If you don't know by now I'm one of this boards biggest and most vocal skeptics regarding this movie and to my surprise, I didn't hate this movie.
disclaimer:
Before you gloat and claim some kind of ideological victory, I liked this movie but didn't love it. Don't attack me personally for giving an honest review. This review is in no way an apology for my skepticism and scrutiny in the past. Fans should always demand the best. If not us then who?
Ultimately I hope a "Negatron" acknowledging the aspects Bay got right will lead to more "Optimist Primes" acknowledging aspects Bay could've done better or opportunities he missed. Hopefully this will result in more constructive criticism and honest debate rather than partisan pissing contest.
Review: 7/10
Part I
I wrote this review rather quickly so it's not a sophisticated deconstruction but rather a basic summary of why the flaws are forgivable.
Peter Cullen saved this movie from being a 5 or 6. I don't say this as a G1 purists but as someone who loves great, iconic movie characters. Peter Cullen's performance is so endearing and mythical the non-fanboy crowd hung on every word. They cheered for him like they would cheer for Indiana Jones or Superman. Optimus Prime was respected and beloved by the audience. They acknowledged his heroics and nobility despite the fact that he had widows for a chest. This is an accomplishment I do not take lightly. I'm very aware that Bay did not have to cast Cullen or could've altered the character beyond recognition. So kudos to Bay for keeping Optimus as G1 as possible and casting Cullen. This was the best casting decision he made. Shia was the second best but he's already gotten so much praise from everyone this doesn't need to be conveyed any further.
Bay knows his audience. He knows the way the masses think and what they want from an alien robot movie. He made this movie Independence Day meets Short Circuit with passing references to ET and T2. (I would've preferred it be the other way around but it's acceptable the way he did it if it guarantees a sequel). I wouldn't understand how much Bay understands his audience if I didn't see this movie with a crowd.
Frenzy is not Jar Jar. These two are apples and oranges.
Jar Jar pissed off everybody who wasn't under the age of 8. He was painful to watch every second he was on screen. Frenzy got not only a few chuckles from the older crowd he also received a couple of "wows" (when he kills the agents) and even a couple of big laughs. When I realized this the character was no longer a source of embarrassment but actually a positive.
I know the heavy amount of comedy bothered some. But I realized when watching the Autobots, all in car form, racing from point A to point B how silly it would all seem to the average movie goer without the comedy. Comedy disarmed crowds who would never accepts the Transformers concept done realistically. That would work for nerds/geeks but not people who just want to laugh and see some action before they go back to work. It's the reason Star Wars A New Hope can be campy and hokey at certain moments. It disarms the crowd and allows them to accept the fantasy elements instead of looking for the exit.
Part II.
You can be mad at Bay for throwing in too much juvenile humor but then you might as well direct that anger at 80% of the movie goers who laughed and laughed at the piss/*********ion/breast jokes. Don't blame Bay for basic human nature. If Bay had shown contempt for the audience with juvenile humor without a heart I would bash this movie for being patronizing and condescending. But this toilet humor was not "I bet these idiots find this funny" kind of humor, it was "people are primitive and flawed but this is what makes the human race interesting and worth a damn". Our neurotic and colorful flaws have their own strange beauty that is worth preserving. Now that I think of it Independence Day and Armageddon used this formula too.
This is not showing contempt for the audience. Rather it is a love letter to the lowest common denominator saying "you guys are so funny and real you make this predictable and mechanical world more fun and interesting, cheers". So my biggest gripe about the comedy subsided when I realized Optimus was still respectable, the comedy was used to disarm haters of the TF concept, and that it wasn't offensive but rather funny and endearing in most cases.
The first half of this movie is alot more engaging than the second half. The second half barring some scattered moments of brilliance is tedious and soulless. Kind of like the Island. It's like watching someone else play a video game. The action scenes lack context or genuine suspense. The style-substance ratio becomes way too uneven and it gets boring watching explosions without rhyme or reason.
Roger Ebert made a great point that the fights lacked any tactical strategy, just alot of rumble and tumble making a great deal of fight scenes redundant and lackluster. That is a major issue considering these scenes are one of the films biggest selling points.
My friend felt too the action scenes in the second half had moments of brilliance but the lack of consistency in quality ruined the climax. He was a "negatron" too but admitted that some scenes where geekasm worthy. He especially liked the Bonecrusher fight with Optimus with the slo-mo and Optimus blade impalement as the highlight. His question was why couldn't the rest of the fights be that cool.
Part III
Bay did show the Autobots personalities. If only he had done the same for the Decepticons the fight scenes would have alot more context and been more compelling. Why waste Starscream. His maniacal loose cannon persona and showboating to position for leadership would've made the climax 5 times better.
Regarding Megan Fox. She was not just eye candy. If she wasn't sympathetic her scenes with Shia would've fell flat. But these scenes worked. She is not a bad actress. You want to see bad acting watch a movie with Anna Nicole Smith. Megan Fox played her role note perfect. Also the role itself added to the appeal of the movie.
Megan was the ying to Shia's yang. She was the girl who avoids going to giant robot movies or anything geek related. She represent all the jocks and snobs who are ashamed to be in the movie theater because "Transformers is for dorky virgins". Now they have an excuse. "I just wanna see that sexy Megan Fox chick" or "if this hot chick can go along for this geeky ride why shouldn't I". This dynamic broadens the appeal of a geek-oriented franchise. (on a side note: I hope Marvel cast Megan Fox as Black Widow. pls let this happen)
Conclusion
I still feel that G1 has alot more to offer than what was presented. I in no way feel this movie elevated the source material but made the concepts easier to swallow for mass audiences. The same reason Flinstone vitamins taste like candy.
If you think the source material is disposable garbage and fandom should be ignored and trivialized, you're still wrong. Don't bother trying to use this review to validate past attacks on the source material. You'd be wasting your time. G1 rules. Let's explore why G1 resonated with millions more and more with the sequels.
This movie is still only a 7. As a life-long Transformers fan I should be able to give it a 9 or 10. But I simply can't.
This movie had me at times happier than a pig in s--t. Unfortunately the smell of wasted potential became too great of a distraction. Hopefully the sequels won't have this problem.
The skepticism, scrutiny, debate, and constructive criticism will continue for future adaptations. And rightfully so. We're fans, not studio cheerleaders.
Till all are one.
