Not the most involving movie, but highly enjoyable nonetheless.

Rating: 7/10 (16 January 2010)

I got to see Transformers....not to be confused with Transformers: The Movie, the 1986 animated film that leaves a couple of continuity mistakes with this recent flick (as does the original show and comics). headed by Michael Bay as director and Steven Spielberg as exec. producer, this recent summer blockbuster is a modern day "rebuilding", if you will, of the 80's cartoon many of my generation loved as a child (and still do today, in some cases). some changes have been made to bring this concept in the real world, yet the general love for the Transformers remains intact. even if the intentions were higher than the result.
Transformers' storyline follows around a teenage boy (Shia LaBeouf) leading a normal teenage lifestyle while trying to woo the girl of his dreams (Megan Fox), or, more likely, his fantasies. his dad buys him a car from a used car dealer (a small cameo by Bernie Mac). the car he ends up getting turns out to be a giant robot, which engages in a battle with another robot. eventually, more robots land on Earth and meet up with the boy to find a pair of glasses that may hold the key to the planet's future. the leader, Optimus Prime (brought to life once again by Peter Cullen) explains that there are two races of robotic beings: the benevolent, heroic Autobots and the evil, destructive Decepticons. Prime explains that the source of all their power comes from a cube called the AllSpark, and that the Decepticons plan to use it to conquer everything. meanwhile, the Decepticons have already crept into disguise amongst the human world and are seeking to release their tyrannical leader, Megatron (voiced by Hugo Weaving, of V For Vendetta, The Matrix, and The Lord Of The Rings).
and so and so forth continues into some of the most eye-popping CGI action scenes we've seen to date. seriously, the special digital effects for Spider-Man 3, Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End, and Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer combined don't even hold a candle to the sheer amazing attention to detail put forth in Transformers. I still revel in the fact that we've brought cinematic technology into reality as far as we probably can since seeing this movie so many days ago. i'd always wondered what real-life version of my favorite cartoons would look like, but i'd never have believed that it was going to be like this. the characters are also as interesting to watch as the CGI that brings them to life. the Autobots (namely Optimus Prime and Ironhide) have some really great characterization, and the Decepticons (or rather, Megatron and StarScream) act just as one would imagine them. one by one, the action scenes blast you out of the seat. there's also some really good humor here, as well as some fine voice acting. and trust me, it could have been bad. don't complain about Frank Welker not doing a voice-over. what might be most appealing to some fans is the dialog that parallels the mood and memorable moments of the original cartoons and movie. overall, the best features about this film are the CGI wonders and the tiny details they put into the film. what's really excellent though, is the film's instrumental score. i'm not sure who wrote or composed it, but it's nigh perfect in compliance with the movie's atmosphere.
but, like every other movie, it has it's bad points. where Transformers really suffers is strangely enough in it's concept execution. now, i'm not saying that this wasn't a good movie. I think it's a great movie. it's just that this is a realistic version of a 1980's cartoon about cars and jets and other machines that turned into giant robots with laser pistols. it's not exactly the kind of flick you'd think was a surefire thing. because of this, everyone is going to go into this movie - hardcore fans, casual fans, newcomers, nostalgics, people who couldn't give a sh*t about anything Transformers-related before this movie - with something different in their minds. not necessarily expectations, but more of what they want this movie to be. in turn, this mind frame is going to cause of a lot of disappointment for a lot of people, in various ways. for me, Transformers was a little too "open". it leaves lots and lots of space for the already-in-production two sequels, but I don't think that that's such a good thing. sure, it means more robotic butt-kickery, but do we really need another good-movie-turned-franchise to wear down into the ground until there's nothing left? weren't Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, X-Men, and Jurassic Park enough? another bad point about Transformers is the human acting. sometimes it's very good, sometimes it's too cheesy for it's own good. sometimes we get some good characterization, sometimes we get a throwaway character with no substance or value to the film (i'm thinking directly of the pointless jab at George W. Bush and Jon Voight's all-commanding Secretary of Defense). overall, the acting is inconsistent. Shia's very good, and fun to watch, but Fox provides nothing more than a tantalizing body to drool over. there are some minor annoyances of mine, but I won't go into them since they'll probably be mine alone and don't really take away from the film. except for the fact that the movie ends with Shia making out with Megan on top of Bumblebee, who's pretty much his best friend by the end of the movie. way to let your pal in on the action, there, kid. cue Prime's excellent ending speech.
basically, Transformers is a fun ride, well-worth the admission price (or possibly even two or three) and by far one of the best films of the summer. a welcome change from all the lackluster disappointments of other summer blockbusters this year, and without a doubt one of Michael Bay's best.