Movie reviews: The Transformers (2007) – Part 26

“More than meets the eye” has been the iconic catchphrase of the Transformers franchise for over two decades, and while less pragmatic than “robots in disguise,” it has managed to persevere and thrive to this very day. It has become the Rosebud for children of the 80’s, at once nostalgic and melancholy; “They just don’t make shows like that anymore,” we say as we silently try to recreate the sound of a car transforming into a 40-foot robot.

While one could begin an article based on those words, a true fan would be remiss to exclude the less-popular but still important sentence uttered by Optimus Prime:

“One shall stand, and one shall fall.”

Those words, spoken by Optimus Prime in 1986’s Transformers and echoed by Optimus Prime in 2007 sum it all up, but for the sake those less familiar with the series, this article will be devoted to showcasing both the success and failure of the film, as both an action movie and a Transformers movie.

First, the (human) cast does a fantastic job. The characters interact with each other with the chemistry of people witnessing a robot apocalypse (It turns out that’s a lot of chemistry). Shia LeBouf proves he has significant acting chops and actually manages to be as compelling as the Transformers themselves, though his struggles are slightly less important, globally.

Second, the action. This is the most amazing part of the movie, and what everyone pays to see. The battle scenes feel real, totally immersive, and meticulously detailed. Even non-combat portions look beautiful. There is only one scene that seems slightly choppy and tough to follow, but it is mercifully short.

Third, the directing is brilliant. The audience is right where it should be nearly all the time, and any questions raised in a previous scene are quickly answered in the next. While it does become choppy at times it is obvious that Spielberg and Bay were fans of the series, as most of the Transformers are depicted in the same way as they were in the show.

So much for the movie part. The Transformer part, arguably the most important part of a Transformer film, lacked in the places where it should have shone. Simply put,

there were far too many unnecessary side characters and plots. To the casual watcher this makes for slightly erratic storytelling, and to the fan it makes for less giant robot time. A full third of the cast could have been cut with no ill effects. Instead, we get twenty minutes of a wholly unnecessary interaction between two characters who are inconsequential to the story, while one of the major Transformers has three lines in the whole movie.

So there it is: one shall stand, and one shall fall. The audience is given a solid action movie featuring Transformers, as opposed to an awesome Transformers movie featuring Shia LeBouf and friends. We have a cast of young stars on a meteoric rise, and a cast of CGI characters who function as the stepping stones to that success…in their own movie.