Transformers
So Micheal Bay releases Transformers and it partly panned by critics, loved by the masses. I’m among the masses, but I will only credit it slightly less. I felt it had too many cliches for future generations to understand. For example, someone makes a comment about the family pet and its breed associated to a once-famous spokesman for a fast food giant. My main concern was against the bots and how realistic they are, as the animated show was supposed to give the impression of realism. The bots were animated and designed flawlessly. Even better in some aspects. Bumblebee has gone from a Volkswagon Beetle to a Ford Mustang. The bots faces have something like lips rather than that up-and-down motion from the show.
Another concern was the voices of the bots, too. Hell, in all the previews, you do not hear their voices, & when I asked my brother about that, I don’t think he was too certain that the voices were kept secret for that reason. They pretty much nailed the voices entirely. My biggest surprise was that Optimus’ voice was voiced by the same guy from the original series. (As a movie fanatic, I know I should have already known that, but I preferred to make this movie experience a surprise all around so I didn’t do too much reading into it.)
So we have a two and a half hour spectacle of what would have happened if we discovered these aliens in present era. This has both quasi-believable points and off-the-wall ideas too. We are led to believe that current military equipment was designed from the bots and when it was discovered, someone “accidently activated” the beacons. Okay. No. Not going to believe that a flick of the side of the “finger” is going to “start” a ‘bot. What I can sort-of agree to is the ability to absorb the information & ‘hack’ the most secure servers, being living machines.
Then there’s the human aspect. From what I remember from the show, Sam and his dad helped in the repairs of the bots. Shia LaBeouf (Sam) does not give off the impression that he’s a greasemonkey at all, whereas Kevin Dunn (Ron Witwicky) looks like he should have been introduced to the bots from the day 1. Speaking of day 1, we learn about the new bumblebee and his “powers” via Bernie Mac (car salesman) as a used car salesman who has no clue that the “car is alive.” When all is said and done, the super funny Mac was missing. Josh Duhamel (Sergeant Lennox), Tyrese Gibson (Sergeant Epps), & Jon Voight (Defense Secretary John Keller) are the confused yet determined army and government people that like to talk tough and there’s only so much pyrotechnics can do to help a scene. Throw in an attempt of comic relief from Anthony Anderson (Glen Whitmann), and the end result is average boring acting. In other words, I had more entertainment looking at the bots than I did the humans.
In the end, I was thoroughly entertained by this film. If there are sequels, they better have the Witwickys getting greasy otherwise I won’t be as kind if that gets greenlit.
Final Result: :):):) 1/2
