Transformers trailer thread (Drak approved)

[Golgo-13]

Don't see the point of having a seperate TF trailer thread.

Is this place soppose to be the objective view where TF and non-TF fans can meet and tear each others heads off? Or a place where the lazy mutha****ers can discuss TF's because a few extra mouse clicks to the TF boards is far too much work for them...?

 

[blind_fury]

Perhaps we might wnat wait on that call till the movie is out

I've been following this movie more closely than any other, scrutinizing every detail even before Micheal Bay was hired. If Micheal Bay was elevating the source material instead of dumbing it down it would be obvious at this point.

Your stretching here buddy... I love TF: THe Movie but the reason they killed off so many characters was so they could sell more toys. TF has and always will be driven by toys.

Your thinking from Hasbro's stand point, not the people who crafted the stories and characters. Like I said there was no reason to put the Twilight Zone type social commentary in the stories and characters. They could've easily gone the Power Ranger/Pokemon route and avoided the socio-political commentary.

I want respect your opinion, however you realize your watching a cartoon show made for kids... A rather hokey cartoon show, I mean perhaps you can show me some clips or cite some episodes since... I have the whole TF Series on Tape... If you did that for me, perhaps I'd be able to believe you... So again it's out there, provide an episode of some sort, some clips... Something to back this up.

Yes you can focus on the silliest aspects of Transformers to say it's completely disposable but that would be judging something based on a partial observation.

I don't have the time to go into each episode and interpret the symbolism or social commentary. The early episodes that took place on Earth had socio-political subtext (Animal Farm and War of the Worlds for children). The later episodes that took place on Cybertron had more existential subtext (Twilight Zone and Outer Limits for children).

Here's a list of episodes from season 3, if you don't find any twilight zone type of subtext exploring the human condition then you should stop watching sci-fi all together.

Five Faces of Darkness (Part 1)
The Killing Jar
Chaos
Dark Awakening
Starscream's Ghost
Forever Is a Long Time Coming
Madman's Paradise
Carnage In C-Minor
Fight or Flee
Webworld
Ghost In the Machine
The Dweller In the Depths
Nightmare Planet
The Ultimate Weapon
The Quintesson Journal
The Big Broadcast of 2006
Only Human
Grimlock's New Brain
Money Is Everything
Call of the Primitives

http://www.decepticon-matrix.com/episodeguide.html#s3

It's rather basic though, what I mean by this is how is Bay wrong for this project? All Optimus has to do is fight evil Decepticons use a bad ass tone and toss out cheesy lines like that, and you have the same depth as the cartoon show, so what I mean is... I don't get how you guys can insult Bay for what is essentially a faithful adaption, or what appears to be... The only way it won't be faithful... Is if it didn't have evil vs. good robots, and it was just about humans fighting robots but it isn't. Then again I still have to see the movie but there hasn't been anything for me to believe what your saying.

That's like saying Schumacher's Batman movies are faithful because Batman is still the good guy fighting insane bad guys in Gotham.

I'm not surprised that people who think Batman is silly have low standards for a Batman movie. What bothers me is how a person like that gets creative control of the franchise. Give me a director who understands and appreciates the source material and is dedicated to showing the world why the characters/concepts resonated with life-long fans in the first place. Micheal Bay resents the source material and the fans. It's obvious he's the wrong person to adapt the material even if he can "wow" the lowest common denominator with loud and flashy action scenes. There is still wasted potential that cheats the audience and fans..

I hate to break this to you buddy, but ORson Welles became pretty pathetic toward the end of his life. He had spent all his money on his failed projects so he took any job that'd pay him. Don't get me wrong he did an awesome job and I love Citizen Kane, Mr. Arkadin, and Touch of Evil... But the truth of the matter is your point here holds no weight since he was a broke bastard that'd probably be the narrator in a porno if it was paying well.

My point absolutely holds weight.

If anything the claim that Orson Welles did Transformers out of greed is baseless. Maybe you're confusing him with Micheal Bay.

"rosebud" the sled could easily be replaced with "rosebud" the distant G1 Transformers memory. This guy did the infamous War of the Worlds radio broadcast that caused mass hysteria that taught people they shouldn't believe everything they see and hear. I wouldn't be surprised if he did ghost writing for Transformers.

You realize that Transformers is pretty standard stuff? There's nothing ground breaking in it. Most of what you cite is just filler, for fights, every TF episode I saw the main entree was the fights. However maybe it's selective memory... point out an episode and I'll go watch it and maybe my opinion will change. Look all of this was in the background, it wasn' the focus, just like it will be in the movie. I don't get why your citing this as a negative, since there's been nothing that saying that this stuff isn't in the movie.

Well the arbitrary/wholesale changes to characters/concepts/themes and Bay's attitude toward G1 purist/source material is a bad sign.

We've seen this before with GINO, Batman and Robin, CINO, and LXG.

The writing is on the wall.

Harry Potter is a simple story coming of age story set to a backdrop of magic. Just like Transformers is a simple good vs. evil story set against a sci-fi backdrop, what's important is the good vs. evil struggle the rest is rather unimportant.

"the rest is unimportant"? Then why even call it Transformers?

Why not Go bots or Bay's Generic Giant Robot Fights?

Just look at the intro it cites exactly what I've been saying

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhCtVq5iIa0

Transformers is about a battle against evil that is the focus wtih huge spectacular fights. Now I'm watching this episode on youtube, a typical TF episode not one thing you said is in it... of course I'm only 2 minutes in so maybe I'll eat my words...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3bM4p0ikkI&mode=related&search=

[/QUOTE]
You don't have to watch entire episodes. Just go to this site and read the episode synopsis for each season to see that Bay missed the point just like he did with Pearl Harbor.

http://www.decepticon-matrix.com/episodeguide.html

If you still don't see the wasted potential read some well regarded TF comic book stories that make Bayformers look like an expensive ALF episode.

 

[Golgo-13]

Good post Blind_Fury, you represent the TF boards well.

 

[SolidSnakeMGS]

Don't see the point of having a seperate TF trailer thread.

Is this place soppose to be the objective view where TF and non-TF fans can meet and tear each others heads off? Or a place where the lazy mutha****ers can discuss TF's because a few extra mouse clicks to the TF boards is far too much work for them...?

Its a good middleground, if you ask me. The non-hardcore but interested people can come to this thread, instead of going to the TF forum and getting completely lost. The pace is slower here, and there isn't as many details to get in the way of the very underlying, basic argument of the movie itself.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Snake and Movies what we have here is a situation akin to 2 sailors on a ship having a punch up and me deciding what needs to be done,instead of throwing you both in the brig so to speak i'm gonna issue a warning that if it doesn't stop now then it will be probation.......i suggest both you guys use the ignore feature on each other.

As for this thread Golgo it was created for the movie fan essentially but now it's just a basic TF section thread with 2 sides ripping at each other,now the trailer is out i think after the weekend it will most likely close.

 

[Movies205]

Snake and Movies what we have here is a situation akin to 2 sailors on a ship having a punch up and me deciding what needs to be done,instead of throwing you both in the brig so to speak i'm gonna issue a warning that if it doesn't stop now then it will be probation.......i suggest both you guys use the ignore feature on each other.

As for this thread Golgo it was created for the movie fan essentially but now it's just a basic TF section thread with 2 sides ripping at each other,now the trailer is out i think after the weekend it will most likely close.

Aye, Aye Capt'

 

[Kmack]

Wow, that trailer totally kicked my @ss...and I loved it!up:

 

[blind_fury]

As for this thread Golgo it was created for the movie fan essentially but now it's just a basic TF section thread with 2 sides ripping at each other,now the trailer is out i think after the weekend it will most likely close.

This thread wasn't intended to be a trailer-discussion only thread. The title was recently changed for some strange reason when the latest trailer came out.

This thread was initially for movie lovers who don't go to the TF forum but are interested in the movie. Why should a civil discussion regarding the artistic merits of the film versus the source material be off limits?

I've responded to people in this thread who never go to the TF forums were opinions are basically polarized. Their points are actually more open-minded and bipartisan than the TF forums. I don't see how this single thread is adversely effecting the movies forum to the point where it must be closed.

 

[Movies205]

This thread wasn't intended to be a trailer-discussion only thread. The title was recently changed for some strange reason when the latest trailer came out.

This thread was initially for movie lovers who don't go to the TF forum but are interested in the movie. Why should a civil discussion regarding the artistic merits of the film versus the source material be off limits?

I've responded to people in this thread who never go to the TF forums were opinions are basically polarized. Their points are actually more open-minded and bipartisan than the TF forums. I don't see how this single thread is adversely effecting the movies forum to the point where it must be closed.

Yeah I have to agree wtih this... Outside of Solid, I was having a completely civil conversation with those against TF. Isn't that the poitn? I never actually looked at TF as a social commentary before Blind Fury brought it up, but I can see the connections he make... However, I just don't agree that it's crucial*SP to TF and also that it's not something remarkably hard to pull off.

 

[blind_fury]

Good post Blind_Fury, you represent the TF boards well.

Thanks man.

 

[Hunter Rider]

This thread wasn't intended to be a trailer-discussion only thread. The title was recently changed for some strange reason when the latest trailer came out.

This thread was initially for movie lovers who don't go to the TF forum but are interested in the movie. Why should a civil discussion regarding the artistic merits of the film versus the source material be off limits?

I've responded to people in this thread who never go to the TF forums were opinions are basically polarized. Their points are actually more open-minded and bipartisan than the TF forums. I don't see how this single thread is adversely effecting the movies forum to the point where it must be closed.

No the title was always as it is now,if you don't believe me ask Drak.

It was actually meant as somewhat of a refuge for those that don't want to hear about G1 and fight about change of designs and so forth b/c once it becomes that it is simply the same as nearly every thread we have had in the TF forum all year.

Now it seems some others wish to keep the discourse alive so despite it now diverting from it's intended purpose i will leave it open.......i don't get why you haven't been to the TF section to talk trailer as well though given all the time you have spent there

 

[Movies205]

I've been following this movie more closely than any other, scrutinizing every detail even before Micheal Bay was hired. If Micheal Bay was elevating the source material instead of dumbing it down it would be obvious at this point.

I can't attest to the same level of scrutiny so perhaps you are right, however from what I've seen, it's looking good so far and I'm keeping an open mind.

Your thinking from Hasbro's stand point, not the people who crafted the stories and characters. Like I said there was no reason to put the Twilight Zone type social commentary in the stories and characters. They could've easily gone the Power Ranger/Pokemon route and avoided the socio-political commentary.

I believe in death of the author, the intent of an artist means nothing, any half-way decent artist will tell you that. It's what YOU get from a source material, that does not mean any one interpretation is right or wrong. I take TF as the classic struggle of good vs. evil, where lives hang in the balance, as the autobot leader holds a heavy heart as he wages are on a land that had nothign to do with it. That's what's grippign to me, to you it's the social commentary. However, neither can be deemed correct.

Yes you can focus on the silliest aspects of Transformers to say it's completely disposable but that would be judging something based on a partial observation.

Would it? Look at Batman? It would be silly to say that Frank Miller's Batman is the definate Batman since it's radicalyl different than Bob Kane's Batman, or the Batman of hte 50s, etc. There are so iterations of Transformers, that they mean different things to different people, and I don't think ti's fair to say someone's opinion isn't valid since they haven't seen everythign or read everything. Now I've seen TF G1, TF HEadmasters, Beast Wars, Beast Machinse, and even Robots in Disguise. I read the Dream Wave comics, I've read about the various other series, etc. I know quite a bit about Transformers and I know that each iteration stands for somethign different, however the core that holds it all together remains the same Good vs. Evil. This is simply my interpretation, nor is it silly, it simply a basic concept that's easily understood by children who can't understand shades of grey.

I don't have the time to go into each episode and interpret the symbolism or social commentary. The early episodes that took place on Earth had socio-political subtext (Animal Farm and War of the Worlds for children). The later episodes that took place on Cybertron had more existential subtext (Twilight Zone and Outer Limits for children).

Here's a list of episodes from season 3, if you don't find any twilight zone type of subtext exploring the human condition then you should stop watching sci-fi all together.

Five Faces of Darkness (Part 1)
The Killing Jar
Chaos
Dark Awakening
Starscream's Ghost
Forever Is a Long Time Coming
Madman's Paradise
Carnage In C-Minor
Fight or Flee
Webworld
Ghost In the Machine
The Dweller In the Depths
Nightmare Planet
The Ultimate Weapon
The Quintesson Journal
The Big Broadcast of 2006
Only Human
Grimlock's New Brain
Money Is Everything
Call of the Primitives

http://www.decepticon-matrix.com/episodeguide.html#s3



That's like saying Schumacher's Batman movies are faithful because Batman is still the good guy fighting insane bad guys in Gotham.

It is faithful to the Silver Age Batman, now I haven't seen it in forever so I barely remember it. However Schumacher's Batman is not something I care to see again because it is not the interpretation of Batman I like, I prefer the dark and brooding one from Batman Begins. However, there are many different interpretation that what I love about art.

I'm not surprised that people who think Batman is silly have low standards for a Batman movie. What bothers me is how a person like that gets creative control of the franchise. Give me a director who understands and appreciates the source material and is dedicated to showing the world why the characters/concepts resonated with life-long fans in the first place. Micheal Bay resents the source material and the fans. It's obvious he's the wrong person to adapt the material even if he can "wow" the lowest common denominator with loud and flashy action scenes. There is still wasted potential that cheats the audience and fans..

I don't get why he so wrong? Everything I've seen shows me he's right for transformers. Bay is not good at depth or showing us the complexities of the world, however that's not what an action movie is about. Transformers is about a fight to the death, good vs. evil, where the good need to stand up against evil even when the other side's fighting dirty, about humans being caught in the middle and having no power to stop them... That seems to be in TF the movie... I dont' get why you don't like it? There's been nothing that says to teh contrary.

My point absolutely holds weight.

If anything the claim that Orson Welles did Transformers out of greed is baseless. Maybe you're confusing him with Micheal Bay.

I can't force you to believe me, but it's the truth... Do some research on Orson Welles he died alone and pennyless, the man needed to survive so you can't really use him as a testament of quality to TF the movie... The thing had frickin Judd Nelson

"rosebud" the sled could easily be replaced with "rosebud" the distant G1 Transformers memory. This guy did the infamous War of the Worlds radio broadcast that caused mass hysteria that taught people they shouldn't believe everything they see and hear. I wouldn't be surprised if he did ghost writing for Transformers.

This is pure stretching...

Well the arbitrary/wholesale changes to characters/concepts/themes and Bay's attitude toward G1 purist/source material is a bad sign.

We've seen this before with GINO, Batman and Robin, CINO, and LXG.

The writing is on the wall.


"the rest is unimportant"? Then why even call it Transformers?

Why not Go bots or Bay's Generic Giant Robot Fights?

Because it's not... It still about an alien robotic race coming to earth and waging there war there. With a noble leader Optimus Prime leading the Autobots and Megatron leading the decepticons. See here's my problem with your argument cite something from the film or trailers that you know for certain which dictates this... The thing is we got wait and see, and so far I think it's looking pretty good... However I'll check out those episodes when I get a chance.

 

[blind_fury]

No the title was always as it is now,if you don't believe me ask Drak.

It was actually meant as somewhat of a refuge for those that don't want to hear about G1 and fight about change of designs and so forth b/c once it becomes that it is simply the same as nearly every thread we have had in the TF forum all year.

Now it seems some others wish to keep the discourse alive so despite it now diverting from it's intended purpose i will leave it open.......i don't get why you haven't been to the TF section to talk trailer as well though given all the time you have spent there

I've explained the TF forums can be too polarized and partisan. Here I can discuss why the direction of this movie is fundamentally wrong with someone who is open minded for a change. Despite my passionate defense of the source material I do enjoy level-headed and honest debate every now and then.

 

[Warhammer]

Great trailer.



I do really dig the Teaser as well. (Not the fake Mars one)

 

[Timstuff]

I've explained the TF forums can be too polarized and partisan. Here I can discuss why the direction of this movie is fundamentally wrong with someone who is open minded for a change. Despite my passionate defense of the source material I do enjoy level-headed and honest debate every now and then.

Well unfortunately for you, the vast majority of people who have watched the trailer are loving it, and your accusations about wether or not Bay actually likes TF are completely baseless in my eyes. From my personal introspection, you haters are basing all of your negative theories on Bay based solely on the fact that he was open minded towards re-designing the TFs to look more exciting. I'm sick of reading crap like "Optimus Prime was like the father I never had, so seeing what Bay has done to him tears me up inside!"

TF was not as riviting a social commentary as people make it out to be. It had some interesting social commentary themes lying beneath the surface, but then again, so did other cartoons from the 80's, from G.I. Joe to Ducktales. These themes are all pretty straightforward when you get down to it though, and unless you really dig into it, TF is about outnumbered good robots kicking evil robots' @$$es, and selling toys in the process. Good versus Evil is a universal theme that everyone understands, and that's really the only one that kids are bright enough to understand.

 

[blind_fury]

Well unfortunately for you, the vast majority of people who have watched the trailer are loving it, and your accusations about wether or not Bay actually likes TF are completely baseless in my eyes. From my personal introspection, you haters are basing all of your negative theories on Bay based solely on the fact that he was open minded towards re-designing the TFs to look more exciting. I'm sick of reading crap like "Optimus Prime was like the father I never had, so seeing what Bay has done to him tears me up inside!"

TF was not as riviting a social commentary as people make it out to be. It had some interesting social commentary themes lying beneath the surface, but then again, so did other cartoons from the 80's, from G.I. Joe to Ducktales. These themes are all pretty straightforward when you get down to it though, and unless you really dig into it, TF is about outnumbered good robots kicking evil robots' @$$es, and selling toys in the process. Good versus Evil is a universal theme that everyone understands, and that's really the only one that kids are bright enough to understand.

lolz.

What a sloppy and blatant attempt to bait me into a fight and get the thread closed.

Better luck next time.

 

[SolidSnakeMGS]

Well unfortunately for you, the vast majority of people who have watched the trailer are loving it, and your accusations about wether or not Bay actually likes TF are completely baseless in my eyes.

I'd love to see your poll numbers testifying to that.

Don't makes statements like that. You can't back it up. You can say stuff like "it seems most people I come in contact with like the trailer" although that is hardly even close to definitive because people tend to skew that view depending on their own perspective. For example, I think the movie will be crap. The designs are crap, the trailer looks like mindless action fodder, and Bay is one of the worst filmmakers out there. So to me, it looks like more people HATE the trailer than like it.

From my personal introspection, you haters are basing all of your negative theories on Bay based solely on the fact that he was open minded towards re-designing the TFs to look more exciting. I'm sick of reading crap like "Optimus Prime was like the father I never had, so seeing what Bay has done to him tears me up inside!"

Solely on the fact? Wrong, we're also going by his past track records, which is comprised almost completely with the worst of Hollywood; cliched, generic, overmade action movies. Bay isn't suddenly become Michael Mann after one movie, so it isn't far-fetched to see he'll continue his extremely bad track record with this movie.

Also, changing designs is hardly being open-minded. It actually reeks of arrogance, something Bay is pretty known for. He thinks he can do what he wants with the source material and twist it in whatever way HE wants.

TF was not as riviting a social commentary as people make it out to be. It had some interesting social commentary themes lying beneath the surface, but then again, so did other cartoons from the 80's, from G.I. Joe to Ducktales. These themes are all pretty straightforward when you get down to it though, and unless you really dig into it, TF is about outnumbered good robots kicking evil robots' @$$es, and selling toys in the process. Good versus Evil is a universal theme that everyone understands, and that's really the only one that kids are bright enough to understand.

As has been brought up about a million times, that doesn't mean the movie cannot be intelligent or contain depth. Some moron on this board said something along the lines that the shows were made to sell toys and make money, and that we're moaning about the movie because that's exactly what the movie is going to do, and somehow that's being close to source. I have to laugh at such desperate stupidity.

BUT they change the designs but keep the so-called shallowness of the material in tact? Yeah, makes perfect sense.

 

[Hunter Rider]

As has been brought up about a million times, that doesn't mean the movie cannot be intelligent or contain depth. Some moron on this board said something along the lines that the shows were made to sell toys and make money, and that we're moaning about the movie because that's exactly what the movie is going to do, and somehow that's being close to source. I have to laugh at such desperate stupidity.

BUT they change the designs but keep the so-called shallowness of the material in tact? Yeah, makes perfect sense.

I thought we had come to an understanding when i posted last night but the bolded part would indicate not,you and i both know Movies was the one that made the comment about the toys and even if he hadn't calling anyone a moron along with the the second bolded line is not gonna fly here,i'm not sure right now what will be done but something will be.

 

[Movies205]

Well unfortunately for you, the vast majority of people who have watched the trailer are loving it, and your accusations about wether or not Bay actually likes TF are completely baseless in my eyes. From my personal introspection, you haters are basing all of your negative theories on Bay based solely on the fact that he was open minded towards re-designing the TFs to look more exciting. I'm sick of reading crap like "Optimus Prime was like the father I never had, so seeing what Bay has done to him tears me up inside!"

And I'm sure the otherside is sick of people tottally not getting something they love, perhaps it'd be better if we looked at it from another person's point of view... Something I was made painfully aware of by Hunter Rider's warning as well as Blind Fury's zeal.

TF was not as riviting a social commentary as people make it out to be. It had some interesting social commentary themes lying beneath the surface, but then again, so did other cartoons from the 80's, from G.I. Joe to Ducktales. These themes are all pretty straightforward when you get down to it though, and unless you really dig into it, TF is about outnumbered good robots kicking evil robots' @$$es, and selling toys in the process. Good versus Evil is a universal theme that everyone understands, and that's really the only one that kids are bright enough to understand.

Again interpretations people... Perhaps if you're asking someone else to be open to this interpretation of TF, you should be open to their interpreation. I mean I can't say TF is not this, if it's reasonably backed up, I'm just against people saying something HAS to be this way, when it's a fictional story... Plus we don't know how it's going be... If the movie is entertaining and rocks my socks off without the social commentary then I'll be like that's cool... But if it has hollow characters and becomes an excuse just for action scenes without any heart, I'll be upset... We simply have to wait and see... But I'm in the camp that enjoys Michael Bay films... Except for the Island since it took a good idea and mauled it into some ridiculous 40 minute chase scene

 

[SolidSnakeMGS]

I thought we had come to an understanding when i posted last night but the bolded part would indicate not,you and i both know Movies was the one that made the comment about the toys and even if he hadn't calling anyone a moron along with the the second bolded line is not gonna fly here,i'm not sure right now what will be done but something will be.

Who says I was talking about Movies? You have no idea who I was talking about.

But Movies did call me a jerk and a dick, which is worse than being called a moron even if I was talking about Movies. Yes, he's said far worse to me, crapped in my thread before, and you guys DID NOTHING ABOUT IT.

So if you're going to do something to me out of a misunderstanding, do something to Movies straight up legitimately.

 

[Darth Elektra]

The trailer with Shrek the Third, was awsome!

 

[Hunter Rider]

Who says I was talking about Movies? You have no idea who I was talking about.

But Movies did call me a jerk and a dick, which is worse than being called a moron even if I was talking about Movies. Yes, he's said far worse to me, crapped in my thread before, and you guys DID NOTHING ABOUT IT.

So if you're going to do something to me out of a misunderstanding, do something to Movies straight up legitimately.

Who was the guy in this thread that said TF was made to sell toys and who you were arguing with ? it was Movies so lets not try to be coy and regardless you going around calling ppl morons and "laughing at their desperate stupidity" isn't gonna fly.

Yes Movies insulted you yesterday and when i responded to your report you had retaliated making you even,so i warned you both to drop it and then you just went and kept on going,you also were asked twice via PM's to tone it down but i see it's just not gonna work.

You say Movies crapped in your thread ? link it to me,the only thread i saw him respond in from you in months was the will Smith one.

 

[C. Lee]

Who says I was talking about Movies? You have no idea who I was talking about.

But Movies did call me a jerk and a dick, which is worse than being called a moron even if I was talking about Movies. Yes, he's said far worse to me, crapped in my thread before, and you guys DID NOTHING ABOUT IT.

So if you're going to do something to me out of a misunderstanding, do something to Movies straight up legitimately.

5 days probation.....next time, stop fighting when told.

 

[Darth Elektra]

REVIEW: Transformers is the movie of the summer...
'Transformers' blows Spidey, Sparrow and Surfer away!
by Steve Mason

When the dust settles from this 2007 summer of sequels, one movie will stand above all others. For originality and excitement and action and special effects and flat-out fun, the hands-down winner is Transformers (Dreamworks/Paramount). When all is said and done, I'll be surprised if this testosterone-injected thrill ride doesn't finish as the top-grossing movie of the year.

A generation of boys (and some girls) grew up on Transformers toys, cartoons and comic books in the '80s, and those same fans, now in their late 20s and early 30s, are ready to introduce their kids to this major touchstone of their collective childhood. Michael Bay was the ideal choice to direct the new movie. He can choreograph action and "blow stuff up" with the best of 'em, and he's always been on the cutting edge of movie special effects because of his stake in Digital Domain. On top of everything that Bay bring, however, Steven Spielberg's fingerprints are unmistakable. As Executive Producer, he has managed to inject into Transformers the sweetness, humor and sense of wonder that are the hallmarks of his best work.

For the uninitiated, there are two kinds of Transformers. The Decepticons are hell-bent on dominating the universe, and they've set their sights on taking control of Earth. Then there are the Autobots, a benevolent class of robot who prefer peaceful coexistence with humans. Both breeds have the ability to disguise themselves as cars or trucks or boomboxes or cellular phones or just about anything.

The movie starts in the Middle East with a spectacular attack on a U.S. military base by a Decepticon known as Blackout (in a second skirmish, Blackout becomes a crazy-cool robot scorpion). One of the soldiers at the base is Captain Lennox (played by Josh Duhamel of NBC's Las Vegas), a sturdy American who looks forward to holding his newborn baby girl on his next trip home. Back in the States, suburban high school nerd Sam Witwicky is angling for his first car. Played by the white-hot Shia LaBeouf (Disturbia), Sam is funny, goofy and endearing. His car, a rusted-out yellow Camaro, essentially picks him, and it turns out to be an Autobot named Bumblebee.

The story is told through Captain Lennox and Sam, who find themselves in the middle of a full-scale robot war with nothing less than the fate of humanity hanging in the balance. Not being of the Transformers generation myself (I just missed out, graduating from high school in 1983), I didn't go in knowing the mythology, but it didn't really matter. The backstory is explained just enough without bogging the movie down. Plus, this is over-the-top summer fun, not a "think piece."

The special effects in Transformers are the best I have ever seen. Since the advent of CGI, I've often come away from the movies thinking that the effects look fake. The dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, Robert Patrick as the liquid metal T-1000 in Terminator 2: Judgement Day and the ship sinking in Titanic are all excellent effects for their time, but the Autobots and Decepticons are in a different league. They look real. Period.

The robot transformations are amazing to watch. Many of them happen quickly, but there is one that is especially noteworthy. The leader of the Autobots is Optimus Prime (revered by every Transformers fan). When he first transforms from semi cab to robot, it happens slowly and with great drama. You're able to see how much detail goes into this transition as, piece-by-piece, Optimus rises in all of his glory.

There are some nifty Spielberg touches along the way. After an Autobot crash lands in a swimming pool, a little girl with a stuffed animal walks outside to see what happened. Slowly, a huge robot emerges from the pool, and the little girl's face, bathed in moonlight, is filled with awe and wonder. When Sam is courting his girlfriend-to-be (Megan Fox), his car (Bumblebee) changes stations on the radio to provide the proper mood music (like Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On"). And, most notably, there's the relationship between Sam and Bumblebee. When this yellow-and-black robot gets in trouble, you can read very human pain on its face, and there are shades of the sort of emotional bond we saw between Elliot and E.T.

The movie flies at breakneck pace toward a robot battle royale. It's Optimus Prime, Bumblebee and the Autobots vs. Megatron and the Decepticons, and this is Bay at his best. The effects are an astounding whirr of changing forms and perfectly choreographed transitions, in the midst of an incredible chase, filled with explosions and blasts and detonations. In addition to the visual effects people, the sound guys and sound editors will also be recognized at the Oscars. The squealing of tires, the metal-on-metal scraping and the rumbling of oncoming giant robots makes for a visceral, one-of-a-kind moviegoing experience.

 

[Mr. Credible]

nice review. this is my most anticipated movie of the... well like, ever.