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Bookmark this pageTransformers (2007)
Director: Michael Bay
Synopsis
Based on the hugely popular cartoon and toy range from the 1980s, ‘Transformers’ revolves around a war between two sets of robots for supremacy on earth. Optimus Prime is the leader of the Autobots, who have travelled to earth to protect mankind from Megatron and his evil army of Decepticons. Meanwhile, young human Sam Witwicky buys his first car, which just happens to be Autobot Bumblebee, and soon finds himself embroiled in the battle to save the planet.
Movie review
From Time Out London
The cars – are they here to help us or destroy us? Not an idle question in these carbon-conscious times, and Michael Bay’s ’splosiongasmic ’botfest could, at a stretch, be parsed as a grand-scale id-fantasy of America’s doomed infatuation with the internal combustion engine: both goodies and baddies look sexy as hell, and both leave destruction in their wake. You could even tease an oil-anxiety subtext out of the film’s overseas settings: a spot of blowback in the Middle East and a salutary warning against exploratory polar digging.
As in the ’80s cartoon series/corporate promotional tool on which the movie is based, Earth is the battlefield for two tribes of ancient alien robots who can shape-shift into items of our technology. (They also seem to have developed a kind of robo-parkour.) The evil, spiky Decepticons and the friendly but, in this version, equally spiky Autobots are slugging it out for control of a magic Rubik’s Cube; caught in the middle is high-school kid Sam (Shia LaBeouf), who inadvertently picks up a battered Autobot at a secondhand car lot and develops an even bigger crush on it than he has on the girl from history class (Megan Fox).
Sprawling, hardware-heavy, gung-ho with a streak of cruel humour, ‘Transformers’ is a Michael Bay movie, all right. It’s also about as nimble as a 30-foot behemoth with fried navigation circuits, lunging and lumbering from misfiring comic set-piece to messy pitched battle, landing the occasional bullseye along the way. John Turturro is good value as a sleazy spook but you’ll search in vain for anything like characterisation elsewhere, especially among the robots themselves. Less than meets… you know.
Author: Ben Walters
Time Out London Time Out London Issue 1927: July 25-31 2007
User reviews of this film
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- fatboy leicester said...
- Posted on Aug 14 2007 23:40 was not looking forward to this film ..... only went to take my lad....... omg what a fanastic film .....the best ever as my lads said, just wished it was longer the effects are fantastic so glad i seen it at the pics to get the full effect
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- fizbomb said...
- Posted on Aug 14 2007 20:51 I had no choice but to go and see this film without knowing anything about it as it was a treat from my brother in law. I didn't even know who or what a 'transformer' was. Am I glad I went to see it. It was a fantastic film, one of the best films I have seen this year. There were many funny moments in the film which made me laugh aloud. The only downside (minor) is the fighting towards the end where you had to concentrate as to who was fighting with who, but apart from that would recommend this film to anyone.
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- dave said...
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Posted on Aug 14 2007 14:37
totally awesome film, beast film i have seen in a while. i loved the transformers cartoon as a child and when i heard they was a film on it i couldnt wait, and was worth every penny. Shia was great actor and Megan was a total babe. I will be buying this one straight away.
Get yourselves to watch it now!! - Report as inappropriate
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- Mark said...
- Posted on Aug 13 2007 23:29 The best film ive ever seen all the special effects were awsome and the fighting was immense. But the best part was the camaro it looked stunning.
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- mos said...
- Posted on Aug 13 2007 20:38 it was amazing the fight scenes blew me away and the decptacons looked realy cool.
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- Jonathan said...
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Posted on Aug 13 2007 18:18
These reviewers don't seem to get this film. I am 22 and went with a load of guys from work and we all loved it, in fact it is possibly the best film I have ever seen. Yes, it is corny, but this is a beautiful juxtoposition against the huge budget CGI that was carried out with absolute perfection. The transformers are beautifully designed and have fantastic character and personality. The main actor is perfect for the role, and adds a whole new dimension of comedy. The script is perfectly executed and the cheesy love story is extremely funny when taken light heartedly, there really is a perfect mix of big kid action versus adult humour. A must see - in fact I will probably go see it again.
Don't be fooled by the poor rating given here... - Report as inappropriate
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- Rivanski said...
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Posted on Aug 13 2007 16:02
Your film critic is not doing his job. This highly entertaining movie is a complete success in relation to its intended target audience.
Mind-blowing CGI, breat-taking fight scenes, cool cars, two absolutely stunning leading ladies and a great soundtrack. Michael Bay, the man who directed Godzilla, has done it again.
It's characters may be wafer-thin, its plot-line dodgy, but that doesn't matter a jot. This is a bubble-gum action movie that's the blockbuster of Summer 2007, bar none.
Your reviewer should stick to obscure films from the Mongolian outback.
Superb. - Report as inappropriate
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- chris said...
- Posted on Aug 13 2007 15:12 mr england couldnt be more wrong if tried, the film is awsome best film this year
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- kath rowland said...
- Posted on Aug 13 2007 13:09 I AM FEMALE, 43, MARRIED, NO CHILDREN. SAW TRANSFORMERS WITH MY HUSBAND LAST NIGHT AND WAS BLOWN AWAY. IT HAD EVERYTHING I RATE IN A MOVIE, FAST PACED ACTION, STUNNING VEHICLES, GREAT AIRBOURNE ACTION, GORGEOUS CARS (I WANT THAT CAMERO), FAB EFFECTS. I COULD GO ON. I EVEN DREAMT ABOUT IT LAST NIGHT. IT'S A LONG TIME SICE A FILM HAD THAT MUCH IMPACT ON ME. WELL DONE FOR MAKING A FILM THAT WILL STAY WITH ME FOR EVER, I'M SURE.
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- Olly Calton said...
- Posted on Aug 11 2007 12:37 A awesome film, not to be missed. CGI was incredible, it all looks so real definatly to be seen on the big screen or any for that matter. 10 out of 10. Genuine Class Film, well done Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg hope there's more films between these two. Go watch it, pure class not a single boring part and very funny in places. Shia and megan are awesome too! and man is she hot!
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- amar2345 said...
- Posted on Aug 11 2007 10:20 i think transformers was a brilliant film
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- Ally xx said...
- Posted on Aug 10 2007 21:05 AMAZING FILM...WENT TO SEE IT WID ME BOYFRIEND AND IT WAS 1 OV THA BEST FILMS IVE EVA SEEN...AND THIS IS COMING FROM A REAL GIRLY GIRL...AN ACTION MOVIE I ENJOYED! X
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- Elena said...
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Posted on Aug 10 2007 18:02
This film is a must-see for everyone. It is absolutely
kick-ass!!! Am I the only one who thinks that! Optimus Prime is like--cool and the action scenes amazing.
People. You better propare yourselves because after that robot rage I bet you theres a transformers 2!!! - Report as inappropriate
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- cinimod said...
- Posted on Aug 10 2007 17:56 An excellent film, jam packed with action. Story line is a bit lame, and at times corny. Fight scenes are hard to follow as they move so fast. However, if you take it for what it is, a film that stems from a cartoon, you wont be disappointed.
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- kevin said...
- Posted on Aug 10 2007 16:29 the bone crusher and optimus prime, what a moment. set the benchmark. haven't been so excited since the turtles, wow!!!!
- Report as inappropriate
Cast & crew
Director: Michael Bay
Producer: Don Murphy, Tom Desanto, Lorenzo Di Bonaventura, Ian Bryce
Cast: Shia LaBoeuf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Jon Voight, Anthony Anderson, Rachael Taylor, John Turturro full cast
Genre(s): Science Fiction, Action/Adventure
Rated: 12A
Duration: 144 mins
UK Release: Jul 27 2007
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