Transformers delivers

Rating: 8/10 (5 July 2007)

TRANSFORMERS DELIVERS (Warning: spoilers)
Similar in theme to other Spielberg projects, director Michael Bay never lets Transformers sink into "hopeless impending doom" as did War of the Worlds. This is a lighter, video game of a film.
Humor pervades the screenplay. One could almost classify Transformers as a comedy. However, some gags work better than others. The "bee-otch" air freshener inside Sam's used yellow and black Camaro and male-centric lines like "bro's before ho's" seem to annoy some critics. Apparently they forgot their second decade.
The prodigy computer analyst (played by Rachael Taylor) and the car mechanic love interest (played by Megan Fox) fill out the mostly male cast. Despite overt pin-up poses by both actors, the traditional "woman-in-jeopardy" stereotype is mostly absent.
While there is little development with the other characters, the "Bumblebee" robot and Sam Witwicky (played by Shia LaBeouf) are given a wide space to grow.
Welsey Morris of The Boston Globe describes the scene when the lead character (Sam) brings the robots to his home: "That little actionless sequence, with its playful comedy and light suspense, is a side of the director we haven't seen before. Steven Spielberg is one of this movie's producers, and these scenes imply his influence. The delicate touch on display for these 20 or so minutes, which feel like some of the quieter scenes in the 'Jurassic Park' movies, prove that Bay can do more than crush bones. They also suggest that finesse in a blockbuster might be the most mind-blowing special effect of all."
Bay managed to do two toy movies: "GI Joe" and "Transformers" with a single budget, showcasing some of the newest military technology. At times, the film smells like a propaganda piece. When the Rumsfeldesque character (played by Jon Voight) says, "losing is not an option for these guys," there were both cheers and jeers.
In a climactic moment, Sergeant Lennox (played by Josh Duhamel) tells Sam, "you're a soldier now." This Arthurian scene (from which I did not cringe like some of my viewing-room neighbors) formed the acme of Sam Witwicky's character arc. This is fantasy, after all.
There are so many elegant moments in this film, it is easy to submit to the sledgehammer fireworks and blatant product placement.
It has been a long time since I witnessed an audience ovation while the credits rolled. I was reminded of Indiana Jones, Empire and ET, and it made me want to go play a round of Zaxxon at the 7-11.
We buy our tickets and our overpriced popcorn expecting no less.