User reviews

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

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.)

Worth seeing again. Top-class science fiction. Lots of action and wild scenes .. Great movie in the beginning of the zeros.

I watched this film at an advanced screening in New Zealand. I loved Transformers as a child, but was not a die hard fan, so I did not complain over the changes. However, I had decent expectations for this movie as people were saying it's better than expected.

I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. However, it did fall a little flat on what I expected it to be. It's Michael Bay, ladies and gents, don't expect anything more.

Transformers begins with the reason for the alien robots' existence. How the all important AllSpark (essentially the life giver) was lost into the vacuum of space after the robots divided between good and evil. Falling onto Earth, a handful of these entities travelled the galaxy to find this all important device. Great premise, but how about the execution? Visually, the film is astounding. ILM have outdone themselves once again and have created top notch visuals for others to measure up to. The robots look real, feel weighty yet elegant, and with every Bay movie, there are explosions. And what beautiful explosions they are. This is complemented with a hit-and-miss musical score. At times, the score is cinematic brilliance. At other times, you wonder why Linkin Park was included, when sequences with emotional pieces are suddenly juxtaposed with the current Billboard Hot 100.

The acting is competent. I thought that with a cast mostly compromised of underwear models and hip hop artists, I would be disappointed. Shia LaBeouf (Sam Witwicky), Josh Duhamel (Cpt. Lennox), Tyrese Gibson (Sgt. Epps), and even Megan Fox (Mikaela) delivered surprisingly well. Even with Jon Voigt in the cast, you cannot see a distinct line in ability between the seasoned vet and relative new comers. But although the acting was top notch, it was severely hampered by the script.

The script, to put it frankly, does not take itself seriously. At all. Firstly, there was a lack of story. Autobots and Decepticons want the AllSpark. One wants to defend it. The other wants to use it. Battle. Fin. Secondly, I could not remember one scene that did not have some humorous one liner put in to make the audience laugh. Even in the most grave of sequences, did some joker blurt out something (admittedly) funny, making you wonder "Wait.... Earth's in danger, and you're cuing for a crash on the drums?!" Some of the script was clever, and in the parts which were appropriately funny, hit the nail on the head (Shia LaBeouf is a child prodigy in comedy).

Transformers. Everyone wants to know "What about the Transformers?". Well, personally, they were simply awesome. They could have been more 2D than they were and I still would have liked them. Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Jazz, Frenzy, Ratchet... Megatron, Starscream, Bonecrusher, Barricade and Ironhide -- they were masterfully put on film.

However, only two of those actually got a decent amount of character development -- Bumblebee and Optimus Prime. Bumblebee, being the first Transformer Sam sees, and Optimus, of course gets plenty of screen time being the Autobot leader. It's a shame that the Decepticons were only there to be the "bad guys", even Megatron. It would have definitely benefited the movie if all the robots were fleshed out and given some emotional attachment to the crowd. It doesn't, and this does have a few repercussions towards the end of the movie. Nevertheless, it was enjoyable to see them wreak havoc in different countries, and with the inevitable sequel, one can only hope that we get to know more about these "loveable" mechanical beings.

It is definitely the must see summer flick of the year, and whilst not Oscar material, it is one of the best 'popcorn' movies of recent times.

7.5/10

**Upon a second screening, I found the impact of the movie to remain just the same as the first. In certain aspects, that impact heightened. New score 8/10

I enjoyed it. And there were some flaws but i liked it.

It's not a faithful adaptation, that transformers deserves, but now that we have a real Transformers movie, I can appreciate michael bay's first attempt for what it is. "Transformers" gives what you'd expect and it delivers it great, with incredible effects and breathtaking action, but then there's the human stuff, I find it kinda hilarious. A lot of the humans are annoying and others are boring but it's their over the top acting and dumb decision making that keep me entertained. Shia LaBeouf plays Sam Witwicky he is a good enough teen though his motivation for most of the film is Megan Fox. "Transformers" is worth watching just for the Transformers themselves with their ground breaking Transformation animation consisting of hundreds of moving parts and the action is just awesome and it's all it needed to be.

This movie is simply shocking! The story is taken from a children's cartoon and is now turned into an action packed alien take over the world movie. When I was about to see this movie I suddenly got a thought. What if this movie is just another Independence Day and War of the World. It is unmistakable that aliens taking over the world is an idea that has been worn out but what makes this movie shine is the personality. What its predecessors failed to do was give the alien/robot personality which is very different in Transformers. When one of the Autobots get hurt we can actually feel there pain as if they were human because of there developed characters in this movie. If I may say so myself, this is a must see!

i came into this movie expecting a lot and tahnx to the advertising of this film, which barley showed any action, my already high expectations were met! first off the special effects are the best i have ever seen, and the last battle in the city has to be one of the best action scenes ever! no im not an effin campainer, this movie has been out for a year i don't think it needs any more campianing anyway, good cast for the most part except for the three computer nerds, lead by that Australian chick, they were pointless shia labeouff, is the same as always which is a good thing, hes funny and makes the robots believable megan fox is hot, and that alone makes her a good actress LOL anyway i was never a fan of the show, and im still not a fan of the show or toys i just love this movie though if u haven't seen it, why the hell not!

I rewatched this film and even though I'm familiar with the ending,it still gives a refreshing and satisfying experience. Shia protrayed the protagonist very well,a little quirky, clumsy at first meet,but turn out to be loyal, decisive and very protective for his car. His performance was quite natural and smooth that it became a retreat after I watched the newest protagonist's numb acting. And another highlight of this film is the very capable,calm and well-organised Squat team,how amazing when they fight bravely and brilliantly when they first encountered the abnormal enemy. The trust and dedication they have can be seen through those gripping, fast-pacing fighting scenes. And most of all,the Transformers,they are just powerful and reliable. The relationship between them and human is just simple,they took the responsibility to protect and take care of human,and in turn,human gave their help after misunderstandings. A really delightful and worthy rewatching.

Transformers is the one that started them all back in 2007, a massive live-action movie based on the cartoon from the 1980's that so many children watched growing up. This Michael Bay film stars Shia LaBeouf as Sam Witwicky, the every-teenager in the film and the link between the humans and the Autobots in the movies as well. His sidekick and love interest in the film is well played by Megan Fox, as she plays Mikaela Banes, popular girl at the school that Witwicky eventually wins over and the pair eventually teams up to win over the Autobots to help them on their quest against the evil Decepticons. Like with the cartoon of the 1980's, the Decepticons are led by Megatron as he goes head-to-head against Autobot leader Optimus Prime for the allspark, an ultimate power source that - in the wrong hands - could cause certain death to the entire human race. Transformers is very well done by Bay, in fact none of the Transformers live-action movies are poorly made. One of the nice things about the movie franchise is that the transformers themselves get more and more realistic looking as the movie line progresses. Chalk it up to technology in my book, there just seems to be a crisper and tighter picture with each movie as time progresses. Nice performances by Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, and Jon Voight add good human element to the movie. It's a great movie for people of all ages, its fun for the young who might just like the transformers and fun for more mature audiences that may like the drama and humor of the human actors. Transformers, the movie this time, also has a great live soundtrack to it, going back to the days of of movies like Batman Forever where soundtracks by popular bands supplemented great summer movie releases. Great story, great directing, good writing, good acting, great special effects, good sound track, and a great sense of fun make this a good movie to see!! 7 out of 10 stars!!

It's far from a subtle work, and its action definitely takes place of a decent screenplay- but somehow Transformers is just enjoyable and entertaining enough to make for quite a fun ride. First off, needless to say really, the CGI is amazing. Not only does it continue to age rather well, but was certainly very ahead of its time. The acting isn't anything great but Shia LaBeouf, Josh Duhamel, and Megan Fox do prove to be charming leads at times- and are very entertaining to watch- despite their horribly written dialogue at times. The action scenes can feel a bit too drawn out at times, but when it works, it works very well, and it's certainly impressive to see these iconic characters at this scale. Its pacing is decent, its soundtrack is rather fitting. Its cinematography is a bit wonky at times, mainly towards the end, but only puts a small inconvenience on the film in total. In the end, Transformers is a mildly enjoyable action flick that certainly doesn't have as much brains as other films today and of the time- but charms just enough to memorable and at times a rather heartfelt and genuine tribute to the toys and cartoon a whole generation grew up on.

My Rating: 6.8/10.

No one could have shot Transformers better than Michael Bay. The franchise is literally created for Bay. There is nothing in Transformers except for large and spectacular scenes. The plot here generally plays almost no role. The first part was probably the best in the franchise, in 2007 it really looked fresh and interesting.

Just a metal grinder in action scenes. Good idea for this kinda blender vfx movie. Shia is funny here.

Fantasy/action/invasion film. Transformers: The Beginning. The launch of Michael Bay's biggest franchise, which even mentions in the film that it is many times better than another of his works, Armageddon. Excellent directing, performances and plot, but also very good work in effects. An invasion film, with plenty of action, romance, but also a special friendship between the new protagonist and an alien robot - transformer. The story of the transformers into a special realization that if one removed the immature elements of Bay would be truly top notch and much more serious film. However, as a whole it is an excellent transfer of transformers on the big screen, and it is clear that it mainly targets young ages, but not young children. More young and teenagers, but of course also nostalgic of those times with the transformers and of course the entire film audience of the genre of action/invasion. Totally recommended.

1. Idea and plot/dialogues - 0.5 2. Actors and characters - 1 3. Production quality - 1.5 4. How good for its genre - 1 5. Realism/logic - 0.5

6. Wondering - 1 7. Suspense - 0.5 8. Rewatchable - 1 9. Emotions/thoughts - 0.5 10. Perception changer - 0

7.5/10

Linkin Freaking Park! How epic is that? Like c'mon, Linkin Park! Iconic movie moment. Like it just works so well at the end of this movie. There's no reason for any type of credit sequence to hit so hard. Unbelievable. Should this whole review just be about Linkin Park? Is that what the people want? Probably is. Not probably, 100% is. Wow. I'm hyped.

I love this movie. Yeah, it's not a real go-getter, make you laugh make you cry, awards bait nonsense you never hear about until a week before the Oscars. This is just a hell freaking yeah movie. You like robots? Hell yeah! You like cars? Hell yeah! Boom, robot cars! Hell freaking yeah. Giddee up and roll out!

You might feel a bit hesitant to watch a movie about cars and household appliances transforming into robots to save the planet-over and over again-but honestly, I found it pretty engaging. It's true that many scenes could have been trimmed or left out, reducing the 2-hour runtime; however, this would likely have sacrificed some of the humor that actor Shia was also able to bring into the role.

I get the sense that even the filmmakers didn't expect the movie to be as successful as it was, as the ending didn't exactly set things up for a second or third movie. Despite this, they managed to maintain a solid storyline across the sequels, even tying in historical events to explain certain plot points (from the second film onward), so I have no complaints. Very well done!

We all knew the Transformers would be well made, well crafted creatures due to the utter genius that is Industrial Light and Maghic. But its too bad the human element was what bogged this movie down.

Sure, we'll watch the movie, but there was just too much exposition and for us impatient, Ritalin-riddled miscreants of the world, it was excruciating. First of all, the script was pretty lousy. Now I know the guy who wrote this film supposedly wrote X-Men, but lets face it, that was a good seven years ago. There were plenty of things that could have been chopped out of this film. Now I understand the producers wanted to get a little titillation with Raechel Taylor and Megan Fox, but they were both dead weights to the movie and the movement. Without those two, we could get rid of Anthony Anderson, another waste of words, and maybe even expand Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson's roles. Either way, the female element in the film was completely useless. Let's face it, guys watched this cartoon growing up, and we want action, violence and lots of transforming. Who fricking cares if Shia LeBouf's character gets some action. Its completely irrelevant. It would have also been nice to see some conflict between Megatron and Starscream.

The only other thing I didn't like was the awful soundtrack. The strings portion of the film was pretty substandard, borrowing the most generic themes one could possibly imagine. Then there is the random songs and generic heavy metal they try to slip in. It was like the people who mixed the film took a lesson from the dopes that mixed Daredevil, which had an equally awful mixture of CD sales-friendly mixing.

But I digress. For those that had doubts about the transforming, it was put to rest rather quickly. Dazzling to say the least, it was as realistic as one could have hoped for, making the transformations rather cool. ILM must have put their best and brightest on this movie, because it certainly shows. This brilliance alone made up for the bad exposition and substandard characters.

I gave this film a "7" simply because it was entertaining, but they are gonna have to tighten up the screws for future sequels. People won't put up with unnecessary characters and bad music for very long.

I had gone to see Michael Bay's treatment of Transformers with two things in mind. The first was to expect a no-holds-barred action adventure with Bayish cliché's galore and the second was some respect for its source material (namely hardly any plot or decent acting, just big ass robots kicking ten tin cans or crap out of one another). Now, I have not been disappointed. This film gave me everything I expected from a Transformers film directed by said-Bay. Running at nearly 2½ hours Transformers delivers its content fast, hard, loud and hilariously in places.

The return of original Optimus Prime voice actor, Peter Cullen, is a welcome sound to the nostalgic ears and to see the old Gen1 Transformers dukeing it out in spectacular CGI and live action is brilliant.

My only little problems with the film were Megan Fox's character, who I could not care less for (just a nice piece of eye candy for us fella's). Other concerns were with its running time with hardly any development in Transformer character was rather irritating and the typical token black guy who has to talk crap all the time is getting a little tiresome with films now-a-days.

I suppose my hopes for the next Transformers film would be to get a new director (Bay's first films are good but sequels don't always agree with this man), more Transformers and more of their characteristics – particularly Starscream's desire for power over the Decepticons – and less about the humans, they're developed enough thankyou.

Decent film but not enough of the villain for me unfortunately. I did enjoy it though and would definitely watch again. Most of the CGI was good for 2007 and it got me wanting to watch the rest of the franchise. I would recommend to those who haven't seen it before as it is an enjoyable film, especially if you love action.

An average movie. Can be watched just for action...........mm.