That brings us to this little film called Transformers.
Right out the gate, this film had three strikes against it.
One - it
was Michael Bay, so 90% of the movie community were ready to knock it.
Two, it was about giant fighting robots, so all self-respecting print
critics were required by principle to trash it (unless you write for a
major men’s magazine); and three, it was Transformers (so all the
fan-boy web critics were apt to tear it apart for every little
“liberty” it took with the “Transformers Cannon”. (Seriously, it’s a
freaken toy, for Christ’s sakes! Who really cares if Optimus Prime had
lips???).
Me? I went in thinking “Hey - we get to see giant F-ing
robots beat the crap out of each other, and destroy everything around
them in the process!” AND WE GOT IT!!! And so much more.
The big
surprise here is that in addition to the Giant Robots Beating the F out
of Each Other, we actually got a coherent story, decent characters
(most of them), and even a little heart (yes, I even shed a tear or two -
love that BumbleBee!).
Shia LaBeouf takes another big stride
toward real stardom here by making the proceedings believable and
relatable. He actually carries the first half of the movie - sans Giant
Robot. I am really digging that kid now.
If I had to have any
real complaint about the movie, it would be the forced humor. There are
way too many situations that did not have to be funny, but random
silliness was wedged in (the cop interrogating Sam; don’t even get me
started on John Turturo’s character - irritating as all hell). But this
really ends up being a minor complaint to the rest of the adrenaline
rush.
Bottom line - I wanted kick ass effects, and Giant Robots Beating the “F” out of each other, and that’s what I got…IN SPADES!!
Maybe
it was just me, but it seems that the video here is a mixed bag. The
effects and the Transformers themselves looked F-ing gorgeous! BUT…
(again, could just be me) it seems as if a lot of the actor and
non-effect shots seemed a little grainy in comparison. On the plus
side, the colors were excellent and the darks were solid.
At
first I was a little disappointed at the lack on a 6.1 or even a DTS
track, but after listening to the 5.1 surround track on this disc - my
disappointment passed. This is a crystal clear, loud, aggressive
surrounding SOB. The action sequences really rocked my skull; this is a
great soundtrack!
Do
I really need to tell you to go out and buy this? Yes, the features are
light, and the packaging is funky… but this movie rules!!! And, for the
sound alone, this is worth the pick-up (or you can wait for the
inevitable “Transformers Transformed” release with additional footage
& features - your choice).
DVD Extras The movie comes in a clear keep case (hard
shell) with opposing profiles of Optimus Prime and Megatron on either
side. Over that, a clear plastic cover with the title up each side
complements that… it’s cool and all, but the info page (what is usually
the back of the case) is now a slip of paper that just falls off the
back (you have to put it in the case with the discs if you’re one of
those who wants to keep it safe). The Menu Design is cool, and sounds
excellent.
Disc
1 features a commentary by Michael Bay which was
very informative, and even entertaining (say what you will about
Michael Bay - the man is outspoken). Disc 2 gives us what boils down to
two documentaries; the first on the filming itself (which seemed a
little
dry - too much time just filming the set and shooting), and the second
that focuses more on the creation of the robots themselves. This was
much better. To round things out we have a featurette on the Desert
attack scene, and some trailers.
**Major complaint – the IMAX
version had deleted footage; where is it on the DVD? I smell a
double-dip! For the biggest movie of the year, I expected a little more… Conclusion:
Movie 90% Extras: 70% 
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