I looked at the film poster for Transmutators and thought, “Okay, a mockbuster of Transformers, probably made by The Asylum.” But this isn’t a mockbuster.
In fact, it has nothing to do with Transformers. That poster, which promises something like Optimus Prime? It’s a lie. And that’s not the film’s fault.
In reality, Transmutators is a post-apocalyptic, Filipino-made sci-fi movie about an alien invasion, mutants, and mech suits. There are almost zero robots here. The film was made in 2007 but didn’t get a North American release until 2023, when—for some unidentified reason—Samuel Goldwyn Films decided to distribute it on Prime Video and Tubi.
The original title is actually Resiklo, which in Tagalog means “recycle.” And that makes sense, because the premise is that aliens and the mutated humans they’ve taken over have all but conquered the planet. What’s left is a small human outpost in the Philippines, where survivors build mech suits out of recycled parts to fight back.
That has nothing to do with Transformers. There aren’t even any transforming abilities in this film. So why did Samuel Goldwyn Films, of all companies, pick this movie for release—and market it like an Asylum-style mockbuster? That’s the real mystery. They usually distribute arthouse films, but this? Not an arthouse film at all.
Now, if there are bad reviews of this movie, I think we should place less blame on the filmmakers and more on Samuel Goldwyn’s marketing department. So let’s break it down—what this film actually is, who it was made for, and what its intention was.
It was made in 2007. It’s a Filipino film. You should never expect a Hollywood production budget from something like this. But for what they had? They made something okay. Is it amazing? No. Is it Tommy Wiseau-level bad? Also no.
If you’re going to watch Transmutators, you have to treat it as a cultural experience. This is a Filipino sci-fi movie. The performances? We’re not getting the true quality of them, because we’re stuck with dubs. The original Filipino audio isn’t available, so you can’t judge the actors based on the voices you hear. And the lead actors—Dingdong Dantes (yes, that’s his real name) and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr.—are credible performers. They’ve starred in solid Filipino films before, and here, they take everything seriously. They’re not treating it as a joke.
Visually, for a 2007 film with a minimal budget, the CGI is pretty decent. By 2023 standards, it looks rough, but for its time, it does a solid job. The set design, the settings, the costumes—all respectable. I actually liked the mech suits. And the fight choreography? It’s all right. Is it on par with Hong Kong action cinema? No. But it’s certainly better than most direct-to-DVD action films.
More importantly, the movie has an original story, interesting characters, and even compelling villains. These characters have motivations and unique abilities, and everything builds toward a crescendo that works.
At times, Transmutators feels too ambitious for its budget. From the opening scenes alone, you can tell the director wished he had a multi-million-dollar budget. He clearly wanted to do a lot, but the film’s limitations are obvious.
Another issue is that it sometimes tries too hard to be family-friendly. I get it—mech suits and aliens have kid appeal—but the child-focused plot points feel shoehorned in. Then there are the narrative flaws: plot holes, story threads that go nowhere, and missed opportunities. A good love story could have developed, but it didn’t. And without spoiling the ending, let’s just say there are some Star Wars-like familial entanglements that don’t really go anywhere.
If you were a Filipino teenager in the 2000s, you’d probably be pumped to see a legit sci-fi movie in Tagalog, with action scenes and special effects.
Are there better Filipino sci-fi movies? Yes. Better Filipino action films? Absolutely. But at the time, there weren’t many Filipino films with this kind of ambition—the ambition to reach for the stars and deliver something that looks like a Hollywood blockbuster, even if it doesn’t have the budget to match.
Clearly, the filmmakers did the best they could with what they had, and I can’t knock them for that.
If you’re expecting a blockbuster—or even a mockbuster—don’t bother. But if you’re willing to ignore the marketing, ignore the Transmutators title (because this is really Reciklo), and recognize this as a unique cultural experience? Then yes, it’s worth checking out. It’s an ambitious 2000s sci-fi film that doesn’t quite meet its own ambitions—but that ambition is still worth appreciating.
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