Transformers (DVD, 2007)

Pretty much almost every male kid who grew up during the 80's were glued to their TV sets on weekday afternoons watching just one thing. They were watching one of the best cartoon shows on TV which also happened to be Hasbro Toys' most popular line of toys at that time. I am talking about Transformers. I know I was pretty much hooked on the show with its tale of good versus evil as the noble leader (who also happened to be a Mack truck) Optimus Prime led his Autobots against the evil robot that was Megatron and his Decepticons. It had lots of fighting, explosions and most of all, it had toys of every Transformer in the show for kids to re-enact such battles.

In 1986 the first Transformers movie (animated) came out and pretty much scarred every kid who was ever a fan of the show for life as their beloved characters actually died on-screen to make way for a new generation of Transformers. Let's just say that as much as I enjoyed the original movie I also hated it. It is now 2007 and Michael Bay, Steven Spielberg and ILM have concocted a live-action version of Transformers. To say that this movie has erased some of the bad taste left by the first animated film is quite an understatement. What we have in this live-action Transformers is nothing less than pure robot-versus-robot carnage and mayhem done so well that it more than makes up for the weak story and the uneven performances from the cast.

Michael Bay's hand truly shows as his handle on the sturm und drang he's well-known for matches well with the premise of giant alien robots fighting each other with no thought for collateral damage to populace and property. Unlike, his previous films he actually holds himself back from using his usual tricks of using low-angled slo-mo scenes too much and the ultra quick editing style which makes his movies sometimes difficult to keep up with. Again, it might be Spielberg's influence in addition to Bay actually growing as a filmmaker to thank for this. The action scenes wouldn't be as great as it was if it wasn't for the work of ILM and its team of computer animators. The Autobots and Decepticons look so real that they join Gollum and Davey Jones as fully-realized CGI-characters who blend into the scene as if they're made of real flesh and blood. In the case of the Transformers made of steel, oil and rubber. Their battles from the Hoover Dam all the way to the nearby Mission City didn't look artificial. There's a sense of weight and depth to the battle. It atually looked like the city with it's small humans was actually being ripped apart by these giant robots. Industrial, Light and Magic truly deserve every award they'll get come awards time. In the past it was said that a live-action Transformers would come off as cheesy and fake, but technology and the expert use of it by ILM's team of artisans has made it a reality.

Transformers really brings the word blockbuster and brings it like storm and thunder. There's no other way to say it than this was a movie which was a kickass rollercoaster ride with just enough human interaction to keep it from becoming cartoonish. It's not a perfect film as the weak script and uneven performances by most of the cast would show, but it's all balanced out by the work put in by Shia LaBeouf and the action scenes with the Transformers that this movie marks the highlight of the 2007 summer blockbuster season. Michael Bay has finally found the one film he looks to be tailor-made to do.

There is no denying Director Michael Bay ('Bad Boys', 'The Rock', 'Armaggedon', 'Pearl Harbor', 'Bad Boys II') has a talent for "Over-The-Top", CGI-enhanced theatrics.
After misfiring with 'The Island', Bay got back-to-roots with "Transformers", a high-octane symphony of machine battling, explosions and itense cinematography; all the while blowing everything to pieces.
"Transformers" opens when U.S. Soldiers on a base in Qatar find themselves under a sudden and merciless assault. The foe is eventually revealed to be Extraterrestrial; part of the Murderous Decepticon Robot Race. In a powerfully effective scene it gets the movie off hard.
Then begins the introduction of single teenager, Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf). Visiting a used car lot with his Dad (Kevin Dunn), the high school nerd falls in love with a rusting Camaro. The hunk of junk has a strange quirk: its radio has a habit of turning on spontaneously to tacky old pop songs that oddly befit whatever situation Sam finds himself in.
But when Sam thinks that someone has stolen the heap; he tracks it to a rail yard, where he discovers it's most bizarre kink when it transforms into a robot.
Though the Soldiers in Qatar; and Sam back in the 'Burbs' don't realize it yet, they are the early unwitting recruits into the Robot Wars between the Evil Decepticons and the Benevolent Autobots.
The Decepticons prefer to transform into Helicopters and Cop Cars. The Autobots, led by Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen), have a much more refined aesthetic, preferring to transmute into items like Sam's "bitchin'" Camaro. They also have far more expressive personalities.
Motivation also divides the Robots. The Decepticons want to lay waste to the Planet in their quest to take over the Universe. Optimus Prime, on the other hand, makes pronouncements about how the Autobots, hope to "Bring Peace to this Planet,". Of course, the Autobots' idea of promoting peace is to throw down with the Decepticons in the middle of Downtown Los Angeles, destroying buildings, cars, and anything else that gets caught in the middle., in Apocolyptic Cinematographic Glory.
Extremely entertaining in it's explosive way, it follows a formula as successful as 'Godzilla' while being as up-to-date as the 'Terminator' Series. Thanks also to LaBeouf's grounded performance; who helps continue to add significant human characters in "Transformers".
Good To Have You Back, Michael Bay.... And The "Big Productions" reminiscent of our first flirts with "Independance Day", "Armageddon", "The Day After Tomorrow", "War of the Worlds".... and more !!
SEE THIS !!!!

My 9 year old son had been to a friend's house, watched the movie, and came back home a new person. Having been through a lot with severe bullying and enduring what his doctors called a "horrific" assault on the playground at school, the last 3 years found him experiencing extreme anxiety attacks - to the point we were forced to homeschool. Surprisingly, he was transformed and empowered by this movie. Now keep in mind, there are a lot of sexual innuendos, but at his tender age, they go right over his head. The battle scenes I would have thought would have added to his traumatized state, but quite the opposite happened, as we rented and watched it with him to experience his reactions.

Watching from my young son's perspective, I was able to see that the Transformers showed that they, too, faced sure death against the seemingly mightier decepticons. But staying focused on something greater ~ the survival of their planet and that of humanity ~ because of the sacrifice of a young man, they chose to endure. It seemed that Optimus Prime and Bumblebee might not be able to survive, but proved in the end they were able to conquer their nemesis. And although deeply wounded in the battle, found they were strong enough to be victorious...

For the TRANSFORMING properties and healing it brought to my family, I offer the highest praise. Shia Lebouf (sp?) was perfectly cast, as well as the mighty voice of Optimus Prime. And Bumblebee... what an excellent personality he was given! The special effects were astounding, and the tender moments memorable.

If you grew up like I did in the Late Seventies and early eighties you were a transformers fan, watching every Saturday morning before there was a cartoon channel. Then of course you graduated to Magnum PI and that other detective show with the helicopter after school...but I digress.

Micheal Bay does an awesome job of converting the Saturday morning kids cartoon to an action packed, Sci-Fi story with plenty of action accompanied by just enough humor and T and A, (Megan Fox......Wow) to keep the story real. Suspending relatively few laws of physics along the way the movie progresses logically and believably, well if you can suspend reality long enough to believe in Hyper Advanced Alien robots. The "age old" war between the Autobots (good guys) and the Decepticons (Bad Guys) and the reason for their presence on earth is sufficiently explained to keep the story moving along nicely.

Some minor technical inaccuracies re: the military but most people wouldn't even notice. (Any Army guy can tell you how to wear a beret correctly with the uniform...why can't Micheal Bay figure it out.)

Overall a good semi-violent story of teen angst and getting the girl rolled into a nail-biting war of the bots romp. A great job by Micheal bay though definitely a PG-13 and at times R for violence movie. A+

In a revisit to the original Transformers 80's cartoon series, this rendition of Transformers is packed with action, car chases, fantastic special effects, and a respectable story line. This movie is amazing on the big screen and delights men and boys alike! :-) A slight romantic interest by the teen-aged hero helps bring depth to the story. Although the focus of the story is the transforming of the Transformers, it is worth a watch (and repeating). For parents monitoring what their children see, I would reccommend a parents-only preview before watching as a fmaily (as some sensuality and character behavior may be offensive). One of the two original Optimus Prime voices is used as the Optimus Prime voice in this first Transformers live-action movie (2007); ironically, this voice actor has also been the voice for all Disney's modern versions of Eeyore (from Winnie the Pooh). Hugo Weaving (Agent Smith from the Matrix trilogy) does an amazing job as the growling voice of Megatron.