Transformers
PG-13
*** out of ****
2007

When I was a kid, I never played with the Transformers action figures, and I never watched the Transformers cartoons on TV. Even so, when I first started seeing the previews for the new live action Transformers movie, I got ridiculously excited. I think it's great that even though the Transformers originally made their debut in the '80s (specifically 1984, I believe) so many people still know who and what the Transformers are. And thanks to this movie, kids who were born after the Transformer's time will become aquainted with the legend! ^_^ I wonder if they'll start producing the toys again?



Premise: Two warring clans of enormous alien robots, the Autobots and Decpticons, bring their conflict to Earth in search of the Allspark. Human teenager Sam Witwickety (Shia LaBeouf - you'd recognize him from Constantine and Disturbia) happens to possess the key to finding the Allspark, and through his old battered Camero who happens to actually be the Autobot Bumblebee, is pulled into the fray. Along with extraenous hot love interest Megan Fox. Can't forget the extraneous love interest. Military personel headed by hot Josh Duhamel also get involved after witnessing and surviving (barely) an attack by the Decepticons.


The first thing I'll say about this movie is that it was remarkably better than I expected it to be. Talk about a pleasant surprise! I think it was wonderful that Michael Bay directed the film - he is definitely capable of directing decently epic action movies. ^_^


The Transformers themselves were brillantly put together. The modern Autobots and Decepticons have evolved somewhat from their 1980s counterparts, but they are still immediately recognizable. Bob, who went to see the movie with me, said that they kept very well to each robot's personality, an added bonus for those who watched Transformers cartoons when they were kids.



The acting was fine. None of the rolls were exactly challenging, but they were all carried off well. The writing was fantastic, throwing in absolutely hilarious moments that will have you laughing out loud. My absolute favorite scene from the whole movie was teenager protagonist Sam Witwickety's first encounter with a Deceptacon. Sam is cowering against the hood of a car with giant Deceptacon Barricade leaning forward screaming, "ARE YOU USERNAME LADIESMAN217? WHERE IS EBAY ITEM 21153?!" Just priceless!




I guess there's not too much else to say about this one. The negatives about the movie kind of go without saying - it's silly. Duh. It does go on a little too long, but every second with Megatron in it (voiced by Hugo Weaving!) is worth waiting for. The Transformer fight scenes are all absolutely amazing, though the action can get a little hard to follow when those robotic parts start moving really fast. All in all, definitely worth watching in the theater!









More than meets the eye!