Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Transformers - A Review


So last night my wife and I had a hot date and went to Crapplebees (gift card, it was actually really good) for dinner and then caught the 7pm showing of Transformers. All the reviews that I had read of this movie were very strong, thus we both had high hopes for our 2.5 hours of staring at a huge screen in the dark.

Here is my review: Transformers if probably the dumbest and the funnest (is that even a word?) movie I've ever seen.

Dumbest:
It's the typical Michael Bay summer blockbuster. No character development, zero connection with the characters, super cheesy and superficial dialogue (on par with Pearl Slobber, I mean Pearl Harbor), etc. The only real goal of this movie is raw titillation of our senses with 1)the hot leading lady (who was probably the worst actress on the planet), 2)the quick one liners to get an easy laugh and 3)the amazing special effects to wow us. As we were leaving the theater my wife reminded me that this movie was The Transformers. Robot aliens from another world that take the form of human machines! The whole premise is pretty out there in the first place, thus my critique here should actually be assumed going into the viewing. Point well taken. That is why I can say it was also one of the funnest movies ever.

Funnest:
The leading actor in the movie actually was pretty funny and did a great job with his role. The action scenes are pretty intense and visually stimulating like I have probably never seen. Watching the Transformers morph between vehicle and huge robot was eye candy in the first degree. Very very cool. Throughout the movie there are many comedic moments that keep things light the whole way through. I found myself laughing out loud many times (but also turning to my wife and rolling my eyes due to the cheese factor being off the charts).

So yeah, I was glad that I went, and I think you should check it out, but make sure you have your artistic glasses taken off and just sit back and enjoy a movie that is not supposed to be deep but sure it a lot of fun.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ya - I've heard you either love or hate this movie - it's all based on your expectations I guess. Funny how that is these days. I notice I can totally hate a movie if I go in with the wrong expectations (or I'm the mood for a serious movie and it's not, or in the mood for a funny movie, and it's not) - regardless how good or bad the movie is - my mood and expectations going into factor into me liking or dis-liking it.

Kind of reminds me how we need to prepare our mood, mind, and heart for worship sometimes - even when we may not feel like it.

Pablo said...

I took my kids last night to see this and I completely agree with the review. If you have small kids (I do), there are some "uncomfortable moments" in the dialog. Funny, but not for little children. I wish I'd known about it ahead of time, it would have made an opportune time for a "potty break."

Vitamin Z said...

Yeah,

10-15 years ago you never would have heard about "masturbation" in a movie like this that is rated PG-13. But these days are different obviously. I don't have a problem talking about it, but in that context in the movie and knowing the audience will be tons of young kids, this proves a bit problematic to me.

Anonymous said...

did you say she was HOT? i didn't notice.....mmmmmmmmmmmmm
AND she's like 26....and supposed to be in 11th grade....
but a fun movie overall...BUT...how does the rest of the world go on like nothing happened when like 10,000 people died in LA when all the Transformers were dying....and then everyone goes on like nothing happened....like there were never aliens or anything???? Part of the suspension of belief I guess...
But DUDE...you took your wife to this movie on a DATE??? we need to talk...
Nate C

Anonymous said...

The things that I have read about this movie, in terms of constant profane humour and sexually titillating outfits and camera angles, regarding the women in the film, are enough to make me want to stay far away from it. I don't make that statemment in a self-righteous sense (there is no righeousness IN me, only Christ's righteousness imputed TO me), and I don't pretend that I have always watched only movies that have been honouring to God. I am a film buff, especially when it comes to serious, thought-provoking films, and at times, I have watched serious, thought-provoking films that have led me into sin, and/or right up to the EDGE of sin, which is still closer than where I want to be. I say this to my shame.

More and more, though, God is convicting me about what I "put into my system," when it comes to art and entertainment. Now, I will NEVER subscribe to the "sacred/secular" framework, which states that any work of art that isn't explicitly Christian therefore must be evil. However, I do think that I, and many other Christians in the evangelical church in America, have gone too far at times in our intake of entertainment that not only PORTRAYS sin, but actually GLORIFIES it. There is definitely a crucial difference between the two. Even in watching the portrayal of sin, visually, though, Christians should be careful and discerning, lest they fall into sin themselves. I have not always been so careful in the past, but by God's grace, I plan to be in the future-- and part of that is avoiding films which wallow in, not merely the portrayal of sin, but the glorification of sin. I don't know, from my own direct experience, that the Transformers movie glorifies sin-- but too many reviews have left me with this impression for me to want to sit through the film.