Waiting 20+ years For This Movie..

Rating: 9/10 (5 July 2007)

I went to see Transformers today.. a little fearful. I had been hearing bad things from critics about the movie. Keep in mind.. Transformers were my bread and butter when I was a kid. Ever since they first came on the scene in the early 80's, I've followed them through their various incarnations. And some of them were just gawdawful. And now it's 2007, 20+ years since the very first series. I loved it. ~There is action from the very first, when Blackout lands in the military base, and you know something bad is coming. And he dishes it out. ~I was afraid that the way Bumblebee communicated would be cheesy.. but it was actually very cute. I liked it. ~You could feel Megatron's contempt for the humans, even uttering 'fleshling' once. Love it. ~The little comedic opportunities by the Autobots weren't awkward either, most were genuinely funny. The different personalities of each Autobot stood out. ~Megan Fox is so hot. ~I didn't like the fact there was one death.. I'll say no more to prevent spoilers. ~Shia was REALLY great in this. He was the quintessential awkward kid who wants to try and get the attention of the local hot babe. In this he's such a great performer, very convincing. And the way he and Bumblebee bonded during the movie was really very touching. When Bumblebee was being captured by Sector 7, very cool. ~Megan Fox is so hot. ~I really need to make comment on Optimus Prime. A lot of people complained about his overall looks (ZOMG WHY DOES HE HAVE The FLAMEZ?!). I happen to like the way he looks, the way they all look now in this redesign. But more than that.. 20 years later, Optimus Prime is STILL the man. He just is. He is the true heroic archetype to me. When Ironhide asks why they need to protect humans (he doesn't see them as worth it at first), Prime speaks with a real wisdom. Over and over he demonstrates just why he's the leader.
If you're a fan at all of the Transformers, in any of it's incarnations, I really recommend this movie. Literally everyone I've spoken to who has seen it (9 people and counting) said they love it, and most have seen it at least twice. If you're a fan of big (in scale and cost) movies, then this could be very pleasing for you. It's an unconventional alien invasion movie. Think Independence Day (the non-suckass parts), mixed with some great car chases, the scale of Jurassic Park, and add a little dash of E.T., and you have a summer blockbuster.