"Transformers"- Surprisingly fun and breezy compared to it's over-bloated and under-written follow-ups. Still a great, entertaining treat nearly a decade later!

Rating: 8/10 (7 December 2016)

One of the most fascinating franchises in the world of modern cinema has got to be director Michael Bay's near decade-long cinematic opus known simply as the "Transformers" series. Inspired by the classic cartoons and toys of the 80's, the current line of feature-film releases is quite something to behold... Four films with a fifth on the way next year to coincide with the tenth anniversary of the original film. And all four having been massive hits financially, bringing in billions in revenue. Yet all four have also suffered from consistent and even growing disdain from not only critics, but from general audiences as a whole. Every announcement or trailer for the latest entry is instantly met with rolled eyes and exasperated scoffs from film-goers the world over. It's what makes the franchise such an interesting one... They are so frequently dismissed and ridiculed, yet people keep going back to them with each new release.
And I do think a big part of why this happens is this film, 2007's "Transformers." Because it was such a surprising Summer-time treat upon initial release... it was just good, plain fun and it won many people over with its quirky sense of humor and grand visual scope. So no matter how many follow-ups of exceedingly low quality they pump out... no matter how many missteps the franchise takes with each and every sequel... no matter just how terrible some later films have turned out... we all keep paying for our tickets and popcorn when the newest entry is released, in some hope that it will recapture even a fraction of this film's splendid sense of entertainment value.
The film starts with the sort-of classic tale of a boy and his car, as teenager Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) gets a yellow Chevrolet as a gift. However, he soon discovers that his car has a life of its own, and belong to a race of shape-shifting alien beings from the planet Cybertron. These aliens have split into two factions- the heroic Autobots lead by Optimus Prime, who Sam's car Bumblebee follows... and the dreaded and vile Decepticons. As it turns out, the Decepticons are tracking Sam, having come to learn that he inadvertently holds the coordinates to an ancient device known as the "AllSpark", which they are seeking at all costs. And so, Sam and his massive crush Mikaela (Megan Fox) must team up with Optimus and the Autobots in order to keep the Decepticons from getting their hands on the mysterious AllSpark device.
The film is very much an exercise in pure escapism. From the cheese-fest opening monologue to the thrilling but overlong climax, the film never loses sight of its goal, which is to entertain first, ask questions later. And I think that's a large part of its success. This is not a film that wants to bog itself down on complex characterization or sublime story development. If there's a scene of characters talking, there's going to be a joke. If a robot is on-screen, there's going to be a fight. And thanks to a solid enough script and Bay's trademark kinetic directorial style, it works very well. There's hardly a dull moment to be had, the human characters are all instantly identifiable archetypes, the robotic characters are just a ton of fun, and the visuals are all too often stunning. You'll be shocked at just how perfectly realized the Transformers are in this film, especially for a mid-2000's release.
Beyond that, I found the cast to be fairly charming as well. Despite his public downfall in recent years, LaBeouf shines as Sam, giving him a wonderfully awkward social sensibility and a great physical performance. He really is quite engaging as our human lead. Fox is obviously here more for looks than personality thanks to Bay's constant oggling of her character, but I actually thought she did a halfway decent job here. The film may treat her as little more than eye- candy, but I think there's a little more going on with her than many will give her credit for. Supporting roles by the likes of John Turturro, Jon Voight and Anthony Anderson are all a ton of fun. And the voice-over rolls by a cast include original cartoon alum Peter Cullen and the wonderfully insidious Hugo Weaving give a great deal of depth to the animated characters on-screen.
Look, "Transformers" isn't going to win any major awards. It's a popcorn movie at its heart and it knows this and celebrates it with each passing moment. And while I could drone on and on about the faults that are present, it wouldn't change the fact that I got a huge kick out it. I love it. And I still watch it here and there, even ten years later. While the subsequent sequels that followed have been of a generally sub-par quality, it doesn't change the fact that the original is a fantastic, breezy bit of good fun.
And so, I give 2007's "Transformers" a very good 8 out of 10. Pop it in. Shut off your brain. And get ready to have a good time!