This summer belongs to the Autobots

Rating: 9/10 (11 July 2007)

I only watched a little bit of the '80s cartoon as a kid, but that was enough to turn me into a die-hard fan of the Autobots and Decepticons. Though, I must admit, when I first saw the original trailer way back when, I groaned. Transformers the live-action movie? This is gonna bomb.
Ha.
Transformers is Michael Bay's most recent masterpiece, breaking box office records around the globe. And the best part of the movie is that it doesn't take itself too seriously. It truly is a nerd's dream come true.
If you're a fan of the show, then you know what's going down: the Decepticons (the evil alien robots) are looking for the All Spark cube, the source of life from their home planet Cybertron. Now, these robots are bad-ass and, when the US government starts getting suspicious, they aren't afraid to bring on the smack down.
This brings us to Sam Witwicky, played by the now-famous Shia LaBeouf. He's just an ordinary loser-like kid who doesn't know how to talk to girls, LadiesMan217 is his screen name, and is just getting his first car: a yellow 1974 Camaro. Quickly, Sam realizes that there's more to his car than meets the eye.
The special effects are the best I've seen so far in any movie (second only to Davey Jones in the Pirates series). When you first see an actual transformation, you will be on the edge of your seat, jaw dropped to the floor. The battles are intense, and the car chases are just fantastic knowing that the cars are really giant robots in disguise. The acting is top notch, especially Shia (who is quickly becoming a favorite of mine) and his counter actress, Megan Fox. The dialogue constantly flows whenever they are in a scene together, which, thankfully, is often.
The only character that I felt was unnecessary and was Anthony Anderson's character, a large, nerdy computer hacker who assists in decoding the Decepticon's messages (long story). He was annoying and clearly placed into the movie for comic relief, which Shia took care of fine all by himself.
The story is pretty out-there, and it will take some suspension of belief to take in everything, but the movie is staying as true to the original cartoon without being too silly. For that, I give the cast and crew complete respect.
The movie does seem a bit long, especially if you're seeing it for the second time, but it truly is the most fun you'll have at the movies all summer. And, really, who can resist going to hear Peter Cullen back as Optimus Prime? Seriously?