There's an old adage about being "in the right place at the right time." Well, poor schmuck Alan finds out to his regret the inverse is also true - he definitely winds up in the wrong place at the wrong time, and so he becomes a central player in the body-switching independent film TRANSFORMED.

Almost 200 years ago, a comet crashed to Earth, destroying all in its path save one old geezer, who was amazingly transformed by the spatial energy back into a young man. The rejuvenated man collected the metallic comet debris and created a machine which allowed him to switch molecules with another person in order to always be young...

Alan's a common working stiff; he comes home after a hard day only to be berated by his bitchy wife for not making enough to maintain her 'lifestyle.' He goes to the local bar and drinks until he passes into sweet oblivion. However, when Alan comes to and staggers away, his troubles are just beginning. Poor April is plucked off the street outside the bar by goons Lou and Ned and taken to a mysterious laboratory. Strapped into a strange contraption, April is told by sinister old lady Hilda that her body is 'perfect'- perfect for Hilda to exchange molecules with, that is! Hilda signs over her stocks into April's name (since she'll become the poor girl) and begins the transformation sequence. However, Alan has heard April's cries for help and lurched his way just outside the lab. As the process begins, the drunken man grabs the power line and everything goes haywire!

Hilda winds up in Alan's body, Alan inhabits April's shell, and April winds up dead in Hilda's expired carcass. Hilda quickly adapts to having a male body and rouses her henchmen to find the 'new' April so 'he' can get those valuable stocks back. Alan, meanwhile, flees to a cheap hotel and tries to come to grips being in a girls' body. Hilda's lackeys are met by Vanessa, another body-switcher and rival of Hilda's, who offers the two money and "favors" to steal her transfer chip. A few days later, Alan continues to awkwardly try to adjust to his new sex, but instead finds a friend in old man Carl. The hoods manage to steal Hilda's chip, but Vanessa decides to make a more personal appeal to Hilda. That confrontation leads to some major kung fu fighting, which leaves Hilda holding all the cards. Or does he? Still coming to terms with his womanhood, can Alan keep it together as Hilda closes in? What part does vindictive Vanessa still have to play in this crazy triangle? Who will wind up where, as the transformations are not finished yet!

TRANSFORMED is a movie that brings a lot of neat ideas to the screen, but unfortunately brings too many ideas to the screen as well. The film can't decide what it wants to be - a comedy about identity, suspense about body switching, an action kung-fu flick, or a dramatic social commentary. There are some well crafted scenes in TRANSFORMED touching on each of these bases, but the lack of focus leads to a disjointed conclusion. The film's theme about identity and what exactly makes us who we are is its strongest asset, which fortunately keeps the story together even when it goes a little off kilter. The acting in TRANSFORMED can best be described as uneven. The leads do a fine job in their complex roles as Alan and April, but the supporting characters seem a little too conscious of the camera. Some 'soft' editing doesn't help this situation - scenes have a slight pause between cuts which hinders the movies flow. The kung fu action scenes are fun and pretty well staged, if not a bit over the top (and who doesn't like a cat fight, anyway?) Production wise, the film is well shot with fine use of locations and decent audio. The lighting is very good and utilized effectively - a major plus for an indie production such as this.

The DVD of TRANSFORMED comes with only a few extras. There's a fun selection of outtakes and behind the scenes footage, as well as trailers for this and other independent productions. I would have liked an expanded 'making of' featurette and perhaps some info on the cast and crew. Oh well.

TRANSFORMED is a case of a film trying to be something for everyone, and winding up as an interesting premise hampered by too many diversions. However, the cast and crew show a lot of heart and talent that shows their great potential and passion for the art, and as always, we should support their efforts. With its complex theme of identity pulling through, TRANSFORMED makes an interesting, if not really bumpy, cinematic ride.

Siren Tales Productions Online