250 Review: Transformers
Reviews in 250 adhere to the following format: 50 words are allotted for an overview, a quick discussion of the good points and a similar short dissertation on the bad. A 100-word finial analysis wraps up the review. Today, Institute of Higher Thinking Dean Scott Garner reviews the summer blockbuster Transformers. What worked: the original voice of Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen) is the best production decision made in the entire movie. Paying homage to some classic Transformers dialogue ("Autobots, roll out" and "One shall stand, one shall fall" stand out) and other nods to the original series were also appreciated. Final word: Hardcore Transformer fans will be disappointed by the seemingly obstinate refusal to create a more true-to-the-original movie based on the toys/cartoons. But for 30-somethings hoping to recapture two hours of their youth, the film is surprisingly fulfilling. Since I fall somewhere in between, I enjoyed parts of the movie immensely while feeling cheated by others. Mostly, though, I had a good time. Had the robot designs been better and the movie whored out less to corporate America, I would rate it as an overall success. As is it was a fun, not transcendent, movie experience. Word Count: 234
Overview: Transformers is the first live-action adaptation of the popular 1980's toy line and animated television show. It reworks the Cybertronian back-story and quickly injects the audience into an action-packed world of transforming Autobots and Decepticons. Michael Bay (Pearl Harbor) directs in his typical frenetic fashion.
Not so much: Too little of Megatron and Starscream, a bad-guy comedy team for the ages. Too much product placement. Not enough adherence to the original cast of Autobots and Decepticons and certainly too many human characters. A live-action remake of the animated Transformers movie would have been far better.
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