A dazzling entertainment for the summer !

Rating: 8/10 (30 July 2007)

I grew up watching the cartoon series "Transformers" in the 80s. The protagonist in the cartoon, "Optimus Prime" , was my childhood hero. He was the leader of the valiant Autobots (Autonomous Robotic Organisms) which opposed the tyranny of the evil Decepticons, led by Megatron, on the planet Cybertron. Optimus Prime was a noble king, much like King Arthur, who displayed affection and compassion for others. He was a born-leader who was willing to sacrifice himself for the service of freedom and liberty. I always remember his catchphrase- "Freedom is the right of all sentient beings".
When I found out that my beloved cartoon series in the 80s would be adapted into a live action movie, I was thrilled beyond words. Finally, after all the waiting, Transformers was released in Hong Kong last week. I attended a screening on its opening night and the movie did not let me down.
First and foremost, this movie is not going to win the Academy award for best picture because it is not supposed to win any. It is a pop-corn action flick and it delivers more than that. It is a glorious and dazzling entertainment for the summer!
Unlike the cartoon series back in the 80s, this motion picture is a live action movie which is set in real life settings in the 21st century. All the robots in the movie are generated by computer imagery which seamlessly blend in with the live action elements. The CGI work in the movie is groundbreaking and sets the new benchmark for modern film making. Watching real cars, trucks and fighter jets transforming into robots is truly an eye opening experience. The robots look photo realistic and their transformations on the big screen are stunning beyond my expectations. It is a pure joy to watch them interacting with humans and battling their hearts out on the big screen. Suffice to say, this movie lays the foundation for the advancement of CGI work in the modern cinema.
For those of you who are action movie buffs, this movie surely will not disappoint you. This movie plays at a fanatic pace which provides an adrenaline surge for more than 2 and a half hours. The action simply grabs you and does not let go. Unfortunately (albeit inevitably), the plot and the human characters have to play second fiddle to the robots and their non-stop action sequences. There is simply not enough screen time for all the characters. The screenplay is serviceable in the sense that it helps advance the story forward but it is certainly not of Oscar caliber. I also think the writer tried to put too many robot characters into the movie as a result of which there is not enough character development of the robots other than Optimus prime and Bumblebee.
This movie is in essence about a boy and his first car (which turns into an alien robot). I have no doubt that the gifted Shia Laboeuf, who plays the boy "Sam Witwicky", will have a very bright future in cinema ahead of him. His spontaneous acting with his natural sense of humor carries the movie on his back.
One critic said if it's true that there's an 8-year-old boy inside every man, "Transformers" is just the ticket to bring the kid out. How true. My 8 year old self had his adrenalin bumping when he saw his childhood hero Optimus Prime transforming from a truck into a gigantic robot for the first time on the big screen in more than 20 years.
Please check out my review of the 2006 feature film Miami Vice directed by the Academy Award Nominee Michael Mann http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0430357/board/flat/53105610