Transformers

Even as a film... it's MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE

It's doubtful that audiences went to see Transformers seeking the solace of art. Unless, of course, you consider an all-out, straight-up, kick-you-in-the-teeth, assault on your senses, CG-loaded explosion of full-fledged entertainment, art. In which case, the art was voluminous.

It shouldn't surprise you to find that the plot is absurd: a box (the Allspark), varying in size from a city block to a small television, with the power to reconfigure and animate machines into Transformers, has ended up on Earth. As have two opposing armies of super-robots bent on finding the box before the other. Caught in the middle of the maelstrom is plucky youngster, Sam Witwicky, whose great-grandfather's glasses have the imprint of a map to the box's location... Oh, sod it! No one came to see Michael Bay's latest cinematic eruption for the subtext. Here it is: Good robots fight bad robots and we get in the way. The end.

This is a story about gigantic alien sentient robots from outer space (originally Cybertron) who can disguise themselves as a Chevy Camaro, a fighter jet or a boombox. There are good ones and there are bad ones. The good ones are brave, loyal, self-sacrificing and want to preserve life. The bad ones are sinister, violent, self-serving and thrive on death and carnage. Combined with their size and firepower, these two juxtapositions create the recipe for mass destruction... and they unleash the majority of this destruction in downtown L.A.

I think the success of the film lies in its proclivity not to take itself too seriously. It may have been a risk, but Bay guides his film from the strict dominion of cool into the goofy, and it works. This is, after all, still a story based on a cartoon created to help a Japanese toy company sell a failing line of unique puzzle toys. As can be verified by the scene of 20-foot robots spilling about a suburban backyard like the Three Stooges, the film is entirely comfortable copping to its own silliness. In fact, well before the Autobots even appear in the film, the story is played out like a teen comedy. A pretty good one, too, thanks to relative newcomer, Shia LeBeouf. There's a point in the film where Michael Bay even takes a subtle pot-shot at himself when it can be heard by a streaking onlooker having just witnessed a meteor-like landing from one of the Transformers, "This is so much better than Armageddon!!!"

A film boasting arguably the most amazing CGI yet, it would be expected that the f/x were going to be the main star, but Bay did himself a huge favor by casting young Shia LeBeouf. A lot is abuzz about this guy right now so I won't linger, but in short, this kid can act. Described as a cross between Woody Allen and Tom Hanks, LeBeouf has all the makings of the next big thing.

If you can set aside the plausible, and understand that you're in for a big, brash, funny, dumb, childish, imperfect, but ridiculously exciting action-comedy, then I don't see how you won't enjoy this. It's a fast-paced, in your face thriller with great special f/x, likable characters (both man and machine), and all the explosions, gunfire and destruction you could want from a summer blockbuster.

McRating: 8.0