Transformers Details

It should have been great

Pros:

1)There is some great CGI

2)When the Decepticons first begin to reveal themselves, it's pretty sinister and dead exciting.

3)Shia is good value and Megan is truly a fox.

4)There are some great comedy moments.

Cons:

1) It's far too long. Bay makes the mistake of trying to fit too many scenes in, when there isn't enough subject matter to go around. This means that even the action scenes drag and you want the film to end about half an hour before it does.

2)Although the robots look great, the fighting is often too fast to keep up with.

3)The little robot that does the hacking is really, really annoying.

4)The script, although funny in places, often feels like it was written by a 12 year old.

5)The plot is patchy, at best.

6)Why is John Turturro in this film?

7)It is very, very cheesy.

In summary, although I loved Transformers when I was a kid, this was a pretty big disappointment. It probably could have been saved by editing out about an hour of the detritus, or by cutting down on the cheese factor, but even though I gave it more than the benefit of the doubt (I was trying desperately hard to like it), I almost wish I hadn't been to see it.

[Highly rated reviewer]

Terrible, terrible movie.

I was prepared for a straight-up giant-robot action movie and was willing to give the makers of this the benefit of the doubt when it came to messing with the classic Transformers designs/characters. I was not however prepared for 2 plus hours of complete boredom.

Technically amazing special effects aside this movie has nothing going for it. The plot is way too overloaded with unnecessary characters (The Secretary of Defense, some cyber-nerds, some american soldiers, some secret service types. In the end all the main character Mr LaBoeuf) can do is run around acting like a panicky idiot. I wouldn't have minded so much if the action scenes were not such overlong, messy and largely pointless.

The final straw was the transformers themselves. Having none of the character of the original animated series (and they weren't exactly 'deep') they only have a few lines between them, Megatron doesn't appear for a good hour and a half and I couldn't really tell them apart. Oh yeah - and in one scene a transformer pees on John Turturro - yeah that is how good this movie is.

Oh yeah, and if you happen to be an african american viewer be prepared for some shamefully racist stereotypes. Man I hate this movie. Don't watch!