The greatest movie ever made. Ever.

Rating: 10/10 (2 June 2009)

I have never sat silent in a theater as the credits rolled on a movie I had just enjoyed. I usually clap, or laugh, or talk excitedly to my friends about it. With this one, I needed a minute to savor the emotions I was feeling. I had, for the first time in my life, felt true love for something other than a woman.
This is a truly great film. Compared to this movie, No Country For Old Men, another film I like, is garbage.
The visual effects are spectacular even if you don't understand the complexity of either getting the right shot or creating the CGI necessary to make it look real. Any and all flaws about lighting or the transition of sunlight are pathetic compared to the visual masterpiece they ultimately created. These robots look real! The fights look real. The characters react to them as if they were real.
People criticize the stupidity of the film. Yes, it is stupid. So?
The film flows well; every scene not only works, but helps to explain the situation a bit more, helps to reveal a bit more about the characters,and helps to move the story along. So what if we don't find out about the global reaction to alien robots fighting a war on our planet; you're already complaining about how long the movie is! I did not grow up on the original Transformers; I had to settle for the toys and the Beast Wars show; but I still loved the mythology. This film captures it perfectly, accentuating the most important themes without complicating things with unnecessary dialog and explanations (ahem, Episode I...).
My favorite element? The score! No film's music has ever captured my attention like this one. I still hum the damn tune as I walk my dog each night. The producers realized that they had struck gold; watch the trailers for the second movie; the music and sounds are mostly the same.
This is a great film! Great on television, yes, but it will never be the same if you do not watch it in theaters. I saw it three times there, and I will do at least as much when Revenge of the Fallen comes out.
See this movie!
Michael