Mary Shelley, HG Wells, Jules Verne, Phillip K. Dick, Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, Harlan Ellison, Rod Serling . . . I'm really just skimming the surface, and apologize to the many whose names I left out. What do these great Science Fiction/Fantasy writers have in common? Something real to say. The Sci-Fi/Fantasy genre (at its best) is great thinkers commenting on the society and issues of the day, clothing it in the garment of the fantastic.

Every genre also has its sub-genres, and within Science Fiction there is the one for "Robots". In terms of the cinema, I'd guess"Metropolis" is the first significant entry. Every robot film since that's worth its weight in gold (or any other alloy) addresses the philosophical question, "What is life? What is a soul?" In the last few decades robot films like "Short Circuit," "Batteries Not Included," "Terminator 2," "The Iron Giant," and "Wall-E" all ask this question and ultimately answer, "If it thinks, if it feels, then it's got a soul." The Iron Giant actually says it outright. And if a Terminator, or a giant, killing machine from outer space can tap into that soul and break through the limitations of its original "programming," well I guess so can we . . .

So Michael Bay decided not to go that route with his "Transformer" robot movies. I've got no problem with expanding the philosophical inquiries of a genre. What questions does he pose with his robots, then? Well, I can give you his answers: Yes, robots do have genitalia. Yes, monkey-looking robots with gold teeth do listen to hip-hop and speak jive. Yes, it looks very awesome to see two robots pounding each other into scrap metal, in slow motion.

Here's the ugly Truth. Despite all of it's glaring faults, "Transformers" will make a TON of money (already has). But it will NEVER be a classic because it doesn't ask any questions, or tell any meaningful story. Last summer we watched a big budget superhero movie called the "Dark Knight" deliver the high-octane action goods, all the while asking some tough questions about Good and Evil. That will for sure be a classic, and perhaps the most definitive superhero movie ever. It also proves that audiences will still pay for action and special effects, even if it has a story that actually makes them think.

It saddens me that because audiences show their approval for big-budget nonsense like "Transformers" - Hollywood is going to continue producing it. And great genre filmmakers like Frank Darabont, Joe Dante, and Terry Gilliam will have trouble raising the money for the real, thought-provoking stuff. How can we, the little guys, start a revolution?

Update on Sunday, July 5, 2009 at 12:59AM by Sruli Broocker

I forgot about Kubrick/Spielberg's "AI," which definitely explores the "What is Life?  What is a soul?" question.   That just makes "Tranformers" all the more upsetting, because Spielberg produced them . . . Speaking of "AI," imagine how perfect that film would have been if it had just ended with David wishing to the Blue Fairie under the water, "FADE TO BLACK."