I have great memories as a child, the whole family gathered round at Christmas to watch that big blockbuster movie; but something I always feel strongly about is that for a movie to have that real longevity and real appeal to the younger audience the film really needs to be set in the present; the reason? Because kids have great imaginations, and they love to believe that the sort of things that happen to the kids in these could happen to them. Goonies, Lost Boys, Gremlins, Back To The Future, and Independence Day all being prime examples of this, good family movies that all can relate to. I've not seen a really good example of this sort of movie since Stargate, and from the opening hour of Transformers I realised that the kids of today could now have that same feel that I had.
When Transformers were big first time round I was a bit too old, I was at the stage when kids my age stopped playing with toys, and I was gutted; a whole period of my childhood was spent playing with seemingly bad toys, then all of a sudden these amazing toys that were in fact two toys for the price of one appeared on our shores. I'd secretly watch the cartoon but never admit to it, now I had the opportunity to enjoy Transformers without stigma attached; after all it was pretty much THE film of the summer.
Transformers opens with two separate stories that connect as the movie progresses; in the Far East in a US army camp Captain Lennox (Josh Dummal from Turistas AKA Paradise Lost) is looking forward to his return home
to see his newly born daughter. But the arrival of a long missing helicopter brings this dream to an end; more or less the entire bases inhabitants are killed when the helicopter turns into a giant killer robot; and Lennox and a few survivors must make their way across the desert in order to communicate with the White House and tell them of the impending terror.
In a small community in the US Sam (Shia LeBeouf) is looking forward to getting his first car, but his dream turns sour when he ends up at a bottom of the ladder car dealership, and a dealer with unscrupulous methods. Sam spots a car shortly after the dealer tells him that the car often picks its owner, something about this car certainly picked Sam. In an attempt to sell him a wreck of a car instead after haggling over the price of this chosen car fails, the car seems to re-emphasise its choosing by smashing all the windows in every other car. It's not long before Sam realises that his new car is something very special indeed, and when after years of trying to impress bad girl Mikaela, Sam's car makes him have a lasting impression it seems that things are looking up. But things often look up before they take a downward spiral, and unbeknown to Sam things are about to go dramatically downhill. Caught in the middle of a war between two Alien races The Autobots and The Decepticons (with Earth as a war ground, its inhabitants unfortunate interruptions) Sam finds that he and a pair of glasses are key to whats going on, and only he can bring this terrible war to an end.
Transformers the movie is not really that close to the original story of Transformers, but to some degree all things bought back after a period of time need a bit of reinventing. Here realistically the reinvention is a good thing, technology has moved on in the last 20 odd years and these advances can become key parts of the new story.
Kevin Costner once said that if your going to see a movie why hurry away, a thought that is carefully played here with a runtime of about two and a half hours. The story itself flows at a steady pace and while Lennox during the first hour finds himself straight on the frontline no sooner has the movie begun; Sam finds himself an hour in before he even starts to realise the real special abilities of the car he has just purchased. And this is a really good speed in my opinion, you get chance to understand the characters and the romance that lies central to the story gets to lay its groundwork. Better still it give Shia Lebeouf a chance to prove he can act, as I and others were none too impressed with his abilities in Disturbia, he proves himself not only to be a likeable actor, but it gives you chance to embrace his character.
That first hour is just magic, it's a real trip down memory lane, it gave me a warm fuzzy feeling of being in a close family unit at a great time of year; it was just marvellous. Unfortunately things go down a few gears once the action starts. The problem I have which is a paramount one if watching at home is that if you get distracted you can quite literally looses the whole momentum of the movie. Having nipped into the kitchen quickly for Ice Cream I found myself totally oblivious to what was going on upon my return. The next down point is that for the remaining ninety minutes it's all action, and to be honest I found this a bit tedious. But these are small points when you take a step back and view the movie as a whole.
Virtual newcomer Megan Fox it's absolutely stunning, and reminds me of a young Jessie Wallace (for those unfamiliar she was in Eastenders for several years playing a character called Kat Slater). And a good essential characteristic is that she can really act, she is fantastically endearing and a joy to watch. Alongside LeBeouf they make an interesting though not terribly convincing couple, after all when the lady can have a Porsche why settle for a Fiat?
The good thing about Transformers is that it triggers elements of interest for all ages; it's not just a matter of adults sitting round watching a kid's movie. The film is focused on both markets and includes subtle jokes and jibes that either the olds or the young ones might not get. And its this approach that makes it a winner just like Goonies, Lost Boys, and Gremlins all did twenty years ago. There are a couple of issues that might cause some unprepared conversations with younger children but that's fine if you have a level head.
Special Effects are fantastic and a bit shoddy at the same time. Big scale effects look great, but transformations from machine to robot are often blurred or two fast not really allowing you to enjoy the experience. Also the robots from some angles are too similar meaning you sometimes don't know who is fighting who, extremely tedious during big fight scenes. In the cartoons the characters were more brightly coloured, and personally speaking I think that is something that could be addressed should future Transformers movies be made.
But to sum up I have to say that if you're going to buy a family movie this Christmas then Transformers is the one. If you're unlucky enough to be alone, then turn the heating up, light some fairy lights, draw your curtains, and curl up on your sofa for a teleportation back to times when things seemed much more simple. Transformers is two and a half hours of great escapism, and while for my money does not match up to Gremlins, Goonies, and Back To The Future its the closest thing our new generation have to compare it too.
You can get several different versions of Transformers from Play.com from £10.99-£17.99 this was the "vanilla edition" without any special features at £10.99.
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As sci-fi action blockbusters go, they dont come much bigger thanTransformers. Maybe its ... more
because of the subject matter: its based on a toy line from the 1980s, concerning giant robots from outer space engaged in a civil war that pits the heroic Autobot...
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As sci-fi action blockbusters go, they dont come much bigger thanTransformers. Maybe its ... more
because of the subject matter: its based on a toy line from the 1980s, concerning giant robots from outer space engaged in a civil war that pits the heroic Autobot...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
From director Michael Bay and executive producer Steven Spielberg comes a thrilling battle ... more
between the AUTOBOTS and the DECEPTICONS. When their epic struggle comes to Earth, all that stands between the evil DECEPTICONS and ultimate power is a clue held...
Their war our world... Dueling alien races the Autobots and the Decepticons bring ... more
their battle to Earth leaving the future of humankind hanging in the balance. Introduced in 1984 the Transformers brand took the world by storm with its compelling...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
![Transformers (2007) [DVD]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/77949118.jpg "Transformers (2007) [DVD]")
Nov 17th, 2007
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