Transformers

When I saw Transformers, I will admit I wasn't expecting much. And you know what I thought it was a good movie. It is far from the best movie ever made, but it is well worth watching for a number of reasons.

The best thing about the movie was the visual/special effects. They were absolutely mind-blowing, and the whole movie is worth the look just for them alone. And the robots especially Megatron were convincing enough, and the movements weren't jerky in any way. The sound is absolutely terrific, and the music is great. The storyline is original, fast-paced and gripping on the most part. There is some nice humour thrown into the mix, however the dialogue for me was a little too cheesy in places.

The performances are spirited and bring a sense of fun to the proceedings. Shia LeBoeuf brings some charisma and appeal to the title role of Sam, and Megan Fox is hot. John Tuturro has fun in his role, and Kevin Dunn and Julie White are both hilarious as Sam's parents. Hugo Weaving is superb as Megatron, and Peter Cullen makes the most of his character Optimus Prime. In fact, the only weak performance came from the talented Jon Voight, he just seemed out of place. And while there are plenty of visual thrills, I wasn't a massive fan of Michael Bay's direction, it just seemed as though the visuals, story and performances were doing the work and Bay was just there making sure it was all going to plan.

Overall, it is flawed but Transformers while not the best or worst of its genre is worth the look, especially if you are looking for terrific visuals, great sound and a good story. That way, if you overlook the flaws it does indeed have, you are in for a treat. 7/10 Bethany Cox

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

This movie is ACTION. I say this first because if you think this movie will be anything more than this, you will be disappointed on some level (as I was). Frame for frame this movie screams Michael Bay.

Now that's out of the way, there's a lot of stuff here that works and a lot that doesn't. It's a good thing that the robots do work. Seeing autobots and decepticons in glorious photo-realistic CGI is enough to wring out any childhood fantasy from anybody (not just boys from the 80s). Watching these robots move is to realize a revelation to what is possible with modern movie effects. Whether it's transforming on the move, bashing the living daylights out of each other, or just standing and talking, these guys alone make the movie work. And unlike the other blockbusters that have came out this year, these effects have a sense of weight that adds so much to the visual satisfaction.

As for everything else, well... that's when things start to go downhill. In typical epic fashion, this movie contains a sprawling cast. Along with this however, are a large number of writing and acting issues. With such a large number of underdeveloped characters, names are pretty much luxury. Also, most of the human related humor gags miss badly, which makes it hurt more considering a lot of the characters were unnecessary. Jon Voight's Secretary of Defense character completely baffles me, which makes me think that audiences responded positively to the President in Independence Day doing aerial dogfights. Any positives from the supporting cast (including the strange yet entertaining overacting of John Turturro) are outweighed by the large set of negatives.

However, the cast has got it where it counts. Shia Lebeouf plays an important part in selling the reality of the robots as the lead character Sam, and also carries an easy likability factor. Megan Fox's acting does a reasonable job bringing some interest to her character to beyond her looks. The voice cast also does an overall superb job. Peter Cullen IS Prime, and although his dialogue does border on the ridiculous, he always has a sense of gravity to his lines. Hugo Weaving also does an equally commendable job as Megatron (His booming entrance will forever be embedded into the minds of little kids everywhere). The rest of the transformers don't say much, which is a shame because I wanted to see so much more interplay between them (The taunts that Optimus and Megatron yell as their fighting is great stuff).

Another major gripe I have is Bay's ADD editing. Although it does keep the movie constantly moving, it creates some issues with continuity and distracts from some of the action (probably the biggest crime committed in the movie).

I could go on and on about the good things (Bumblebee, Frenzy) and the bad things (Anthony Anderson and his family, forgotten Barricade) and the downright weird things (Dubya's cameo, Sam's friend climbing in a tree). Overall, the film delivers where it really matters. Although I was disappointed, the amount of potential for the sequel (which just got greenlighted) just gets me giddy (is it too much to ask for a tighter script and better acting?)

(Also, the Autobot Assemble scene is one of the coolest things I've seen in theaters in years.)

Sometimes (probably more often than not in this day and age), movies are not meant to be intensely analyzed and picked apart. If one were to do that to "Transformers", the review would likely come back a negative one. However, this flick requires its viewers to be one simple thing: sit back and enjoy the ride! If that can be done, "Transformers" will thoroughly entertain you.

For a basic plot summary, "Transformers" focuses on high school student Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf). While leading a relatively normal teenage life and trying to get the "hot girl" of his dreams Mikaela Barnes (Megan Fox), Sam is swept into an invasion of Earth by the evil Decepticons transformer robots. Allying with the U.S. government and the benevolent Autobots, Sam becomes central to the action due to his family lineage.

If one could ever classify a film as "whiz-bang", this one be the textbook definition of that statement. It has everything most cinema fans want: pulse-pounding action, cool gadgets, romance, and a script that never takes a down moment...the action is always moving forward.

What makes "Transformers" a truly quality experience, however, is the fact that the plot and characters contain a great deal of heart. The plot isn't Shakespeare, of course, but who can't relate to "good vs. evil"? LaBeouf is absolutely perfect as Witwicky, while Fox turned herself into a national sex symbol simply by playing "that hot girl from high school that all the boys lusted over" & leaning over the engine of a car (!). Again, a set of characters that most individuals can relate to.

Overall, "Transformers" will sweep you away if you can let it. Instead of nit-picking or analyzing "the small stuff", this is one to "get your popcorn ready" for!

Steven Spielberg and Michael Bay team up for the exciting and action packed blockbuster Transformers. Earth becomes caught up in a war between two groups of alien robots that have come in search of a device that gave life to their planet. That cast includes Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, John Turturro, and Jon Voight, who all bring a certain charisma to the film. But the real stars of the film are the special effects, which are amazing. And Michael Bay does an excellent job at delivering high energy action sequences that are visually stunning. The writing is exceptionally poor and the film goes on for far too long, but the action and the visual effects keep the audience engaged. Transformers is messy and cheesy, and sophomoric...but it's also a lot of fun and immensely entertaining.