July 20, 2007 Transformers
Studio: DreamWorks Rating: PG-13 intense sequences of sci-fi violence, brief sexual humor, and language.
It's a movie based on a 1980's era toy which was touted as being more than meets the eye.
Okay..here's the plot. As if the plot really matters in a "Transformers" movie.
Giant robot aliens named Autobots and Decepticons have been battling for centuries. They come to earth looking for a powerful cube. That brings Sam (Shia LaBeouf) into the picture. He goes shopping for a car with his dad and discovers a camaro that isn't like other vehicles.
Of course the car is a good robot in disguise. He needs Sam's help to locate the cube. Meanwhile the robot assists Sam as he romances the very beautiful Mikaela (Megan Fox).
Even though LaBeouf does a pretty nice job with his role this movie doesn't succeed because of the human actors. Just about all of the characters are written pretty thinly. But face it. You go see "Transformers" to watch big robots fight each other. And when they're not busy duking it out the bad robots go after humans with the good robots standing in the way.
On that level this film is a tremendous success. Director Michael Bay may not be a genius at getting strong performances from his cast but he can put together a great action sequence. And there's plenty of action here. Robots fighting the army, robots destroying a city and robots changing shape and form right before your eyes.
It's loud and busy but entertaining enough to keep your interest even when the robots are off screen. Thankfully they always come back before too long with a big bang. The special effects are amazing and the action is breathtaking. That combination elevates "Transformers" to an entertaining time.
On my rating scale, "Transformers" hits a Triple.
PRIME PICKS HELL'S KITCHEN Tonight at 8:00 PM 8 Chefs Compete
The chefs create ethnic dishes with select ingredients; a team falls behind before dinner service begins
July 20, 2007
