Transformers Review

As always (i.e., the one other time I reviewed a movie), I'll try to limit the spoilers, but no promises.

First off, let me say that in spite of all the negative (NEGATIVE!) reviews, I actually thought this movie wasn't too bad. I mean, what were those reviewers expecting? In my opinion, the only way a person should be disappointed by this movie is if it didn't have enough explosions. And it did, so mission accomplished Mr. Bay!

Now, to the review.

Pro's:
Megan Fox. I noticed they covered her tattoos. I guess they didn't poll well? Anyway, she's not the worst actress in the world. It's good to see a beautiful woman being given a chance in a movie. So many times, beautiful women are forced to stay out of the limelight, almost shunned by society. I was glad they gave her the chance to say "Here I am, and I'm not ashamed of my looks". Good for you Ms. Fox!

A lot of action. I feel that they could have cut about 95% of the dialogue and the plot would have moved along just fine. Especially all of those little one liners from the military guys. Now, I'm not anti-military at all. I appreciate their sacrifices. It's just that in this context, they should really stick to their strenght, which is shooting things. Of course, the parachute scene in the transport jet was quite well done. Probably reckless endangerment, but cool, nonetheless. I know Michael Bay is criticized for so much camera motion, which is probably fair. But it could have been worse.

Ah... I guess there's not really anything else for this category. I mean, this is the Transformers movie we're talking about here.

Cons:
Dialogue (as mentioned). As anyone who's seen the movie can attest, the dialogue was horrible. Especially the strained romance scenes. Actually, I though the mother and father were probably the best. Sure, they were total caricatures of parents, but I kind of enjoyed them.

It was a little long. Of course, this could have been addressed by removing some (most?) dialogue, though that would only save a bit of time. I did find myself glancing at my watch now and again.

Typical movie plot holes (e.g., why do the Decepticons seem so inept in almost everything?). But actually, for this movie, the subject matter is so far out there, I don't even worry about these things. It's just about looking nice, so what's the point of caring? So, this one didn't really negatively impact the experience for me.

Uh, maybe not enough Megan Fox?

All in all, I thought it was a fun movie, and frankly, I'm surprised that the critics panned it so. Again, I have no idea what they were expecting. It's Transformers, for god's sake! Let's keep everything in perspective here. Well, I guess there's probably some sort of credibility issue involved there. If a critic actually admitted that maybe, just maybe, this movie isn't supposed to be "theater", and just something fun to watch, so maybe it's ok, that critic would probably be shunned from (in? by?) polite company. Or not. What do I know?