Fun Action Flick

Rating: Null/10 (29 May 2011)

Transformers (2007)
*** (out of 4)
Bay's action blockbuster pretty much delivers everything you'd expect from this type of film. A teen (Shia LaBeouf) doesn't realize that he's actually got a connection to a couple alien races who are about to come to Earth and do battle. The good guy Autobots need the help of the teen so that they can locate a certain device that will allow them to defeat their rivals the Decepticons. I personally can't understand all the heat that Bay takes because the man isn't trying to deliver CITIZEN KANE type films but instead he wants to make popcorn movies that are loud and feature plenty of explosions and I really can't think of anyone who does it better. I've hated some of his films but on the whole I've enjoyed many and that includes this film, which is about as silly as you can get but who cares? The main reason to watch a film like this is for the action scenes and Bay certainly knows how to deliver. Right from the start we're introduced to some loud explosions and they never really let up through the 142-minute running time. The special effects are mighty impressive with the robots constantly changing form and I must say that they really looked great. The most impressive thing is that they're able to take this CGI creations and make them look real. I'm not really a fan of CGI because I feel it often times looks so fake that it takes you away from the real stuff on the screen but that never happens here as Bay knows how to mix the fake CGI with the real actors and action. One of the most impressive scenes is at the end when the robots, the Army, various government agents and of course our hero teen are all battling in the streets from the ground to the top of the sky-scrappers and this entire sequence just contains one thrill after another. The earlier action scenes are all impressive as well including one bit where LaBeouf and his love interest (Megan Fox) find themselves being chased through the streets not knowing what they've got themselves involved in. LaBeouf is always hit and miss with me but I think he served this character well as he had no problems playing the "dork" early on and he was also quite believable as the action hero. Fox certainly can't act but she's not here to win an Oscar. She's here to look hot and she does that just fine. The supporting cast has a lot of familiar faces including Bernie Mac, Jon Voight, John Turturro, Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson. I think the movie could have been better had Bay gotten rid of some of the supporting characters and I'd say the entire bit with the platoon could have been left on the editing room floor. I also think some of the rather obnoxious comedy could have been left out including the bits with the parents who are constantly embarrassing their son. Outside of those things, TRANSFORMERS is a pretty impressive action flick that knows it's an action flick and it doesn't try to be anything else. There's plenty of buildings that explode and get ripped apart and it's this type of action that fans want and Bay delivers more than enough for one film.