ENTERTAINMENT
Fil-Am family, Optimus Prime-Megatron alliance in new ‘Transformers’ series
If it takes time for any human to find his place under the sun, the task couldn’t be easier on “baby” robots, right? In fact, for the new species of Transformer robots in Nickelodeon’s eagerly anticipated animated series “Transformers: EarthSpark,” the message of migration and diaspora acquires a greater urgency and thematic pertinence. But the new world order marks an intriguing shift in alliances.
This time, not only do the young robots—the analytical Twitch (voiced by Kathreen Kavari) and the fun-loving Thrash (Zeno Robinson)— need to take cover from sinister forces who hunt them down, they must also find their purpose among the Autobots, the Decepticons and the Maltos, the Fil-Am human family who adopts them.
The glossy and gorgeously realized series takes place many years after the end of the civil war between the Autobots and the Decepticons. At the heart of this newly minted tale are Twitch and Trash, the very first Transformer robots to be born on Earth.
When the Malto family, headed by college professor Alex (Jon Jon Briones) and ex-soldier Dot (Benni Latham), relocates from Philadelphia to the small town of Witwicky, Pennsylvania, it doesn’t take long before their children, 13-year-old Robby (Sydney Mikayla) and 9-year-old Mo (Zion Broadnax), are thrust into a do-or-die adventure of a lifetime.
Robby and Mo witness the birth of a new breed of Transformers called Terrans, who become emotionally bonded to them via special cybersleeves on their arms. Now adopted by the Maltos and being mentored by Bumblebee (Danny Pudi), the impressionable Terrans work handin-hand with the children to protect their secret tasks and identities.
In this parallel reality, Megatron (Rory McCann), the Decepticons’ former leader, has renounced his evil ways and now works alongside the Autobots’ head honcho, Optimus Prime (Alan Tudyk). Standing in the way of their selfless service to humanity is Dr. Meridian aka Mandroid (Diedrich Bader), a roboticist who seeks to wipe out all Cybertronians off the face of the Earth.
After the war
During our recent exclusive chat with Alan, Danny (“Community”) and Sydney (“School of Rock”), Alan, who is best remembered for his roles in “Resident Alien,” “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” and the live action film “Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” described the new challenges the Autobots must face after the civil war.
He explained, “‘EarthSpark’ is a new story that happens after the war between the Decepticons and Autobots in the live-action movies. They’re stuck on Earth, so they’ve got to make the best out of their dire situation. They’re now working together, with Megatron and Optimus Prime forging an unlikely alliance.
“There are still some Decepticons out there, but this time, there’s a new Cybertronian terrorist lurking in the shadows. The Autobots soon realize the importance of family and what it takes for robots and humans alike to coexist in harmony.”
Our Q&A with Alan, Danny and Sydney:
In what way do you relate to your characters, Optimus Prime, Bumblebee and teenage boy Robby? Danny: I was super excited to lend my voice to Bumblebee, who’s such an iconic character. He was a favorite of mine as a kid, so to be able to inhabit this character—who is a scout, who is excitable, and who has this fun-loving energy—was gratifying in many ways.
This is an exciting new journey for Bumblebee, who’s caught between two worlds. With Optimus, he wants to prove himself as a valuable asset to his team. At the same time, it’s part of his mission to be a mentor... to be this bridge between two worlds. So that, to me, was exciting.
Sydney: I can relate to Robby’s point of view because change can be very hard. Even though he’s a little younger and more stubborn than me, it’s easy to see why it’s hard to adapt to drastic changes or adjust to new things. Like me, he’s always ready for fun and adventure.
Alan: Like Optimus, I tend to hold things together. So, if you have friends who are like, “Hey, I’m moving... I need somebody to help me move stuff!,” I’m the one who gets that call.
But I’m 51 years old, so I can’t be carrying your dresser down two flights of stairs! Still, they know that I can actually do it, and I’m just whinging about it (laughs). So, they go, “Get down here and start hauling!” In this regard, I’m like Optimus.
If you were reincarnated as a Transformer, do you think you’re going to be a Decepticon or an Autobot?
Alan: Well, I certainly hope I’d be an Autobot (laughs)! But I like the idea of flying... that would really be fun. I’d probably be a Decepticon who has come around to fighting on the side of the Autobots. He works on the good side of things, but he’ll also have the ability to fly.
I could also be a robot who transforms into a hovercraft, sort of an island-hopper—so, I’d be this small, small plane that could go around the Fiji Islands.
Danny: Oh, I’d be Soundwave, who I’ve always loved as a kid. Like, you walk into a room and say, “Hmm, it’s a little quiet in here—and, boom!—but not anymore!”
Sydney: I’ll be Jazz (Optimus Prime’s right-hand man), because he’s so cool. Or Bumblebee, who is also awesome.
Aside from the franchise’s inherent ability to entertain, “Transformers” is also about aliens trying to fit in. When I interviewed Alan two years ago for “Resident Alien,” which is also about an alien, he said that his “fitting in” time was in middle school in the ’80s before he discovered skateboarding. What about you, Danny and Sydney, when were your own “fitting in” time?
Danny: Most of my life has been about fitting in (laughs)! I grew up in between worlds, which in some ways I felt was exciting to bring to this role. You see, I grew up as a son of immigrants. I’m mixed race. My father’s from India. My mom was from Poland. So, there weren’t many kids like me around.
I always felt like I was trying to fit in into these different worlds, whether in school or anywhere else really. I was trying to balance worlds and fit in for most of my life. That was something that I had to deal with.
But now, I realize that so much of that has helped me as an artist and human being... to understand people and have empathy. It’s exciting to have all these worlds converge within our home.
Sydney: I would say my “fitting in” time was probably in high school. I went to an arts high school, where everyone was more of the dancer type. So, it was really crazy, really competitive.
Fitting in definitely felt like I was always trying to push to be the best, which required a different mindset and mentality. So, now, it feels good to just focus on the artistry, and not necessarily being on a neck-to-neck competition. I can relax and just find my own way.
Alan, director James Gunn told me in an interview that even if you weren’t in the cast of “Peacemaker,” you actually helped execute the movement for your wife’s (Charissa Barton) choreography for that series’ opening dance sequence. Would it be a stretch to expect a dance number featuring Optimus Prime, Megatron, Twitch and Thrash sometime in the future?
Alan: I would hope so (laughs)! If so, my wife Charissa should choreograph that... because she did such a great job in “Peacemaker.” Imagine the possibilities! Perhaps we could do something where the robots will have the ability to transform as they dance... If so, there’ll be whole new opportunities for choreography, especially since this show is animated (laughs).
“Transformers: EarthSpark” premieres on the Nickelodeon channel today, with new episodes every weekday at 3:25 p.m.