One of the biggest surprises of Summer 2007.

Rating: 6/10 (13 October 2007)

Michael Bay. When you hear the name, the words "Armageddon" and "Pearl Harbor" pop in your mind. Sure he has a bad reputation, but who could blame him? When he works, he's having fun, just like any other person would. So when he was announced that he was going to direct a live-action version of Transformers, the toy robot-cum-animated series, there was a serious debating issue over the internet.
The critics couldn't be more wrong.
Transformers is a huge crowd-pleaser. Undoubtedly Bay's best film to date. But this is due to his partnership with executive producer God... I mean Steven Spielberg, and manage to control a budget that is big but not as inflated as certain web-slingers and pirates we know. The special effects are amazing, the acting is good, the action scenes are spectacular, and plot holes are as abundant as craters on the Moon. Yet, this film turns out to satisfy almost everyone going in the theater: having a sh*tload of fun!!! When Sam Witwicky buys a new, or rather, old car, little does he know that he and everyone around him will be whisked away to a grand and epic adventure beyond anything imaginable. LaBeouf's acting in here is good, as he manages to show his funny side and heroic side. A I grew up with his show on Disney Channel, Even Stevens, from this film, I could tell Shia was on his way to the top. Among all the Disney Channel Graduates, he is the most successful of them all, and he will continue to be that way. After Indiana Jones IV, the name "Shia LaBeouf" will mean box-office gold.
Supporting actors are good too. Megan Fox was cute as the hero's lover. Tyrese and Josh Duhamel were great as G.I. soldiers caught up in another war. It was nice to see Jon Voight taking a role that suits him UNLIKE Baby Geniuses 2. The only thing that bugged me a little was Rachael Taylor and Anthony Anderson's characters. I feel that their character's existence does not explain much of the plot.
I was really please that the producers got original G1 voice actor Peter Cullen as the Autobots leader Optimus Prime. That was probably the best thing about the casting. Hugo Weaving was a good replacement for Frank Welker for the villain, Megatron. Thee Autobots are good, the Decepticons are evil. That's all you need to know.
Overall, I believe Michael Bay has given us a true "Summer Blockbuster", one that will be remembered for a long time. It is supremely loyal to the original series, and then some. I recommend it with a big box of popcorn.
8.15/10 Delton