by erin thursby scopes1925@msn.com
A- Rated PG-13 140 min.
I was hoping for so much from the new Transformers movie, and by God, I got it.
The true test of the movie was my movie companion, who knew very little about Transformers other than the catch-phrase “More than meets the eye, robots in disguise.” She wasn’t expecting to enjoy the film as much as she did, and was surprised to find that more than two hours had passed when we left the theater.
It’s proof that it won’t just be fanatics who will dig this flick. The movie accomplishes this by mining the rich mythos of the Transformers series and movie without feeling the need to explain every detail. The filmmakers explain just enough without bogging the viewer down. Optimus Prime’s voice-overs are a bit moral and heavy-handed, but it somehow fits because these giant robots (especially the big guy himself) are larger than life.
Transformers will be the biggest blockbuster this season, because it gives everybody what they want. Transformer fans will finally get the satisfaction of seeing giant robots transform at 80 miles an hour, with the added bonus of getting inside jokes that no-one else will. Those that aren’t familiar with Transformers will get a funny, action-packed, gotta-see-it-on-the-big-screen popcorn flick.
Point-of-view is crucial to this kind of film. If it had been done primarily from the view of the Autobots, it would have been sunk within the first 30 minutes. Instead, we see things from the human perspective, and that makes these big bots the wonder that they should be. The director has grasped these important things, the things that captured the imagination of kids everywhere. He captures the sheer size of the ‘bots, made all the more impressive by the fact that they’re so dynamic. There’s also a good balance of alien-ness and humanity in the Autobot characters; we know that they’re mimicking our speech and vehicles very well, but the way they think might be completely different.
The real center of the story is Sam Witwicky, whom we first meet when he’s attempting to sell his ancestor’s artifacts. He’s a bit awkward, but he’s a born salesman who just hasn’t quite learned the art of subtlety. In the role of Sam, actor Shia LaBeouf, works his ability to capture an audience’s sympathies and make them laugh with his comedic timing. He makes the movie a true success because we care about him.
Sam’s driving desire is for his first car, which his father promises to him if he can deliver $2000 in three days and a certain number of ‘A’s in school. Sam succeeds, and soon they’re off to the used car dealership, where the fast-talking Bernie Mac sells him a rusted-out Camaro.
Meanwhile, the Decepticons, the evil Transformers, launch a devastating attack on a desert outpost. Their purpose in doing so is to access computer files so that they can locate their lost leader, Megatron, who was hot on the trail of a cube of immense power. The Decepticons want to find the cube so they can reshape Earth’s technology and destroy the insignificant humans.
Sam’s newly acquired car turns out to be Bumblebee, a Transformer who’s helping the other Autobots find the cube first, in the hopes of keeping it from the evil Decepticons. Sam gets swept up in the search for the cube and eventually ends up helping the Autobots in their quest.
Also helping the Autobots, and generally trying to survive, is squadron leader Sergeant Lennox (Josh Duhamel), who encounters a Decepticon during their initial attack. He’d like to get home to meet his baby girl for the first time, but he puts his life on the line to help save the human race.
I’m afraid to fill in the details of some of the best scenes in the movie because I want everyone to have the fun of experiencing all that this flick has to offer, from the eye-candy of Megan Fox and Josh Duhamel and the humor of LaBeouf to the most incredible moments of transformations.
I’ll only say this: it’s a great movie. There might not be more than meets the eye, but it’s something you have to see in the theater.
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EU Critic’s Choice Awards
