Movie reviews: The Transformers (2007) – Part 25

July 4 seemed like the ideal time to take my children to see the classic cartoon made into live-action movie. The cartoon used to be a favorite of mine (as it was for so many my age) and my children were eager to watch robotic-aliens “tranform” into everyday machines in an effort to save the planet. I admit that I was skeptical about the movie, after many favorites of my childhood have been butchered in their movie adaptations. I can assure you though, that Transformers did not disappoint.

In this movie the Autobots and Decepticons fight a war that leads to the destruction of their home planet Cybertron. The surviving robot aliens search the universe for the Allspark, a device which will give life to machines anywhere. Discovering the Allsparks where-abouts are on Earth, the Decepticons launch attacks on the World to uncover the location of the life-giving cube that will rebuild soldiers for their war. The Autobots are summoned to Earth in an attempt to not only save our planet, but to prevent the Allspark from landing into the hands of the enemy.

I was in awe just as much as my children were wactching the special effects that movie-magic unveiled in transforming Optimus Prime from semi-truck to giant robot. Tranformers managed to take me back in time and was pleased that the movie followed the sme basic story line shared by the cartoon. The movie even included some of my favorite characters in a more updated version of the classic.

The movie was an action-packed hit directed by Michael Bay (Bad Boys, The Island) and kept the story-line pumping from chase scenes to explosions with a little humore mixed in. Shia Lebouf gave a lovable performance of a teen kid who discovers his first car is a robot sent to Earth to become his protector. Bernie Mac even added to the movie in a small part as a car sales-men with no small role in adding comedy to the action flick.

Transformers was a great movie that you can feel good about taking your kids to see. I would recommend this flick to children of all ages (or if you want to feel like one again.)

Ultimate Transformer Bumblebee – Hot Xmas Toy

There’s a very high chance that your kid will want the

Ultimate Transformer Bumblebee from Hasbro this christmas

and afterwards.

It is destined to be one of the hottest selling action

figures due to the release of the movie “Transformers” this

past summer.

With the push of a button, you can transform this yellow

Camaro into a 14 inch robot which raises it’s arms and

makes some cool sounds.

For a kids toy, this robot is amazingly well crafted and

detailed. It has the touch of quality. Not only can it

transform but the robot also has an animated head, wings

and arms.

When it transforms back into a Camaro, the Ultimate

Transformer Bumblebee can make realistic car sounds such as

engine revving, screeching brakes, car alarm, horn and

crashing.

The Ultimate Transformer Bumblebee can also spout out 17

cool phrases such as “Let’s roll out!” and “Take that

Decepticon!”.

There’s no doubt after having a close look at this toy that

it’s durable and quality crafted. That’s important because

you don’t want something that will break after a week of

rough play.

If you’re going to pick up an Ultimate Transformer

Bumblebee then your best options are Walmart or online.

Since these are such hot toys this Christmas many stores

are having trouble keeping them in stock.

If you can’t find them in the stores then eBay always has

these robots for sale. If you’re afraid of auctions, don’t

be. eBay has a feature called “Buy it Now” where you can

just click and pay for it without bidding against others.

New movies you really should see

Being a pre-teen to teen, all the way to flat out adulthood, I have practically waited a very long time to hear five simple words hit the big screen in “live action” and those words are “Autobots, transform and roll out!” Finally, it arrived! “The Transformers”, by far, has to be one of the best, if not the best movie I have ever seen. Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg did an excellent job of bringing a great toy and animation series to life for the summer. And it’s not all just about the great special effects, the action from start to finish, or the incredible story line of good versus evil. This film has a little something for everyone. It has comedy, action, heart, and soul. If you haven’t seen it yet….GO! Parents, kids, seniors, I guarantee you won’t be dissapointed. The critics always have their little clicks, you know, break it all down, technical this, impossible that, sometimes I think they have forgotten the real reason why we go to the movies in the first place….TO BE ENTERTAINED! This one delivers, on all fronts. To sum it up in just one word, for this summer, “The Transformers” in nothing but pure “FUN!”

Movie reviews: The Transformers (2007) – Part 43

Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye!

I saw the new Transformers movie on Saturday. What did I think? Transformers definitely

surprised so many of us. I was very pleased with the outcome of the movie. Yes, it even left room for a sequel. The action scenes were spectacular. Visual effects, sound & music were all meshed together very nicely. Two thumbs up! I only have one bit of beef with it..(SPOILER AHEAD) I can’t believe that they killed Jazz. I saw it and was like, NO! Not Jazz. I couldn’t believe it. It was true though. Oh, well…he died bravely though. Of course I knew Starscream would get away, he always does. I thought Bumblebee’s “sophisticated” voice was a way different change from what he sounded like originally, but it was cool anyway. I enjoyed this movie very much and not because I liked Transformers growing up. The movie did not leave newcomers at a loss. It explained things quite briefly, but detailed enough for those that know little or nothing about the history of Transformers. I truly hope there will be a sequel to this movie. ‘Till next time, C ya!

Michael Bay: Destroying our childhoods? – Part 1

As near as I can tell, Michael Bay hates my generation and everything we stand for. I don’t know why. Did we wrong him in a previous life? Did he get beat up by the younger kids at school or something? To what do we owe this animosity, that he so suddenly desires to snap up films that he knows are going to be bringing my generation screaming into the theaters like lemmings to a cliff side, only to turn around and tell us that everything we loved in our youths is wrong and foul?

Case in point, in a recent news article in Wired Magazine (Issue 15.07, and posted on Wired.com on 06/27/07 “The Rebirth of Optimus Prime: Behind the scenes with Michael Bay” by Scott Brown) I must quote;

“I’ve heard so many people say, ‘Michael Bay, you’ve destroyed my childhood,’ ” says the man himself from the cathedra of his Santa Monica, California, editing bay. Appropriately, Bay is wearing a black Decepticons T-shirt. He’s aware of his image and, to some extent, relishes it. “I knew there were fans,” he sighs, shaking his shaggy blond power-mane. “I didn’t know there were people who’d hunt you down. I urge them to watch the 1986 animated movie, go watch the cartoon. You’ll want to shoot yourself.”

Well, now we all know what drove wrestler Chris Benoit to his tragic end; he must have been watching reruns of the Transformers cartoon! Thank goodness I haven’t had the chance to buy the DVD’s yet, as I wouldn’t want to suffer from any post-nostalgic suicidal tendencies.

Okay, yes, I’m taking what he said out of context, but obviously the sentiment is there. Clearly, Michael Bay feels that the shows that I watched when I was a child were garbage, even for their time.

Funny, I remember them being highly entertaining, fun, and if you owned the toys, even somewhat interactive. In fact, I did go back and watch my VHS copy of “Transformers: The Motion Picture” from 1986. And you know what? I STILL enjoy it, to this day. I’m not a father yet, but I can honestly say I watch in horror at some of the mindless drivel spouted out of today’s equivalent of cartoon entertainment. Frankly, I’d rather have my child watching the old Transformers cartoons than some of the more modern ones, like Spongebob Squarepants for example, which strikes me as the drug-induced rantings of a functionally-retarded insomniac poodle! It wouldn’t surprise me a bit if Michael Bay watches it religiously.

At least Transformers made SENSE! It had a plot, an engaging story arc, characters that you loved

Movie reviews: The Transformers (2007) – Part 55

Robots in disguise!

Move over Pirates of the Carribean 3, Transformers just took the wind outta’ your sails.

Today was meant to be a lazy day. I got up today with no expectations. My room mate was going to take his date out to see Evan Almighty, but when she bailed on him, he instead took me to the theatre where we saw Transformers.

I paid an acceptable $8.50 (Canadian) for the matinee, and arrived at the theatre more than a half-hour early, in anticipation of a packed showing. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the room remained relatively empty, and save for the noisey child in front of us, and the jerk who sat IMMEDIATELY behind us in an otherwise empty room, it was a wonderful experience. Just as I had had no expectations for the day, I bore no expectations for the movie as well.

I’ve always been a fan of Transformers, I watched the cartoons faithfully growing up, I owned several toys, and I still posess (sitting a mere eight feet from me this very minute) a 1989 original plastic Transformers Bumble Bee toy. I’ve been to see such famous children’s-entertainment-turne d-all-audiences-films as Spiderman (all three movies), Daredevil, The Hulk, Fantastic Four, and honestly, all the other Marvel or DC Comics movies, and was constantly disappointed. I hold very high standards for the movies I see about my beloved subjects, and while I had no expectations for this movie, I was ready to hate it if they screwed with the story I loved.

So what did I think? I L-O-V-E-D LOVED it! Okay, it’s true that it’s not the most realistic movie in the world, but who really expects any realism from a movie about three-storey-tall transforming robot aliens who war against each other on Earth? Anyone who goes to this movie just to watch for and criticize the realism, doesn’t deserve to have seen it to begin with.

The acting (including by one of my most hated actors in the industry today, Shia LaBouf) was well-done and charming, and even exceptional in some cases. The female protagonist came into the male protagonist’s life by believable means, the relationship between them grew in a believable way, and the dialogue and interactions between all the characters was natural and interesting (with a few exceptions, which involve the leader of the secret organization called “Sector 7″ and the male protagonist’s parents). The music was invigorating, the cinematography was beautiful, and the plot (while not deep and meaningful) was certainly well-written and executed- and I haven’t even started on the action.

The action scenes in this film were AMAZING, and there’s just no other single word for it. Explosions galore, some of the best CG I’ve seen in any movie EVER, guns, lasers, robots brawling in crowded cities, falling from skyscraper rooftops, and the suspense of losing any of the main characters at any moment kept me on the edge of my seat and my guts in a knot.

The end was even so well written, acted, and directed that I was deeply moved by it, and inspired to write a romantic tragedy that I’m positive is going to be quite a tear-jerker. In short, they simply could not have done a better job with this movie, and even the greatest of naysayers must admit that the “cool factor” was just through the roof.

I would give this movie an overall 9/10 easily. Michael Bay (the director) is going to make a REAL name for himself with this one.

“Autobots, roll out!”

More than meets the eye: Anticipating the release of the Transformers movie – Part 8

Children of the 80’s rejoiced when they heard that Transformers was going to be made into a live-action movie. However, there was some concern with the announcement of director, Michael Bay, who has directed such films as Pearl Harbor, Armageddon, and The Rock. Personally, I think that Bay is the perfect choice to direct a movie about giant fighting robots, since he seems to specialize in intense, interesting and lengthy action sequences, which the Transformers movie should consist of. Eventually, the negative feedback against the film was halted with the release of an amazing theatrical trailer, which mysteriously unveiled Optimus Prime and showed some spectacular shots of Michael Bay-esque action. Finally, as the new July 2nd release date comes closer, only positive news seems to emerge as new clips and TV spots emerge almost daily. Barring any unforeseen mishap, Transformers should be the most original summer blockbuster of the year.

Best hip

B. Nice: Do the Nice Thing

What do you get when you cross the old school stealthy tight flows of A Tribe Called Quest and the teacher mentality of KRS-One with the effortless freestyles of Eminem and a Master’s Degree in Multi-cultural Humanistic Education? Answer: Long Island born non-novelty Caucasian emcee and hip hop humanitarian, Brian “B. Nice” Birkeland and his new indie disc Do the Nice Thing. This musical equivalent of education on wax touches the brain on all points.

From the motivational speech of “Full Time” where Mr. Nice bluntly spits over confident horns and an easy-bumpin,’ mid-tempo kick drum… “Too much to accomplish/What the Hell would I chill for?/Level-headed Imma get it instead/ I’ll work hard now and rest when I’m dead!” to the life lessons of “Life Learner” and “Do 4 U” where he imparts, “It don’t matter if you can’t read or write as long as you are literate to the hatred and greed in life.” The education continues on the schoolhouse friendly “Cryin’” in which the “emceeducator” tells tales of his parents’ broken marriage, his teenage love, and the loss of his friends to the ills of the world with such transparency that you may actually find yourself reliving ten years of your life all over again in three and a half minutes. Nice truly is the “optimal optimist always seein’ positive [transforming] ahead of [his] prime just like Optimus.”

Producer Peter Perfect tags along on the tracks of Nice’s train of rhymes as the graffiti artist of old school breaks that Kanye hasn’t used yet. What Perfect lacks in resources he makes up for in diversity. On “Lovely Day” he creates a radio-friendly summertime joint to roll to without allowing his wingman to lose a step. Perfect summons the funk of Kool Keith on “Bionic Man” without making it sound like Kool Keith, and “Block Boys” thumps just enough not to overpower Nice’s lashing wordplay.

Overall, this is an excellent album. The only con I can find is that somehow Do the Nice Thing sounds like it could be even more. Is the “distinguished gentlemen with a bounce like gelatin” holding out on us? Of course he is! Rating 4/5

Album available at myspace.com/bniceakaniceb

Before PlayStation: The toys I grew up with – Part 1

I grew up in the sixties, before the age of technology. I marvel now at some of the amazing toys my grandchildren have: video games with realistic graphics, dolls that talk to you and eat, puppies that actually grow and can say your name, a Transformer helmet that makes you sound just like Optimus Prime. Add to these the mind-boggling virtual reality of the Wii game. It’s enough to overwhelm a baby boomer Nana! While all these wonderful toys are entertaining, I miss the good ol’ toys. You know, the ones that actually required us to use our imagination.

I was pretty much a tomboy as a kid. While my friends were playing with Barbies, I was playing with my Johnny West and his pals. I had Johnny, Jane, the two kids, and their Indian companion, whose name I forgot. I had all the horses, too, along with the saddles, bridles, and blankets. I would spend hours creating stables by standing books up on edge. I actually “fed” and “watered” the herd every night before going to bed. Johnny and company spent many hours in the saddle, riding the trails in my bedroom and in my back yard. My Barbie-playing friends and I tried to get Barbie to ride the horses since she was just the right size. Unfortunately, poor Barb’s legs didn’t bend, so when we tried to force her onto the steed, one of her lower limbs would invariably pop off. When bendable-leg Barbie came out, we couldn’t wait to sit her on Johnny’s horse! After that, my friends and I could actually play together more often, letting Barbie join Johnny and Jane on the numerous roundups and trail rides.

We played all the usual board games, like Monopoly, Chinese checkers, Sorry, and Parchesi, but my favorite was Operation. Remember how you had to remove certain body parts from the “patient”? And if you didn’t have a steady hand, and accidentally touched the wrong area, a loud beeping sound would occur and the patient’s nose would light up. Looking back, I suppose that meant that you’d “killed” the patient, but that never dawned on us at the time. Nowadays, the shaky-handed “surgeon” would probably be slapped with a malpractice suit! Hmm…there’s an idea for a new game!

Another game that my friends and I thought was really “groovy” was Twister. It had a large plastic mat with circles in different colors. You spun a dial that told you which of your body parts you had to put into which circle. Basically, the players had to become human pretzels – contortionists. The tangles of young bodies were sometimes pretty scary.

4 Gm Vehicles, Stars of Transformers

General Motors has recently hosted its sixth annual “ten” pre-Oscar fashion event at Paramount Pictures in Hollywood with four new movie star guests namely Bumblebeeâ„¢, Autobot Jazz®, Autobot Ratchet® and Ironhide® —creations of DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures in partnership with Hasbro’s forthcoming July 4th action-adventure release—Transformersâ„¢.

Bumblebee is the Transformer character that changes from the classic Chevrolet Camaro and one of the main characters in the chronicle of aliens who takes the mechanical forms when they are on earth. The Autobot Jazz converts from a Pontiac Solstice in a hardtop format while Autobot Ratchet takes the form of a Hummer H2 that looks like a modified rescue vehicle. Ironhide transforms to a GMC TopKick medium duty truck. All of these characters are casts of the live-action blockbuster “Transformers” which are to be shown this summer specifically on July 4.

News about the roles that the GM vehicles play in the movie has been spreading since the preview of new Camaro was seen in Paramount’s newest “Transformers” trailer which started appearing in theaters last Dec. 20, 2006. The movie trailer of the “Transformers” in Yahoo has become one of the most-viewed trailers and contains pictures of the GM vehicles that are included in the movie such as the H2, Solstice and GMC TopKick medium duty truck.

According to Mike Jackson, GM North America Vice President, Marketing and Advertising, “Transformers’ is a compelling project and offers us a global platform for marketing GM products and building brands. It represents the perfect intersection of entertainment, marketing and design.”

But why feature GM vehicles in Transformers? Here’s what Michael Bay, the film’s Director has to say, “The first time I saw the new Camaro, while touring the GM Design Center, I knew immediately that it would be a perfect Bumblebee. It’s got beautiful lines and a classic, timeless look. There were no other cars that came even close. I have has a great working relationship with GM for many years and am psyched to be working with them on Transformers.”

Gerry Rich, President of Worldwide Marketing at Paramount Pictures further added, “We are thrilled to be working with GM on this incredible and action-packed film. Having integrated the cars as characters in the film is truly an innovative concept that will make the movie into an important event to remember as part of the celebration of the 4th of July.”

The movie Transformersâ„¢ did not only showcased remarkable GM designs but also displayed the unparalleled quality of GM vehicles starting from its auto parts components and accessories like its lines of GM bumper covers up to its matchless road performance.

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