Transformers (2007)

The entire Transformers trilogy in general is difficult to review. Because the people that love this franchise LOVE it, and the people that hate it have seen Citizen Kane. I know. I’m being cynical. Actually, I do like the first movie in this series. It is silly, fun, and a good time. But the second film is trash, and I don’t have too high of hopes for the third. But why should that take away from my enjoyment of this lump of dumb fun? Based off of the toy line by Hasbro, the television series, and a slew of other things, Transformers is the tale of Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBouf), whose great-grandfather Archibald went exploring, and found a robotic creature in the ice. Which, inevitably, leads Sam to be confronted by a large amount of giant robots, both good guys and bad guys. They are both looking for the All Spark, the object that creates life for these creatures (there is actually a shot in the climax of the film in which an XBOX 360 turns into a transformer). And if put into the wrong hands, it could end all human life. But in all complete honesty, the plot doesn’t matter to this film. Transformers exists for one reason and one reason only-to watch robots beat each other up. And on that scale, the movie is actually quite fun, and, surprisingly, it has some decent merit to back it up, at least partly. The acting isn’t bad (Megan Fox excepted. I don’t care what you say, she cannot act. Beautiful, yes. Talented, no.), the directing is higher than standard for Michael Bay, and the writing isn’t terrible. The jokes actually do take sometimes, a fact that surprised me, watching it again. Because when the movie came out in 2007, all I knew was that this was the greatest film ever made. Watching it again with my younger brother, four years older, this is not the greatest film ever made. But it is good old-fashioned popcorn entertainment, and in reality, there’s nothing wrong with that.
7/10