Transformers: Good machines vs. Bad machines
Movie Review
In 2007 when the movie Transformers (starring Shia LaBeouf, Josh Duhamel, and Jon Voight) was released, I assumed it was based on and would be exactly like the children's cartoon from the 1980s my eldest son had enjoyed watching. Back then he enjoyed the Transformers cartoon. I also watched the cartoon Transformers with him to make certain the subject matter was age appropriate, which it was plus very creative. The Transformers was a delightful imaginative cartoon, especially if you like Science Fiction, plus was definitely created specifically for children.
Knowing all about the cartoon predecessor I wondered why would I pay to see a children's movie at a theater? When this movie came out I was a little over forty. I no longer had a child at home I could use as my excuse to even show up at the movie theater to watch any children's program. So, I decided to forgo the movie theater experience for this particular film.
Being extremely particular about the movies I watch and due to the high price of viewing in a movie theater, I usually wait for a movie to come out on DVD and rent it. I am the frugal type of person who loves lying back on my couch munching on a small bowl of popcorn and drinking bottled water with my dachshund and husband next to me while watching a movie. Which is exactly what I did in this movie's case, popped in the DVD into the player and comfortably viewed its entirety.
I was completely unprepared for what I saw when I viewed this well scripted movie from a rented DVD. This movie, albeit based on the cartoon, was better; filled with action, great special effects, decent plot and good acting. This was definitely created for pre-teens, teens, and adults. It is a PG-13 movie. Transformers, the movie, was GOOD Science Fiction.
The main theme was the standard good (autobots) vs evil (decepticons). The movie covered how a robotic society annihilated its planet, and why the "Transformers" came to Earth to find a cube that would help their planet become alive again. It pointed out how mankind and the Transformers were not so different even though we are made of flesh and they metal. This film showed how humans and intelligent-sentient machines could peacefully jointly live on Earth. Together the autobots and mankind rescue Earth from being obliterated. Wonderful messages!
Yes, the movie includes war scenes with tons of special effects, but these were handled expertly (showing only what was necessary) instead of grossing an audience with tons of blood and gore (unlike the Alien horror-science fiction movie series). Most of the battle scenes were machine vs. machine; machines were destroyed or broken. Obviously Director Michael Bay kept in mind the ages of his targeted audience, made the movie more of a family show. There are no producers and directors who like families walking out disgruntled from a movie theater because their pre-teen or thirteen year old should not have seen what was on the screen of a PG-13 movie. They want everyone who pays for their movie ticket happy.
Definitely planning on seeing all future Transformers movies now that I know they are interesting Science Fiction which instills one to think about how mankind and our government would treat pro-human plus not pro-human aliens if Earth was visited. I do recommend seeing Transformers, especially if you like the Science Fiction genre.
Enjoy!
Trailer from 2007
More Transformers
Since this movie was released and became a box office hit, there have been more Transformers movies made. Each one stood on its own. I recommend viewing all of them.
My ratings for the other films in this series are below:
1) Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009), four stars: I enjoyed this movie, was a whole lot of fun to watch.
2) Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011), four stars: As fun and well scripted as its predecessors, a great time!
3) Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014), four stars. Neat twist to plot; as exciting and well scripted as the earlier installments! Enjoyed every minute.
Great news for all Transformer movie fans! There is planned a fifth Transformer movie. It is scheduled for release in June 2016. Michael Bay plans to be the producer of the fifth installment, and will choose someone to be director. I can hardly wait to see who is chosen as the director for will make a difference since Michael Bay directed all earlier installments in this movie series.