“Transformers”
Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Dumahel, Tyrese Gibson, John Voight
3 stars out of 4
Director Michael Bay is known for only 1 thing, either messing up movies, or creating arresting visual effects. Here with his latest film, he manages to become a decent storyteller, but not the greatest; he has a long way to go. But hey, the special effects and Shia LaBeouf save the movie.
“Transformers” is everything you could want, its big, loud, noisy, there are dozens of explosions, along with annoying fast paced editing that gives you a headache, but director Bay succeeds in luring us in and enjoying this 144 minute thrill and action ride. Many have awaited this release, since following the story as kids or on TV, the story is simple. Robots from another plant have come to earth to reclaim a powerful tool that will give them much power, there that is it in a nutshell. The good robots, which are called autobots, have been at war with the decepticons, led by Megatron, who is cryogenically frozen and under close guard by a secret classified government unit. If you not familiar with the material, and all the names, this comes as confusing at first, but I found my rooting, and realize there was no actual plot, just a lot of confusion on the government’s part once the transformers reach Earth.
The film plays between action and comedy; there is little drama in this big summer blockbuster. Bay needs to excel as a storyteller to grow some directing chops. But, Bay is successful in doing what he does best, CGI, CGI, and did I mention CGI? That’s right, there is enough effects in this film to explore in probably 3 viewings, but once again, Bay’s ultra-quick editing confuse the viewers into what is actually going on at times, but we still enjoy it.
Up and coming superstar Shia LaBeouf earns his star power here, playing Sam Witwicky, a junior in high school trying to earn enough to get his own car and impress the girl of his dreams, played by the uber-gorgeous Megan Fox. We follow a few storylines until they all merge near the end, on is Sam’s discovery that his car is a transformer, another is the characters of Duhamel and Tyrese in the Middle East desert fighting off a transformer, and one following the Secretary of Defense played by John Voight. The whole military and government is baffled over what is going on with the arrival of these robots, as the decepticons have only come to earth for the cube, which is the key to overall rule.
LaBeouf and his sexy female co-star easily have the most accessible storyline, playing into Sam’s family, a lot of jokes come out of this, also we care for these 2 characters more than anyone else. Bay should have used this kind of storytelling with the rest of the film; instead it plays like a jumbled fiasco. There is also screen time devoted to John Turturro’s crazy government character, who knows a little more than he should.
While this review may sounds negative, I can assure you that there won’t be a more entertaining film this summer, this is it right here. The entire 200 million dollar budget is put to use, and is easily seen on the screen. The transformers come to life with flair, and excitement as director Bay pushes the envelope once again and makes the audience feel young again watching this summer action flick on steroids, that is what this is. Pure, big and in charge entertainment, that plays exceptionally at well at theatres than at home. This is the best popcorn flick this year.
3 stars out of 4
Director Michael Bay is known for only 1 thing, either messing up movies, or creating arresting visual effects. Here with his latest film, he manages to become a decent storyteller, but not the greatest; he has a long way to go. But hey, the special effects and Shia LaBeouf save the movie.
“Transformers” is everything you could want, its big, loud, noisy, there are dozens of explosions, along with annoying fast paced editing that gives you a headache, but director Bay succeeds in luring us in and enjoying this 144 minute thrill and action ride. Many have awaited this release, since following the story as kids or on TV, the story is simple. Robots from another plant have come to earth to reclaim a powerful tool that will give them much power, there that is it in a nutshell. The good robots, which are called autobots, have been at war with the decepticons, led by Megatron, who is cryogenically frozen and under close guard by a secret classified government unit. If you not familiar with the material, and all the names, this comes as confusing at first, but I found my rooting, and realize there was no actual plot, just a lot of confusion on the government’s part once the transformers reach Earth.
The film plays between action and comedy; there is little drama in this big summer blockbuster. Bay needs to excel as a storyteller to grow some directing chops. But, Bay is successful in doing what he does best, CGI, CGI, and did I mention CGI? That’s right, there is enough effects in this film to explore in probably 3 viewings, but once again, Bay’s ultra-quick editing confuse the viewers into what is actually going on at times, but we still enjoy it.
Up and coming superstar Shia LaBeouf earns his star power here, playing Sam Witwicky, a junior in high school trying to earn enough to get his own car and impress the girl of his dreams, played by the uber-gorgeous Megan Fox. We follow a few storylines until they all merge near the end, on is Sam’s discovery that his car is a transformer, another is the characters of Duhamel and Tyrese in the Middle East desert fighting off a transformer, and one following the Secretary of Defense played by John Voight. The whole military and government is baffled over what is going on with the arrival of these robots, as the decepticons have only come to earth for the cube, which is the key to overall rule.
LaBeouf and his sexy female co-star easily have the most accessible storyline, playing into Sam’s family, a lot of jokes come out of this, also we care for these 2 characters more than anyone else. Bay should have used this kind of storytelling with the rest of the film; instead it plays like a jumbled fiasco. There is also screen time devoted to John Turturro’s crazy government character, who knows a little more than he should.
While this review may sounds negative, I can assure you that there won’t be a more entertaining film this summer, this is it right here. The entire 200 million dollar budget is put to use, and is easily seen on the screen. The transformers come to life with flair, and excitement as director Bay pushes the envelope once again and makes the audience feel young again watching this summer action flick on steroids, that is what this is. Pure, big and in charge entertainment, that plays exceptionally at well at theatres than at home. This is the best popcorn flick this year.
No comments:
Post a Comment