Transformers

Completely bombastic. Bay showed himself in the very best (orange) light and Shia LeBeouf proved to me personally that I was wrong again. This fits him like a glove. Constant wisecracks make him every inch a nice guy and in places he is the life and soul of the entire movie. Megan Fox is nice and foxy again (that stands to reason) and now for the main attraction. And that’s the huge, transforming robots (probably from Japan). ILM did some excellent work (precise in every detail) and Bay too. He chose the best cars currently on the (not Czech, but American) roads and made them into cool, wisecracking hunks who you can’t help loving. The brave Optimus Prime, heroic Jazz, the mellow-yellow Bumblebee and the musclebound Ironhide (he got to me the most during the movie). It’s hard to choose who to like more. They’re all so idiosyncratic and you just want to gobble them up. In the same way, their enemies are also fairly comely. They’re faster and have bigger tricks up their sleeve. For instance, Blackout and Starscreem are completely great. While Megatron is evil through and through and it’s scary when he starts flicking people like lint on a sweater. And I’d love to take another look at Slint... But what are words compared to this wonderful spectacle. So stop reading and head for the movie theater, this movie won’t wait for a DVD. And you, Mike, say yes to part two. I’m already looking forward to it. Transformers... More than meets the eye... (08/17/2007)

Michael Bay's own words are that he aims to entertain the audience. In that case, I state that I am not his target group, because I feel more entertained in a dentist's chair. I had the opportunity to watch all three Transformers movies within a few days, and I couldn't finish any of them. This is simply beyond the scope of what I consider digestible cinema. Michael Bay is not so much a representative of a certain genre as he is a diagnosis. Lots of action, bombastic special effects, clumsy dialogues that bring physical suffering, and a script and story on the level of a small child. Unfortunately, I haven't been eight for a long time, and I won't be eighty for a long time, so Bay's offer didn't appeal to me. I considered giving 1 star for the special effects and set design, but I would rather go to a magic show. Overall impression: 10%. My choice for a movie set in the world of children's toys would be any of the Toy Story movies. (02/25/2014)

It’s hard to believe that this monstrosity cost just a laughable 150 million bucks. If that’s true, it means that the producer Spielberg has some extraterrestrial abilities. Transformers is a Hollywood blockbuster worth easily double the price of a cinema ticket... if you know why you are going to a Michael Bay film in which robots from other worlds wage war on Earth. With the exception of the chilling introductory sequences, it’s a bit childish and silly, but the technical side, especially the numerous escalated action scenes, is just nuts. The scene of shooting at a scorpion in the desert (especially shot from the inside of a helicopter) with the musical background in the form of Jablonsky’s “Scorponok” is incredibly cool! And those feline eyes of Megan Fox... omfg!!! (07/11/2007)

I can't stand this series. It's just hyped-up nothing about nothing that tries to captivate viewers with cool transforming robots that turn into awesome cars, trucks, jets, etc. And unfortunately, it works. We can already "look forward" to the fourth installment. I mean, I understand that people need entertainment, but I can't help but think that hundreds of millions must be spent on budgets for just empty stupidity that could be achieved with cheap tricks? But that probably wouldn't be the same... Tricks account for only 30%. (03/13/2014)

Technically, Transformers is undoubtedly a fantastic ride and it is incredible what they can make nowadays for a lot of money. Unfortunately, the entertainment and overall childishness of the film come at the cost of an absence of logic and at least a bit of the seriousness that was present in all of Michael Bay's purely action films. Some lines are funny, but some are so clichéd that you don’t even react to them. The actors are your typical pretty-faces – Bay's common practice – and the music, thanks to Steve Jablonsky, is solidly dynamic. What surprised me the most is the style Bay uses to shoot the action. There’s an unusual amount of handheld camera and shaky shots, with classic trademarks such as camera tricks, slow-motion, and low-angle shots taking a back seat. The truly beautifully lit quieter sequences and two helicopters against the sunset are not absent, though. After watching it for the second time, I’m giving it another star. This has happened to me several times (and now it will probably be the rule), having a better watching experience at home than in the cinema. Even the action looks much better and clearer on a smaller screen – the big cinema screen only harms it. I stand by the fact that the film is infantile and stupid, but Bay occasionally winks at us, doesn't he? And the annoying British or whatever accent of Rachael Taylor will be ringing in my ears for a long time... (08/18/2007)