Michael Bay, I was wrong

Rating: 8/10 (28 June 2007)

Yes, I was one of those guys who thought this movie was doomed when Bay's name was mentioned. How wrong I was.
What a ****ing spectacular movie! Forget the rest, THIS is the movie extravaganza of the year, and without a doubt redeems Michael Bay in my eyes. As one of those fanboys who's bile caught in my throat when I heard Bay was the man in charge, I now humbly admit my mistake.
The film begins in spectacular fashion, with a brief voice-over from Optimus Prime going over the basics to get us going, followed by the attack on the army base in the middle east that we have seen in trailers. This opening scene for me is one of the most visually spectacular openings I've witness, and had great tension, followed by incredible action. It really gets you into the headspace for what to expect from this movie.
We then meet Sam Witwicky (Lebouf), who is searching for his first car with his old man (again, as seen in the trailer), with a great cameo from Bernie Mac. Lebouf is actually very strong in this film, and expertly plays the uncomfortable teen who at first seems out of his depth with what is happening around him, but gradually grows as the film progresses. As for Megan Fox, well, let's just say she had very little to do other than get dirty and sweaty, and occasionally show some girl power. Considering the subject matter, performances are pretty solid throughout. Especially from Turturro who plays what can only be described as a ****ing nut-job CIA type. Yes there is some tacky dialogue, way-too-obvious product placement and stuff that has you rolling your eyes in disbelief, but at the same time there is some great humour and really poignant moments at times. I thought the acting was perfect for the type of film this is.
But enough about the meatbags, onto the real stars. Visually these guys look incredible. Some of the best VFX you will ever see in a movie, and the action sequences left me speechless. My only beef is that we don't see a whole lot of the decepticons after the first 1/3 of the film, and Megatron and Starscream only appear at the end. Much more time is devoted to the autobots, and perhaps a bit too much time. But I can't lie and say I didn't feel giddy seeing that blue truck entering through the smokey darkness. The climax of the film is a sight to behold, as the autobots and decepticons tear the **** out of central LA. Overall the visual effects and action are truly unbelievable, and still have me more than a little speechless. I suggest you go and see for yourself.
No doubt this film will have its haters, but I absolutely loved every second of it. It was most definitely Transformers in body and spirit.