Movie Review

Transformers

Posted by Neil Miller (neil@filmschoolrejects.com) on June 29, 2007

Back in 1993 when I was just a young pup, a movie buff in the making if you will, my mom took me to our local cineplex in mid-June to see what would become the most awesome event movie of its time. It was a film that stretched the realm of my imagination and made me believe that filmmakers could make absolutely anything come to life. I was engrossed. I wanted to see it again… and again… and again. In that moment, my young life was changed by a cinematic adventure like nothing I had ever seen before. That film was Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park. Now, some 14 years later, as I sit down to review Transformers, another epic summer blockbuster from Director Michael Bay, I cannot help but think, “Wow, this is what summer movies are all about.”

Bay’s Transformers has been on the minds of film geeks and fans alike for some time now, since it was announced all the way back in April of 2005. Since then it has garnered an immense amount of hype from every angle. Fans have stood by, fingers crossed, waiting to see how it will all turn out. But no matter how tumultuous the wait for this film has been, it is clear now that there is nothing that can prepare you for what you will see on screen as the transformers come to life in front of your eyes.

The film begins with a bang, as if Michael Bay himself is sitting beside you in the theater leaning over and saying, “Watch this…” For the entire first ten minutes of the film you will be glued to your seat, struggling to contain your excitement as the Decepticons begin to wreak havoc on a US Military installment in Qatar. We are then introduced to Sam (Shia LaBeouf), a geeky eBay-er who just wants what every other 11th grade guy wants out of life; to get a fast car, to get the girl (Megan Fox) and so on. He gets the fast car alright, but it turns out to be more than meets the eye.

I almost feel like you should know the rest… Optimus Prime (voiced by Peter Cullen) and his band of freedom fighting robots then show up to protect the humans from Megatron and his savage group of Decepticons who want nothing more than to wipe out humanity. And that is when the real fun starts.

The rest is just one big, long epic Michael Bay camera pan, showcasing some of the most awe inspiring visual effects ever to grace the silver screen. In a way that only he can, Bay captures the essence of the Transformers franchise, combining a simple (and sometimes cheesy) plot with huge badass robots that blow stuff up. The effects are the centerpiece though, leaving everyone in the audience simply awestruck. The folks at ILM, the same team that brought dinosaurs back to life in front of our eyes in Jurassic Park, deliver their most spectacular accomplishment in recent history. And that is saying a lot.

Sure, there are things that normal “critics” will complain about. There are tons of those classic Michael Bay moments, where getting up off the ground is on par with the epic scale of a moon landing; but it works. And yes, the dialog is so immensely cheesy that it will cause you to laugh out loud; but it works. And sure, about 90% of this film forces us to completely suspend disbelief and accept these giant robots as real characters with loads of personality; but by the end of it all, we’re glad to suspend that disbelief, because it all works so perfectly.

The only thing that you will have trouble figuring out about Michael Bay’s Transformers is how you didn’t see it coming. With all of the video clips, all of the trailers and all of the publicity surrounding it, how can it still exceed expectations? How can this movie not only live up to, but blow away the hype? There is no reasonable answer to that question. Nothing can prepare you for the undeniably entertaining experience that is Transformers.

At the end of your Transformers experience, you will just have to chalk it all up to a little bit of movie magic, because that’s ultimately what big summer blockbusters are all about. After 14 years, I’m glad that we have Michael Bay to remind us why summer movies are so special.

Transformers hits theaters nationwide on July 2, 2007. For more on this and other summer releases, check out the FSR Summer Movie Smackdown!