A movie you want to like more than you can.

Rating: 7/10 (14 July 2007)

Since this film is directed by Michael Bay, I went in expecting it to be terrible. And it wasn't terrible. Just sloppy.
The strongest element of this film was the story line. The pacing is very nice, and with the exception of the opening sequence dragging on a bit, the film flowed exceptionally well. Unfortunately there were many flaws in the script that really brought down the quality of the film. The most noticeable problem was the dialogue. You have to feel bad for actors when they are given lines drawn from a hat, which get used over and over again, and have to make them come out naturally. A lot of the dialogue seemed forced and unnecessary. Many of these lines could be simply cut, for the words say things that we already understand the characters are thinking or feeling. There were also secondary plot lines that were introduced and not sufficiently wrapped up. The stories of some characters were left up in the air.
The characters also were greatly underdeveloped. The only human character who the audience begins to care about is Sam (Shia LaBeouf). Everyone else is, simply put, just there to push a wheel-barrel. The Transformers draw more sympathy from the audience, which may or may not have been the intention of the filmmakers.
Shia LaBeouf does stand out among the cast. He has a great deal of talent and is excellent in the film, considering what the script gave him to work with. Hopefully this will open the door for him to do some really promising work in future films.
Anyone who studies film knows about the reputation of director Michael Bay. He has a knack for being flashy, focusing all of his attention on the look of the film. In this film, he continues to show that he has a hard time giving actors helpful direction, as well utilizing an effective array of shot selections. He seems to not understand the idea of motivated shot selection, where the tone of the scene dictates what shot should be used. Not every angle of a character needs to be a close-up, which Bay always overuses. This is unfortunate, because if he could have progressed his directing skills, this film could have been very special. But with so much attention on creating a flashy, CGI driven spectacular, a good story was left misunderstood.
As for the special effects, a lot of effort went into creating the Transformers and the action sequences. It does look very nice, but in my opinion, the CGI seemed to be a crutch to hide otherwise poor cinematography and principle photography. The images seem to detract eyes from very unrealistic lighting. There was also a noticeable discrepancy between the CGI and effects done in photography (i.e. some explosions, debris, etc). The filmmakers obviously could not destroy downtown Los Angeles, but it seems very clear that the structures were in a completely different layer from the CGI. Maybe I am a stickler, but this made the film seem even more sloppy to me. The impression is that principle photography was rushed just so the robots could steal the show in the end.
But technical stuff aside, the film is largely enjoyable. There is a great deal of humor (some fitting, some pointless) to keep the audience entertained during the "slow" portions of the film. And like I said earlier, the storyline keeps the audience at attention as well. And as far as epic Science Fiction films go, Transformers is able to stand the test of time. The idea of aliens being at war with aliens, and Earth is caught in the crossfire, is an idea that has not been exhausted like many sci-fi themes. It is a fresh take on the "interstellar war" story.
To conclude, the average movie-goer will likely enjoy this film at face value. Those with a more intense eye in film making will undoubtedly have a lot of criticism. But for me, this was at least the most enjoyable film by Michael Bay thus far, and I have to say that I am glad that I saw it.