Michael Bay gives 'More Than Meets The Eye'

Rating: 8/10 (1 July 2007)

A generation has grown and introduced it's favorite 'robots in disguise' to the next generation.
Director Micheal Bay gave us such summer family films as "Armaggedon", "The Rock", and "Bad Boys". Here he turns his attention to lovingly updating a childhood classic that earned only moderate acclaim in it's own time.
Don't get me wrong, I was one of the kids that have followed the evolution of the Autobots and Decepticons as well as the Insecticons and the Constructicons and whatever those silly human-sized robots were.
Even as an adult, I have an Autobot decal on the side of my car (that has been there two years) and am wearing the Transformers shirt I have owned for several years as well.
So I approach the movie understanding many will have different interpretations on a fondly remembered favorite. Further, Bay had his doubts about helming what he perceived to be a children's movie.
All this considered, you will approach the first half as a uniquely fun little romp as "Sam" contends with a car that seems to cause him nothing but trouble. As the movie progresses, a Bay-style gritty fight for survival emerges, pitting Decepticon metal against human mettle as a squad of elite soldiers join Sam and his newfound interest in holding off the red-eyed bad guys to help Optimus Prime and the Autobots. Their ensuing battle decimates a downtown.
As a side-note, the product placement division was hard at work, but enticingly vague, leading you to think more subliminally about what you saw. Without divulging too much, a fleeting example involves a machine that shoots cans of soda. If we must endure placement, execs take heed, this is the way to do it.
I value that some distribution exec somewhere saw fit to allow a preview of it to military theaters, but they would tear their hair out if could have anticipated even half of the abysmal screening conditions at the Ft Lewis movie theater;
-the movie is stopped several seconds in so the projectionist could threaten the audience.
-the second reel was loaded backwards and had to be stopped and reloaded.
-the projector lens pops out more than once and needs to be refocused each time.
-the light level seems to waver throughout the movie.
While the screening conditions were deplorable, you cannot beat a military crowd and it's family for cheering and gasping at all the right places.
Great news; James Earl Jones has been signed to voice and discussions are underway for a sequel in two years. For Transformers fans, this sensation is 'more than meets the eye'.