Movie Review: Transformers (2007)

There are a few movies that have defined the cinematic experience of our generation. Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Venus (Starring Peter O'Toole), The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (the recent Disney film), the Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy, the Shrek films, as well as Harry Potter's many celluloid outings (Casino Royale and The Departed get honourable mentions).

Now, there is also, a few movies that have defined the experience of the adolescent male in recent years. 300, The 40 Year Old Virgin, and the Scary Movie franchise, build the foundations of the young man who lives through the Twenty First Century. Knocked Up, I've heard, may well join these hallowed ranks, but I have not seen that yet, but I have seen a different film, which is guaranteed to please the average Joe, jock, and Y chromosomed person of this age.

This film, is Transformers. I'm not talking about the "Transformers Movie" which was animated and released somewhere in the 1980s as I understand it, but I'm talking about the 2007 release, which is in cinemas now, anticipated for a long time.

Depending on what you expect, you may or may not be disappointed.

If you came expecting Shakespearean quality dialogue, and Oscar-winning acting (though it was quite well acted) you will be disappointed.

But if you simply came to be entertained, and riveted by the antics of "Robots in Disguise", you will not be disappointed and will love this film.

Purists of the original cartoon show who liked the original designs for the Transformer Robots, may not like the new look that these giant machines get in this movie, but I felt like I could deal with shiny new Autobots and Decepticons.

The plot is this, the Autobots (the good guys) have been battling the Decepticons (the bad guys) for eons, and now their battle comes to Earth.

This film is at times, inintentionally hilarious, and far from being detrimental to the movie, it adds to it significantly. I dare you to keep a straight face when Optimus Prime says to his Autobot comrade who looks like he is urinating machine fluid on an FBI agent: "Bumblebee, stop lubricating that man". I will not go into the double entendres this presents.

The intentionally funny jokes deliver laughs, good ones at that, which is just as well, as without the humor, intentional or otherwise, this is a very serious film, sort of... but the creme de la creme of the jokes is when the main protagonist's parents catch their son with the door locked, when he is merely trying to hide the Autobots from them. This leads to some "Oh no she didn't" hysterical chuckling. I won't spoil the surprise for you. If I already said too much, let spoilers be spoilers and move on with your life.

I give this film Eight "Autobot Logos" out of Ten.