Transformers (2007)

2.5 out of 4

Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Jon Voigt, Rachael Taylor, Anthony Anderson, Jon Turturro, Peter Cullen, Hugo Weaving

Director: Michael Bay

Time: 144 mins

Viewed: Regal Marlboro 8, New Jersey

Big live-action production (Steven Spielberg is one of the execs) based on hugely popular 80s toy line tells the tale of the battle between two factions of alien machines: the friendly Autobots, led by Optimus Prime (Cullen), and the evil Decepticons, where Megatron (Weaving) is in charge. Added to the mix are a bunch of humans: teenagers Sam Witwicky (LaBeouf) and Mikaela Barnes (Fox), soldiers (Duhamel and Gibson), government types (Voigt and Turturro) and even hackers (Taylor and Anderson). What results is a special effects extravaganza, with several eye-popping scenes and crowd-pleasing moments, but weighed down by the typical Michael Bay bombast: loud, full of explosions, super-quick editing and a few instances of ridiculous slo-mo, combined with stirring music, that tries to remind you that the scene is to be taken seriously. Final confrontation is technically impressive but at times hard to follow (which one is an Autobot or a Decepticon?) if one is not intimately familiar with the various bots. Not a lot of subtlety, and similar to 1996’s Independence Day with regard to certain plot elements and audience impact, but fans of the toys will most likely enjoy the film.

(c) Joe Wong (8 July 2007)