Transformers

If you want a movie full of explosions and fighting robots, this is the movie you need to see. Although, it would have been a shorter movie if they didn't go slo-mo during a lot of the fight scenes (which is all right, because it's cool).

I was not a Transformers kid when I grew up in the 80's and I think that's why I wasn't so hard on Michael Bay's film when I caught it in the summer of 2007. Going into the film for the first time, the only characters I knew by name were Optimus Prime, Megatron, and Bumblebee (and I only knew of him through the mention of friends). So, without having the fanboy mentality, I was able to enjoy the movie as it was...and I did. I thought it was a fun action flick and one of the best popcorn movies from the year. Based on the Hasbro toyline and it's resulting animated series/comics, the film follows high-schooler Sam Witwicky who discovers his Camaro is a shape-shifting alien robot; he is soon brought into the middle of a war between the Autobots and the Decepticons, warring factions of a race of sentient robots.

Let's be honest. The only things that matter about this movie are the special effects and the action sequences. ILM did a fantastic job with the Transformers in this film. The robots look amazing and their transformations are seamless. I've heard that some classic fans aren't satisfied with their designs but I felt they did a good job adding what realism they could to giant fighting robots. The action sequences aren't as abundant as one would expect, but I'm not complaining. I felt there were enough action scenes without going overboard and drowning out story. The battles feel epic and they aren't heavily edited into quick jump cuts so you can still understand what is going on.

The cast does an adequate job and keep the movie from feeling B-grade. Shia LaBeouf was charismatic and had a good sense of comedic timing; John Turturro was a fun addition as the mental Sector 7 agent Simmons. Jon Voight seemed almost out of place in the film, though added a bit of class. I know there have been a lot of complaints about human characters in the movie, but it's a necessary element and I'm not complaining. The supporting cast did a great job; my favorites had to be Kevin Dunn and Julie White as Sam's eccentric parents. I felt the movie shouldn't have gone over 2 hours as it does begin to strain on the patience after a while but it still made for a fun ride.

I expected this to be an action movie only, but it also has a lot of hilarious jokes similar to American Pie, such as when the robots were making lots of noise, Sam's parents asked him something embarrassing. There is some action, but there is also drama. At least the action and drama aren't so bad. However, the characters weren't so likable. Megan Fox was just eye candy (yes, she was hot, at least) and Shia LaBeouf was not a likable character.

Pros:

• Really funny

• Good action

Cons:

• Characters aren't so likable

Review: 8

Transformers is a great movie with a pretty good storyline and a decent cast.It is a bit long but the two and a half hours fly by.I enjoyed the action in the movie,although it did go on a bit too long many times,sometimes so much that you would forget whats happening,but it is very well directed by Michael Bay.I enjoyed Shia LaBeouf a lot in this,but,although she is very attractive,Megan Fox is not a very good actress,I feel like she just says her lines and she probably wouldn't have got in to acting if it wasn't for how good looking she is,I definitely think a better actress like Emma Stone or Amanda Seyfried could have put in a better performance as this character.The best part for me is without a doubt the robots themselves,Optimus Prime,Bumblebee and the rest of the Autobots and Decepticons are beautifully animated and the voice work is outstanding.While Transformers has many flaws,its still very enjoyable and I would recommend it to all fans of Michael Bay and the Transformers in general.

A long fighting race of robots,the Autobots and the Decepticons,head to Earth and one young teenager might be able to fix things.

For those of you who are not fans of Michael Bay: for starters, do not watch this movie. It's really as simple as that. But, I've read some of the negative comments on this film, and it baffles me to read that all this film consists of is hot girls, hot action, and not the greatest acting. Come on, guys. This is a Michael Bay film, and let me emphasize the words MICHAEL BAY. When I think about him, I think about entertainment, and entertainment only, because that is what his films are about. With films like this, I don't go in expecting some great story, with amazing dialogue. This movie is not academy award worthy, nor should it be. This is an action film, that's what it's meant to be, and when it comes to action films, Bay knows how to deliver. Again, the storyline could be better, and Megan Fox could use some acting lessons, but like I said, when you watch these movies, you should watch them for entertainment. So, if you know what this film delivers, and you don't like Michael Bay, then by all means, skip this movie. But, if you do end up watching this movie, and say that it's nothing but a bunch of clanging metal and hot girls, well then, welcome to the world of Michael Bay. I saw it in theatres back in 2007, I went with an open mind, and I enjoyed it. 9/10 for me.