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Transformers
Actors: Shia Labeouf, Megan Fox, Turturro, and Voight
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Retail Price (not our price): $29.99
Release Date: 2007-10-16
Theatrical Release Date: 2007
Studio: Dreamworks Video
Run Time: 143 minutes
Format: Array
Format: Color, Dolby, Widescreen, NTSC
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Discs: 1


Editorial Reviews (supplied by Amazon.com):

1) Product Description
Actors: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Tyrese Gibson, Jon Voight, Hugo Weaving Directors: Michael Bay Format: NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen Language: English, Spanish Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.) Number of discs: 2 Rating Studio: Dreamworks Video DVD Release Date: October 16, 2007 Run Time: 143 minutes

2) Amazon.com
"I bought a car. Turned out to be an alien robot. Who knew?" deadpans Sam Witwicky, hero and human heart of Michael Bay's rollicking robot-smackdown fest, Transformers. Witwicky (the sweetly nerdy Shia LaBeouf, channeling a young John Cusack) is the perfect counterpoint to the nearly nonstop exhilarating action. The plot is simple: an alien civil war (the Autobots vs. the evil Decepticons) has spilled onto Earth, and young Sam is caught in the fray by his newly purchased souped-up Camaro. Which has a mind--and identity, as a noble-warrior robot named Bumblebee--of its own. The effects, especially the mind-blowing transformations of the robots into their earthly forms and back again, are stellar. Fans of the earlier film and TV series will be thrilled at this cutting-edge incarnation, but this version should please all fans of high-adrenaline action. Director Bay gleefully salts the movie with homages to pop-culture touchstones like Raiders of the Lost Ark, King Kong, and the early technothriller WarGames. The actors, though clearly all supporting those kickass robots, are uniformly on-target, including the dashing Josh Duhamel as a U.S. Army sergeant fighting an enemy he never anticipated; Jon Voight, as a tough yet sympathetic Secretary of Defense in over his head; and John Turturro, whose special agent manages to be confidently unctuous, even stripped to his undies. But the film belongs to Bumblebee, Optimus Prime, and the dastardly Megatron--and the wicked stunts they collide in all over the globe. Long live Transformers! --A.T. HurleyMore Than Meets the Eye The Original Movie Transformers Mania The Soundtrack Transformers Image Gallery (click for larger image)

Customer Reviews (supplied by Amazon.com):
Average Customer Rating: 4.0 out of 5

1) Surprisingly entertaining film   [Rating: 4 out of 5]
I fully expected the Hollywood film industry to screw this film up. That expectation evaporated from the moment I heard Peter Cullen's voice over the Opening Credits. I think the filmakers have done a pretty good job taking the relevant bits of Transformers lore and presenting them to a mainstream audience. Clearly, Michael Bay's aim was to entertain an audience, rather than load the film down with Transformers lore. This is a grown-up version of the cartoon I used to love when I was a kid. Miraculously, the film was respectful of the legacy left by the animated series. And considering just how badly the film could've been handled in the wrong hands, that really is a miracle.Transformers marks my very first purchase of a Hi-Def release in any format (Blu-Ray or HD-DVD). I also have the DVD Edition, so I was able to compare the two. Even to my untrained eye, the Hi-Def version is incredibly detailed. I could even see the wrinkles on Optimus Prime's face - a detail I missed on the DVD version. The sound in Hi-Def is also incredible - I almost jumped out of my chair during the Qatar Base attack.The extras are pretty good too - not Lord of the Rings Extended Edition quality but still good. Obviously there's a lot of attention shown to the incredible special effects. But there's also a bit of attention paid to how a Michael Bay set is run - he seems to be a pretty tough taskmaster. The commentary from Michael Bay is also surprisingly honest and unflinching. I acknowledge that hardcore Transformers fans will not be happy with this film. Look at it this way - this is a film that introduces mainstream audiences to Transformers. It's the first film to bring almost-Anime-Japanese-style mecha action to American audiences, which counts as a milestone in my book. I don't know just how Michael Bay and co are going to top this spectacular film, but I can't wait to find out!

2) The Most Entertaining Movie of 2007   [Rating: 5 out of 5]
There are two types of films: the serious, thought-provoking, artistic films, and the fantastic, sit-back-and-enjoy-the-ride popcorn films. It's fair to say that Transformers, the latest from action maestro Michael Bay, falls into the latter type. Loosely based on the popular toy line, TV series and comic book series of the same name, the movie is about two warring robot factions from another planet arriving on Earth to find the AllSpark, a mysterious device that gives basic mechanical objects life. The search takes them to various locations including the neighborhood of a goofball kid named Sam (played by Shia LeBeouf). Eventually, the two factions, called the Autobots and Decepticons, face each other for the fate of themselves and all of humanity. If the plot is too simple for you, back out now. There's not much more to it though it was more than I expected. This film is great for the action and special effects alone but, in this case, that's not a bad thing. Many of the negative reviews are those who either hate the premise or hate the director. Bay is a director who is all about explosive action (his credits include Armageddon, The Rock, and Pearl Harbor) and for better or worse, his style is in full force here. Even so, I managed to care more for the characters in this film almost more than those in the other movies combined (though I do wish the robots were a little more developed). Another thing about the movie that suprised me was the humor. Although it was borderline teen-comedy type funny, it actually worked well for the most part. As I said before, the visual effects, which show the robots transforming into various vehicles and objects and back, are nothing short of spectacular thanks to the flawless CG animation by ILM. In a year that saw great examples of both types of films, I can honestly say that Transformers is not only Bay's best film yet, but also the most exciting and fun movie of the year. And that accounts for both types of films.

3) Better Movie than I Expected Plus Hours of More Great Features Than Meet the Eye!   [Rating: 5 out of 5]
I was a huge fan of transformers when I was a kid so I was interested in seeing how these characters are portrayed 20 years on and I must admit I assumed like most 80s TV shows, especially kids ones that it would be a pretty average film just cashing in on those wanting to relive their childhood. I was actually pleasantly surprised with the film, it's a pretty good tale and the documentaries (features) were quite good at both showing kids of today the glimpses of the original TV show, characters and toys of my generation's childhood (and you get to relive the commercials for the toys as well!) The documentaries also provide an insight as to why some of the Autobots and Decepticons don't look a thing like the originals did (an area of the film I was disappointed with). Some of these explanations you'll say fair enough but some I don't think justify changing them. Such as Optumus Prime's a different main colour and truck type, apparently red doesn't come up to well on film (fair enough) and the square type truck wouldn't transform as good (yeah I don't know about that, I think the toy line offset from the film may have been in mind with kids more likely to buy a more modern truck they could relate to). My first ever Transformer toy, Ratchet is no longer an ambulance because in the 80s he was a Japanese ambulance (fair enough but make him a modern looking non van ambulance, why does he have to be a Humvee rescue vehicle instead)?Apparently the legacy of Herbie meant Bumblebee couldn't be a Volkswagon Bug. I have to admit I liked the older car Sam first gets but thought the newer car Bumblebee later becomes looked a bit unrealistic and like a toy car to me. I didn't like the movie version Megatron, he didn't look a thing like the original villain but should have, also didn't like the CD player robot that replaced (I've forgotten his name) the blue tape player with the tape in the deck in his chest that transformed into a jaguar in the original cartoon). Was too Terminator not enough Transformer for me. So yeah I found the documentaries quite fascinating to see how it was filmed and the justifications for the changes in the main characters, I think these are worth the price of the DVD package alone.So what the film about? Basically an unpopular high school kid puts his arctic explorer relative's possessions up for sale on e-bay to help raise money to go towards the car which his parents will match. The eyeglasses hold a secret both the Autobots and Decepticons have been searching for, for generations. Bumblebee had long ago been sent to find it (so hence he makes himself Sam's preferred car by destroying any alternative), Bumblebee summons to Earth Optimus and the other Autobots to complete the mission. Meanwhile the Decepticons have discovered the US military has in their computer databases an audio message that will lead them to their missing leader Megatron and employ a two pronged approach to find him, attack the military hacking their machines and find the human who has put the glasses up on e-bay. Good movie, great DVD, and good on them for keeping the same actor (voice) for Optimus Prime.

4) Transformers is Terrible   [Rating: 1 out of 5]
So, I finally gave in and watched the "film". What a mistake on my part.I was already going into Transformers with very low expectations (and yes, I was expecting nothing more than standard Summer popcorn fare - God, I'm really starting to hate that cliche), and STILL, I found myself terribly disappointed. Stale popcorn indeed.With the exception of some of the CGI, particularly the transformation scenes, I hated, I repeat hated, nearly everything about Transformers.Here's a list of the film's many accomplishments (and I'm sure I'm leaving a few out)- No character and or story development (and again, my expectations were already at a bare minimum in these areas)- One of the most boring MacGuffin's I can EVER recall- "Jokes" that I may, and I stress may, have found funny when I was 9- A good dozen semi-slow motion shots of Megan Fox doing absolutely nothing- A sideplot with Rachael Taylor, Anthony Anderson & Jon Voight that makes up a good portion of the film and literally stops in the middle of nowhere- Not enough action sequences for my taste, and when we finally do get some, they're a visual & logical mess half the time- I was never very excited and or terrified by the situations in the film (for the most part, I found myself simply bored), and I think the Decepticons looking so similar to one another didn't help matters in this area either- And though I liked the CGI effects at times, there were other times where the Transformers looked extremely fake with respect to their real world surroundings (the back yard scene anyone) a la King Kong 2005And even in those rare instances where the film does get something right, such as the mentioned transformations or Bumblebee's manner of talking, it doesn't develop those qualities anywhere near the extent that it could/should.At the end of the day, had the film been 100% campy throughout, I think I could have stomached it a bit more. But at the same time, it also takes itself quite seriously throughout much of it, and that just took the cake for me. It's like watching a dumbed-down version of the second half of Bay's Armageddon, except with large robots instead of a large rock.While I've never been able to get into the Transformers concept (even as a kid), I find myself pondering how hard can it really be to get robots fighting robots right?Pretty hard I guess.4.5/10

5) Transformers (2007)   [Rating: 3 out of 5]
Preparing to watch Transformers with no foreknowledge of the property is an odd situation, particularly for someone of my generation. You know there's something there that you're supposed to like, yet you have no clue why, or even what exactly it is. I had done some rudimentary research on the story (Wikipedia is an invaluable tool), but I when I settled down into my theater chair, I remained essentially a blank slate on which the film would write its impression of this highly-touted, yet wholly unknown, license.I giggled when a credit reading "in association with HASBRO" in drastically important lettering appeared as the film began. Something about the idea that this PG-13-rated, multi-billion-dollar tentpole summer film had been inspired by a line of toys struck me as funny, in the same way that I sat in the theater in 2003 and giggled when marveling that I was about to see a big-budget film based on a Disneyland ride. Still, that turned out well. I had the highest hopes this one would succeed on the same level.The film begins in Qatar ("Qatar - the Middle East" informs an amusingly helpful graphic), with an impressive sequence that introduces the villainous...something. The movie was exceedingly fuzzy on Decepticon details. The introductory scene also introduces the characters played by Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson. They're Army men, and I have no idea what their names are. Does it matter? Like so many of the characters in the film (both human and robot), no, it does not.Anyway, after their base is wiped out by some nameless Decepticon, we're introduced to the actual stars of the film: a robot named Bumblebee and a human named Sam. Sam is played by Shia LeBeouf, and Bumblebee is played by a radio. Well, a radio and a Camero. I suppose they work in tandem.I recall an interview with Steven Spielberg (an executive producer on the film, and the one who spearheaded production) in which he stated that Transformers was really the story of a boy and his car. And to a very large degree, that's true. Sure, there's a bunch of fighting and epic war and the world at risk and all that jazz (lower-case, not Jazz, who is a horrible member of the Autobot ranks), but Sam and Bumblebee are the heart of the story. One can feel Spielberg's hand on the entire project, but particularly this part. It's as though the film were a Spielberg film, but run through a Bay-ification filter.I daresay were it not for Sam and Bumblebee, I wouldn't have enjoyed this film nearly as much as I did. Someone forgot to tell Shia LeBeouf that ex-Disney Channel actors are supposed to suck. He may in fact be in violation of some international statutes. Thankfully, he has an unforced charm and comedic timing that saves even the most inane of scenes.Anyway, once Sam buys a used car (Bumblebee), he soon discovers it's a giant transforming robot alien thing bent on saving the world from other, more evil giant transforming robot alien things. Sam is the key to finding the Allspark, a big Rubik's cube thing that apparently is the source of limitless power, including a world-making ability which the Decepticons hope to harness.The military is heavily involved in this robo-war, and in fact have been keeping the crash-landed Decepticon leader Megatron frozen for years. Humans have taken and reverse-engineered virtually all technology since from his icy state. Which basically means that even though he has nearly limitless power, we've used it primarily in the search for faster, better ways to look at porn. All this gives the opportunity for Secretary of Defense Jon Voight to walk around and act like the president a lot without actually having to be the president. Also, Voight is dreadfully dull in this roll, and John Turturro succeeds in once again annoying the hell out of me in his role as a secret agent man. In fact, the only time the movie's human scenes don't drag is when Sam and his would-be girlfriend Mikaela (a very hot Megan Fox) are onscreen. Aside from them, I found myself wanting to get back to the robot parts, and being that there were only three robots that had any sort of personality whatsoever, that's saying something.Eventually our disparate nameless humans converge, and there's an all-out robot battle royale. Which really seems to be the point of the film, no? The battle is fierce, and protracted. It eventually became a bit numbing, too. The only times I really cared were when Optimus Prime (voiced wonderfully by the role's originator Peter Cullen), Megatron (more voice work from the always-excellent Hugo Weaving), and Bumblebee were in the fighting. I suppose it didn't help that those three were the only ones recognizable in their battles as well. Perhaps more color-coordination is needed.One thing I will say is that this may in fact be the first film in which I was not fully cognizant of any special effects shots. It seems Industrial Light and Magic has finally broken the cohesion barrier, and merged the effects seamlessly with the actual footage. I know the term "seamlessly merged" is bandied about a lot in discussion of special effects films, but they truly nailed it with this one.Was it a fun movie? Yes, extremely. Was it a good movie? Certainly not. It also probably doesn't help this film that I saw the brilliant Ratatouille two nights ago, which reminded me how wonderful films can truly be. And yes, I recognize that I'm probably not the ideal audience for this film. I will say that it was, however, likely the best movie possible about gigantic shape-changing robot warriors from beyond the stars, and it is better than it has any right to be.