"Transformers" 1986
Having never fully understood the original cartoons as a kid, this is probably the most dabbling I’ve done in the classic “Transformers” lore. Even to a noob like me, this film is pretty darn special. With an epic planet-sized transformer eating planets, a major Autobot-vs-Decepticon battle on Earth, an adventure across other planets, and a handful of significant character moments, I can easily see how this film could provide the ultimate experience for an 80s “Transformers” fan. It’s about as significant as comparing the “Star Trek” movies to the original series.The story for this is pretty darn grand. For a casual viewer like myself, it takes on pretty silly proportions, especially with the inclusion of the Dinobots, some bizarre tribal robots who like to kill other robots for no reason, a trash planet filled with samurai-style robots who shout TV slogans, and God-knows-what-else. I could also criticize the movie for having only a few moments worth of human-based drama. And of course, the film deals so heavily with the established mythos of the cartoon series that it may alienate the uninitiated. Regardless, the story does have its bright moments, and is a good excuse to have a bunch of robots zapping each other.
The animation quality for this is fairly strong. It does show its limitations in regards to movements and designs, but the drawings are quite detailed and show phenomenal shadows, textures, and coloring. Voice-acting can be pretty dated and cheesy, but it does feature a surprisingly strong cast, with the likes of Robert Stack, Leonard Nimoy, Orson Welles, and Eric Idle in the mix. Writing is simple and straightforward. Music is very retro, for better or for worse.
Recommended for fans of the classic canon.
4/5 (entertainment: 4/5, story: 3.5/5, film: 3.5/5)
If you can find it, there is a region-free Blu-Ray available from the UK. Aside from a number of specks and scratches, and some blurry/fuzzy scenes, it looks phenomenal, with excellent sharpness, clarity, and colors. Sound quality is pretty weak with the dialogue and sound effects, but okay with the music (I’m sure the soundtrack is limited at the source anyway).
Picture Quality: 4/5, Audio Quality: 3/5
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"Transformers" 2007
At the release of this film, 21 years have passed since the animated film came out. In all that time, we’ve seen two decades worth of cheesy action films, spirited adventures, imaginative sci-fi, and immense special-effects development. And with director Michael Bay fine-tuning his larger-than-life work style and sense of grandeur, it seems that cinematic fate has cumulated in the creation of this epic film. For fans of the classic cartoons or modern action junkies, the film delivers all the way; the action starts off strong and intense, and hardly lets up. Some scenes are quite awe-inspiring; the opening base attack, the highway chase, the city battle are among the best action scenes in any film. The scope and scale is impressive. The pacing is relentlessly fast. The humor is genuinely amusing and helps keep things light and fresh. It’s every bit as big, original, and entertaining as some of the best blockbusters out there, and I think one would be hard-pressed to be bored by it.The story for this could probably be picked apart easily by the most critical viewers (it’s especially odd seeing a number of scenes turning from day to night in a matter of seconds). But if you’re able and willing to forgive the film for its faults, it is a decently-structured plot with a fine cast of characters. It’s pretty fun watching the film kick off with the relationship between a boy and his car; but heck, intergalactic robot war is pretty fun too.
The film has awesome photography; there must be thousands of gorgeous postcard-worthy shots throughout. Some scenes are a little shaky and editing is pretty darn fast; it might be a major turn-off for some folks, and I do believe it does make the actual transformers harder to see. But it is still mostly coherent, and helps keep the pacing up. Acting is…what it is. Shia LaBeouf borders on being annoying, but for his character it’s fitting. Megan Fox is a little iffy in this role, but she is a looker. I enjoy Josh Duhamel in his role; Tyrese Gibson and Zack Ward are pretty fun in their parts. I didn’t like John Turturro at first, but he grew on me. And of course, the voice-acting (including the talents of Peter Cullen and Hugo Weaving) is great. Production value is insanely high, featuring top-notch sets, props, costumes, and special effects; it’s also noteworthy for implementing a huge amount of authentic military hardware and real soldiers in action. Music is pretty darn cool too.
Recommended!
4.5/5 (entertainment: 5/5, story: 4/5, film: 4/5)
This Blu-Ray looks and sounds darn near perfect!
Picture Quality: 5/5, Audio Quality: 5/5
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"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen"
Customary to any sequel in a major franchise, the action must be bigger, badder, and more epic. The story has to broaden. The conflict has to be ramped up more than before. I don’t think anybody would argue that “RotF” fails in this field; the action is easily more impressive than the first film. From the incredibly massive chase scene in Shanghai to the epic finale in Egypt, the film takes us on an epic journey all over the world, blowing more s**t up, and causing unprecedented amounts of mass carnage! Entire highways are reduced to rubble, an aircraft carrier is ripped in half, the ancient pyramids are desecrated; these are incredible scenes that may never be topped (well, except for the next “Transformers” film).This film has been panned by audiences and critics for a number of reasons though. In their efforts to make things bigger, fill up the film with shedloads of new ideas, and take the story to multiple locales, the filmmakers may have indeed neglected to make the story congeal and flow as properly as it should. Some folks claim that the film has no story, but that’s pure exaggeration; the story’s quite clear-cut to me, just too much all over the place. If they toned the story down and maintained a steadier focus, the story would have probably would have won more hearts. Not to mention the myriad of lesser nitpicks; one too many crude jokes, perceived plot holes and inconsistencies, questionable mythology, the twins, etc.
Personally, the issues regarding the story, humor, plot, characters, and everything else has never bothered me. If it wasn’t for the Internet, I might have never known this movie sucks! Suffice to say, none of this has ever hampered my enjoyment of the film, and it hasn’t affected my opinion of the plot. In my opinion, the plot works in its own inherent way. Just as a sequel should, it showcases the villains having their glory, while continuing the main character’s development. The film is admittedly overblown in a lot of ways, but I love it anyway.
Like before, the film has gorgeous picturesque photography and some very fast and hectic editing. Editing can be a little screwy, as certain shots are repeated or recycled from the first film. Altogether though, I think the action is better-framed and it’s much easier to see the robots than from the first film. Acting is about as strong or as weak as before; Shia LaBeouf is still semi-lovable and semi-annoying. I think Megan Fox puts on a stronger performance here (or perhaps is more likable, or else has more material to work with; either way, her presence is stronger). John Turturro, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Peter Cullen, and Hugo Weaving all return and are decent. Production value is still insanely high, with no expense spared on sets, props, costumes, special effects, or all the genuine military hardware and personnel on display. Aside from one or two iffy rock songs, the music is quite smashing.
Given all the hate this films receives, I can only recommend it as a rental.
4/5 (entertainment: 5/5, story: 3.5/5, film: 4/5)
This Blu-Ray shows some grain and noise during darker scenes, but is otherwise darn near perfect. If you get the Walmart-exclusive Big Screen edition, you'll be treated with seeing the IMAX scenes at their full aspect ratio and with phenomenal resolution. Aside from some low dialogue, the sound quality is great.
Picture Quality: 5/5, Audio Quality: 4.5/5
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"Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
As expected, “Transformers: DotM” showcases one of the most ambitious and epic finales of any film series. Even if you thought the action could never top the intensity or breadth of the first two films, “DotM” finally cuts to the chase and brings us all-out carnage! It’s pretty darn awesome watching the transformers duke it out in foreign lands and on the highways (in a scene which could possibly surpass the highway chase scene in the first movie), but the last hour or so is entirely devoted to a massive invasion where robots and ships are literally tearing the city up and brutally massacring each other. The ruined cityscapes are about as imaginative and artistic as what we see in the “Crysis 2” video game; the intensity and the stakes are about as high as what we see in a “Terminator” movie; the action is easily the best of the series. And with strong storytelling and cinematography, “DotM” easily bests most other alien invasion movies (especially following the releases of “Skyline” and “Battle: LA," both of which were rather dissapointing).This movie may be overshadowed by the weaknesses of “Revenge of the Fallen,” but rest assured that the story for “DotM” is fleshed out way better. The conspiracies that are unveiled are quite sublimely integrated, and seeing them unravel feels like a refreshing revelation. The climax works very well to tie up the events of the first two films, and ultimately I feel that this movie incorporates a number of elements that may have been lost in the last film (namely, the ideas that the transformers are covert, the ideas that they are fighting for their way of life, and most importantly, the idea that they are fighting for freedom). As far as the human element goes, the story takes the franchise’s hero to his next logical step; all of this drama might test your patience a little (especially with so much hit-or-miss humor), but it all contributes to the amazing finale.
Cinematically, “DotM” shows excellent photography and editing; the shots are indeed prolonged and evenly-paced, allowing you to see the action much more leisurely than the last two hectic movies. The film has its share of wonderful scenery, but it feels rather drab and grim overall (which helps add a sense of doom and gloom; parts of this movie are rather scary). Acting is a mixed bag once again; Shia LaBeouf continues to be himself, for better or for worse. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley has a few weak moments, but I felt she was an ample replacement for Megan Fox. Patrick Dempsey is convincing as a jerk. Ken Jeong’s role was pretty darn wild, for better or for worse. John Turturro, Josh Duhamel, and Tyrese Gibson all return and are still great; Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, and Alan Tudyk are interesting additions. And of course, Peter Cullen, Hugo Weaving, and Leonard Nimoy are superb in their voice acting. Aside from using my least-favorite Linkin Park song, the music is great.
I’m not sure at this point if I’d rank this over the first film or not. But at the very least, I’d put them on the same level, and in time I’ll see which one I value the most.
Casually recommended!
4.5/5 (entertainment: 4.5/5, story: 4.5/5, film: 4/5)
