Transformers - Good or Bad? Overated or Just Action Fun?
By zenmachado
@zenmachado (1617)
United States
February 1, 2008 9:38am CST
"Transformers" is poorly made, full of foul direction and bland storytelling.
It's mildly entertaining.
It's entertaining because of the robots that are visually stunning and the charming performances of Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox.
However, were I not, a big Transformers fan, then I don't believe that I would find it appealing.
Sadly the movie is full of bad aspects. The direction is ruefully choppy, and the storytelling is convoluted. Not to mention that many things that occur are nonsensical.
Also, John Turturro's performance (who usually is solid) was appalling. His acting was horridly over-the-top and that's after the fact that he was obviously miscast.
The plot is this: A warring conflict has emerged on Earth between a pair of robotic clans, the valiant Autobots and the villainous Decepticons, consequently leaving the fate of mankind in the hands of the conflicts conclusion.
If you're a fan of the cartoon, you'll be satisfied with the stunning visual recreation of the vehicles that turn into giant metallic robots.
But if you seek to view an action movie that also holds a solid story and meaningful dialog, then this movie will extremely disappoint you.
What did you personally think of Transformers?
2 people like this
16 responses
@amplified27 (492)
• Philippines
2 Feb 08
Well I personally loved the movie for the said visual effects and even for one, given that I am not that fanatic over the cartoon series. I loved how they used Ebay for the film though, it was kinda hilarious. I beg to differ from your judgment since we all have different perspective in watching the movie.
The scenes were action-packed although it was a bit over when one of the Decepticons eradicated an army using his powers. And the romance was off too cheesy, so I didn't like the movie by the said aspects. However, I still liked it because I haven't watched Transformers as a fan before, I just watch it whenever I accidentally switch it to the channel where it's shown, and now the cartoon evolved pretty much from what I have seen and recalled years ago.
And oh, my personal favorite from the Autobots were Bumblebee and Optimus Prime.
1 person likes this
@jason1287 (151)
• United States
2 Feb 08
i went to see it with my brother who was a huge fan of them when he was a kid. i hated the story line but the special effects were impressive. he loved every aspect of it.
1 person likes this
@sonyareads (73)
•
3 Feb 08
We thought it was great. Our family went to see it opening weekend. My kids abslutely LOVED it. They had been into transformers for over a year, playing with their dad's old ones at first, then we bought a few for them. Transformers was my husband's favorite cartoon/toys as a child, and he was really happy that the kids liked them so he could share his with them.
We waited on this movie for over a year. I was really nervous that it was going to suck, but it didn't. My husband, who finds fault with just about every movie ever made, enjoyed it immensely. WE bought the dvd when it came out, and have watched it several times (when you live with small children, it's common to watch the same movie hundreds of times. Sometimes back to back!!!)Everyone I work with that went to see it loved it as well. My stepfather even liked it, and I didn't figure he would get into it at ALL!!.
I found the special effects visually stunning, the actors did a GREAT job, i thought it was well written, considering the type of movie that it was, and lines that should have been corny were delivered so perfectly that they weren't. All in all, I was pleasantly surprised. Can't wait for the sequal!!!
@undertaker17 (142)
• Fiji
13 Feb 08
for me it was good to watch..action fun and had some great CGI robot modeling which makes it a reality...script was a bit weak but nevertheless i did enjoy it. Eagerly wait for part 2..
@mrhoops515 (10)
• United States
1 Mar 08
I liked the action and special effects but the storyline and acting could have been much better. Humor was also injected at random parts of the movie and really stripped it of any possible dramatic or seat-gripping scenes.
@dekzee (38)
• Philippines
2 Feb 08
Transformers cannot be to deep into story telling. After all, the movie and the entire franchise are still for children. I loved the movie and keep on repeating it on dvd. You should not be a critic or a person deep in thought when watching this movie, or else, you'll miss out on the fun.
@paulsy (1263)
• Philippines
1 Feb 08
You're right. Transformers is not the kind of movie where you'll find meaningful dialogs. It's all about robots, so we can't expect emotions. But if you're a fan of robots, then this is the kind of movie you will definitely enjoy. Take a look at these pictures of our "local" transformers. I'm sure you'll enjoy these!
http://www.paulynramirez.com/transformers-the-transportmers/
@asawako48162 (3321)
• United States
2 Feb 08
Personally I liked this movie and thought it was worth the six fifty i spend on going to the movie..but i don't go to many movies at the theater and this one that needs the big screen and dolby sound etc etc..I watch a lot of videos from Net Flix and Blockbuster as I have a free pass..but also I get some of my videos from our local library..i am retired and have a home entertainment center in my bedroom ..but most movies depend on a lot of factors and even the best of movies can be a dud to some people..we all don't have the same taste...sad but true..what I may like or dislike will be the direct opposite of my wife...
@moriakaice (109)
• Poland
1 Feb 08
It wasn't really that bad as you describe it. I personally enjoyed it a lot. I went to see it with my girlfriend, not a fan of Transformers or that kind of movies - and she actually enjoyed it as much as I did! And that's all I ask for when I go to cinema.
@luvstochat (6907)
• United States
1 Feb 08
I actually liked Transformers. My son got the dvd of it for Christmas so I watched it with home and I enjoyed it. I really liked the speical effects of the cars changing to robots and I really loved how Bumble Bee would talk through the radio.
@Farside604 (870)
• Canada
2 Feb 08
I thought it was a little over rated. When i heard about through friends i thought it was going to be the best movie ive ever seen, not quite the case when i saw it. It didnt really live up to the hype in my opinion, it was all just a bunch of special effects that earner it a hoard of followers.
@bochco123 (594)
• United States
1 Feb 08
I would have to disagree with you. I thought it was a well-made, fun, exciting, crowd-pleasing (the audience applauded at the end of the movie, which is pretty rare) entertaining as hell popcorn/summer movie. Maybe because I didn't have any expectations for it, I enjoyed it more then I would have. Great fun though.
@NexusBeam (19)
• United States
3 Feb 08
Personally, I thought that the movie was very well made and that the acting was top notch. Yes, the movie was nowhere near what I was used to from the original animated series or several of its subsequent remakes, but as previously stated, I thought that it was good.
@lecanis (16647)
• Murfreesboro, Tennessee
1 Feb 08
I'm a huge fan of the old cartoon, which is actually why I didn't like the movie much. Not only were a lot of changes made to both the characters and the storyline, the Autobots were made to seem just plain stupid by some of the so-called comedic scenes! I wanted to smack everyone involved in the picture for ruining my childhood favorite.
@gamingmaster (427)
• United States
1 Feb 08
For me Transformers was an awsome movie mostly because of the visual aspects of the movie, the robots looked so "real" with the latest CGI technology. But the movie itself was pretty booring, something a 9 year old boy would love!
I enjoyed most of it but after the movie it came to my mind that the movie was not very... interesting.
