In a sea of sequels Transformers (Dreamworks) has emerged as a summer
movie worth it’s weight in special effects and excitement. Directed by Michael
Bay (Bad Boys II, Pearl Harbor), the movie is a twist on the beloved 80’s
cartoon that will make you feel like a kid again sitting in front of the
television on a Saturday morning, and the excitement level is just as high.
The story line starts out with Sam Witwicky (Shia Labeouf), a teenager
in love with the cool girl who doesn’t notice him—despite the fact that they’ve
been in school together since the second grade. All he wants is to be noticed,
so he buys a car as a ploy to both gain some cool points and get the girl,
Mikaela Banes (Megan Fox) to notice him. Yes the basic plot is overdone, but
once Sam buys the car (including a hilarious cameo from Bernie Mac as a
salesman) things really start to get interesting. Sam quickly goes from an
unassuming teenager trying to sell his grandfather’s keepsakes on Ebay to the
key holder to what the Autobots and Decepticons want. Underneath the premise of
the aliens’ fight for world domination, the story picks up speed and never slows
down. Unlike other movies bursting with special effects, Bay doesn’t
waste time getting right into it. Within the first 30 minutes there are cars and
planes transforming into creatures ready to do battle over good and evil. The
cartoon storyline fits snuggly in it’s new age shoes, Optimus Prime and his
Autobots, including Jazz and Ironhide, are still at war with Megatron’s
Decepticons (Starscream and the gang’s all here), and the poor humans are stuck
in the middle. Like all man versus machine movies the humans foolishly try to
take everyone out with guns that never seem to impair the robots stride.
The fight sequences pale in comparison to the scenes in which the cars
actually transform to do battle. Each time you see it, you can’t help but lose
yourself in the idea that maybe cars can talk and turn into creatures that stand
as high as buildings. Despite losing speed every once in a while, as the story
includes questions facing National Security or how the U.S. government is hiding
several findings from the American people, another battle ensues before you can
really give the concept deep thought. Transformers also stars
Anthony Anderson, Josh Duhamel, and Tyrese Gibson, who all play equally
important roles in the movie’s success and comic relief. But the real stars of
the show, thankfully, are the Transformers themselves. Yes, the story will have
you questioning its validity, but it will hold you so deep in the action
sequences that it won’t matter. It’s still one hell of a ride.