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Griffinheart
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Posted: December 27, 2007 at 12:00am
Michael Bay: An eighteen-wheeler spins out of control and it's all like BROSSHH! And then this huuuge tanker full of dyna--
General: Those aren't ideas, those are special effects!
Michael Bay: I... don't understand the difference.
General: I know you don't. Get him out of here!
That quote is a little unfair, but Michael Bay sure does love his special effects. Lucky for him, but, more importantly, for us, the special effects in this movie don't disappoint.
The story begins Optimus Prime telling the story of the beginning of the universe. First there was the Allspark, a cube of massive power that is capable of creating life. The cube created his people, but the fight over its power splintered them into those who desired to use the Allspark for good, the Autobots, or for evil, the Decepticons. The Allspark has long been lost, but both sides believe it resides somewhere on Earth.
Leap forward to Qatar, home of an American military base. A group of soldiers is on their last day of duty when a strange helicopter, bearing the markings of a craft shot down weeks prior, lands at the base. The helicopter is treated with caution, and rightfully, so as it soon morphs into a mech-like robot and rains missiles and energy blasts onto the base before hacking into the base's computer system. The connection to the military network was cut quickly, so the Department of Defense fears they'll be attacked again to get the remainder of the data.
Back in America, Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) desperately tries to sell his grandfather's old Arctic expedition gear while giving a history report on the man at the same time. Decades prior, his great-grandfather Archibald Witwicky had taken a team to explore the Arctic Circle but had come back crazy, claiming to have found a giant man frozen in the ice (and who may have found much more...). Sam's teacher isn't happy at all with the proceedings but is talked into giving Sam an A-. This grade is good enough to get Sam's dad to buy him a Camaro, one that turns out to have a mind of its own and, seemingly, a desire to protect its new owner. Other robots, both good and bad, begin showing up, bringing explosions and CGI aplenty to the search for the Allspark.
The story to this movie flows really well. There are a few minor plot holes, but you've certainly overlooked much larger before. Most of the characters have great personality, but none of them really get focused on or fleshed out enough to become really memorable characters. A few really great lines pepper the movie that'll make you smile including: "You think I'm shallow, don't you?" "No, I think there's more to you than meets the eye." The leads of Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox both play their characters well, although Shia plays his almost identically to other character's he's played in the past.
The movie has a nice fast pace, excellent visuals (and gratuitous product placement), a decent story, and gigantic robots. That combination definitely warrants an 8/10
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bluemeanie
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Posted: December 27, 2007 at 11:57am
Just got around to seeing this one and it was actually rather entertaining. Dare I say it is the best Michael Bay film since "The Rock"? I loved Kevin Dunn and Julie White as the parents. All around -- a solid big budget Summer movie. 7/10.
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Ginose
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Posted: December 28, 2007 at 2:39am
I agree, this is the best Bay film since "The Rock". I don't agree that it was entertaining.
Normally, I'd list my reasons for why I disliked this movie SOOOOOOO much, but then I'd might as well write another review (still working on the "Halloween" one, my comp got restored) cause there are so many damned reasons, so, I'll put it on the scale.
As a movie goer: 4.9/10
As a cinemaphile: 3/10
As a fan of the cartoon when I was a boy: -6/10
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Bloodwork
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Posted: April 27, 2009 at 12:27am
I went into this with very low expectations, having always been a big fan of the original Transformers animated cartoon (and toys). I must say I was suprised. Sure it's not a patch on the cartoon but also nowhere near the trainwreck it could have been. So what the hey, can't say myself or the cinema of people I saw it with disliked this movie, seemed to be pretty popular as a popcorn flick, which is probably where Bay's strength lies.
8/10
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Lucid Dreams
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Posted: April 27, 2009 at 4:53pm
This movie was decent, but that's about it. The only part I loved was when Megan Fox bent over the hood of that car. 6/10
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Griffinheart
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Posted: April 27, 2009 at 10:37pm
I remember when I was a kid, my grandmother would read me some of those little Transformer books. She couldn't pronounce \"Decepticons\", so she would say \"Deceptions.\"
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Nirrad
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Posted: August 1, 2009 at 6:35pm
Wow oh wow, much much worse than the first time I saw it. The first time I actually enjoyed it, now it's just garbage. It seems like a completely different movie the second time through.
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Rest Easy Soul
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Posted: December 22, 2009 at 3:21pm
I love this movie. I hate Michael Bay and everything he does but this movie was very good. satisfying and entertaining. Very different from the show but still great.
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