Ryan Chartrand
Romance. Action. Comedy…and robots with big guns that transform into cars, trucks, planes and other fast-moving vehicles. What more could a moviegoer ask for in a summer blockbuster?
Though the movie may need a stronger plot and less cheesy lines, “Transformers,” directed by Michael Bay, contains all the necessary elements for a fun, entertaining and absurd movie experience. Humorous characters will leave you cracking up, and the eye-popping special effects blow things up really well.
The movie is based on the “Transformers” TV cartoon series that ran from 1984 to 1987 and a cartoon movie, “The Transformers: The Movie,” which was released in theaters in 1986.
In a land far, far away, the planet Cybertron was in an all-out war between the noble Autobots, led by Optimus Prime, and Megatron and his evil Decepticons over control of the Allspark, a cube that would grant unyielding power to whomever possessed it.
The Allspark is later uncovered on Earth, and the map to it falls into the hands of an unknowing, bumbling teenager, Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf). With the help of his father, Sam buys his first car, a dingy, yellow Chevy Camaro. To his shock, though, his new car turns out to be Bumblebee, an Autobot sent to protect Sam since he holds the map to the Allspark.
The Autobots are now in a race to find and protect the Allspark before the Decepticons find it and Megatron awakens from his frozen slumber to use the Allspark to destroy humankind and take over Earth. Sam, his love interest Mikaela Banes (Megan Fox) and others are caught in the middle of this spectacular intergalactic battle between the extraterrestrials.
Sound absurd? Yes. But that’s what makes this movie so much fun. Remember, this movie is based on a cartoon from the ’80s.
LaBeouf delivers a comedic performance as he fights his own internal battles with goofy parents, raging teenage hormones and his nerves as he tries to win over the bombshell Mikaela, while carrying the burden saving humankind and planet Earth.
Meanwhile, characters like Capt. Lennox (Josh Duhamel); Sgt. Epps, played by R&B singer and actor Tyrese Gibson; Banes; and Pentagon computer analyst Maggie Madsen (Rachael Taylor) offer some eye candy for the audience.
Comedian Anthony Anderson was oddly cast as Glen Whitmann, a genius computer hacker. Although some of his lines are funny, he adds a boisterous and dissimilar tone to the movie.
Some die-hard “Transformers” fans might be disappointed to find some discrepancies between this movie and the original cartoon.
Here are some trivial facts: In the original cartoon, Megatron transforms into a gun, not an airplane like in the movie. Bumblebee was originally a Volkswagen Beetle instead of a Camaro. And Cliff Jumper, the helicopter in the movie, was originally a good guy.
This movie had a few slow and baffling moments, but overall it’s an entertaining summer flick to watch for a feel-good time.