“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” introduces some 40 new mechanized characters of all shapes, sizes and even sexes — but it’s a pair of jive-talking ‘bots that critics are singling out as more than just harmless comic relief. Skids and Mudflap, twin robots disguised as compact Chevys, constantly brawl and bicker in rap-inspired street slang. They’re forced to acknowledge that they can’t read. One has a gold tooth. Director Michael Bay insists that the bumbling ‘bots are just good clean fun. “We’re just putting more personality in,” Bay said. “I don’t know if it’s stereotypes — they are robots, by the way. These are the voice actors. This is kind of the direction they were taking the characters and we went with it.” —-Associated Press INT. VOICEOVER STUDIO MICHAEL BAY: Thank you, gentlemen, for agreeing to play these roles.  Skids and Mudflap are our comic relief.  Think of them as a Laurel & Hardy for a new generation.  They engage in slapstick, sure, but there’s real wit to their scenes.  I see their relationship as a subtle satire of society’s expectations of male friendship. SKIDS VOICE ACTOR: Yo, what if we played them real racist? MICHAEL BAY: That’s not really what we’re going for here.  These characters are nuanced and unpredictable.  Sure, they may screw things up, but their hearts are in the right place. MUDFLAP VOICE ACTOR: Nah, I want to be a total stereotype.  Real illiterate.  Real dumb. SKIDS VOICE ACTOR: Hell yes.  Skids be dumb as shit. MICHAEL BAY: Well, I’m the director, so I have the final say on every single thing about this movie.  But if you two actors want to ignore everything I’m saying and just say really racist things, there’s nothing I can do about it. MUDFLAP VOICE ACTOR: Damn straight.  Now go change the entire design of these characters.  Make them look like giant apes with googly eyes. SKIDS VOICE ACTOR: And give Skids a gold tooth. MICHAEL BAY: That’s horrible!  But I guess I have to do it.  While I vehemently disagree with your ideas, there’s absolutely nothing I can do to stop this. MICHAEL sighs. MICHAEL BAY: (to himself) I am so terrible.

“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” introduces some 40 new mechanized characters of all shapes, sizes and even sexes — but it’s a pair of jive-talking ‘bots that critics are singling out as more than just harmless comic relief.

Skids and Mudflap, twin robots disguised as compact Chevys, constantly brawl and bicker in rap-inspired street slang. They’re forced to acknowledge that they can’t read. One has a gold tooth.

Director Michael Bay insists that the bumbling ‘bots are just good clean fun.

“We’re just putting more personality in,” Bay said. “I don’t know if it’s stereotypes — they are robots, by the way. These are the voice actors. This is kind of the direction they were taking the characters and we went with it.” —-Associated Press


INT. VOICEOVER STUDIO

MICHAEL BAY: Thank you, gentlemen, for agreeing to play these roles.  Skids and Mudflap are our comic relief.  Think of them as a Laurel & Hardy for a new generation.  They engage in slapstick, sure, but there’s real wit to their scenes.  I see their relationship as a subtle satire of society’s expectations of male friendship.

SKIDS VOICE ACTOR: Yo, what if we played them real racist?

MICHAEL BAY: That’s not really what we’re going for here.  These characters are nuanced and unpredictable.  Sure, they may screw things up, but their hearts are in the right place.

MUDFLAP VOICE ACTOR: Nah, I want to be a total stereotype.  Real illiterate.  Real dumb.

SKIDS VOICE ACTOR: Hell yes.  Skids be dumb as shit.

MICHAEL BAY: Well, I’m the director, so I have the final say on every single thing about this movie.  But if you two actors want to ignore everything I’m saying and just say really racist things, there’s nothing I can do about it.

MUDFLAP VOICE ACTOR: Damn straight.  Now go change the entire design of these characters.  Make them look like giant apes with googly eyes.

SKIDS VOICE ACTOR: And give Skids a gold tooth.

MICHAEL BAY: That’s horrible!  But I guess I have to do it.  While I vehemently disagree with your ideas, there’s absolutely nothing I can do to stop this.

MICHAEL sighs.

MICHAEL BAY: (to himself) I am so terrible.