Transmorphers: Fall of Man

Transmorphers: Fall of Man (previously known as Transmorphers 2) is a 2009 direct-to-DVD science fiction film produced by the American film studio The Asylum. It is a prequel to the 2007 film Transmorphers.

As the title suggests, this film is a mockbuster of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. The plot, however, borrows from the 2007 Transformers film, Terminator Salvation, and Maximum Overdrive. Unlike Transformers, the film was released directly to DVD with an R-rating in the United States and a 15 rating in the United Kingdom.

Plot
Taking place 300 years prior to the events of the first film in present-day 2009, the narrator describes how the government knew what was happening. A woman is seen driving recklessly on a California highway while arguing over her cell phone. Police officer Ryan Hadley (Bruce Boxleitner) pulls her over and gives her a warning. The man calls her back, but she tells him off and throws the phone down; the phone then transmorphs into a robotic spider and kills her.

At Edwards Air Force Base, an NSA officer informs her superior about intercepting a signal. In Los Angeles, Jo Summers is shocked to read in the newspaper about of the death of the woman from the car. In the Kern County Morgue, the police are baffled by the wound that killed the driver. Madison arrives home to discover her television is out. A repairman is called to fix the television. It ends up his name is Jake and he is an old friend of Madison who hasn't seen her since the war. Jake is shocked when the satellite dish transmorphs into a robot. He runs inside to warn Madison, but when he goes back the robot is gone. Summers arrives to investigate the death of the driver, but the NSA show up and asks her to go with them. She advises Ryan to find the driver's missing phone.

A man is driving an SUV when his GPS gives him a five seconds warning to exit the vehicle. He is shot in the forehead with a laser and the body is dumped, the SUV driving off by itself. Ryan meets with Madison and hears her story. He takes them in his car to look for the cell phone, but he is called to the scene of the SUV driver's body. A young boy tells Ryan that the empty car drove away. Ryan picks up the first driver's cellular phone from the coroner's office. He then intercepts the SUV, which tries to ram him. When Ryan pulls the SUV over, they are jumped by the satellite robot. They drive away, but are chased by the SUV, who also transmorphs into a robot.

The machines quickly seize control of the Earth. After surviving an assault and avoiding the destruction, the small group learn that aliens are changing the water and the atmosphere to fit their physiology. They hear about this from a soldier who claims that this information came from Russia, where they captured and tortured one of the machines. They manage to salvage explosives and destroy one of the terraforming devices. This has a negative effect, though: the release of toxic chemicals into the atmosphere, to which the machines have adapted, and what is left of mankind takes refuge underground.

Cast

 * Bruce Boxleitner as Sheriff Hadley Ryan
 * Jennifer Rubin as Dr. Jo Summers
 * Shane Van Dyke as Jake Van Ryberg
 * Alana DiMaria as Madison Ryan
 * Russ Kingston as Stan Weston
 * Silvy Kas as Officer Stevens
 * Debra Harrison-Lowe as Mary Jo
 * Amy Van Horne as Liz
 * Benjamin W. Smith as Guard
 * Vana O'Brian as Grandma
 * Jay Beyers as Rocker Dude
 * Jason Yorrick as Drake
 * Londale Theus as Mayor Ethan Holt
 * Iona Thonger as Dr. Collins
 * Dana DiMatteo as Lucius
 * Hiram Gonzalez as Clay
 * Dean Kreyling as Hank
 * Cole Protzman as Jeffrey
 * Chad Vigil as Tommy
 * Aidan Bristow as Commander
 * D.T. Carney as Airplane Mechanic
 * Corinne Dutra as Pacemaker
 * Jack Goldenberg as Sergeant Monroe

Production
Transmorphers: Fall of Man was released June 30, 2009 (less than a week after the premiere of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen).

Scott Wheeler directs the film, replacing Transmorphers director Leigh Scott, and the film was also The Asylum's first film to be released on Blu-ray disc.

Reception
Transmorphers: Fall of Man was met with a mixed critical reaction, and a considerably favorable one to its predecessor. Felix Vasquez Jr. of Cinema Crazed, who gave the original Transmorphers a positive review, said, "There are moments when Transmorphers 2 rises to the occasion and injects a sense of urgency to the proceedings, but it takes too long for anything to happen. It's one long stretch of boring with a few hits of excitement, but the cons drastically affect the pros."