Transformers Movie

The interstellar battle between the Autobots and Decepticons rains destruction down on planet Earth as director Michael Bay adapts Hasbro and Takara's popular Transformers franchise into a big-budget, live-action summer tentpole extravaganza in this ambitious sci-fi action feature starring Shia LaBeouf, Tyrese Gibson, Bernie Mac, John Turturro, Jon Voight, and, of course, Optimus Prime and Megatron. Long ago, on the planet of Cybertron, a massive, powerful alien race divided into two factions, the noble Autobots, and the devious Decepticons. They fought for the sole access to a talisman known as the Allspark, a cube with the capacity to grant infinite power, and eventually the Autobots smuggled it off the planet's surface, hiding it in an unknown location on Earth. Now, hundreds of years later, the Deceptacons have come looking for it, and if the Autobots don't find it first, the Earth will be enslaved or destroyed by the evil aliens' use of its massive power. The Autobots don't know where the cube was hidden, but the information may be stored in the most unlikely of sources, as a gangly young Earthling named Sam Witwicky (LaBeouf) who's just picked up his first car, has a strange connection to the Allspark's history, making him the unlikely ally of these enormous creatures, as they fight for humankind's survival and the chance to return home.

The live-action adaptation of the franchise must have been created through some kind of awesome, sci-fi adventure alchemy, no doubt achieved by adding a dose of the original '80s cartoon, a dash of Michael Bay's signature action style, and a pinch of Spielbergian wonderment. And each of these components is injected into the mix perfectly. If Bay knows anything, it's how to reduce us to hyper, enthralled 14-year-olds, and he's an unrivaled master of constructing the action-packed cinematic worlds that make us love movies like this in the first place, full of metal-grinding action sequences and midriff-baring smart-but-tough girls wearing fake eyelashes and six coats of lip gloss. Meanwhile, the Transformers themselves are crafted with fantastic precision, both in personality and in appearance (with the best and most realistic CG yet), reviving our childhood awe and delight with a classic tale of great power, of good and evil, and of giant robots who kick major ass.
There was much trepidation among the original show's fans when it was announced that, due to a corporate tie-in with GM, many of the characters would be transforming into different vehicles than they once did. For instance, Bumblebee, a smaller Autobot who's young, spunky, and cute (despite also being a noble soldier who now speaks through the radio because his voice was injured in battle) has always fittingly transformed into a yellow and black VW Beetle -- except now, he turns into a Camaro. The muscle car of choice for high-school football players everywhere might not sound like the right alternate form for our beloved Bumblebee. But the truth for Bumblebee, as well as for all the Transformers that experienced such makeovers, is that the characters are so spot on, the cosmetic changes don't matter. If there's anything the filmmakers seem to understand, it's the distinct personality of each one -- there's even a nod to the bitter rivalry between Megatron and Starscream from the original series, despite there being less time in the film to get to know the Deceptacons. This is all extremely gratifying for Transformers devotees, but it's also very helpful for newcomers to the franchise, who are given the chance to get to know and love the film's heroes.
It would be just plain tragic not to acknowledge what it does for the film to have original Optimus Prime voice Peter Cullen reprise his role. Cullen sounds like a cross between a badass action hero, the guy who does the movie trailers, and God. His voice, in combination with the actual character of Optimus Prime, creates the ultimate giant-robot incarnation of the archetypal warrior king: full of bravery, emanating wisdom, and frequently transforming into a kick-ass Mack truck. In Bay's universe, Optimus and his Autobot comrades find a perfect landscape for their epic struggle to defeat those who would use their power for evil. It's not just a universe of fast-paced power and style, but also a universe that inspires even cynical viewers to recapture a childlike delight in entering a world where humanity's own magnificent saviors are 50-foot-tall robot aliens that turn into cars.