Based on the TV show of the same name from the 1980s, Transformers attempts to bring all the action, coolness, and fond memories of the cartoon to the big screen in a mix of live action and computer artistry.
The movie starts off with a bang. We have a US military base in the middle east that comes under attack by a mysterious, renegade helicopter. Quickly, we find out that this helicopter is more than meets the eye (heh heh; I couldn’t resist). As our forces attempt to secure the trespasser, we are treated to our first transformation. The helicopter stands up, unfolds, and brandishes weapons far beyond anything we have on earth. Its even accompanied by the same sound effect used in the cartoon, which can’t really be explained unless you’ve seen the cartoon and remember what it sounds like.
Shortly after, we meet Sam Witwicky. He buys his first car and eventually learns that it is very special. He meets the fellow Autobots and learns that Megatron, leader of the Decepticons, wants to control the universe by retreaving the All Spark, a cube that holds incredible energy. It turns out that both the cube and Megatron are being held on earth and the war is on.
While the story is pretty basic, the main themes in this movie are done very well. The underlying story is that of a boy and his car. This was a special relationship in the cartoon and it continues to be so here. The transformers are portrayed very realistically (as realistic as transforming robots can be) and they are huge and convincing. The transformations themselves have been a matter of a bit of controversy with fans. Some argue that they are too complicated and were approached with too much of a an attitude of, “Ok, if this could actually happen, how would it really look?” This is a matter of personal taste. I don’t really mind them, I think they’re pretty cool. With today’s technology I fully expected them to be extremely complicated anyway, but to each his own.
The director took certain liberties with a few things, some of which were quite upsetting to transformers die-hards. Most notably that Megatron and Bumblebee no longer transform into the giant gun and VW Beetle as they did in the cartoon. Instead, they become some kind of futuristic looking jet fighter and a new Chevy Corvette concept car. While the first change is completely understandable from a practical point of view, the second is a little dissappointing. The Camero is definitely cool, but due to the fact that the other Autobots are all high profile GM vehicles, its a little too obvious that the movie has a great big marketing tie-in with GM. Also, the transformers now appear to be able to mimmick any electronic or mechanical device they want just by analyzing it.
These details aside, the movie is blast to watch, especially for fans of the TV show. The acting is decent, there is humor that is surprisingly good, and there are tons of shout-outs to the old series. The best of which is probably Optimus Prime. The leader of the Autobots fits his semi-truck persona great, and the voice actor is the very same guy that did his voice in the 80s! Awesome!
