Movie Reviews
Rated R, 2:15 (2007)
Starring: Shia Lebouf, Megan Fox, Jon Voight
Direction: Michael Bay
Production: Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Tom DeSanto, Ian Bryce
Screenplay: Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci
by Vincent St. James
Michael Bay. 'Nuff Said.
The Art of the Buildup
Transformers is not unlike any other Michael Bay movie, which is not necessarily a bad thing, assuming you know what you're in for ahead of time. To enjoy a Michael Bay movie, one must sit through the setup, the cliched character introductions, and then witness how screwed they are via the impressive initial visual effects scene (as in Armageddon) .
Shia Labeouf is charismatic enough while Megan Fox doesn't need to put much effort into looking good for the cameras. Though Michael Bay may not be one for character development, he does know the meaning of visual effects and action-story development. It's a sort of calling card in his movies and it is so in this one.
We start off with the US military in the desert being attacked by an advanced entity. Lots of advanced US Military equipment gets blown to bits, and we learn that whatever is wreaking havoc is a force to be reckoned with.
Next, we see highschooler Sam Witwicky, played by Labeouf, and follow his journey through young adulthood as he finally gets a new ride and the chance to impress his crush (played by the beautiful Megan Fox).
However, his isn't a normal car. It drives on its own, and one night, Witwicky sees it transform. Not only that, the evildoer-transformers are busy cracking into the Pentagon using algorithms much more advanced than ours (think Quantum Mechanics and Feynman, not the apparently out of style Fourier). It isn't long before we get to meet the familiar gang from the television show, including the great Optimus Prime. The bad guys are struggling to get to the cube and free their leader, Megatron. What's left is for the good guys and bad guys to fight, with us earthlings stuck in the middle.
The action, of course, is plentiful and well done. The acting is ok, but that's not what we came to this movie to see. Bay gets the sounds right, as well. The familiar "transforming" noises and voices are well done. What is terribly lacking, however, is a real sense of excitement, and buildup towards the end as the good guys are ready to battle for all that is good. For instance, in Armageddon, we get the infamous walk by the heroes, slow motion, as they prepare to save the world. There is little of that kind of drama here. Sure, it may be cheesy and cliche, but darn it that's what movies like Transformers are about. Similarly, the end battle sequence with "PRIME" leaves much to be desired.
The movie is worth checking out if you're in the mood to not think and watch things explode, or if you're nostalgic for the television show that inspired all of this. Otherwise, watch at your own risk, you're going to have to know how to enjoy it.
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