Outshining giant robots in 2007 blockbuster
Transformers was no easy feat yet Megan Fox was
able to bring a memorable mix of attitude and charisma to the role,
marking herself out as a kick-ass action heroine for the new millennium.
Fox has subsequently developed her action credentials, squaring off
against vicious cowboys, wild animals and monstrous mutants in a variety
of over-the-top action roles.
Fox’s latest movie is no different, as we find the actress once again
pitted against a deadly adversary, this time a twisted serial killer who
targets vulnerable young women. Fox plays FBI agent Lombardo who, along
with her partner Helter (Bruce Willis) are working on a sting
operation when they cross paths with state cop Crawford (Emile Hirsch), who’s investigating a series of female murders that appear to be
related to the case. Lombardo and Crawford team up to set a trap for the
killer, with Lombardo putting her life on the line to act as the bait.
When the off-the-books operation goes horribly wrong, Lombardo is
plunged into grave danger and Crawford finds himself pitted against a
serial killer in a twisted game of cat and mouse…
With Midnight in the Switchgrass available on Digital
Download 13 August and DVD 16 August, we’ve taken a look back across the
explosive highlights of Fox’s action-packed career to discover some of
her wildest and most dangerous screen roles.
Transformers (2007)
In the 1980s any kid’s bedroom wasn’t complete without a Transformer or
two, and the ‘Robots in Disguise’ toyline grew into one of the most
successful media franchises of all time. During their initial run of
popularity the Transformers might have been impossible to authentically
bring to life in a live action movie, but by the new millennium computer
generated visual effects had made it possible to produce anything
imaginable on screen. So, in 2007, the Transformers finally got the big
screen treatment they deserved with a blockbuster hit which would spawn
a hugely successful franchise.
The first film introduced us to the good-guy Autobots and the evil
Decepticons, hulking space robots hiding out on earth disguised as cars,
jets and other vehicles. As new additions to the film universe, we were
also introduced to Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) and Mikaela Banes.
Played by Megan Fox, Mikaela proves a lot more capable in the action
stakes than Sam, owing to her having learned some dubious skills as a
juvenile car thief from her ex-con father!
A sequel would follow, 2009’s
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, but this would prove to be the last outing for Mikaela after a public
feud between Fox and series director Michael Bay, however we’re glad to
have two epic stories of robot carnage with the leading lady!
Jennifer's Body (2009)
Coming off the back of indie hit Juno (2007), writer and
producer Diablo Cody wanted to create a fresh and blackly comic
modern movie that paid homage to her '80s horror genre favourites. She
did this with Jennifer’s Body, directed by Karyn Kusama, a smart and sexy tale of demonic
possession packed with bloody killings committed by the monstrous… Megan
Fox!
The star plays lead cheerleader Jennifer who becomes possessed by a
succubus during a dark ceremony one night in the local woods. Now
seducing and feeding on the teen boys at her high school, it’s up to
former friend Needy (Amanda Seyfried) to stop her.
While Fox has fun playing with her sex siren image and upping the
bloodshed from Transformers, Cody’s script speaks to female empowerment and puts a complex,
nuanced female friendship at the centre of the plot.
Suffering from negative reviews and performing poorly at the box office
on its initial release, the film proved to be ahead of its time, and has
only recently enjoyed re-appraisal with the film now praised as a
feminist horror with strong cult movie credentials and it remains one of
Fox’s most outrageously enjoyable roles.
Jonah Hex (2010)
After 2008 and the release of Iron Man a new era of
big-budget comic book movies began to take over screens with DC making
an early attempt at getting into the game with the first adaptation of
their western-themed comic series, Jonah Hex.
Played by Josh Brolin, Jonah Hex is a confederate cavalryman who
is forced to watch his wife and child burn to death at the hands of
sadistic commanding officer Turnbull (John Malkovich) and his
brutal enforcer Burke (Michael Fassbender). Left for dead, Jonah
is found and revived by Native Americans who imbue him with mystical
powers. Now living the life of a bounty hunter, Jonah comes across Megan
Fox’s Lilah, a prostitute with her own secret past, and the two become
involved in stopping Turnbull and his attempts to unleash a dangerous
super weapon on the West.
As corset-wearing, gun-wielding Lilah, Fox more than holds her own in
the film’s action set-pieces but her efforts weren’t enough to stop
Jonah Hex from being shot dead at the box-office. Fox
would get another chance at a comic book franchise with
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles while Brolin would go on to
legendary status playing chief antagonist of The Avengers’, Thanos.
Snap!
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)
Beginning life as an indie comic book in the eighties, by 1990 the
Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles had become a world-wide phenomenon with an
animated series, an action figure-line and every form of tie-in
merchandise you could imagine… including a big screen movie adaptation!
But while the turtles never fully disappeared from our screens, the wave
eventually broke and turtle power subsided… at least for a little while.
With a popular new cartoon and hit videogames turtle power was once
again trending and in 2014 it was time for a new live action movie… the
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were back!
Explosive action was guaranteed with Michael Bay acting as
producer, and after having patched things up after their
Transformers fallout, Megan Fox scored the lead (human)
role of intrepid reporter and friend of the turtles April O’Neil. After
uncovering a sinister plot led by the evil Shredder and his Foot Clan,
April quickly finds herself captured and facing certain death… until
Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael arrive to save her neck!
As typical for a Megan Fox character, April soon proves she doesn’t need
saving and can give as good as she gets, teaming up with the turtles to
save the city.
Despite some initially negative fan reaction to the altered turtle
designs and origin story (they’re now mutants from outer space!) this
fun, action-packed effort did well enough to score a sequel, 2016’s
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, and Megan was back teaming up with the turtles once again.
Cowabunga!
Rogue (2020)
Megan Fox headed to Africa to get down and dirty fighting evil poachers
and fending off wild animals in this thrilling action effort from
director M. J. Bassett. Taking the lead as the head of a crack
team of multinational mercenaries, Sam O’Hara (Fox) takes on a rescue
mission in the grasslands of East Africa. When the team’s chopper is
shot down, Sam is forced to guide her group across the plains, surviving
against dangerous animals (including a deadly crocodile attack!) and the
militia that’s hot on their heels. The situation goes from bad to worse
when they shelter for the night in an abandoned game farm, which happens
to belong to illegal lion farmers, and what’s more, a lone lioness is
stalking the group through the night…
Packed with intense action, fierce firefights and vicious animal
attacks, Fox really gets to flex her shoot-em-up muscles in a commanding
lead role. Along with the white-knuckle action, the film also carries a
strong conservation message making it must-watch-Fox.
Midnight in the Switchgrass is on Digital Download 13
August and
DVD
16 August from Lionsgate UK.