Transformers

My generation of children had 4 cartoons to watch- Transformers, Voltron, Thundercats and G.I Joes- usually you didn't watch all four but you watched some combination of those four shows. Transformers was my favorite cartoon. In 1986 when the animated movie came out, I knew I wanted a day when it could be a live action movie. Of course the effects hadn't really been available at that time, but I never gave up hope that some day I would see a live action Tranformers movie. When there were first rumblings that it would happen I tried to hide my giddy childhood dream but as it became more and more clear that it would happen, I just could not contain my excitement. Then, I heard it would be a Michael Bay movie and got even more excited. Bay, the most critically bashed director in Hollywood (well, maybe Bret Ratner is number 1), is known for big explosions and a hard core focus on effects, so he seemed perfect for Transformers. So, after 2 decades of wanting this, how does the movie measure up? Does Bay deliver another Bad Boys or is it more like Pearl Harbor?


Sam Witwicky (new Hollywood "it" boy Shia LaBeouf) has just bought a car but very quickly he realizes it is not just any car. It can drive by itself and eventually turns into a giant robot. See, Sam has something these giant robots want and his new car is his protector. The robots are looking for something called the "allspark.) It is a giant cube thing that brought life to the Transformers and it crash landed on Earth after the destruction of their home planet, Cybertron. The "harbinger of death" as Sam explains is named Megatron, leader of the decepticons and he came looking for the Allspark but crash landed on earth in the North pole and was frozen. he managed to implant a map of where the allspark was inside the glasses of Sam's grandfather and now Sam has those glasses. The Autobots want to keep it out of the hands of Megatron because the cube's power can turn every electronic thing into an evil robot and Megatron wants to rule every planet. That is the basic plot and we have a few sub plots involving a small military unit, Sam's romantic life and some low level government analysts.


In Sam, Shia has created a very likable and charming young man. He never seems off while acting with the giant robots and he helps almost humanize the Autobots, namely Bumblebee, his protector. Megan Fox, his possible girlfriend is not only incredibly hot, but she gives a performance that makes it seem natural that a girl with her hotness would fall for a somewhat nerdy Sam. She isn't that great of an actress, but to be fair, she gets most of the worst lines in the script. The rest of the cast performs their roles just fine but John Turturro is especially fun to watch. He is way over the top but it works in this setting and you just never can tell what the next thing out of his mouth will be. His role crackles with a bumbling over compensating like attitude and brings some great laughs.


But really, is this thing about the acting? The real movie is about the robots. And I am more than happy to relate that they look absolutely stunning! Bay really takes his time with each transformation at first. Optimus Prime (leader of the Autobots) gets this amazing reveal that left the crowd in cheers and claps. The pacing of the movie is incredibly quick but the first time we meet our heroes Bay really lets us soak it all in as each Autobot gets a nice reveal and a matching personality. Bumblebee gets the most personality as a bit of a prankster right off the bat. He uses the radio to communicate and the first scene he gets with Shia and Megan gives off some great laughs. And when Bumblebee gets hurt we feel for him because Shia has helped us believe they are friends. Megatron is a total bad ass and his reveal is awesome as he finally comes to life. The action sequences are beyond anything I have ever seen with one of the autobots in full on Bad Boys mode, rolling, jumping and diving around bullets as he fires his own cannons at a decepticon. The climatic battle is a 40 minute romp through downtown Los Angeles and never lets up as humans and Autobots team up to try and destroy the decepticons.


This movie is very funny (only a few jokes are too childish for my taste) and genuinely good. I mean it is a very solid movie. Easily the best Michael Bay movie and one of the best movies I have seen this year. It is a very fun thrilling ride from start to finish and it could easily be the next wave of CGI. Like The Matrix and Lord of the Rings before it, these effects are above and beyond anything before it. My only complaints in this movie are that some of the editing is a little too quick to get a full grasp of what is going on and I would have liked to see more of the decepticons, specifically StarScream, but the complaints are so minor that they did not at all deter me from enjoying this movie 100%. It may have been a 20 year wait but wow was it ever worth it. I could not have even imagined it being this good and when Peter Cullen (the only voice of Optimus Prime, ever) first started speaking in the voice over at the beginning I had goosebumps and transformed myself into the 8 year old who used to bubble over with joy when watching Transformers. Also, all of my favorite sayings were in the movie and the end had that moral moment Optimus is known for giving us. It may come off a bit cheesy, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Thank you Michael Bay for bringing a 20 year old dream to life and thank you for making it about as awesome as a movie can possibly be!