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Pretty much almost every male kid who grew up during the 80's were glued to their TV sets on weekday afternoons watching just one thing. They were watching one of the best cartoon shows on TV which also happened to be Hasbro Toys' most popular line of toys at that time. I am talking about Transformers. I know I was pretty much hooked on the show with its tale of good versus evil as the noble leader (who also happened to be a Mack truck) Optimus Prime led his Autobots against the evil robot that was Megatron and his Decepticons. It had lots of fighting, explosions and most of all, it had toys of every Transformer in the show for kids to re-enact such battles. In 1986 the first Transformers movie (animated) came out and pretty much scarred every kid who was ever a fan of the show for life as their beloved characters actually died on-screen to make way for a new generation of Transformers. Let's just say that as much as I enjoyed the original movie I also hated it. It is now 2007 and Michael Bay, Steven Spielberg and ILM have concocted a live-action version of Transformers. To say that this movie has erased some of the bad taste left by the first animated film is quite an understatement. What we have in this live-action Transformers is nothing less than pure robot-versus-robot carnage and mayhem done so well that it more than makes up for the weak story and the uneven performances from the cast. Michael Bay's hand truly shows as his handle on the sturm und drang he's well-known for matches well with the premise of giant alien robots fighting each other with no thought for collateral damage to populace and property. Unlike, his previous films he actually holds himself back from using his usual tricks of using low-angled slo-mo scenes too much and the ultra quick editing style which makes his movies sometimes difficult to keep up with. Again, it might be Spielberg's influence in addition to Bay actually growing as a filmmaker to thank for this. The action scenes wouldn't be as great as it was if it wasn't for the work of ILM and its team of computer animators. The Autobots and Decepticons look so real that they join Gollum and Davey Jones as fully-realized CGI-characters who blend into the scene as if they're made of real flesh and blood. In the case of the Transformers made of steel, oil and rubber. Their battles from the Hoover Dam all the way to the nearby Mission City didn't look artificial. There's a sense of weight and depth to the battle. It atually looked like the city with it's small humans was actually being ripped apart by these giant robots. Industrial, Light and Magic truly deserve every award they'll get come awards time. In the past it was said that a live-action Transformers would come off as cheesy and fake, but technology and the expert use of it by ILM's team of artisans has made it a reality. Transformers really brings the word blockbuster and brings it like storm and thunder. There's no other way to say it than this was a movie which was a kickass rollercoaster ride with just enough human interaction to keep it from becoming cartoonish. It's not a perfect film as the weak script and uneven performances by most of the cast would show, but it's all balanced out by the work put in by Shia LaBeouf and the action scenes with the Transformers that this movie marks the highlight of the 2007 summer blockbuster season. Michael Bay has finally found the one film he looks to be tailor-made to do.Read full review
There is no denying Director Michael Bay ('Bad Boys', 'The Rock', 'Armaggedon', 'Pearl Harbor', 'Bad Boys II') has a talent for "Over-The-Top", CGI-enhanced theatrics. After misfiring with 'The Island', Bay got back-to-roots with "Transformers", a high-octane symphony of machine battling, explosions and intense cinematography; all the while blowing everything to pieces. "Transformers" opens when U.S. Soldiers on a base in Qatar find themselves under a sudden and merciless assault. The foe is eventually revealed to be Extraterrestrial; part of the Murderous Decepticon Robot Race. In a powerfully effective scene it gets the movie off hard. Then begins the introduction of single teenager, Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf). Visiting a used car lot with his Dad (Kevin Dunn), the high school nerd falls in love with a rusting Camaro. The hunk of junk has a strange quirk: its radio has a habit of turning on spontaneously to tacky old pop songs that oddly befit whatever situation Sam finds himself in. But when Sam thinks that someone has stolen the heap; he tracks it to a rail yard, where he discovers it's most bizarre kink when it transforms into a robot. Though the Soldiers in Qatar; and Sam back in the 'Burbs' don't realize it yet, they are the early unwitting recruits into the Robot Wars between the Evil Decepticons and the Benevolent Autobots. The Decepticons prefer to transform into Helicopters and Cop Cars. The Autobots, led by Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen), have a much more refined aesthetic, preferring to transmute into items like Sam's "bitchin'" Camaro. They also have far more expressive personalities. Motivation also divides the Robots. The Decepticons want to lay waste to the Planet in their quest to take over the Universe. Optimus Prime, on the other hand, makes pronouncements about how the Autobots, hope to "Bring Peace to this Planet,". Of course, the Autobots' idea of promoting peace is to throw down with the Decepticons in the middle of Downtown Los Angeles, destroying buildings, cars, and anything else that gets caught in the middle., in Apocolyptic Cinematographic Glory. Extremely entertaining in it's explosive way, it follows a formula as successful as 'Godzilla' while being as up-to-date as the 'Terminator' Series. Thanks also to LaBeouf's grounded performance; who helps continue to add significant human characters in "Transformers". Good To Have You Back, Michael Bay.... And The "Big Productions" reminiscent of our first flirts with "Independance Day", "Armageddon", "The Day After Tomorrow", "War of the Worlds".... and more !! SEE THIS !!!!Read full review
Transformers and HD DVD is what high definition movie watchers have been waiting for. Due to the elevated amount of special effects in this movie the HD DVD finally feels like it is worth the money. In most HD DVD movies the small details don't seem to make a difference, but in this film the intricate computer animations can really be seen with a HD DVD player and a decent HD TV. Like most Michael Bay movies the film is designed for amazing sound effects. With a huge dynamic range Transformers gave Bay an excuse to make up sounds that would push the limits of most home theater systems. It is great to sit in the midst of the colossal robotic war listening to the booms and clinks of the futuristic clash. In my humble opinion this is a grand leap for HD DVD and a bit of a kidney punch for Blu-Ray. BigDemarestRead full review
The interstellar battle between the Autobots and Decepticons rains destruction down on planet Earth as director Michael Bay adapts Hasbro and Takara's popular Transformers franchise into a big-budget, live-action summer tentpole extravaganza in this ambitious sci-fi action feature starring Shia LaBeouf, Tyrese Gibson, Bernie Mac, John Turturro, Jon Voight, and, of course, Optimus Prime and Megatron. Long ago, on the planet of Cybertron, a massive, powerful alien race divided into two factions, the noble Autobots, and the devious Decepticons. They fought for the sole access to a talisman known as the Allspark, a cube with the capacity to grant infinite power, and eventually the Autobots smuggled it off the planet's surface, hiding it in an unknown location on Earth. Now, hundreds of years later, the Deceptacons have come looking for it, and if the Autobots don't find it first, the Earth will be enslaved or destroyed by the evil aliens' use of its massive power. The Autobots don't know where the cube was hidden, but the information may be stored in the most unlikely of sources, as a gangly young Earthling named Sam Witwicky (LaBeouf) who's just picked up his first car, has a strange connection to the Allspark's history, making him the unlikely ally of these enormous creatures, as they fight for humankind's survival and the chance to return home. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie GuideRead full review
the version i bought was the 2 disc edition on HDDVD. the first disc plays the main movie with some interesting bonus features the secod had a ton of bonus content, and behind the scenes features, all in HD. i have bought several HDDVD's lately, and the quality and clarity of the movie really show through. if you liked it on DVD and/or in the theater and have a HDDVD player and a HDTV i reccommend this movie for a great HD experience!
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