>>REVIEW
Transformers
STARRING: Shia Labeouf, Megan Fox DIRECTED BY: Michael Bay
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There will be a point in Transformers where a character says something so unintentionally ridiculous that you (or possibly the person beside you) will break out in a fit of laughter. However, you’ll forgive the stupidity of the line almost instantly, because you just want to get back to watching giant robots kicking each others’ asses. And that is exactly why Transformers works — giant robots kicking ass!
Sure, people who grew up loving the toys and the cartoon will be condemning Optimus Prime’s paint job and Megatron’s non-gun appearance, but there’s a whole lot more people who aren’t familiar with the TV show and just want to experience some summer escapism. It’s this latter group that director Michael Bay was thinking of when he put together his latest mix of boom, bang and flash. Purists be damned – let’s have some fun at the movies.
The story is a simple one of good alien robots called Autobots, evil alien robots called Decepticons and their battle to gain control of a powerful energy cube that has ended up on Earth. Shia Labeouf is extremely quick-witted and funny as Sam Witwicky, a high school kid who just wants to buy his first car and get the girl, not end up in the middle of an intergalactic war. The girl in question is played by newcomer Megan Fox who was obviously chosen for her amazing ability to completely embody her own last name. The rest of the characters are a mix of cheesy stereotypes – the stoic Secretary of Defense, some brave soldiers, mysterious government agents, comic relief computer hackers and clueless parents – but this doesn’t matter, because they’re all just a means to an end. An end that’s all about cars, trucks, helicopters and jets turning into amazingly cool talking robots.
Bay is a master of giving the audience a visual experience that blows their minds, and even though he digs into his usual bag of tricks a few too many times, the seamless interaction between CGI and live action characters is simply incredible. For moviegoers, the most important thing is that the Transformers all look fantastic, and watching them do their thing will definitely make the movie’s two-plus hours time well-spent. |
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