down, when we look at photos of deserts and mountains and oceans, forests and snow, and when we look into space, when we have a yearning for the outdoors. We as humans, are natural creatures so it is fitting we have a connection to nature. We are insignificant because the universe barely takes note of us, we are not even atoms to it yet we are still here. Is there other life out there? Nobody knows for certain. The thought is terryfying, of all that infinity out there and we are not even a grain of sand to the immense ocean that is the universe. All this thinking, continues until 2:45 where I know that someday we will be gods ourselves after we die and we will ascend and gain omniscience and infinite enlightnment. You may not agree but as I am a Christian this is what I believe. The power of individuality and the gift of identity may be the greatest gifts of all.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHZVZWB98ys
Arrival to Earth
Next is Arrival to Earth. This is the best piece in the first film. It’s soulful and beautiful. It plays when the other Autobots besides Bumblebee make their way to Earth and crash on it. The music begins with intrigue, as if something awaits in an abyss of sorts, maybe the deep depths of the ocean or more fittingly in this case, the open infinite and vast darkness of space but not absolutely dark. The darkness is accompanied by millions of stars that give an ambiance of life where before there was none. The music crescendos for 24 seconds as the music teases that there is something more out there than just empty space- there is life of some sort. From 0:24 to 0:47, we are taken into space as if we are in a dream and seeing all this as if in a dream, knowing it’s you but not you at the same time, seeing yourself and not yourself at the same time. From 0:48 we drift across space towards Mars and past the planets of our Solar System, past the great Jupiter, the giant renowned rings of Saturn, Uranus and the sapphire-hued Neptune, past tiny Pluto and out of the Solar System. It keeps going like this, flying past different structures in space like the Pillars of Creation, red supergiants, blue giants, and as the music crescendos at 1:56, The Milky Way seemingly gets smaller and smaller and zooms out until 2:34 where it starts again and this time we see clusters of galaxies like Andromeda and larger celestial formations such as black holes and quasars then a superfast zoom at 3:01 back to Earth as we see it from space and marvel at it’s natural beauty, our home, from space. At 3:27 we must not forget that our planet is also a celestial body nurtured by a mothering Sun and companioned by the Moon, billions of years old and still growing. It ends at 3:50 as it converts into a reprised version of Autobots.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_FHPJIhNBw
Decepticons
Next is Decepticons. We change tones from ones that were spiritual and uplifting to sinister ones. The whole piece is basically the same tune but changes as it adds layers. The music sounds mechanical. There is a fraternity of robotic beings devising an attack on a major human city from their base of operations. About 7 to 9 of them. None of them to be trifled with. Their cunning intellect makes them a threat to be reckoned with. Intimidating figures, with such malevolent and intelligent presence. The Earth has no idea what is in store for it. They scheme and plot in the shadows of their ship/base with the red of their eyes being the only lights in the dark.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdtmP9VOPAc
Scorponok
The last piece from Transformers is Scorponok. This is probably my 2nd favourite after Arrival to Earth. This piece in particular makes me think of a battle happening in the desert somewhere that is highly wartorn. Most likely somewhere near the Sahara or Gobi Desert. No robots in this one. Soldiers. But fighting who? Not men. A monster of some kind. Or sometimes I imagine my character Shadow (won’t get into details) helping his allies fight this creature. Up to 1:40, Shadow and his teammates scope the issue, size up the creature and head towards to it to take it on. After 1:40, Shadow and the other warriors devise a plan on how to battle this thing. There is communication about strategies and offensive maneuvers. They make a plan and make ready. Then at 2:32 the fight begins. The battle is fierce. The warriors are hungry for battle and take pleasure in taking on such a worthy foe. Around 3:48, the fighters are this close to taking it down and prepare for the final strike and at 4:11 it is done. The creature is finished….or is it? The music keeps going on quite eerily. It sounds like the mission has been accomplished…for now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wt2WtZUCuo
Sentinel Prime
We are now moving onto Transformers: Dark of the Moon. The 2nd best from the trilogy. The music in this film is even better. Like I said before, you wouldn’t think that Transformers would be capable of having emotional music but Dark of the Moon would prove you wrong. It gives emotion to the story of the films and the scenes of course and even give emotional depth to the characters. We’ll start with Sentinel Prime. Such a sad and haunting theme. There is apparent melancholy present. Like an individual, looking at his reflection in complete and absolute solitude. Whether it be in the open desert at night looking at the stars, or in a clearing near a lake surrounded by boreal forest and mountains. It is a theme of insight and introspection, clarity and perspective. What does your life mean to you?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFFDG5FRbWk
There Is No Plan
There Is No Plan: this theme represents loss and defeat and that’s what is symbolized up to 1:08. The next segment envisions a group of friends coming together to strengthen and encourage each other to continue persevering in these times of hardship. This part goes up to 1:40. From 1:40 is when the emotion really hits hard as one of the friends cries and mourns for the loss of the friend they lost who was killed by an enemy. They come down to their knees on the ground- feeling despair and that all hope is lost. At 2:48, one of the other friends puts a hand on the former’s shoulder, encouraging him to fight for the friend they lost and that his death will not be in vain. The track finishes with this hopeful tune.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5xuir8VvHQ
The Fight Will Be Your Own
The Fight Will Be Your Own: this is the 2nd piece in a trio of compositions beginning with There Is No Plan that I feel tell a story. Picking up where that last tune left off, this one envisions the group of friends attending the lost one’s funeral and paying their respects by reminiscing about past memories. How he was the best of them. The one filled with optimism. The one that brought them together. They reminisce about how long they’d known him. 15 good years. The sun shines on the funeral grounds as they surround the gravesite. They look at photos of their dear friend. How much he cared about life and people.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQrBCJpTewc
Our Final Hope
The last part of the trio is Our Final Hope. Following back-to-back to TFWBYO, the friends become serious as one of them gets a look on his face that looks determined. The others look at him, a bit puzzled, knowing he’s got something planned. He steps a few feet away from them with his back turned to them then at 59 seconds he turns and speaks. He gives a speech on how they will not let their friend down. He says other very powerful and motivating words. His friends feel his conviction. They will fight back and avenge the fallen one. At 2:10, his friends share their own thoughts and feelings, all in agreeance with the new de facto leader- the fallen one’s closest friend in life. They look at each other and affirm their goals- for the Fallen One.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKWNWmEF768
Battle
The next piece is called Battle. It is a predecessing song to the last one that will be analyzed in this post. In a major city like Los Angeles or Chicago the group of friends, warriors in their own rights, take the fight up to the enemy. Speeding down the freeway on motorbikes they rush head on into battle straight towards downtown where the climax of the destruction is. These robotic insect-like beings who have come to take over the Earth from the Moon to use the planet’s resources and supplant humans by eradicating them. At 2:40 they find a place to strategize their plan of attack against these foul oppressors as it continues right into the next piece….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFlzwJAfPoU
It’s Our Fight
The last piece I’m discussing is It’s Our Fight- the battle theme to end all battle themes. Right at the beginning it sounds intense and that something BIG is going to go down. At 0:25, the team of heroes scope their enemies from the high skyscrapers of L.A. They make ready their attack from 0:25 to 0:57 and then spread out and get into their positions. At 1:17 they rush in, their positions known, the enemy sees. They engage. All-out battle ensues. The hero-warriors use what battle tactics and weapons they have- swords, knives, bombs, crossbows, and energy guns. They have elite training in hand-to-hand combat and various martial art styles. They have ultimate stats in endurance, agility, and stamina. They are worthy opponents for the Arthroborgs. At 2:27 they infiltrate the mothership and continue to mow them down. It’s a dangerous mission as some of the warriors are almost fatally wounded by sharp incisors or claws. The shell of the Arthroborgs are tough, harder than titanium but have a small soft spot that requires great accuracy to get to kill them. At 3:15 they split off in pairs, 3 pairs to find the quickest way to the King Arthro. 3:54 is one of the pairs finding the way and rushing to the lift that will take them to the uppermost level but not without conflict. 4:16- they are very close to the platform and will do whatever it takes to get there. At 4:35 a problem occurs and a Super Arthro confronts them. The scene changes to another pair who find another path to the platform at 4:48. At 5:47 they manage to make it up and into the lift as the former pair are stuck to battle the Super Arthro. The latter pair watches for a few seconds to 5:57 as the other pair holds the crrature then after 5:57 the lift goes up, as the pair in there ready for the coming battle against the King Arthro. The song ends right before they reach the top level.