 From director Michael Bay and executive producer Steven Spielberg comes a thrilling battle between the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons. When their epic struggle comes to Earth, all that stands between the Decepticons and ultimate power is a clue held by young Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf). Join the fight for mankind in the extraordinary adventure that "features some of the most spectacular action and effects sequences of any movie of its kind and will appeal to the kid in all of us." Claudia Puig, USA Today Storyline: A long time ago, far away on the planet of Cybertron, a war is being waged between the noble Autobots (led by the wise Optimus Prime) and the devious Decepticons (commanded by the dreaded Megatron) for control over the Allspark, a mystical talisman that would grant unlimited power to whoever possesses it. The Autobots managed to smuggle the Allspark off the planet, but Megatron blasts off in search of it. He eventually tracks it to the planet of Earth (circa 1850), but his reckless desire for power sends him right into the Arctic Ocean, and the sheer cold forces him into a paralyzed state. His body is later found by Captain Archibald Witwicky, but before going into a comatose state Megatron uses the last of his energy to engrave into the Captain's glasses a map showing the location of the Allspark, and to send a transmission to Cybertron. Megatron is then carried away aboard the Captain's ship. A century later, Captain Witwicky's grandson Sam Witwicky (nicknamed Spike by his friends) ... Written by Q. Leo Rahman Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Martin Liebman on August 13, 2008 -- Freedom is the right of all sentient beings. Transformers. Blu-ray. Finally, after nearly ten months, the film that was the centerpiece of the Blu-ray vs. HD DVD format war is available on the victorious and superior high definition format, Blu-ray. Much like the war between the Autobots and the Decepticons as depicted in this film, the high definition format war was short but brutal. Paramount Pictures, the distributor of Transformers, shifted from a policy of format neutrality to one of HD DVD exclusivity only weeks before the expected street date of Transformers on both formats. Many high definition fans were shocked and saddened at the news, and the fact that Transformers had tags such as "format seller" and "potential audio and video reference material" attached to it worsened the blow. At the time, it was one of, if not the, most anticipated Blu-ray releases ever, and with word of the press release announcing format exclusivity on the part of Paramount, Transformers became something of a legend among Blu-ray fans, the symbol of the format war, and the movie was sited as the title that was to put HD DVD over the top and spell the beginning of the end for Blu-ray. As fortune would have it, however, high definition consumers, studios, and many consumer electronics manufacturers recognized the strengths of the Blu-ray format and, as days turned to weeks, as weeks became months, the writing-on-the-wall began to materialize, and it spelled the end of Toshiba's inferior high definition optical disc platform. Now, Transformers is home on Blu-ray, where director Michael Bay (The Rock) wanted it all along, and it's all we once dreamed it could be. The disc is a winner in every regard, a trophy that, for me, even more than any press release or HD DVD fire sale, symbolizes the official end of the HD DVD platform and the victory of the superior Blu-ray format. Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) is a high-school aged boy who wants nothing more than a smoking hot car and an equally attractive girl to ride in it. To acquire the funds to purchase the vehicle, he's selling off some priceless family heirlooms, including a pair of spectacles worn by an ancestor who was one of the first people to explore the Arctic. With his father's help, Sam becomes the proud new owner of a beat-up vintage yellow Chevrolet Camaro, and the choice of car and driver seems to be a mutual one. With his new ride, a few squirts of breath freshener, and a disco ball installed in the interior of the car, Sam manages to offer the most beautiful girl in school -- Mikaela (Megan Fox, TV's "Hope & Faith") -- a ride home. Little does she know that the car she is riding in as actually a robot from another world, a "Transformer" that has come to Earth in search of the "All-Spark," a cube of great power that gives the Transformers -- and any man-made electronic or mechanical device -- life. Sam and Mikaela learn that those very same spectacles that belonged to the elder Witwicky are in fact a key in discovering the location of the All-Spark. As two warring factions of Transformers -- the peace-loving yet incredibly tough Autobots and the villainous, destructive Decepticons -- descend on Earth, Sam, Mikaela, and all of humanity will find themselves as pawns in one of the deadliest confrontations Earth has ever seen from a race they could have never imagined. I think there's a lot more than meets the eye with you. Transformers is certainly not the best movie ever made, but it's awfully entertaining and, perhaps more importantly, a new milestone in cinematic special effects. Even though we've seen the concept of "Transformers" before in numerous toy and cartoon versions, we've never seen a movie quite like this, where larger-than-life heroes and villains look as real and believable as if they were themselves living beings starring in the film. The concept and the execution are both wonderfully original and unique, and the film is brought to life with seamless special effects. One can look at the evolution of the special effects creatures throughout the history of film: from 1933's King Kong, to films aided by the then-revolutionary and still-influential effects of Ray Harryhausen, as seen in films like 1957's 20 Million Miles to Earth, to the wonder of the dinosaurs in Steven Speilberg's 1993 ground-breaker Jurassic Park, and now, today, to the seamless integration of giant transforming robots in Michael Bay's most recent summer blockbuster. These four films represent demarcation lines in this history of cinematic special effects, and as amazing as those effects we see in Transformers are, it's not out of the realm of possibility that in only a decade or two they'll look as phony as the claymation effects of yore. Still, today, Transformers is the pinnacle of computer-generated effects, and regardless of your take on the remainder of the movie, there is simply no denying the grandeur and awe-inspiring vision of witnessing what plays out on your screen from a technical perspective. At the end of this day, one shall stand, one shall fall. There are many problems cited about why Transformers was not as successful a movie as it could have been. Certainly, the film was a commercial success, earning nearly $320,000,000 domestically -- more than twice the film's budget. Many fans, including myself, were disillusioned over the fact that director Michael Bay took artistic and dramatic licenses that altered the appearance of many of their favorite characters. Nevertheless, I saw the movie in theaters with an excitement that I hadn't experienced since I sat down on the opening night of Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace. I was awed and amazed by what I saw in Transformers, revolutionary special effects and a final battle between Autobots and Decepticons that practically blew me away, filmed in the style of the best modern war movies but this time featuring stories-tall robots battling to the death as humans both watched and participated in the mayhem while a city crumbled around them. After the screening, I was still unsure of how I ultimately felt about the film. Entertaining and satisfying were two key words, and over time, the film's style and groundbreaking effects won me over. Still, the film could have foregone some of the sappier moments, pop-culture integration (eBay, Internet user screen names), and inane jokes in favor of a rougher and harder edge, but Transformers follows a tried-and-true formula of intertwining a little something for everyone, and like it or not, the approach is generally a success financially for the studios. Ultimately pleased with the final product, even enjoying the many less-than-action-oriented, audience-friendly moments in the film glossed over above, I eagerly await the 2009 sequel, also directed by Bay and again featuring stars LaBeouf and Fox, though I wouldn't mind a more serious, grittier, slightly more violent take on the Transformers universe. One thing's for sure, though: Michael Bay's trademark eye for action, quick and fancy camera work, and gorgeous locations will play a prominent role in the film, and maybe even more important to Blu-ray fans, it's sure to look and sound fabulous when it arrives late next year on the world's finest high definition format. Awarding a film like Transformers a score of 4/5 for the movie might seem like a risky move. Keep in mind the score is not an absolute, meaning that it is not necessarily as good as every other movie from every other genre that has ever received a 4/5. For what Transformers wants to be -- an exciting, action-packed special effects extravaganza -- it's fantastic. It'll never be classic cinema, but like Independence Day, it's a terrific popcorn movie that shows us things we've never seen before on a scale and with a technical perfection that is second-to-none. Transformers features plenty of exciting action sequences, first-class special effects, and a story and cast of characters that are good enough to move the film along and allow us to revel in the wonder of the Transformers without the distraction of a completely ridiculous plot. For awesome action and visuals, you cannot do better than Transformers. Paramount has released one of the finest Blu-ray discs available to date, rivaling the likes of I, Robot and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe in terms of overall quality. With breathtaking video, heart-stopping audio, and a wealth of bonus material, the disc never disappoints. For all the title represents -- great picture, wonderful sound, a plethora of supplements, and its status as one of the most desired Blu-ray discs of all time, not to mention its embodiment of the end of the high definition disc format war -- Transformers receives my highest recommendation. (Based on Comic Book) IMDb Rating (07/31/14): 7.2/10 from 415,604 users IMDb Rating (09/01/10): 7.3/10 from 196,265 users
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