Movies / Movie Reviews

Transformers

By Mitch Emerson
July 2, 2007 - 12:39

For centuries, two races of robotic aliens – the Autobots and the Decepticons – have waged a war, with the fate of the universe at stake. When the battle comes to Earth, all that stands between the evil Decepticons and ultimate power is a clue held by young Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf). An average teenager, Sam is consumed with everyday worries about school, friends, cars and girls. Unaware that he alone is mankind's last chance for survival, Sam and his friend Mikaela (Megan Fox) find themselves in a tug of war between the Autobots and Decepticons. With the world hanging in the balance, Sam comes to realize the true meaning behind the Witwicky family motto - “No sacrifice, no victory!” -Official Transformers Site

For those of you who have been under a rock for the last year or two, there has been a lot of controversy about Michael Bay's vision of the Transformers. From voice casting to the makes of the cars to paint jobs, everything has been in question by purists who hate it when people take liberties with their childhood memories. As a kid, between me and my step-brother, we had at least two dozen Transformer toys and we watched the show religiously. So before you go saying that they changed this and they ruined that let me say, I KNOW! I saw the movie, and you know what? It doesn't matter. Bay and company got the spirit right. Which isn't hard considering it's good robots against bad robots with humanity stuck in the middle.

The story is almost irrelevant in movies like this. It just serves as an excuse to get these robots fighting. I'm not saying that the story line is bad, just that I didn't care as long as the action, effects and general feel of the movie kept me riveted. And one thing you have got to give Michael Bay credit for is that the man knows how to do action. With 8 or 9 robots fighting and throwing tanks and cars around, car chases galore, robot free for alls and screaming jets, Bay is in perfect form. I have never seen better effects, ever. Not once did I say FAKE! or anything. While the transformations had a few too many moving parts and weren't consistent as to how long each transformation took, they still looked spectacular. And to hear Peter Cullen's voice come from Optimus Prime was worth the price of admission alone.

Which leads to casting. Shia LaBeouf has been ridiculed and hated by hardcore fans. But you know what, he is fine in this. Sure there are moments where he needs to lay off the Red Bull, but he is a neurotic teenager who has to help save the world. All while looking cool for Megan Fox, who, btw, is way too hot to be in this movie. Besides LaBeouf's Sam, this almost feels like an ensemble cast. You have Josh Duhamel. Tyrese Gibson, Jon Voight, Anthony Anderson and John Turturro. And Turturro takes the cake as the most useless and pointless government employee ever. Played over the top and out of place, I think that he actually hurts the film. Anthony Anderson takes second place as the second most useless character playing a genius computer hacker. I have no complaints about any of the Transformers voices. While not exactly the same as they were in the cartoon, with the exception of Optimus Prime, who is voiced by original cartoon actor Peter Cullen, all voices work well. Many have expressed disdain for Hugo Weaving as Megatron, but you can hardly tell it's him.

Only two things I can complain about. The little CD boombox Decepticon was just plain annoying. He was too much like a monkey crossed with a gremlin and was just too comical and out of place when put in perspective with the rest of the Decepticons. The other is a scene in which Sam must hide the 30 foot tall Autobots from his parents. It almost degrades into something you would see in a Three Stooges short.

I think Transformers just may be the first big blockbuster of the summer and if you have any remote interest, you should see it in theaters at least once.

Visit the official site here - http://www.transformersmovie.com/

Until Transformers vs. the Go-Bots,
keep reading

Mitch E.

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12