Transformers...

[DDBowdoin]

I just went and saw this movie and I can't even begin to describe how angry I am. First off I must admit aside from an avid golfer I am a geek. With that in mind going into the MOVIE (not a film) I expected cheap thrills and a showcase of computer generated scenes and action but I must admit that I thought there might be a small chance of the movie being serious. I was wrong, again. This is one of those stereotypical Michael Bay and Jerry Bruckhimer (sorry for the spelling Jerry) where you have cheap thrills, cheesy one liners and a horribly unrealistic love element. Boiling it down, this movie was made to make money. There is zero creativity involved in the development of the plot. Just another stereotypical mainstream hollywood film.

just a rant... thanks guys, I needed that

[mjbartow]

Sorry, I must disagree with you.

This movie kicked ass. When Optimus Prime showed up I was like "this movie is. . . awesome".

One of the best summer flicks I've ever seen and probably one of my favorite movies.

Sure there are some stupid one liners (and blatant product placement), but that's expected in all action movies. The special effects more than make up for them, this movie sets the bar for realism and is breathtaking. The CGI is awesome, not the kind of CGI usage of George Lucas (let's use CGI just to make it all shiny and glitzy) the CGI is an integral part of the movie (transformers) and is really used appropriately.

Shia LeBeouf is the only person I could see donning the role of Witwicky, and this movie is the only movie where you actually empathize and bond with characters renderred in computer graphics.

Go see this movie.

[getinthehole]

I would like to go and see it but I had seen mixed reviews and there's so many different films I want to see at the moment. Harry Potter and Shrek 3 are the main two though.

[Cleveland Gunmetal]

I would like to go and see it but I had seen mixed reviews and there's so many different films I want to see at the moment

I'm in the same boat. I think I'll wait for it to come out on DVD. I just saw

Knocked Up and thought that movie was terrific!

[J_Bone]

So far this was my favorite movie of the summer. Shrek3 was lame and Knocked up was funny, but not even close to Transformers..IMO.
I'm seeing Harry Potter with my kids on Tuesday so I'll see how that one goes.

[FutureSound]

Transformers=AWESOME ACTION AND SPECIAL EFFECTS
Transformers=TERRIBLY CORNY ONE-LINERS THAT MADE ME SICK

[Shindig]

My only complaint was Frank Welker, one of my all-time favorite voice actors, wasn't in it. I grew up with the TV show, and Michael Bay most assuredly didn't ruin *my* childhood with this. According to some stories, his voice "aged," but Frank Welker is one of those voice actors they should've just told to do his voice from 20 years ago and they'd be fine.

At least I didn't spend the movie picturing Hugo Weaving - or his character - in a dress, unlike... well, just about every other role he's played.

About half my office went to see it on Tuesday afternoon. That was an amazing experience in itself.

[gotgolf?]

So far this was my favorite movie of the summer. Shrek3 was lame and Knocked up was funny, but not even close to Transformers..IMO.

I must also agree that Shrek 3 was lame. There are funny moments but the sum of the parts is somehow less than one.

[Arsenal Forever]

I thought it was alright. I mean, I had a problem with my eye that required me to get up once an hour to go into the bathroom by the mirrors and put eyedrops in, so I missed a few minor parts here and there, but I didn't think it took away from the overall experience of the movie. I kind of felt a little nerdy sitting in that theater though, I'll say. I saw it the Saturday after it opened there and it was about 99% really nerdy guys in there, it felt very weird to be the only one seemingly to not really know about the Transformers coming into it.

[Dent]

Oceans 13 is awsome! That is the 2nd best one of the 3, it goes back to casino stealing so its awsome! Knocked up is also funny, but there were only a few parts that made me laugh.

[goose]

I don't know why people get pissed when they go to a micheal bay film and expect content, I love watching them for the action and corny one liner stuff... but i am a simple minded person that loves all sorts of movies!

[savingbogey]

I can completely understand why there are so many mixed reviews and opinions on the Transformers Movie. The movie itself is visually stunning. The action is awesome and it’s pretty cool for the average Transformers fan to see the robots brought to life in this kind of fashion. On that note, it is pretty disappointing if you are a huge fan of the series. Voices sound below-average; vehicles seem a little lame, character models leave much to be desired, and the corny, frequent attempts at humor turn off some hardcore fans.

Personally, I have been watching Transformers ever since I can remember. I have the cartoon show episodes and the DVD re-release of the 1987 movie at home that receives numerous yearly viewings. I despise anything that isn’t First Generation (Beast Wars, Armada, etc) and I showed up to the theater in my voice-changing Optimus Prime helmet. I was disappointed when I first heard that Shia Laboeuf would be playing in the movie, but he has matured a bit since the ‘Even Stevens’ days and gives a pretty decent performance. The movie wasn’t anything like what I wished a Transformers movie would have been, but I didn’t leave the theater bitching and complaining like the die-hard nerd fan base did, I actually had a really good time.

Whether or not you are a fan, if you go with an open mind and understand that much of the plot was sacrificed for visuals, the movie will entertain you. If you are a die hard fan who won’t accept anything but a perfect true to history Transformers movie, you will be disappointed. This movie won’t win any awards this year, but it makes for a damn fun night out.

[Shindig]

I don't know why people get pissed when they go to a micheal bay film and expect content, I love watching them for the action and corny one liner stuff... but i am a simple minded person that loves all sorts of movies!

Yeah, really. My friends who were complaining about his doing

Transformers were the ones who went to see Van Helsing a few years ago and expected a serious horror movie.

[gotgolf?]

Watched Transformers last night with the old man. I thought the action was pretty good and like how the Transformers were realistic "personifications" of their animated counterparts. I would imagine some kids would be scared of even the Autobots because they aren't "cute" at all.

Thought the action was good and the computer simulation was pretty awesome. They obviously deviated from the original story a bit: all the Autobots and Decepticons are American made machines etc.

Also one thing that bothered me **** spoiler below *****

is that they made a big deal out of Bumblebee's getting captured and cryogenized, and de-limbed, but when Jazz was killed he just gets an honorable fleeting mention. Jazz is awesome! (even though he is a frikkin Porsche turned Solstice) Overall the movie was well made, the plot was OK but then ending was kinda abrupt - better than movies where the villain is destroyed three times only to unrelentlessly twitch a finger and proceed to get up- but its a little too abrupt I feel.

The more I think about it the the aura the Transformers give, since they are realistic rather than cute animations, was a good decision. Any person on earth would be intimidated by ENB's (Extraterrestrial Non-biological Beings), Autobots and Decepticons alike, and that is how they are portrayed. I would give the movie a 7 out of 10 - good action movie to just go and watch.

The only thing I am left thinking about from the movie (although they try to engrain the phrase "no victory without sacrifice"), is just how amazing machines have the potential to be. What the average person perceives that intelligent machines can do is already amazing and what top secret machines can do is unfathomabe to the average Joe. What is even further ungraspable is how much further machines can and will be developed in the near future. It's almost scary, just like the Transformers.

[DDBowdoin]

everyone made pretty valid points, my initial post was more of a rant than a review. but after thinking about the film it just makes me feel sad. its a typical hollywood movie with love and one liners but its sad that people just accept this reality. it's happening everywhere, hollywood and mainstream media are having a really tough time coming up with truly original concepts. Everything is either a remake of an old series or a reality based show.

I guess it comes down to turning profits and appealing your product to the masses. I'm a true fan of independent film and I'd like to see a fusion of indie directors, innovation, and vision with a larger budget. Not to be to much of a snob but I felt very dumb watching Transformers. This sounds weird because I shouldn't have even expected anything going into the movie to begin with. It seems these days everything has to be spoon fed to you.