Movie reviews: The Transformers (2007) – Part 1

Genre: Science Fiction/Adventure

Director: Michael Bay

Stars: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson

Running time: 144 minutes

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Distributors: Paramount, Dreamworks

Earth’s fate hangs in the balance as two robotic races that can transform into various vehicles duke it out. A high school student named Sam Witwicki holds the key that can save the planet. The secret is a mysterious cube called the Allspark which can turn mechanical objects into living creatures. “Transformers” is a movie that fans of the eighties cartoon series, teen girls in love with Shia LaBeouf, science fiction fans and adventure fans will love. This combination “Independence Day”, “Small Soldiers”, and “Holes” works well, despite the long running time.

LaBeouf still makes me think of his annoying character in “Even Stevens”, but after his performances in “Disturbia” and this movie, I have to admit that he is a good actor. Megan Fox, the mean girl in “Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen”, plays a beautiful alpha female. Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson are good as tough Air Force special ops commandos. And the great Jon Voight plays the common-sense Secretary of Defense.

Director Michael Bay definitely knows how to put on a show. He has shown this time and again in movies like “Pearl Harbor” and “Armaggedan”, and in this movie which he co-produced with Steven Spielberg. Here he has gathered an army of visual effects experts to bring the Transformers to life. Bay combines a decent story with the effects to smoothly move the plot along. Kudos go to the editing team for what had to be a challenging job. Best of all, Bay and his cast and crew make “Transformers” fun. The film could have been shorter but what the heck?

In sum, “Transformers” is a very entertaining science fiction adventure that is fun. Highly recommended!