Movie #179 - Transformers

Title: Transformers

Director: Michael Bay

Release Year: 2007

Plot Summary: A war re-erupts on Earth between two robotic factions, the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons, leaving the fate of mankind hanging in the balance.

Thoughts: Whenever anyone asked me if I was excited about this movie, my unchanging response was "cautiously optimistic." I've been a Transformers nut since I was about four years old, so knowing that Michael Bay was turning it into a huge explosive Fourth-of-July epic definitely left me feeling more than a bit leery.

Now, with that said, I have to admit that it's a fun film. If you remind yourself that this is pretty much a rebooting of the concept, and ignore the gaping plotholes that are inherent in any Michael Bay movie, there's not much room for more than nitpicking. Even Shia LeBeouf is surprisingly non-annoying - though it must be said that John Turturro's character (uncharacteristically) more that makes up for it. Blessedly, Turturro isn't in nearly as much of the movie, though. And the other actors are, if not amazing, at least inoffensive.

Voice acting: Peter Cullen is, if not God, at least vaguely Goddish. I can't imagine anyone else as the voice of Optimus Prime, and thank goodness I didn't have to. And Hugo Weaving as Megatron? Turned out amazingly perfect. None of the other ones really jumped out at me.

So, you knew it was coming: my two major complaints. One, Frenzy. Ye gods that little robot was so abysmally unfunny. I guess other people really liked him, but I thought that playing him for comedic value just flat Didn't Work. My other major issue was actually special-effects related; I know most people seemed to be in utter awe of the CGI, but I found that the character design for the Transformers occasionally made it very difficult to distinguish them from their surroundings and especially from each other. Visually it made the big climactic fight scenes rather hard to follow, at least in my opinion.

Anyways, all that aside - I liked it. Surprising, to me most of all, but I liked it.

Recommendations: A more-than-suitable summer blockbuster. Don't go into it with unreasonably high expectations, and you should enjoy yourself immensely.