The Best from Summer 2007!!!

Rating: 9/10 (8 September 2007)

Summer of 2006 I heard that Transformers was coming to the big screen, I got excited. A month later, I heard that the film was being produced by Steven Spielberg and directed by Michael Bay, I went ballistic! And rightly so, because Transformers delivers all the way! Now there was an initial euphoria because of the fact that two of my favorite film directors were coming together. Steven Spielberg, enough said. And then I heard the film's director is Michael Bay. I don't care what people say about him, Michael Bay delivers every time, not to mention being the man who has now changed the face of the action film with Transformers.
Two groups of warring alien robots crash land on earth in search of the All Spark, a cube that gives life to machines. The premise alone makes it seem that this film would be a larger than life experience. Transformers starts off in classic Michael Bay fashion; you're thrown, head first into an intense action scene on an American air force base in the Middle East. From there on, it's pretty much going back and forth from the story with the humans and the Autobots and the Decepticons searching for the cube. All of the characters in the film seem to be exaggerated versions of anyone you might come across any day of the week; the school nerd, the school's hottest girl and her jock boyfriend, government agents, etc.
I went into the movie expecting to be blown away by the robots, but I was pleasantly surprised by Shia Labeof's performance. His comedic timing is impeccable and the more serious scenes, like when he gives the girl a ride home, are done with some incredible subtlety. But nonetheless, the real treat is the giant robot experience. The autobots and decepticons duke it out in mid air, hand to hand, with shootouts, the list goes on. You name it, it's there. And I guess it really brings out the kid in you to see and try and understand the characters of the different Autobots. Optimus Prime as the noble leader, Bumble Bee as the loyal protector. From just this I can say that this film is more of a family film than people expected.
The only real downside to the film isn't really a downside at all, but it would've made the film that much better. The film's length is fine but some of the fight scenes require the film to cut back to the humans rather than showing the uncut fighting between the giant robots. The truth is, all we want to see are the robots. Even when the robots aren't fighting or transforming, you're sitting there in total shock and awe of seeing a Camaro turn into a robot.
At the end of the day, Transfomers was one of the few films that truly deliver. Summer of 2007 didn't turn out as over the top as everyone expected, but this film did. Go see this one, now!