Movie reviews: The Transformers (2007) – Part 4

Before sitting down to view this film, one has to understand what they’re about to see: a sci-fi action movie based upon a cartoon show based upon a toy. Given that, one cannot expect to be sufficiently awed by the screenwriting or character development, as that’s not why we watch action films, and that’s not why we watch cartoons.

Transformers is a re-imagination of the original concept of a race of hyper-advanced robots that can transform their shape into virtually any chosen object they come in contact with. The film takes the storyline of the comics and cartoons all the way back to the beginning, preserving the origins of the Autobots and the Decepticons from their beginnings on their home planet of Cybertron. From that point, however, writers John Rogers, Roberto Orci, and Alex Kurtzman elected to take the story in a different direction. The main point of contention in the film is over control of the “Allspark,” a cube that generates cybernetic life from seemingly normal technology. Given this, whomever controls the Allspark can dominate the world.

While accepting that this film was not made to win any writing awards, several scenes in the film feel out of place and almost filler to take up screen time and present other story arcs that have very little to do with anything else in the movie, but do relate in some way. To balance that, the screenwriting itself is solid, and even though some lines feel out of character for the actors, the sense that the events in the film play out exactly as they might in reality is ever-present.

Shia LaBeouf turns in an excellent performance as Sam Witwicky, the main protagonist of the film. His lines are well-written and even better acted as a teenager struggling to find his place in the world until it is handed to him on a silver platter, or in this case, a silver robotic hand. Megan Fox plays Mikaela Banes, the love interest of Sam, and does little other than walk around in tight clothing that clings even more when she sweats, which is how she looks for almost all of her screen time. It’s quite obvious why she was chosen for his role, but one would have hoped James Cameron would have helped her with her lines a bit more.

Easily the most disappointing performance in the film is displayed by Jon Voight, playing Defense Secretary John Keller. Keller comes off as weak, indecisive, and generally bumbling as the centerpoint of the American defense against the Decepticons. The impression for the character seems to