Transformers
Director
Penned by screenwriting tandem Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman (The Island, Mission: Impossible III), the film's story is certainly no more preposterous than the basic concept mandates. Trading especially on Sam's home life, the script locates a few smart points of entry for early pockets of humor, though a sequence in which the Autobots impatiently hide outside Sam's house while he searches his room for a key piece of evidence drags on for far too long. In fact, after a lengthy first act spent setting up all the military intrigue, it's somehow less than thrilling when Autobot leader Optimus Prime and the other Transformers show up and actually start talking. The wonderment of the conceit is punctured, and a few of the robot exchanges come across as hammy, at odds with the established tone.
That said, Bay makes certain that the audience isn't left wanting for action, erring on the side of distended, explosive set pieces, as he did most recently in both Bad Boys II and The Island. Trading in the sort of emphatic, canted close-ups and adrenalized style that have been his hallmark throughout his career, Bay delivers quick-cut action made up of individually effective, sometimes even iconic shots. The problem, for those sensitive to matters of rationality, is that Bay, for all his arguable skill as a conjurer of sugar-rush catharsis, frequently creates escape through reverse shots rather than any sort of sensible internal story logic. There is little sense of spatial coherence, and even less artful massaging of tension. The action, then, becomes the cinematic equivalent of a false show-and-tell exercise — bravura demonstration lacking any rooted truth, emotional weight or involvement. For the full review, from Screen International, click here.
No one is going to see this movie for "artful massaging of tension". If you are going to review this movie, you ought to review it weighed against the probable target audience.
What people who are going to see this movie want to know is, basically, "Is this cool?"
What I want to know, but don't after reading the review is:
- Was it cool? Did you enjoy yourself watching it? Are others likely to enjoy it?
- Did you believe in the Transformers as characters or did they seem fake?
- Did you believe in the actors as characters or did THEY seem fake?
- We you engaged and entertained while watching it? (I think unlikely, as you were probably too busy hunting for flaws).
You did do well in pointing out that there were some pacing problems. But, truthfully, this review comes across as elitest bashing of an action movie that pretends to be nothing other than an action movie about, well, big angry robots.
Try not to take it so seriously, and just tell us if it's fun and worth a few bucks and a few hours for some light entertainment...
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i'm sorry, but you do not have to "hunt" for flaws in this movie. they jump right out at you.
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I don't usually comment on these sort of things. But who is this person? The simple fact is it's a action movie designed for teenagers and young men in their 20's. Not some sort of 'Art Noir' classic, designed to stimulate the synapsis. Simple fact is if it takes you away from the hum drum reality of life for a few hours. Who cares if it's story plot is a bit weak in places?
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This kind of movie is made for a wide public, specially children. You can't be to dark nor profound, otherwise, you'll lose most adepts. This movie is introducing mani mechanical characters with little time for histrionics. In fact, i don't wanna cry in a movie, i just want to have fun! So don't overdo it with snobing and selfconcious reazoning...
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^ I'm sorry... did you say "reazoning"?
Bravo!
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