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good movie best fx nicely directedThe movie switches between very vicious-looking battle scenes (watch for the showdown between Optimus Prime and Bone Crusher on the highway; it drew cheers from my audience) and some funny scenes with the human characters. The government stuff can be a little tiresome, and a menacing but apparently bumbling branch of the government called Sector 7 does very little except pad the running time. But the second you begin to get bored, there's another piece of fan service and a giant fight to pull you right back in. The bar has been raised for special effects here: the Autobots and Decepticons feel heavy and absolutely real in every frame they're in. There are long, lingering shots of the models in full light, and I couldn't find a CGI character that pulled me out of the movie or made me think I was seeing something that wasn't actually there. This isn't only a special effects film though: it's safe to say the careers of Shia LaBeouf and Josh Duhamel have been made by this movie, as they both provide exactly the film needs with expert, precise performances.Read full review
Pretty much almost every male kid who grew up during the 80's were glued to their TV sets on weekday afternoons watching just one thing. They were watching one of the best cartoon shows on TV which also happened to be Hasbro Toys' most popular line of toys at that time. I am talking about Transformers. I know I was pretty much hooked on the show with its tale of good versus evil as the noble leader (who also happened to be a Mack truck) Optimus Prime led his Autobots against the evil robot that was Megatron and his Decepticons. It had lots of fighting, explosions and most of all, it had toys of every Transformer in the show for kids to re-enact such battles. In 1986 the first Transformers movie (animated) came out and pretty much scarred every kid who was ever a fan of the show for life as their beloved characters actually died on-screen to make way for a new generation of Transformers. Let's just say that as much as I enjoyed the original movie I also hated it. It is now 2007 and Michael Bay, Steven Spielberg and ILM have concocted a live-action version of Transformers. To say that this movie has erased some of the bad taste left by the first animated film is quite an understatement. What we have in this live-action Transformers is nothing less than pure robot-versus-robot carnage and mayhem done so well that it more than makes up for the weak story and the uneven performances from the cast. Michael Bay's hand truly shows as his handle on the sturm und drang he's well-known for matches well with the premise of giant alien robots fighting each other with no thought for collateral damage to populace and property. Unlike, his previous films he actually holds himself back from using his usual tricks of using low-angled slo-mo scenes too much and the ultra quick editing style which makes his movies sometimes difficult to keep up with. Again, it might be Spielberg's influence in addition to Bay actually growing as a filmmaker to thank for this. The action scenes wouldn't be as great as it was if it wasn't for the work of ILM and its team of computer animators. The Autobots and Decepticons look so real that they join Gollum and Davey Jones as fully-realized CGI-characters who blend into the scene as if they're made of real flesh and blood. In the case of the Transformers made of steel, oil and rubber. Their battles from the Hoover Dam all the way to the nearby Mission City didn't look artificial. There's a sense of weight and depth to the battle. It atually looked like the city with it's small humans was actually being ripped apart by these giant robots. Industrial, Light and Magic truly deserve every award they'll get come awards time. In the past it was said that a live-action Transformers would come off as cheesy and fake, but technology and the expert use of it by ILM's team of artisans has made it a reality. Transformers really brings the word blockbuster and brings it like storm and thunder. There's no other way to say it than this was a movie which was a kickass rollercoaster ride with just enough human interaction to keep it from becoming cartoonish. It's not a perfect film as the weak script and uneven performances by most of the cast would show, but it's all balanced out by the work put in by Shia LaBeouf and the action scenes with the Transformers that this movie marks the highlight of the 2007 summer blockbuster season. Michael Bay has finally found the one film he looks to be tailor-made to do.Read full review
The effects are certainly special, but if you're looking for smart plot, snappy dialogue and sharp character development, look elsewhere. There's nothing involving, suspenseful or memorable here, beyond all the transformational snap-crackle-pop. The family is especially unbelievable, which is a big disappointment for a Spielberg-produced film. His movies feature complex, credible family dynamics, which make us care what happens next. Two specific complaints: Why give these 'bots such a strong handle on slanguage, only to cast it aside in favor of clunky mechanical blather about bravery and courage? This was a golden opportunity for good dialogue...squandered. Also, what sense does it make, when you're being hunted by enormous killing machines, to decide to hide in a city? It certainly ups the potential for a high body count and devastation for devastation's sake, I guess, yet it only adds to the narrative incoherence. Ultimately, I could look beyond such details, if only I cared about these characters. This is summer popcorn, but it needed better writing.Read full review
There is no denying Director Michael Bay ('Bad Boys', 'The Rock', 'Armaggedon', 'Pearl Harbor', 'Bad Boys II') has a talent for "Over-The-Top", CGI-enhanced theatrics. After misfiring with 'The Island', Bay got back-to-roots with "Transformers", a high-octane symphony of machine battling, explosions and itense cinematography; all the while blowing everything to pieces. "Transformers" opens when U.S. Soldiers on a base in Qatar find themselves under a sudden and merciless assault. The foe is eventually revealed to be Extraterrestrial; part of the Murderous Decepticon Robot Race. In a powerfully effective scene it gets the movie off hard. Then begins the introduction of single teenager, Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf). Visiting a used car lot with his Dad (Kevin Dunn), the high school nerd falls in love with a rusting Camaro. The hunk of junk has a strange quirk: its radio has a habit of turning on spontaneously to tacky old pop songs that oddly befit whatever situation Sam finds himself in. But when Sam thinks that someone has stolen the heap; he tracks it to a rail yard, where he discovers it's most bizarre kink when it transforms into a robot. Though the Soldiers in Qatar; and Sam back in the 'Burbs' don't realize it yet, they are the early unwitting recruits into the Robot Wars between the Evil Decepticons and the Benevolent Autobots. The Decepticons prefer to transform into Helicopters and Cop Cars. The Autobots, led by Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen), have a much more refined aesthetic, preferring to transmute into items like Sam's "bitchin'" Camaro. They also have far more expressive personalities. Motivation also divides the Robots. The Decepticons want to lay waste to the Planet in their quest to take over the Universe. Optimus Prime, on the other hand, makes pronouncements about how the Autobots, hope to "Bring Peace to this Planet,". Of course, the Autobots' idea of promoting peace is to throw down with the Decepticons in the middle of Downtown Los Angeles, destroying buildings, cars, and anything else that gets caught in the middle., in Apocolyptic Cinematographic Glory. Extremely entertaining in it's explosive way, it follows a formula as successful as 'Godzilla' while being as up-to-date as the 'Terminator' Series. Thanks also to LaBeouf's grounded performance; who helps continue to add significant human characters in "Transformers". Good To Have You Back, Michael Bay.... And The "Big Productions" reminiscent of our first flirts with "Independance Day", "Armageddon", "The Day After Tomorrow", "War of the Worlds".... and more !! SEE THIS !!!!Read full review
Based on the Hasbro toy line that initially captivated kids in the 1980s, director Michael Bay’s TRANSFORMERS finds two warring bands of shape-shifting alien robots renewing their intergalactic conflict on Earth. While the Decepticons, followers of the malevolent Megatron (voiced by Hugo Weaving), strive to take over the planet, the Autobots, led by the valiant Optimus Prime (voiced by Peter Cullen), are intent on protecting humanity. When young Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) discovers that his new car is really the Autobot Bumblebee (voiced by Mark Ryan), it sets the stage for a massive giant-robot showdown. A shining example of the Hollywood summer blockbuster at its best, TRANSFORMERS combines stunning CGI effects and thrilling action sequences with drama, humor, and a touch of romance. Featuring a large cast that includes Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Jon Voight, John Turturro, Anthony Anderson, and Rachael Taylor, the film is anchored by LaBeouf, who always displays an engaging Everyman charm, whether he’s running from colossal robots, interacting with his well-meaning parents (hilariously played by Kevin Dunn and Julie White), or pining for his gorgeous classmate (Megan Fox). While some TRANSFORMERS purists may be dismayed by certain aspects of this bold big-screen adaptation (Bumblebee is a Camaro instead of a Volkswagen), the movie balances its spectacle with an admirable amount of substance, giving it an appeal far beyond pre-teen boys and their nostalgic Autobot-loving elders.Read full review
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