37 out of 37 people found this review helpful.
Their War; Our World --Transformers the Movie
Date of Review: Jul 31, 2009
The Bottom Line: The Transformers movie is a fun movie to watch, but it may not be for children. Ironic given that the robot characters are based on a toy line.
I was on the fringe of the huge Transformer toy craze, so when the
Transformers movie came to DVD, I wasn't sure what to expect. I enjoy director, Michael Bay's work, though ... so I had a feeling this movie would be spectacular.
Brief Plot Summary The All Spark gave life to an alien robot race known to us as the Transformers. These shape-changing robots warred over the All Spark and how it should be used. The All Spark was lost to them during battle, and the Transformers (good and bad) have been searching for it ... only to locate it on Earth. Man and machine meet on dangerous ground in a quest to possess the All Spark, and teenager Sam Witwicky finds himself unwittingly at the center of the battle.
As Sam said, "I bought a car. Turned out to be an alien robot. Who knew?"
My Experiences I own the DVD of this movie and have watched it several times. The first time I saw it, the movie reeled me in and mesmerized me the entire time. I came away from it with a "Wow Factor times 10" feeling. Watching the movie over again was just as fun, and one notices little things missed during the initial viewing.
I'll dive right into the special effects. Incredible!! These robots blend with the real action as if actors in the movie. They are presented in wonderful detail, each with its own distinctive personality. The screen lights with action and continual movement from the opening shot with transformer Optimus Prime's deep voice narrating the beginning sequence of his home planet at war. I'm torn as to which transformer is my favorite. Optimus Prime is steadfast, the leader of the "good guy" Autobot transformers, who are trying to keep the All Spark away from the evil Decepticon leader, Megatron. Bumblebee is endearing as the voice-challenged transformer assigned to protect Sam Witwicky, who unknowingly possesses a vital clue as to where the All Spark is located. Another fun transformer is the quirky evil Frenzy, who manages to transform himself many times during this movie into various silver blistery incarnations. The good Autobots include: Optimus Prime, Bumbleebee, Jazz, Ratchet, and Ironhide. The evil Decepticons include: Megatron, Starscream, Brawl, Bonecrusher, Barricade, Scorponok, Frenzy, and Blackout.
Unexpected is the humor laced throughout this film. Sam (played by Shia LaBeouf) is perfect as the awkward adolescent trying to impress a girl, Mikaela Banes (played by Megan Fox). Both are excellent in their roles. Sam is all awkward angles, stumbling words, trying to do the right thing while attempting to look cool. Mikaela is an interesting blend of self-doubt and confidence. When both teenagers find themselves involved with Autobot Bumbleebee, who takes the shape of a yellow Camaro, the story not only whisks into action but also unexpected moments of humor. And when all the Autobots come onto the scene, Sam Witwicky is panic incarnate at trying to keep them out of his parent's sight ... and the way those Autobots manage to be visible while blending into the scenery is great. The actors do a fantastic job of balancing desperate situations with unexpected moments of laughter and wit. Don't get me wrong, though, this movie is not a comedy. It is pure action!
When I heard this was a movie based on the Hasbro toy line, I had to wonder if the plot would be able to hold attention. This one definitely does. The main plot is the transformers hunt for the powerful All Spark, which pits the two factions of robots against one another and then involves the human race. Once mankind becomes involved, it is a matter of defeating the evil Decepticons before they manage to annihilate humanity. Subplots include Sam's growing attraction to Mikaela. There is also a U.S. soldier (played by Josh Duhamel) and his team who become caught in the conflict overseas and then at home. Plus there are U.S. government personnel and science specialists, who are trying to wrap their brains around aliens on Earth ... and around the knowledge that a secret Sector of the government has been in existence since the days of President Hoover.
My one big complaint about this movie is the completely unnecessary and awkward sexual references. There is one moment between Sam and his parents that one wonders why those lines are even in the film. Actor John Turturro plays a government agent who makes sexual references toward teenager Mikaela Banes, creepy and not needed. Also, there is a lot of violence in this movie: explosions, war, torture, death. For those reasons, I would not recommend children view this movie, despite the fun lure of the transformers theme.
Purchasing & Specifications Amazon.com sells this DVD for $9.99. The language options are English, French, or Spanish. It is Region 1 (United States and Canada only) and has an aspect ratio of 2.35:1. This 2007 movie has a run time of 143 minutes. My DVD came in a plastic keepcase with an outer embossed cardboard sleeve.
Summary I enjoyed watching the
Transformers and am glad to own the DVD. My particular DVD does not have any special features, which I think should have been included. This movie has too many terrific special effects not to include some type of commentary or making-of featurette. I would have enjoyed watching and hearing some of the behind-the-scenes stories.
I hope you found this review useful.
Enjoy the day,
Dawn
http://dlstewart.com
Please read my other reviews:
Riddick Trilogy (three Vin Diesel movies) X-Men TrilogyQuatermass & The Pit and Quatermass 2 (two movies) The Mummy: The Legacy Collection (five movies) Tremors Attack Pack (three movies) Them! / The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (double feature)Philips Portable DVD Player with ScreenLiteOn DVD Recorder/Player
Copyright 2009 Dawn L. Stewart
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