a film of its age...

Rating: 8/10 (18 July 2007)

Well I have just watched the Transformers movie in the Republic of Korea and I was very impressed with the look and feel of the movie. The action is plentiful and spectacular, the computer-generated robots are superbly detailed as they transform and the actors' performances are great. The story is easy to follow, the pacing is good and two-hours fly by. A well deserved 8/10.
BUT...this movie scores a 2/10 for honesty, fairness and integrity. It's very sad that so many children, with impressionable young minds, will watch this movie and believe it's propaganda.
The movie, which is masquerading as a 'summer blockbuster', stinks of neo-corporate American and neo-conservative ideology ..!! I left the movie theater feeling like I had just watched a recruiting commercial for the US armed services, American family values and for wanton consumerism. It's quite understandable - that parts of the movie must be pro-military - because many scenes involve equipment (such as planes, tanks etc) and personnel. They would never have been done to such a high calibre, I suspect, without the assistance of the US Defence Department. But it's the overt use of current events together with images of the military might of America which leaves a bad taste in the mouth.
For instance, before the Tranformers are first revealed, China, North Korea and Iran are all mentioned as the potential threat! The audience is then treated to scenes of American Battle fleets with aircraft carriers and attack ships steaming across the oceans. There is no diplomacy or meetings, the movie is showing us that America will always use 'might-is-right' action when a threat is detected. Which to the average low-expectation Homo Sapiens will be just another reinforcement of America's homeland security operations.
Likewise the clever use of vehicles and electrical appliances just repeatedly reinforces a glorious view of machines and technology. I wonder how many audiences members want a cell phone, car or computer like those seen in the movie! At one point, a vehicle produces a vast amount of dirty smoke, which just drifts off into atmosphere!!
As my friend noted, if the bad Transformers wanted to take over the world, they shouldn't have bothered fighting, they should have just driven around in their vehicles forms for the next few years. Bye bye Ozone!! Bye Bye humans!! I would go on, but I am bored, so to conclude....
If you believe that American foreign policy, American military deployment and America's attitude towards the environment are correct, then Transformers is an ideologically sound movie. But if you believe the world could be better without the current American administration then this movie will grate.
Particularly the home-spun ending!!