Viewed in
2007 (x2)
Premise
A live action reinvention of those beloved robots in disguise.
Who should watch
Transformers fans. Michael Bay fans.
Thoughts
As a hardcore fan, it was pretty darn awesome. For regular viewers, it was probably loud and entertaining.
When I first heard that Michael Bay would be director, I cringed. Now I have to admit that he was probably the perfect director for this movie. Michael Bay's stylized action and seemless integration of computer graphics with real life stunts was a good fit.
The main reason to watch was the outrageously expensive and impressive special effects. But there were plenty of other good stuff. Shia LeBeouf was excellent and versatile with action and comedy scenes. I look forward to seeing him as Indiana Jones' son. Most surprising was the comedy. There was a lot of funny jokes and silly moments. Some parts were just plain goofy. Even the cheesy lines worked. One should not take giant talking transforming robot movies too seriously. Since I lived in Southern California most of my life, it was pretty cool seeing various landmarks used.
For hardcore fans, there was a lot to love. I got chills when a new transformer appeared, when Optimus Prime spoke (voiced by Peter Cullen), when someone transformed with that famous sound, even when characters said those famous lines (from the cartoon) in incongruous fashion. Compared to the 1986 movie, everything in this movie was surprisingly superior.
The main flaw that I found was that the story was probably one subplot too many. But the comedy helped. Also, I would have used less pop music. But this may be a blessing in disguise 20 years from now when we can mock the archaic music just like for the 1986 version.
What I would change
Bumblebee as a Camaro? Blasphemy!
Also, I would have injected more Optimus Prime and Megatron dynamic.