You got the touch, you got the power.
Yeah!
You got the touch.

I’ve got fond memories of belting this song out as a kid, jumping around the lounge room and pretending I was Optimus Prime. Things haven’t changed much since I was 7, except I now sing the song at Karaoke Lounges whilst intoxicated, and call myself Starkemus Prime.

About all I’ve learned is never to call security guards ‘Filthy Decepticons’ or tell them that ‘My mate Ironhide will mess with your mechanics!’ Fun times, though.

Anyways, on to the movie itself. There’s a lot to say on it, but at the same time there isn’t. Story wise, it holds fairly true to the original cartoon series. There is the new added quirk of ‘The Spark’, which is the device allowing procreation of Transformers. Located on Earth after the war on Cybertron is interesting and it adds a new element to the story. The evil leader of the Decepticons, Megatron, being frozen in Antarctica as he searched for The Spark, adds one significant element to the story; the fact that the Transformers can be ’subdued’ through the cold.

This doesn’t reflect much on the original series storyline, yet it makes the film appear more ‘convincing’.

There were two significant elements of this movie that gave me a big buzz. First were the seamless integration of CG into the live action, second were the very clear character definitions for the Transformers.

I’ll delve into the first, as it is probably what will create the lasting impression on a movie goer.

The robots look amazing. Colourful, bright, shiny, impressive in size, and as life like as you can get. The animation when transforming is incredible – Complex and detailed, it really did blow me away when I first saw Bumblebee transform. Add to that the fantastic life given to the Transformers when in robot mode and you really do start to appreciate the attention to detail the VFX team went to.

Secondly, the Transformers, mainly the Autobots, really have clear cut definitions of who they are and the particular character perks they showed in the cartoons. Prime is the inspirational leader, Ironhide is the hung-ho hard ass, Ratchet is the educated medico, Jazz is as charismatic as he is cool, and Bumblebee is your best mate.

The Autobots really do give off a good vibe when together, and the emphasis Michael Bay has given on the ‘good guys’ not just working as a team, but giving off a distinct ‘We are solid mates’ is one that is traditionally seen in the cartoons. The distinction that the Autobots are not warriors is also clearly made, as all their alternate forms are civilian vehicles, whereas the Decepticons are hardened warriors and this is reflected in their military alternates.

As far as the atmosphere of the movie itself, there is a distinct edge found throughout. No punches are pulled, and the battles are fierce and intense. A cheer echoed throughout the cinema at the premiere when Bumblebee and Barricade have their first encounter and an even louder one when Optimus transforms for the first time.

As far as the acting goes, there is a good line up of stars and hot women. Megan Fox and Rachel Taylor are gorgeous, and it’s refreshing to hear an Aussie in such a huge film as this.

Shia Labeouf puts in a very good performance, and gives a lot of tongue in cheek comments during the movie itself. The love story behind Labeouf and Fox is (And this is a big point for me) not overplayed at all. The emphasis of this movie is very clearly the Transformers, and although the humans involve themselves in the ‘fight for freedom’, I can honestly say that by the end of the movie it is very clear that the human took second seat to their CG counterparts.

For me, that’s what really made the movie so much more enjoyable. Had Bay overplayed the romance of Labeouf and Fox, it would have considerably altered the mood of the film.

The level of violence in the film is quite high. Although not ‘bloody and gory’, there are plenty of scenario’s presented to the viewer of humans being crushed or killed through Decepticon actions. I’m happy this is the case, as it is true to the destruction the Decepticons caused, but also suitable for a new generation of Transformer fans to be introduced at a young age, and parents not be concerned with seeing humans hurt in too graphic a fashion.

Lastly, what really topped it off for me was the monster that was Megatron.

Big, strong, evil and totally brutal, Megatron absolutely destroyed. He was exactly what he should have been and put a smile across my face with every blow he struck. Although not the traditional ‘Gun’ that he was in the comic, he does retain an element of this as he combined his arms to produce a damaging cannon which he uses to blast Optimus Prime.

He really is an animal. The Decepticons were also brutal in their appearance, evil in nature and everything they should have been their demeanour is one of an evil alien race bent on the destruction of the world, and the carnage is nothing less than extensive.

Starscream was his usual smart ass self, and although I was hoping for more Megatron / Starscream banter, their limited exchange smacked of the cartoon. Outside of that, there were a few changes to names and vehicles that was a bit of a disappointment. However, this was one of very few low lights in the movie.

I don’t want to go into too much depth of the movie as I don’t wish to spoil the fun. I loved the movie, and as a hardcore fan thought Bay did a fantastic job to bring to life (And also do justice) a childhood favourite of many people. The storyline was left open for a sequel, and I do hope that if the decision to create a second is made, they take their time to make sure they do it right.

Otherwise, the movie would stand on its own very well.

The sound track is quite good, and although a few people will have an issue with Linkin Parks ‘What I’ve Done’, I thought the song fit the film quite well.

Overall, a big thumbs up and a 4.25 / 5

Pro’s
* Peter Cullen being used as the voice of Optimus Prime (He did the voice acting in the 1984 movie)
* Exceptional CG
* Optimus Prime v Megatron is just awesome.

Con’s
* Some Decepticons names are not from the original series
* You don’t get to see Megan Fox and Rachel Taylor in bikini’s
* I’ve only seen it once

Liam’s Notes:

Even though this may lose me some major geek cred I was never a big fan of the Transformers series, I did however love the movie. Unlike some of the people who grew up watching, playing and sleeping with Transformers I knew a direct conversion of the show wouldn’t work. So I was extremely happy to see that there are no Dinobots or those little dudes who turn into cassette tapes, and Megatron doesn’t turn into a gun. One of my favourite quotes about this movie is from one of the writers who said having Megatron turn into a gun is like Darth Vader turning into his own light-sabre, it’s just lame.

There are plenty of things to love about this film; however that is not to say there aren’t any mistakes:

* Anthony Anderson is hated by many people, I am not one of those people but even I admit his character was not needed in this film at all. Even to the point of him repeating a joke from the start of the film.

* Hacking. A bad hacking scene is one of my biggest pet peeves in movies. Hacking never, under any believably circumstance involves incredibly detailed 3D effects. And don’t get me started on zooming into a graphic of a soundwave to find images of alien letters in it.

* Grunts, squeals, and muttering. Sounds that little humorous characters make that sound like talking but aren’t quite. It’s just stupid and not needed.

* No Megan Fox nude scene.

* No Shia LaBeouf nude scene (for the ladies).

* No Bernie Mac nude scene (for the freaks).

* No Optimus Prime nude scene (for Starks).

So overall Transformers is pretty much a fantastic time at the movies, and is easily my favourite Michael Bay film (with The Rock in second place). It would be stupid to miss out on the biggest and so far best (please let Die Hard 4.0 be good) “summer” blockbuster of the year.

4/5

Ben’s Notes:

What can I say about Transformers…hmm? Well it’s freaking awesome to be honest. The movie seems to successfully carry the Transformers name into the twenty first century in serious style.

The movie begins with a short prologue that explains the “Transformers” universe in the utmost simplicity, but so without giving the impression that the movie is corny. It doesn’t take long for all hell to break loose as the movie quickly transcends into a fast paced action sequence featuring a Decepticon reeking havoc on a US military base. This short sequence is just a taste of what the rest of the movie has to offer. The sheer brilliance of the CGI in these action sequences is breath taking. Every detail has been paid close attention, to transform gigantic anime style robots into believable characters that would interact with humans.

“Transformers” isn’t left without some comic relief though, far from it actually. Many times throughout the movie I was left holding my stomach as it was cramping from vigorous laughing activity. Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox interact brilliantly formulating an engrossing storyline, more so with Megan Fox formulating my hormones. The score is what you would expect from a fast paced action movie though nothing overwhelming, but the soundtrack proved to be more appealing with Linkin Park’s “What I’ve Done” closing the movie.

Overall this movie has lived up and beyond my expectations, leaving little doubt it will do the same to you.

4.5/5

Release Date: AUS 18 June 2007 | USA 27 June 2007
Official Site: http://www.transformersthemovie.com.au/