Review: Transformers
Sunday, October 21st, 2007(Yeah, I know I’m months behind 90% of the free world in seeing this one…)
Okay, obviously from the trailers the special effects on this movie were going to be top-notch. But was there really, as the characters are so fond of saying, “more than meets the eye” to this film? Did it have characters you care about? A plot?
Happily, yes, to an extent. It had a decent plot, nicely combining elements of the original cartoon series/movie with some new elements. It was laid out well enough for general movie-goers, who may not have been familiar with what came before, to follow all the necessary elements. It was engaging, if predictable. I cared a bit about the characters, though I didn’t for a second think any major player would really get hurt. I was surprised by the loss of an Autobot (who I’ll leave nameless for those who haven’t seen it). I always liked that character in the cartoons.
But let’s be honest here - the star in this movie was the action and effects. And they did a heck of a job.
The action was choreographed very well, in my opinion. There was more than one scene where I just sat back and said “whoa, that was cool,” and I was referring at least as much to the motion of the characters in the scene as I was to the rendering of those characters. I’m a sucker for acrobatic acts of aggression, and this movie delivered. Plus those actions were being carried out by huge, hulking robots with major firepower - it’s like a dream come true….
Okay, not quite that great, but still pretty freaking cool. Actually, despite all their coolness and realism (within the context, of course), I didn’t like the renditions of the robotic forms as much as I hoped. The visual separation between many of them, with the definite exceptions of Megatron, Optimus Prime, and Bumblebee, was not as distinct as it should have been. I had a hard time keeping the characters straight after transformation.
The effects, though, were unbelievable. I went through the DVD a second time and rewatched about 5 fight scenes in slow motion just to savor the cool. Niiiiiiicce.
I should mention as well, that the very first thing that struck me about this movie, and it was clear from the DVD’s main menu, was that the music was really good. Both my wife and I mentioned it immediately as something reminiscent of Gladitor (one of my all time favorite films). I still have the theme running through my head. The biggest disappointment there was that they chose to go with a hard rock set over the end credits. Bleh. Seems like a wasted opportunity to me. I don’t know… maybe there was only that one good theme, but I liked it.
Anyway… top of the line effects with cool ideas, a decently serviceable story, great cameos, and characters I didn’t hate. The effects alone pull the movie up to a 4 star rating. The rest do nothing to pull it down, but don’t give it the extra push to get any further. So… four stars it is.
Technorati Tags: transformers, optimus prime, megatron, starscream, michael bay, film music
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