Collegio Online

Issue date: 7/12/07 Section: After Hours

'Transformers,' 2007 [Click to enlarge]

"Transformers" is exactly what we needed in a summer full of lackluster sequels: an original, thrilling, silly movie to make us all feel like kids again.
Michael Bay, a director many (often including myself) love to hate, has found a good match for his sensibilities in this great goof of a movie. I'm not the first to note how appropriate it is that an irrepressible adolescent like Bay has found his greatest success with a movie about toys, but it's true.
I suppose it would be unfair, however, to call the stars of this movie "toys." These hulking robots are bonafide wonders of technology, fighting, flying, joking and, well, transforming in utterly believable ways.
In fact, "Transformers" has the best computer generated imagery I've ever seen - only during one moment, when star Shia LeBeouf runs in front of all-CGI mayhem, are the special effects less than seamless.
The fact that the human characters are fun too is probably due in part to producer Steven Spielberg, who has a history for centering apocalyptic plots around regular Joes. The Joe in "Transformers" is Sam Witwicky (Shia LeBeouf), a high school loser whose beat-up Camaro just happens to be a heroic robot from outer space. The movie's first half has a lot of fun with Sam's trials and tribulations, and LeBeouf gives a funny and energetic performance that nicely complements his breakout role in this year's "Disturbia."
See, Sam's car is an Autobot, one of the good robots who want to save the Earth from the bad robots, who are called Decepticons. They're both after something called "the allspark cube," an object whose purpose, I'm afraid, I still don't quite understand.
So the plot isn't exactly believable, but it works. The allspark cube makes for an intriguing MacGuffin on which to hang a series of incredible action set pieces, any of which taken individually would still outshine most everything else this summer.
"Transformers" ranks high in the bang-for-your-buck department, delivering nearly two and a half hours of action. The movie is so go-for-broke that nearly everyone will be satisfied by the movie's end.
In fact, if anything, "Transformers'" main fault is its exhaustive length. I've never been afraid of getting too much of a good thing - heck, I loved Peter Jackson's "King Kong" - but all the city-destroying mayhem is almost too much by the end.
But I can't exactly say I was bored, either. "Transformers" has it all: fun acting, spectacular action and giant robots.
It's the perfect film for 10-year-old boys of all ages.

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