Transformers [2007]

Transformers (12A)

Plot

   Protagonist Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) is caught between two warring alien colonies (Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Jazz and Ironhide, the Autobots & Megatron, Starscream and Barricade, the Decepticons) and their fight for an ancient relic which has landed them on Earth. Their ability to ‘transform’ into everyday objects keeps their presence a secret for as long as is needed.

Review

   This film is very much along the same lines as many of Michael Bay’s films including; Bad Boys I & II and Armageddon. He has become synonymous with big budget action films. Massive special effects often contribute hugely this large budget.

   The acting of LaBeouf is the high point of the film, with many calling him ‘this generation’s Tom Hanks’ with his uncanny knack to be able to play the down on his luck everyman, much like Hanks. His accomplice throughout, Mikaela Banes (Megan Fox) isn’t given enough of the good lines. She is only really shown to be eye candy for the men and teenage boys; this doesn’t show her extremely high level of acting ability.

   The relationship between the two main characters is shown to be highly developed, it is one of the reasons that the film appeals to its audience in the way it does. It shows that a seemingly normal person (Witwicky) can get the girl of his dreams (Banes). Granted, the circumstances that he is shown to be a hero in are a little peculiar at best, but the underlying story is quintessentially the same.
   The supporting cast throughout the film is great with high profile actors such as Jon Voight, Anthony Anderson, Kevin Dunn, Julie White and John Turturro. These actors give the characters they play a sense of reality and enhance the film. The older actors are shown to be slow on the uptake as a parent would be in the same sort of situation, this accentuates this film as a young person’s thing.
   This film is what is called a ‘Ronseal’ film; it does exactly what it says on the tin. It doesn’t set out to be an art house film that intends to baffle the reader with an intricate narrative and unique cinematography. It has been made to take the audience on a thrill ride, with big highs and low lows. This is achieved with great aplomb.
   The special effects throughout the film are spectacular, from the ‘mundane’ scene where the Autobots are waiting outside Sam’s house for him to find the sacred glasses, to the climatic action scene in Mission City. This scene takes the SFX to the next level; it must have pushed the animation team to the absolute limit.
   Bumblebee throughout the film speaks through the car’s radio because of broken vocal receptors. This is homage to the animated Transformers film of the 80’s. In this film, there is a race of robots called the Junkions which derived from the planet Junk. Even a film maestro like Orson Welles has his connections with the Transformers franchise, Transformers: The Movie (1986) was his last movie, he voiced Decepticon Unicron. The line “Across the inanimate vastness of space," is an infamous line from Welles’ radio broadcast ‘War of the Worlds’.
   Megatron was frozen in the Hoover Dam this refers to his first battle with Optimus Prime at the fictional Sherman Dam in the original series. The film contains references to ‘More Than Meets The Eye’ 1984’s three part pilot; both Sam and Optimus Prime both say it in their lines in the film.
   The film makes references to the Hasbro Toy Company, official distributor of the Transformers toy. Firstly, when the girl discovers the transformer in the pool, she is holding a ‘My Little Pony’ toy, another product of the company. When Bumblebee and Ironhide protect themselves from Starscream’s attack in Mission City they use a ‘Furby’ truck which again is another toy that the company produce. Finally, in the climatic battle, there is a readable sign that says ‘Takara Sushi’ Takara is the company in Japan that distributed the Transformer toy before the Hasbro Company bought them out.
   The scene in Mission City at the end of the film, action packed as it is, is very confusing. This is due to the fact that the action is almost too much; many of the people who were asked their thoughts on the film said that it was dangerously close to being too much action. One of the group asked even said that when one of the Autobots (Jazz) gets ripped apart by Megatron, he got confused by the pace of the scene, and then by the end of the scene when it gets explained fully, it has put the whole scene out of the sync.

Verdict

This film is a very good summer blockbuster but will always be scoffed by pompous film critics who will say that the amount of explosions and car chases make it a pointless film. I disagree; this film does exactly what it sets out to do. I fully look forward to the sequel set for release in blockbuster time in 2009.