The day has finally arrived! I went out at 8pm last night to see the first showing of Transformers at my local cinema.
First off, let’s just start by saying that Transformers is easily THE spectacle of the summer. It puts its predecessors to shame with special effects, action, and humor.
The thing about Michael Bay movies is that he’s very action-oriented. His movies play at such a fast pace that there’s no time for naysaying and nitpicking. You either go along for the ride or you don’t, but there’s no getting off in the middle.
It’s this trait that really makes Transformers work. Let’s face it — you can’t have a believable plot involving alien robots chasing after a mystical device that gives life to machines. You just can’t. So to make that work, you need the excitement to make it not matter.
Michael Bay delivers in spades. The CG and action sequences are adrenaline pumping roller coasters that move almost too fast to keep up. Exposition is kept to a minimum and is usually accomplished en route to another action sequence.
Shia “The Beef” LeBeouf is an inspired casting choice as Sam Witwicky. He’s the glue that holds the movie together. Thanks to his manic acting, the movie receives a lot more [legitimate] laughs than an action movie probably should.
Another bright spot in the movie is Peter Cullen, the original voice of Optimus Prime. His digitized voice acting brings the Transformers the credentials they need to move into live action entertainment. You hear his voice and there’s no denying that these are the same Transformers you watched growing up.
As I am apt to do these days, I was reviewing the movie in my head as I watched it. At the beginning, I was giving it a solid B. It was good, but nothing to write home about — until about 45 minutes into the movie when Witwicky meets Optimus, Jazz, Ironhide, and Ratchet.
The Transformers themselves were the biggest question mark going into this film. If they were too different from the original, they would be a failure. If they were too close, they would be unbelievable.
Michael Bay straddles this line very carefully as the Autobots are both menacing and comical, philosophical and silly. The voices for the Autobots are mostly true to the original cartoons, which was an interesting choice given the otherwise “realistic” touch given to the movie.
My readership expects me to mention the babe, and Megan Fox doesn’t disappoint as a babe or an actress. Her and The Beef manage to cook up some pretty decent chemistry despite a script that doesn’t really give them time to.
If there’s one black mark on Transformers’ otherwise excellent film, it’s the decepticons.
Although menacing and destructive, their personalities are put on the back burner. Other than Starscream and Megatron, they’re mostly nameless cannon fodder.
Even Starscream and Megatron lack the personality treatment that the Autobots receive. The audience receives only a passing mention of the long-standing rivalry between the two.
Overall, there’s not much bad to say about Transformers. The plot is unbelievable, but good acting and excellent pacing make this is a non-issue. I can truly say that if you see one movie this summer, make it Transformers. It’s a big-screen action bonanza that shouldn’t be missed.
Verdict: A
Having also watched Transformers last night, I have to add that I was a little distracted by the hotness of the ladies-under-22 in the movie. I found it hard to believe that there is any universe where Shia would be so lucky as to snag Ms. Fox. Also, every time Miss I’m-smarter-than-the-whole-NSA-and-I’m-not-even-American appeared on screen, I found myself wishing that I could be that smart AND that hot – I found myself wondering if someone that smart would really spend 2 hours every morning getting purty …
Overall, though, it was a great movie and anyone who loved the cartoon as a kid will enjoy seeing the Transformers on the big screen.