MOVIE REVIEW (2): TRANSFORMERS

[MattBrady]

<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/movies/Transformers/poster_transformers_new2.jpg" border="0" align="right"><i>by Steve Ekstrom</i>

I’m going to be honest; I didn’t have a hope and a prayer for this movie being good. I’m not a big fan of Michael Bay flicks—with the exception of the <i>Texas Chainsaw</i> remake. I was worried about how close the final product would be to the actual source material; Hollywood does tend to bastardize the coolest things from our collective childhoods. I expected this heavy-handed, poorly written advertisement for General Motors.

I was totally wrong. <i>Transformers</i> simply rocks.

The phenomenon of “movie cheering” isn’t lost on me—I felt it a little at <i>Superman Returns</I> and I remember the feeling I got when the brass introduced <i>The Phantom Menace</i> to the silver screen. Neither of those experiences held a candle to this movie—specifically the first robot-on-robot fight, between Bumblebee and Barricade, and watching their fight <i>transform</I> into a post-modern car chase seemed to shake the audience from their seats. Beyond the gasping, the sound of clapping started—something you never hear anymore in a theater—and it felt good. These robots looked so damn real; I can’t explain the elation I felt—seeing my old toys and my favorite cartoon brought to life. I think I even said, “Get the $%#@ outta here…” out loud three or four times—just out the sheer exasperation over these damn dirty robots!

What’s really weird is that I felt like I was watching a strangely blended sci-fi meets gear head epic. The story wasn’t very dense—you had a believable premise with a decent amount of front loaded information and a fair amount of delivery from the several established human characters starring in the movie. Shia LaBeouf is entertaining as Sam Witwicky; he’s really coming into his own with his range as an actor. LaBeouf is a credible teen—as he dotes over his sultry object of adolescent lust, Mikaela Banes (Megan Fox). Josh Duhamel also gives a solid performance as Captain Lennox—I usually don’t notice or care for military types but I found his delivery to be palatable. I also liked Tyrese Gibson’s character—the military influence in this movie was actually pretty spectacular. I think Jon Voight and Anthony Anderson rounded out the opposite ends of the spectrum of this movie—Voight as the straight man, Defense Secretary John Keller and Anderson as Glen Whitmann a prodigious computer hacker and the blatant comic relief. Of course, I cannot fail to mention the key voice actors involved with the project. Hugo Weaving’s voice as Megatron was a good replacement for Frank Welker (the original Megatron) and Optimus Prime would not have been himself had he not been voiced by the legendary Peter Cullen—I was seriously covered with goose bumps when I heard the famous, “Autobots—roll out…” cry.

A lot has been said critically of John Turturro’s performance as Agent Simmons from the mysterious ‘Section 7’ and I’d like to counter the previous critical rationale with my thoughts. In traditional science fiction movies, there is typically one aloof or strangely scientific character—Turturro is that man in this movie. He comes on a bit strong but once you get comfortable with his character’s presence in the film—he’s very entertaining.

That being said, I think the true stars of this movie are the stunt drivers and the people at Digital Domain and ILM—the action in this movie, from the rendering to the driving, was 100% non-stop thrill pounding adrenaline. I also think the Mitchell Amundsen should be given proper praise for his efforts behind the camera as the cinematographer on this project. There were just so many cool bird’s eye and worm’s eye shots that made me feel like I was standing right next to a <i>real</i> robot or if I was about to be killed by a <i>real</I> robot. Did I mention how <i>real</i> the damn robots looked? I think I was only nitpicking one scene of so-so rendering where their seemed to be this purple hue to Optimus Prime. Everything else was just so seamless and chaotic—all that metal slinging and banging around—it was dizzying rubber burning, robot mangling euphoria!

The other thing that I really found myself in awe of was the participation of the US military. I was told after the movie that the military loves Michael Bay because he makes the US military “look like porn”—and I find myself in agreement with this analogy. The military looked good—cohesive, strong, and ready. I loved the various scenes that incorporated the Navy and the Air Force and various real military bases—the verisimilitude gave this sci-fi masterpiece real traction in light of the other-worldly nature of the premise.

What really sealed the deal for me with this movie—was the emotional value I placed on the robots by the end of the movie. A hero dies—not in the “one shall stand, one shall fall” style of the last Transformers movie but this robot’s death is not without merit. Also another robot is gravely injured and I felt sad! I don’t get that way for human beings on the silver screen that often—now here I am worrying about a robot…

I cannot say, “Go see this movie” enough and I will one up that statement by saying I very rarely say, “Go see this movie twice.” If you want to take your kids to a really awesome action movie—with a slight amount of swearing and little to no human bloodshed—take them. If you want to indulge your inner ten year old with a piece of modernized nostalgia—go see this movie. <i>Transformers</i> is far and above the BEST MOVIE you will see this summer—bar none, hands down, whatever. There is so much more to this film than meets the eye!

<i>On a side note (for ‘Easter Egg’ lovers)—this movie was distributed with combination padlocks on the cases and explicit instructions that the combination would be provided on the day of the film’s release to prevent spoilage. Well, here’s a something fun: the code to all the film container padlocks is a crucial number in the film—and it’s also Michael Bay’s birthday. Fun stuff!</i>

[sexyjesus]

No. The best movie you will see this summer is Paprika.

I am looking forward to this though.

[Tusko]

I'm looking forward to it. Although I can wait a few days for the crowds to die down.
Good review.

[MatthewSmith]

Optimus Prime would not have been himself had he not been voiced by the legendary Peter Cullen—I was seriously covered with goose bumps when I heard the famous, “Autobots—roll out…” cry.

Not only that, but also "One shall stand. One shall fall." which is a quote from the animated movie. And he also said "Freedom is the right of all sentient beings" which is another Prime mantra.


And yeah, let me echo pretty much everything this review says. Awesome movie. Best thing I've seen this summer.

[the.baroness]

It seems all the reviews are the same, and I totally agree. I caught a sneak peek here in Tucson last week. The movie has flaws, some of them glaring (c'mon, it's Michael Bay), but all of these can be overlooked because there are so many "Holy ^#*$!" moments. Dumb fun at its' very best! A couple groans due to typical Michael Bay humor, but I can't wait for this to come out so I can see it again!

Rock out.

[hlbimage]

Transformers was an okay movie with not much of a plot. The one thing I was disappointed by is that Megatron is not a gun. I wanted him to maybe encounter a gun and scan it like every other robots that landed on earth that took Earth's form. Instead he kept his Cybertronian mode. What's up with that? Why is it so hard to keep to the origin. The one scene that was awsome was when Starscream took out a fleet of F17 fighters. That was sweet.

This summer far the movies this summer has been average. Spider Man 3 was horrible and Fantastic Four 2 was fine. Harry Potter the Order of the Phoenix will opens in a few days it should be good.

[stentremix]

saw an advanced screening last nite....

I second everything, this movie was amazing!

[SouthtownKid]

Yikes, that is a positive review...

I've really been surprised by how overwhelmingly positive pretty much ALL of the response to this movie has been. Most surprising is that so many hardcore Transformers fans on various forums seem to be embracing it...and they are not shy about rejecting something if they don't feel it lives up to the TF name. I've been hearing a lot of, "I was sure this was going to suck, but I was wrong."

I really can't wait to see this now.

[DaVeO]

Who goes to see The Transformers for the plot? We certainly didn't enjoy the cartoon for the plot. I think the only good Transformers story was The Movie from '86. Just give me a plot device i.e. reason for them to mash metal and I'm there. Too much plot ruined Beast Machines, although the best (plot/action ratio) blend was probably Beast Wars.

So hyped for this movie! I can see this sinking Pirates and plucking Spider-Man's legs.

[Rawkingbird]

I miss the old designs, but this movie is the new definitive version of the franchise for me. And say what you will about Bay - I like the sort of spectacle he makes on the big screen (with the exception of Pearl Harbor) - but this is the movie he was born to make.

[leafinsectma]

"I was sure this was going to suck, but I was wrong."

Yep, that's me... I was really scared that this would be utter crap. I'm sure glad that I was wrong. And I seriously can't believe how real the robots look. I'll have to get a Blu-ray/HD DVD player when it comes out so I can watch it in full HD.

There were some really small nitpicky things about the movie but the only thing that I really hated was the fact that it had to end. Maybe they can release an extended edition DVD, I'd love to see more robot smashing action. I hope it makes a ton of cash so they can justify making a few sequels. I have to see more!

[BetaRayAndre]

I was really planning on taking this witha grain of salt, but the more good things I hear the more my expectations rise.

I to counted myself among the hordes of those dead set against this movien due to the altered character designs, but eventually they grew on me. And in the old cartoon, as well as in my heart, megatron will always be a gun, so I might as well enjoy seeing him as a futuristic jet.

[JdRavnos]

Transformers was an okay movie with not much of a plot. The one thing I was disappointed by is that Megatron is not a gun. I wanted him to maybe encounter a gun and scan it like every other robots that landed on earth that took Earth's form. Instead he kept his Cybertronian mode. What's up with that? Why is it so hard to keep to the origin.

Because a giant robot with a massive gun attached to his arm who then turns into a pistol (that seems to change size based on who needs to use it) is ridiculous. Why would he turn into a weapon that required someone else to point and aim him? They got away from the size changing stuff, and it's totally understandable. It would just be too far out there for the non-Transformer fans to swallow.

[STL]

Yep, that's me... I was really scared that this would be utter crap. I'm sure glad that I was wrong. And I seriously can't believe how real the robots look. I'll have to get a Blu-ray/HD DVD player when it comes out so I can watch it in full HD.

There were some really small nitpicky things about the movie but the only thing that I really hated was the fact that it had to end. Maybe they can release an extended edition DVD, I'd love to see more robot smashing action. I hope it makes a ton of cash so they can justify making a few sequels. I have to see more!

+1

I'd love to see this at IMAX.

[Speedball93]

I was ready to write this off once I saw some of the robot designs. I said "these are not my Transformers". After seeing the movie though, I have to admit that I loved it. My son and I were smiling through the whole thing. If you only see one movie the rest of the summer make sure it is TRANSFORMERS.

[sfritz]

No. The best movie you will see this summer is Paprika.

I am looking forward to this though.

SJ - For the record, I'd put Paprika at a tie for second place, with Ratatouille.

#1 is Stardust. Believe me. -s

[Supreme Convoy]

<i>On a side note (for ‘Easter Egg’ lovers)—this movie was distributed with combination padlocks on the cases and explicit instructions that the combination would be provided on the day of the film’s release to prevent spoilage. Well, here’s a something fun: the code to all the film container padlocks is a crucial number in the film—and it’s also Michael Bay’s birthday. Fun stuff!</i>

Interesting...

In anycase, I loved the movie. I'll see it again!

[simon-garth]

The movie I can't wait to see is "The Rock'em Sock'em Robots"!

No, seriously the best superhero movie out this summer so far is Live Free or Die Hard.

I am planning on taking my son to the Transformers tonight...I'm almost as excited about it as he is.

[MisterClock]

It's what I expected from a Michael Bay film. The only real disappointment for me is that the film-makers didn't use the high pitched, whiny Starscream voice used in all the cartoons. I heard the original voice actor who did Starscream's and Cobra Commander's voices died a few years ago, but that shouldn't have stop the film-makers from finding a close facsimile voice actor. :(

And in my opinion, the best film so far this year is Ratatoille.

[artiepants]

And say what you will about Bay - I like the sort of spectacle he makes on the big screen (with the exception of Pearl Harbor) - but this is the movie he was born to make.
while i generally dislike Batys movies, you can't argue with that. He knows how to make excplosions, Car Chases and military action look good, and that's a big part of what makes this movie work. add in (i'm assuming) Spielbergs influence toning down some of the Bayisms, and it's a winning combo. Shia and his folks really sell the whole deal.

[cookiejar]

This movie is awesome if you like action, with little plot...

If it spawns a sequel (and I hope it does).... PLEASE have a stronger plot.

The decepticons could have been developed more... there is a line from Megatron to Starscream that shows they are on uneasy terms, but that was it.

also.... the highly alien faces didn't lend themselves well to showing emotion/facial movement...
maybe they just tried too hard there.

[hlbimage]

And in my opinion, the best film so far this year is Ratatoille.

I second that. That was such a great film. Who knew that a movie about a rat working in a French restaurant would be so good. I can't wait for the next Brad Bird film.

[Gamma Charge]

I almost didn't see the movie last night. I was going to back out, but the friend I was going to see it with wouldn't let me. I'm glad he got me to go out last night. I had low expectations going in, but I marked out. A few scenes here are there dragged a little, but there were so many moments where I was geeking out and fangasming they could be overlooked. I'm going to take my kids to see it with me first chance I get. Here's looking forward to a sequel.

[SoleBro5]

As a comic book and cartoon fan, I usually head out to a film regardless of whether or not I know it's going to be terrible. For the most part, I have been greatly displeased by what I have seen, particularly with most of the Marvel films.

Transformers, however, does not disappoint.

You will hear people talk about lackluster dialogue (even I winced when Optimus Prime said, "My bad"). You will hear people talk about a lack of discernible plot and the proverbial MacGuffin.

Those people need to take a chill pill, for real.

All in all, the movie delivers, point blank. It's like watching an episode of the cartoon, which is what people expect. Let's face it: Transformers is a silly concept (the very idea that robots that are apparently thousands of years old yet somehow resemble modern day vehicles is absurd, people), and thus any movie based on it is apt to be silly, too. And if you are looking for good natured, action packed, utter silliness, then this is the movie for you.

[robzass]

Best movie based on a cartoon based on a toy ever! Oh, wait. That's really not saying much.

[TheGrayHulk]

UH...

UH.. UH...

UH... UH... OOHHH....


...

COMPLETE NERDGASM! :o

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D

[cribba]

SPOILERS
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I thought all this 'funny' stuff sucked ass, ______ story and stereotypical characters did it for me, as for the Transformers - I didn't care anything for them, was I suppose to be sad when Jazz died? - and what about the Decepticons, Megatron and Starscream said one thing to each other, thanks alot..

No really, I didn't like any of that stuff.. The part when the parents asked "where you masturbating?" (is this American Pie?), Bumblebee was pissing and Simmons was stripped down to his undies really ruined the whole movie.. I mean about John Turtorro's character?, what kind of secret agent act like a frickin artard like he did?.. I mean I thought the Spiderman 3 dancing part was bad but I mean it was watchable, when I saw all of this I nearly puked :P
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SPOILERS END

By Primus I swear I'd rather watch the original movie for the 100th time than watch this again.. what a shitload of ____. Okey maybe it wasn't that bad, but close..

[Inane]

Amazing movie. Went in a little scared, but left completely amazed.

[Vintage]

Lots of fun, explosions and robots knocking the heck out of each other. There were several scenes in the movie where the crowd broke out in applause during the course of the movie. As I've mentioned elsewhere some of the dialogue was hokey but otherwise the movie delivered.

[johnny.blaze]

HUGE Transformers fan from BAACK in the day. Saw it last night and it was F#@CKin amazing!

Was it perfect? NO, but it did NOT dishonor or wrong the original source material.

Having Peter Cullen, the original voice of Optimus Prime from the 80's, be Prime's voice said it all. The fact that the creators of the film gave a crap about where this series came from and employed the original voice of Prime from the 80's show was ill. It also gave any fanboy of the original series a sense of assurance that this movie was in the right hands (almost how most fanboys have confidence in what Favreau is doing with his casting over in Iron Man)

Executive produce Spielberg and director Michael Bay did a fine job in not tampering with a formula that worked.

Bay did an excellent job with the action scenes. With giant robots doing MASS damage, you gotta have a grandiose scale/feel to it and Bay developed rather easily.

At some points the story was really melo-dramatic but at the same time there was a *slight* nod and wink of self deprecation, which helped.

The CGI was bar-none fantastic. Action scenes were INTENSE. This will be the biggest movie of the summer. 2 BIG thumbs ups.

[jedidz23]

Believe it folks ... this movie was amazing! I am not some disingenuous fanboy who loves everything that the industry puts out either. This was just a heck of a lot of fun. It was so intense and entertaining, with fantastic effects and an absolute goddess in Megan Fox. Be prepared to drool constantly!

The most pleasant part for me ... the movie had 8 or 9 laugh out loud moments. Truly, it was hilarious!!

[thearticle]

Transformers was an okay movie with not much of a plot. The one thing I was disappointed by is that Megatron is not a gun. I wanted him to maybe encounter a gun and scan it like every other robots that landed on earth that took Earth's form. Instead he kept his Cybertronian mode. What's up with that? Why is it so hard to keep to the origin. The one scene that was awsome was when Starscream took out a fleet of F17 fighters. That was sweet.

This summer far the movies this summer has been average. Spider Man 3 was horrible and Fantastic Four 2 was fine. Harry Potter the Order of the Phoenix will opens in a few days it should be good.



YOU'RE SIPPIN ON THAT HATORADE SIPPIN ON THAT HATORADE SIPPIN ON THAT HATORADE youse a hater hater hater hater sip sip sip sip sip sippin on that hatorade sippin on that hatorade harry potter's gay harry potter's youse a hater hater hater hater!!!!!!!!!

[GrimmGargoyl]

Because a giant robot with a massive gun attached to his arm who then turns into a pistol (that seems to change size based on who needs to use it) is ridiculous. Why would he turn into a weapon that required someone else to point and aim him? They got away from the size changing stuff, and it's totally understandable. It would just be too far out there for the non-Transformer fans to swallow.


I always thought it was kind of stupid for Megatron to be the leader and turn into a itty bitty gun. At least with the alien jet it was a bit more "realistic." Nostalgia's one thing, but remember it's an Adaptation. The movie ROCKED!!!!

[johnny.blaze]

Anyone else see that trailer for that weird Blair Witch meets Godzilla movie by JJ Abrams.

That looked good!

[Vintage]

Anyone else see that trailer for that weird Blair Witch meets Godzilla movie by JJ Abrams.

That looked good!
I was a little lost after that one(I didn't get a title) but it was very cool. I'm eager to find out what that's about.

[johnny.blaze]

I was a little lost after that one(I didn't get a title) but it was very cool. I'm eager to find out what that's about.
Did some research on line and its called Cloverfield. Its JJ Abrams top secret project that's working on. Trailer was bad ass.

Everyone in the audience collectively let out a groan when they omitted the title.

[Vintage]

Did some research on line and its called Cloverfield. Its JJ Abrams top secret project that's working on. Trailer was bad ass.

Everyone in the audience collectively let out a groan when they omitted the title.
There was a similar reaction at the theater I was at. At first I thought it was just me.

[Alextron]

It this guy implying that the U.S. Military isn't tight or organized. I'm sorry they don't sit around and write articles for websites! :)

I can't believe they made a movie based on the Transformers. It was a great comic back in the Marvel days, but I didn't see it live. ANd now more interesting they seemed to actually of pulled it off.

Yeah, Superman Returns wasn't. I won't comment on Episode 1.

[cptcrash64]

I'm going to paraphrase a review I read on another site which sums up this movie perfectly: GIANT FREAKING ROBOTS FROM OUTERSPACE BEATING THE CRAP OUT OF EACH OTHER!!! FREAKING AWESOME!!!

[JLAJRC]

I tend to like Michael Bay movies (except Pearl Harbor) so I can't wait to see this.

This isn't the first review I've seen that mentioned applause and cheering. I can't remember the last time I remember that happening.

[Zenstrive]

I was spending some money hoping to regain some of my childhood, but boy oh boy, I was wrong.

I am not getting some of my childhood, BUT ALMOST ALL OF IT!

Transformers Fans, this movie is your FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH!

[mindtaker]

Best Line "you fail me yet again starscream"

[FilterKing]

SPOILERS
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I thought all this 'funny' stuff sucked ass, ______ story and stereotypical characters did it for me, as for the Transformers - I didn't care anything for them, was I suppose to be sad when Jazz died? - and what about the Decepticons, Megatron and Starscream said one thing to each other, thanks alot..

No really, I didn't like any of that stuff.. The part when the parents asked "where you masturbating?" (is this American Pie?), Bumblebee was pissing and Simmons was stripped down to his undies really ruined the whole movie.. I mean about John Turtorro's character?, what kind of secret agent act like a frickin artard like he did?.. I mean I thought the Spiderman 3 dancing part was bad but I mean it was watchable, when I saw all of this I nearly puked :P
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SPOILERS END

By Primus I swear I'd rather watch the original movie for the 100th time than watch this again.. what a shitload of ____. Okey maybe it wasn't that bad, but close..
Straight Hatin'.

This movie kicked 32 flavors of ass.

[biscuit022]

Let me add my voice to the chorus - I loved this movie. In a summer of disappointments (I almost want to go see Spidey 3 to see if it really is as bad as I remember it) Transformers really delivered. Couldn't agree more on hearing Cullen's voice - it was like casting Prime to play Prime. Heck, I think the best thing Bay did was to basically take the cartoon Prime and stick him in the middle of a Michael Bay film. It kept the moral center of the film strong and let everything else spin around it.

The Decepticons did get largely ignored, and I wish the robot to human ratio was tilted more in the Transformers favor, but I had no complaints sitting in the theater watching it.

[Scoop]

Some spoilers ahead!





Saw it last night. I did it for nostalgia. I grew up with them. I was a kid when the animated movie came out, and it was one of my favorites as a child. I was NOT sold on the movie based on a lot of the pictures pre-release. The only robot I recognized in the whole bunch was bumblebee. I had a flare of old-school loyalty, so I watched it to get it out of my system.


I never in a million years would have thought that I would enjoy the movie. Ladies and gentlemen, this movie blew me away. the human actors were AWESOME. They made the movie work. There were so many funny moments in the movie. The male lead was funny when he needed to be and sold the serious parts. Great actor. The female lead was walking-talking sexiness on a platter. gave me a tooth-ache just looking at her.

Optimus Prime shanked a Decepticon with a techno-sword! These robots fight and they do it well! I totally bought that these things were the powerful beings from another galaxy they were meant to be. It was Optimus Prime's voice! There can be no other for Prime. I hope the voice actor lives a long life and gets many more gigs voicing Prime.

Comlpaints?: I wanted more interactions (I mean talking/smack-talking) between the Decepticons and the Autobots. It would have been nice, is all. And all the Autobots except for Bumblebee sucked at blending in while in vehicle mode. Minor geeky things that don't matter. Personal taste.

Best of all, the movie left itself open for a sequel later if one was needed. Unbelievably good time. I'm going to see it a second time. This time, knowing what I am going to be treated to.

[biscuit022]

Did some research on line and its called Cloverfield. Its JJ Abrams top secret project that's working on. Trailer was bad ass.

Everyone in the audience collectively let out a groan when they omitted the title.

Thanks for the Abrams info - you saved me the trouble of having to look it up. :)

The Abrams trailer definitely had a positive buzz go through the theater when it was over. Bad ass, indeed. My theater had people cheering all through the movie and breaking out in applause at the end, as well. What a great time at the movies.

[beta-ray]

SPOILERS
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I thought all this 'funny' stuff sucked ass, ______ story and stereotypical characters did it for me, as for the Transformers - I didn't care anything for them, was I suppose to be sad when Jazz died? - and what about the Decepticons, Megatron and Starscream said one thing to each other, thanks alot..

No really, I didn't like any of that stuff.. The part when the parents asked "where you masturbating?" (is this American Pie?), Bumblebee was pissing and Simmons was stripped down to his undies really ruined the whole movie.. I mean about John Turtorro's character?, what kind of secret agent act like a frickin artard like he did?.. I mean I thought the Spiderman 3 dancing part was bad but I mean it was watchable, when I saw all of this I nearly puked :P
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SPOILERS END

By Primus I swear I'd rather watch the original movie for the 100th time than watch this again.. what a shitload of ____. Okey maybe it wasn't that bad, but close..

Well luckily you can have the old movie on DVD (I love that movie too). No this movie is different. It might appeal to even non-Transformer fans which is something the older movie would have a hard time doing. It assumes you know a lot.

[Comiccube]

OMG!!! GO SEE THIS MOVIE!! Best time I had at the theaters since 300.

[buff1040]

I went and watched the 8pm screening Monday with low expectations because the last time a movie was made from a toy/cartoon I loved as a kid (Masters of the Universe) it was freakin terrible. Even the previews for Transformers didn't impress me...I was just going hoping it would be okay. Just okay was all I was asking for. Transformers was everything I could have asked for...except for Bumblebee as a VW bug, but even that didn't bother me at all once I saw him, I even grew to like him as the camero. My jaw is still on the floor and I can't stop saying "Autobots...roll out" to myself. Don't listen to anyone b!tching that there wasn't that much of a plot, the plot was just fine. This is BY FAR the best movie of the summer. I think Transformers will end u as the top grossing film of the year, and would not be surprised if it hit the $400 million mark.

[Redmen68]

i saw it twice today lol i thought it was that good i went to the midnight showing with my girlfriend who has no vested interest in transformers and she thought it was superb and then i saw it with the biggest movie critic my dad and he came out thinking it was awesome which only happened after V for Vendetta

[mrhelm]

It's not the 80's Transformers but it's definitely a solid summer actioner with amazing effects. Easily Bay's best film (which admittedly isn't hard).

Sequel should be good too as we left a lot of room for more stories.

Galvatron, anyone?

[Spaz_Monkey]

Peter Cullen doing the voice-over at the beginning of the movie was almost a sexual experience for me. Two words in, and I was 10 again, watching The Transformers for the first time.

The old-school transform sound added in was a wonderful nod to the Gen 1 fans.

Prime, with his movie look, worked. The added size of the truck simply meant that his robot form could be bigger. The flames weren't even an issue, as he was robot more than truck in the movie.

Megatron wasn't a gun. BIG DEAL. He was the scariest goddamn giant robot I've ever seen, and transforming into a spaceship-thing just opened up the fight between him & Prime into more locations.

The humor was great, especially the little things. The Autobots trying to hide from Sam's family was one of the funniest things I’ve seen in movies this year, because it was such a natural reaction, yet so wonderfully enacted.

The last 30-45 minutes of the movie are pure insanity. An all-out Transformer war with all the violence and devastation you'd expect from a bunch of giant robots fighting it out in middle of a city.

Last (because I’m just gonna end up spoiling things), I never once felt like I was looking at CGI robots. No, I was looking at actual Transformers. They carried themselves exactly as they should. The sense of size & weight was exactly what you'd expect from huge metal monsters. The SFX crew deserves Oscars for their work.

**** out of 4 stars. Maybe not the perfect movie, but by far the perfect summer movie. Highest recommendation.

[bryforce]

I don't think my wife and I saw the same movie as a majority of posters here. I was a huge Transformers fan growing up and was really looking forward to this film (giddy from the previews). And YES the robots looked extremely realistic and cool and yes there were several "wow" moments when Optimus would speak. But the "humor" absolutely ruined the film for me. I think one other commenter on the board here had the same opinion as me on that one. The humor was painfully self-aware and catered to the lowest common denominator (the scene where the Autobots were hiding from the parents went on way too long--if alien robots had just landed would you be worried about breaking your curfew or letting your parents find out?); John Turtoro was way overthetop; and the scenes toward the beginning of the film with Bumblebee playing the music to go with Sam's trying to get the girl were, ugh! The fight scenes were nice but the camera had too many close-up shots and sometimes the action gets really muddled and unclear. The camera should have panned back a lot more (like when the Autobots were creeping around the Observatory's edge). Overall, the silly stuff killed the momentum for me. Is everyone's sense of humor really that bad?

[thearticle]

I don't think my wife and I saw the same movie as a majority of posters here. I was a huge Transformers fan growing up and was really looking forward to this film (giddy from the previews). And YES the robots looked extremely realistic and cool and yes there were several "wow" moments when Optimus would speak. But the "humor" absolutely ruined the film for me. I think one other commenter on the board here had the same opinion as me on that one. The humor was painfully self-aware and catered to the lowest common denominator (the scene where the Autobots were hiding from the parents went on way too long--if alien robots had just landed would you be worried about breaking your curfew or letting your parents find out?); John Turtoro was way overthetop; and the scenes toward the beginning of the film with Bumblebee playing the music to go with Sam's trying to get the girl were, ugh! The fight scenes were nice but the camera had too many close-up shots and sometimes the action gets really muddled and unclear. The camera should have panned back a lot more (like when the Autobots were creeping around the Observatory's edge). Overall, the silly stuff killed the momentum for me. Is everyone's sense of humor really that bad?


no your sense of humor must be way to uptight. seriously the movie wasnt about comedy and that fact that it was there means if has to appeal to lowest common demoinator so that a non transformer fan can sit in the theater and find something more to enjoy about the movie. yes any one watching giant robots wale on each other would be entertained but the humor was there to keep you entertained till the next robot fight. and like i said to keep evryone in the theater happy the lowest common denominator type of humor and im sorry bumblebee pissing on Tutoro IS funny. SO STOP HATING

[bryforce]

no your sense of humor must be way to uptight. seriously the movie wasnt about comedy and that fact that it was there means if has to appeal to lowest common demoinator so that a non transformer fan can sit in the theater and find something more to enjoy about the movie. yes any one watching giant robots wale on each other would be entertained but the humor was there to keep you entertained till the next robot fight. and like i said to keep evryone in the theater happy the lowest common denominator type of humor and im sorry bumblebee pissing on Tutoro IS funny. SO STOP HATING

Even if you're a non-Transformer fan (oxymoron?), they shouldn't throw you the scraps of whatever comedy leavings and cliche moments they can find. I don't care how good your special effects are, bad comedy is distracting and takes away from what could have been a great film. The audience isn't a bunch of idiots who need to be distracted by humor till the next fight. That's insulting (but apparently true and works). How about a riveting plot and serious drama/action that takes itself seriously? Goofy humor is no substitute for a well-written script. I guess I am uptight then. Details and the small things do matter to me (even spelling and punctuation). Bumblebee taking a piss on the audience...now that's funny. Also, I'm sorry to "hate." I mistook this board as a place where people could voice their opinions, whatever they may be. Next time there's a line or ideological viewpoint I need to fall in with, let me know ahead of time.

[jrp001]

+1

I'd love to see this at IMAX.



YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

[sfritz]

Peter Cullen doing the voice-over at the beginning of the movie was almost a sexual experience for me. Two words in, and I was 10 again, watching The Transformers for the first time.

The old-school transform sound added in was a wonderful nod to the Gen 1 fans.

Prime, with his movie look, worked. The added size of the truck simply meant that his robot form could be bigger. The flames weren't even an issue, as he was robot more than truck in the movie.

Megatron wasn't a gun. BIG DEAL. He was the scariest goddamn giant robot I've ever seen, and transforming into a spaceship-thing just opened up the fight between him & Prime into more locations.

The humor was great, especially the little things. The Autobots trying to hide from Sam's family was one of the funniest things I?ve seen in movies this year, because it was such a natural reaction, yet so wonderfully enacted.

The last 30-45 minutes of the movie are pure insanity. An all-out Transformer war with all the violence and devastation you'd expect from a bunch of giant robots fighting it out in middle of a city.

Last (because I?m just gonna end up spoiling things), I never once felt like I was looking at CGI robots. No, I was looking at actual Transformers. They carried themselves exactly as they should. The sense of size & weight was exactly what you'd expect from huge metal monsters. The SFX crew deserves Oscars for their work.

**** out of 4 stars. Maybe not the perfect movie, but by far the perfect summer movie. Highest recommendation.


SM - Just adding a little more to the mix, stuff I didn't want to let out for fear of spoiling.

1) The fight choreography needed some final touches. There were times where I was wondering who was wailig on who. Slowing certain bits down would have helped, actually. Check out some of the recent Dragon Dynasty releases (especially the recent Shaw Bros reissues) for reference...or, of course, the Matrix trilogy.

2) Now I'll be straight up. I absolutely DESPISED how the final battle between Megatron and Optimus ended. WAAAYYY...too deus ex machina for me.

Otherwise, pretty much agree with what you have to say. Fun movie. I'm holding off on whether this is the best of the year though. As I said, Stardust is already way better. So's Ratatouille and Paprika, so far. -s

[zeraze1]

Transformers was an okay movie with not much of a plot.

To be fair, the Transformers cartoons aren't known for complex plots. The joke is that the movie's simplicity worked in its favor by not getting bogged down in the human melodrama or government conspiracies.

The one thing I was disappointed by is that Megatron is not a gun. I wanted him to maybe encounter a gun and scan it like every other robots that landed on earth that took Earth's form. Instead he kept his Cybertronian mode. What's up with that?

One person already mentioned the mass compression issue in a live action film.

Here are two more:

1. Guns are so prevalent in America that they've lost specialness in a way. I could literally get my hands on a gun faster than a comic book.

2. Too many people are trigger happy in America nowadays as was mentioned by cast and crewmembers like Shia LeBouf.

3. Megatron as an alien jet from Hell is way scarier and more powerful looking than a gun wielded by a lackey.

Why is it so hard to keep to the origin.

Because there have been different versions of Transformers (comic or cartoon) over the years. Besides, elements of the story have to be updated to be relevent to this century.

If you think Transformers was tough, streamlining the X-Men's continuity in the first film was a lot worse.

The one scene that was awsome was when Starscream took out a fleet of F17 fighters. That was sweet.

Those were F-22 Raptors. I don't think F-17s exist.

This summer far the movies this summer has been average. Spider Man 3 was horrible and Fantastic Four 2 was fine.

That was an ironic turn of events this summer.

Getting back on track, Transformers is easily the first film this summer I want to see again. And that's due to being a cool action flick instead of lack of competition.

In short, everybody wins on this one: audience, Dreamworks, Michael, the cast, GMC, Hasbro, and movie theater owners.

zeraze

[JLAJRC]

This was easily the second best movie this summer. Ratatooille is still #1.

[zeraze1]

Even if you're a non-Transformer fan (oxymoron?), they shouldn't throw you the scraps of whatever comedy leavings and cliche moments they can find. I don't care how good your special effects are, bad comedy is distracting and takes away from what could have been a great film. The audience isn't a bunch of idiots who need to be distracted by humor till the next fight. That's insulting (but apparently true and works). How about a riveting plot and serious drama/action that takes itself seriously?

Spider-Man 3 shows the flaw in taking a summer blockbuster too seriously. Sam Raimi and likely Tobey Maguire and the producers tried so hard to prove the film is "dramatic" that its darker moments come off as tedious and even silly. For example, like the audience, I soon found myself laughing at "evil Peter Parker" because he was so over the top. That's not a good sign, which explains why I wasn't eager to see the movie again.

Goofy humor is no substitute for a well-written script.

But it helps. Michael Bay understands that Transformers is a FUN popcorn flick. So, he runs with the concept, which explains why the humor really works. Put another way, you're laughing with the movie, not at it. That's been missing quite frankly in this year's blockbusters.

The bottom line is that a filmmaker must keep in mind what story he's telling.

I guess I am uptight then. Details and the small things do matter to me (even spelling and punctuation). Bumblebee taking a piss on the audience...now that's funny. Also, I'm sorry to "hate." I mistook this board as a place where people could voice their opinions, whatever they may be. Next time there's a line or ideological viewpoint I need to fall in with, let me know ahead of time.

Feel free to state your honest opinion. Just remember that escapist, funny films have their place and their merits.

zeraze

[TheMightyGeek]

Saw it. Loved it. Will see it again.

'Nuff said.

[Alextron]

Megatron's not a guy.

Ah, yes. As a child you could have kids hold toy guns. No one got hurt.

[MisterClock]

Anyone else see that trailer for that weird Blair Witch meets Godzilla movie by JJ Abrams.

That looked good!

Holy shite, I was thinking Godzilla, too.

[DEVILMAN]

Holy shite, I was thinking Godzilla, too.

Same here. Some people thought the name of that movie was actually "Bad Robot". I thought that was pretty funny.

Transformers, by the way.....awesome. I enjoyed every minute of it. I've seen it twice already and want to see it again.

I was wondering though, wasn't the tank consistantly solicited as "Brawl" in the movie?
When it came to roll call he called himself "Devastator". Whats up with that?

[simon-garth]

I saw the Transformers movie on tuesday. It was just ok. No way was this the best summer movie. It was ok though. I still give Live Free or Die Hard the best summer movie vote so far. McClain's destruction of the elevated freeway was much more dynamic than the one in Transformers. The biggest problems I had were the screen clutter, the out of place "masterbation" dialogue, and the scene switching during the action sequences. This last thing annoyed me worse than the scene overlaps that got so much complaints for Ang Lee's Hulk movie.

[MaSaKaRi]

I was prepared to hate this movie, being Michael Bay, and those weird designs, but really, THE BEST ACTION MOVIE OF THE DECADE!!!! It's that simple, fast and furious, in your face, non stop action, and the humor works! Prime is Prime, Megatron is still Megatron and scary as hell, Jazz, Ratchet, Starscream, they all work!

And the best sfx i've ever seen, if this doesn't get an Oscar, i don't know what will.

As a side note, some people mentioned Stardust. I like the novel, but really really disliked the trailer i saw, seemed silly and wierd.

[EmeraldGuy32]

+1

I'd love to see this at IMAX.
make that 3-D IMAX!!!

[sikokun]

Ok so all the reviews, some friends and general word of mouth says this movie rocks, as a result i went and saw it today......here's my two cents:

If your not a fan of the original transformers and don't care about a smooth plot or poor camera angels...you'll love this movie.

If you are a fan of the original, want a decent story with good character development, a likeable cast, and great directing.......look else where.

There are so many things wrong with this movie it astonishes me that almost NO ONE has posted about it. I too got a kick outta seeing the characters again and even hearing optimus's original voice....but that's not enough to get a "must see" outta me.

What was done right:

1) Good CGI (at some points..see "what they did wrong") They damn sure look like transforming robots.

2) Keeping some of the original voice actors. This just makes it easier to watch this film.

3) O.G. Transforming sound was kept.

What they did wrong:

1) Poor directing.

I'm sorry bay fans, but he was not on point in this film (and i liked the bad boys films so a bay-basher i am not). Half the time i COULDN'T TELL WHAT WAS GOING ON. Why? because bay insist on EXTREME close-ups and shaky shots (which are suppose to place us in the action, but instead causes the opposite effect and loses us). This is just a bad choice, especially when you have so much going on on-screen at one time.

2) Bad and forced Humor.

I laughed ONCE during this whole film (LEFT CHEEK, LEFT CHEEK!!!!). Most of the humor was just plan bad. The forced humor even worse. Tuturo was just annoying and i found spike-...i mean sam's jokes to be boring and uncreative. oh yea and the whole bumblebee gasoline scene.....stupid.

3) Poor Dialouge. Rather then say anything i'll just quote the film:

"Sup Bitches?" - Jazz

"My Bad" - Optimus

"It's probly japanese." - Sam in refernece to bumblebee upon first seeing his transformation.

"Can we kill the humans?" - Ironhide (?) to Optimus (which brings me to...)

3) Poor characterization for the transformers

Most of the transformers don't even get developed. I mean come on megatron had mabye 2 mins of dialoge. Starscream had one, ONE, line in the whole move. This should have been called The adventures of sam, bumblebee and optimus because they get the most screen time and even they aren't fully developed.

4) Poor CGI in places

Yup, Some of the CGI looks rushed (which it most likely was). Some of it didn't mesh with the action taking place on screen (combine this with a shaky camera).

There are more things i could name, but i got other things i need to do. I just felt the need for someone to point to the other side of the coin as everyone seems to love this movie DESPITE the problems with it.

Bottom line..decent summer action flick (i.e. two hours of nonsense with plenty of things exploding, being shot at, or crashing into something to keep your attention) but skippable if your a transformers fan or like solid plot driven movies.

[mistamercuri]

I'm an oldschool fan of the G1 series and original 80's, even had some of the toys (my little brother had more). Honestly, the original series and movie are good for nostalgia purposes. With the new flick, I wasn't impressed with the preview shots. Seeing the actual film was a whole 'nother story! I totally enjoyed the movie. Would even see it again if going again with a group of friends. A friend my mine got the tickets for our crew and it was on a digital screen, which looked freakin' awesome! But there were still problems with the movie.

what I disliked:

- The scene with the 'rents went on too long. Some of the dialogue was too over the top. It was during scenes like this we could've gotten more Decepticon action/viewing.
- Did not like John Tutturo's character AT ALL. They had enough moments of potty humor and slapstick, he wasn't needed. Not a big fan of Anthony Anderson either. :mad:
- Soundwave was a little too Jar-Jar cutesy for me. Yes, I said it. His orgasmic scream while raping the military hard drives was hilarious though. :D
- Shaky cam seriously needs to die a painful and lesion and pus-filled death. It was my only major beef with Batman Begins. :mad:
- It was hard to differentiate what was going on and to whom during some of the battles. :confused:
- 'street' dialogue. *sigh* I know they learned from the Internet, but come on!

What I loved:

- Bumblebee 'DJing'. Freakin' hilarious. :D
- Shia LaBeouf has a great sense of timing and delivery. (looking forward to seeing him riff off of Indiana Jones!)
- The military coordination. It was nice to see our boys kick some ass! :cool:
- PRIME!!!! :D
- Megan's character wasn't a wuss. :cool:

So yeah, it was a good movie. I would definitely recommend it (and have). Was it the greatest movie this summer? THE SUMMER ISN'T OVER YET!! Definitely an awesome action\popcorn flick though. So was Live Free, Die Hard.

Oh and seriously, if someone brings up reason why they disliked parts of a movie like previous posters have, give 'em a break! It's good to see not everyone shares the same mold. Otherwise you'd be posting with yourself. And that makes you blind. And have hairy palms. :p

[Sano]

I liked it a lot. I wish Bey was a little more faithful to the source material but it's a minor gripe. I was entertained while I sat in the theater and the comedy, action and the special effects made up for everything else. Five out of five.

Spoilers and random Autobot hate start below.

*******

I have always HATED G1 AUTOBOTS AND ESPECIALLY OPTIMUS PRIME YEAH I KNOW I AM THE ONLY ONE IN THE UNIVERSE WHO CAN'T STAND HIM AND THE ONLY ONE WHO CHEERED WHEN HE DIED IN THE CARTOON MOVIE OH NOOOOS - so I was happy. Megatron's greatest move was he snapped Jazz like a twig - BEST MOMENT IN THE MOVIE! Prime's best moment? Sticking an Autobot in the head with a shank like a convict in jail. Man I told you about robots who hide their lips you can not trust them! And HA HA HA Optimus couldn't even defeat Megatron he sucks! He needed a punk kid and ALL OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF CYBERTRON in a cube to take him down. And what are they doing, dropping him in a trench? So what, I've seen him come back from beign dunked into a volcano! HE WILL RETURN!!!!

GO DECEPTICONS!

Lol when Megatron talked to Starscream about messing up again I was having serious flashbacks. ^_^

Still man couldn't they play the original Transformers theme song during the ending credits? I sat through all the credits expecting to hear it. C'mon Bey ya gotta throw the fans some bones sometimes.... -_-

[zeraze1]

what I disliked:

- The scene with the 'rents went on too long. Some of the dialogue was too over the top. It was during scenes like this we could've gotten more Decepticon action/viewing.

I loved that scene myself. If you thought hiding ET was a challenge, try preventing your parents from finding five giant alien robots.

- Did not like John Tutturo's character AT ALL. They had enough moments of potty humor and slapstick, he wasn't needed. Not a big fan of Anthony Anderson either. :mad:

I though Tuturro was perfect because his stuffiness and attempts at menace made him funny, especially when things spiral out of his control. He was basically a spoof of the "shadowy government guy" in action flicks.

Anthony Anderson was decent in his role. His absolutely funniest moment was in the interrogation room when he passed the buck on the Aussie analyst.

- Soundwave was a little too Jar-Jar cutesy for me. Yes, I said it. His orgasmic scream while raping the military hard drives was hilarious though. :D

Actually, that was Frenzy. Soundwave will likely appear in the sequel.

Personally, Frenzy nearly stole the movie from the other Decepticons because he could be amusing one moment (he's the smallest villain) and scary the next (fight on Air Force One). That's talent to get that balance right.

- Shaky cam seriously needs to die a painful and lesion and pus-filled death. It was my only major beef with Batman Begins. :mad:
- It was hard to differentiate what was going on and to whom during some of the battles. :confused:

I'll have to see the film again to get what you mean.

- 'street' dialogue. *sigh* I know they learned from the Internet, but come on!

They're aliens from another planet who just landed on Earth. What were you expecting?

Besides, "My bad" hasn't been a strictly "street" expression for a few years now. It's rather mainstream.

zeraze

[zeraze1]

Bottom line..decent summer action flick (i.e. two hours of nonsense with plenty of things exploding, being shot at, or crashing into something to keep your attention) but skippable if your a transformers fan or like solid plot driven movies.

I understand if you were disappointed with Transformers. However, please refrain from speaking for all fans of the cartoon.

I enjoyed Transformers as a kid and have followed the various spinoffs. And I also really enjoyed Michael Bay's blockbuster take on the Autobots and Decepticons.

Similarly, one of my friends is a SERIOUS Transformers fan. She's seen all the cartoons and has amassed a serious TF toy collection. (Frankly, in my friend's eyes, collecting the action figures seperates the "real" fans from the civilians.) She also was impressed with the movie.

So, you can indeed be a fan of the original Transformers and still enjoy Bay's film.

zeraze

[Vazquez]

I went in thinking I'd hate it. Went out loving it.

[OnyxAvatar]

If you saw this just as a movie it was OK. If you went in as a fan boy, you hated it.

I'm sick and tired of these "directors" taking so many liberties on a property that it ruins them. Especially when it's a property with a fan base as huge and dedicated as Transformers.

All I have to say is that Optimus Prime says "My bad."

[HazMatMan]

Soundtrack not withstanding, did anyone happen to notice how phenominal the score was ?! Can't wait for that to be released.

I've seen this twice already, and have goosebumps just thinking about going back. Opening night you couldn't keep the fanboys in their seats. Even at a Friday matinee the "crowd" was cheering.

Praise be to the Spielberg. May the next installment shine.

M@!

[duhhh123]

Just watched it. Love it.

Could anyone explain to me how they took out Megatron? One moment Optimus Prime was ordering Sam to put the Cube into his chest, the next moment Megatron was lying on the floor with a hole on his chest. Either I blinked at the wrong moment or the movie skipped a few seconds during that scene.

What happened to Barricade? I lost track of him. Did he even show up during the fight in the city?

[Vazquez]

Sam put the cube in Megatron instead. So instead of Prime sacrificing himself to neutralise the theath of the cube, Sam chose Megatron as a volunteer.

[1AvidFan]

I have to go with what seems to be the minority opinion. It was okay,nothing more.

One thing i haven`t seen mentioned is the fact that there were so many similar things happening in this movie that happened in,i believe another Michael Bay film,INDEPENDENCE DAY.

They did leave plenty of room for a possible sequel,if so i`ll pass.