Transformers Review
Posted by Jacob Ziegler on 07.03.2007
More than meets the eye...
TRANSFORMERS
July 3, 2007
Sam Witwicky: Shia LaBeouf
Mikaela Banes: Megan Fox
Sergeant Lennox: Josh Duhamel
USAF Tech Sergeant Epps: Tyrese Gibson
Maggie Madsen: Rachael Taylor
Glen Whitmann: Anthony Anderson
Defense Secretary John Keller: Jon Voight
Agent Simmons: John Turturro
Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks SKG present a film directed by Michael Bay. The screenplay is by Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman, with story by John Rogers and Orci & Kurtzman. The running time is 144 minutes. It is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action violence, brief sexual humor, and language.
BY JACOB ZIEGLER, 411Movies
Michael Bay. The mere mention of his name can cause shivers to course up and down the spine of most any film geek. His cinematic atrocities include “Armageddon,” “Pearl Harbor,” and “Bad Boys II,” and while his other films, “The Island,” “Bad Boys,” and “The Rock” provide some degree of entertainment, they still adhere to many ridiculous action genre clichés and wind up being far less than satisfying.
So it came as no surprise to this critic that when it was announced that Bay would be directing the first film version of “Transformers” since 1986’s animated classic, and a live action version to boot, many nerds hopped on their blogs and wrote scathing diatribes about how this man would ruin the good name of Transformers.
Truthfully, I wasn’t all that excited about seeing the film. While I like star Shia LaBeouf (remember when I interviewed him almost two years ago?), most big budget summer action movies generally aren’t my cup of tea.
But then the strangest thing happened: I went to see “Transformers,” and I – gasp – enjoyed it. I’ve talked to many filmgoers who are resigned to the fact that this one wouldn’t be any good just because of the man who directed it. That’s pretty unfortunate, because I think if people give it a chance they’ll wind up having a pretty good time.
Of course, that only speaks to the people who were dreading the film; there are plenty of people who are looking forward to it, and I have a hard time imagining they would be let down. While it runs a little long at two hours and twenty-four minutes, “Transformers” spends most of that time moving at a breakneck speed that will make it difficult for anyone to be bored.
The screenplay by Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman (who also penned like “Mission: Impossible III” and “The Island,” among others) follows no fewer than four separate storylines that all intersect at some point. The first follows some kind of Special Forces team through a mission in the desert. The team includes Sergeant Lennox (Josh Duhamel) and USAF Tech Sergeant Epps (Tyrese Gibson). We learn a few surfacey, not-so-interesting details about both of them, and nothing about their storyline is necessary or engaging. They happen to see a transformer out in the desert though, so that links them.
Storyline two follows Sam Witwicky (LaBeouf), a nerdy high school kid whose father (Kevin Dunn) takes him out on his birthday to buy him a car (the car salesman is played by Bernie Mac in a fairly funny cameo). He soon finds out that this is no ordinary yellow and black car – it’s an alien robot that can transform itself into a walking, talking robot. That’s pretty cool.
The car, saddled with unfortunately sissy name of Bumblebee, is part of the Autobot sect of the Transformer society. The other group is called the Decepticons; I wonder if one could tell by the names alone which group was the bad guy group that wants to destroy the Earth. They have their own war going on too, and Earth just happens to be in the way. This is the third storyline.
The fourth storyline involves the government’s efforts to thwart the Decepticons, who are trying to resurrect their leader, Megatron. Oscar winner Jon Voight plays Defense Secretary John Keller, who employs a team of experts from all corners of the globe to examine sound waves. These experts include Maggie Madsen (Rachael Taylor) and Glen Whitmann (Anthony Anderson). The show is absolutely stolen by John Turturro as Agent Simmons, who has a vested interest in the fate of the Autobots and Decepticons.
“Transformers” is far from a perfect film, but I had a lot more fun at this movie than I did at the triumvirate of May threequels, or even the more recent “Live Free or Die Hard” (a film that’s popularity is both surprising and saddening to me). Sure, Duhamel and Gibson’s storyline is completely superfluous, and it goes mostly forgotten without much payoff, but Shia LaBeouf admirably carries the film with his timing and charm, and the rest of the supporting cast mostly does what they need to do. This could turn into a much bigger hit than many are anticipating, and I would be happy to see that.
The 411: Sometimes not expecting much can help make a movie more enjoyable. Maybe my brain just wasn’t in full force that day. Who knows, but for whatever reason, I found “Transformers” ridiculously entertaining. Most of that is due to Shia LaBeouf and John Turturro, but a certain degree of credit goes to Michael Bay. There, I said it.
