Incredible! Amazing! Super!

Rating: 9/10 (28 June 2007)

Incredible! Amazing! Super! These are the superlatives that immediately come to mind to describe this crowd pleaser.
Admittedly, I shared many a Transformers fan's apprehension at having Michael Bay (Armaggedon, Pearl Harbor, The Rock, Bad Boys) direct the film. I'm not particularly a fan of his let's-blow-everything-up style, and most other fans thought he's too old (at 42) to relay their sacred bots' story on the big screen. But despite his cockiness, I'm happy to report that he delivered the goods--and how! Mighty wise of him holding back on the previews, which did not share much of the storyline or even a view of a whole robot; this heightened the anticipation and enhanced the effect of seeing the robots transform seamlessly in all its intricately mixed CGI glory, which really blew the audience away.
The action was non-stop and all original (check out the rollerblading 'bot in one of the many intense car chases--a Bay specialty). The Decepticons were really sleek and scary and looked so much tougher than the colorful, dated-looking Autobots, but of course we always root for the underdog. The filmmakers' were also able to successfully translate emotions to the gigantic robots without making them look cutesy and without sacrificing their 'roots'.
Bay really made the most out of the plot, and considering Transformers' target audience (reminiscing Gen X 30somethings, mostly male), the result is an exciting ride which was also pleasantly funny in parts. Never mind if there were endless plugs on My Little Pony, Furby, Nokia, etc. They only served to honor one of the movie's messages: that old-school is still cool (and that knowing some ancient tactics can definitely help you in a pinch!).
It helped that latest Hollywood hot property Shia LaBeouf (Disturbia, Indiana Jones 4) was likable and had good comic timing, and the staple Bay hottie was played to the hilt by the beautiful Megan Fox. Josh Duhamel (Las Vegas) releases his reliance on his looks to play the leader of the Special Ops team who first gets attacked by the Decepticons.
Autobot leader Optimus Prime has been called one of our generation's strongest father figures, and his fate in this movie will definitely please his fans. You might be surprised to see him with lips in this version, although it is said that in the later Japanese animations, he already had them.
Finally, a summer blockbuster for the year that isn't a sequel and doesn't disappoint! A sequel is sure to be in the works, featuring the other Transformers who weren't featured in this installment. Yet another flick to anticipate!