Transformers (2007)

Director:

Michael Bay

Writers (WGA):

Roberto Orci (screenplay) &
Alex Kurtzman (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

3 July 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Their war. Our world.

Plot:

An ancient struggle re-erupts on Earth between two extraterrestrial clans, the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons, with a clue to the ultimate power held by a young teenager.

Plot Keywords:

Planet | Captain | Alien | Robot | Deception

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 12 wins & 28 nominations

Cast

Shia LaBeouf	...	Sam Witwicky
Megan Fox	...	Mikaela Banes
Josh Duhamel	...	Captain Lennox
Tyrese Gibson	...	USAF Tech Sergeant Epps
Rachael Taylor	...	Maggie Madsen
Anthony Anderson	...	Glen Whitmann
Jon Voight	...	Defense Secretary John Keller
John Turturro	...	Agent Simmons
Michael O'Neill	...	Tom Banacheck
Kevin Dunn	...	Ron Witwicky
Julie White	...	Judy Witwicky
Amaury Nolasco	...	ACWO Jorge "Fig" Figueroa
Zack Ward	...	First Sergeant Donnelly
Luis Echagarruga	...	Ranger Team
Pat Mulderrig	...	Ranger Team (as Patrick Mulderrig)

Also Known As:

Prime Directive (USA) (fake working title)
The Transformers (USA) (working title)
Transformers: The IMAX Experience (USA) (IMAX version)
Transformers: The Movie 2 (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action violence, brief sexual humor, and language.

Runtime:

144 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

South Korea:12 | Netherlands:12 | Finland:K-11 | Australia:M | UK:12A | Singapore:PG | Denmark:11 | Sweden:11 | New Zealand:M | Norway:11 | Canada:G (Quebec) | South Africa:10M | Ireland:12A | Portugal:M/12 | Hong Kong:IIA | USA:PG-13 (certificate #43585) | Germany:12 | Malaysia:U | Canada:PG (Alberta/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | France:U | Philippines:G (MTRCB) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Argentina:13 | Peru:14 | Chile:TE | Canada:PG (British Columbia) (re-rating on appeal) | Canada:14A (British Columbia) (original rating) | Taiwan:PG-12 | Brazil:10 | India:UA | Iceland:10 (theatrical rating) | Iceland:12 (video rating)

Filming Locations:

Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

DreamWorks SKG

Trivia:

According to one of the CGI artists at the Industrial Light & Magic studio, if you took all the polygons (CGI blocks) from all the Transformer models they created and strung them end to end, they'd reach to the moon and back and you'd still have enough left over to build the Roman Colosseum in Italy twice.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: The movie states that the robots are radioactive (they even use a "Geiger-Müller tube" to detect their presence). Given that Geiger-Müller tubes can detect even a single particle of ionizing radiation (even in the presence of no radioactive material they will still quietly click away due to normal background radiation), it's quite feasible that the radiation levels of the transformers is not sufficient to noticeably harm any of the humans they come into contact with, given their relatively brief exposure and the human body's ability to repair moderate amounts of radiation damage.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Optimus Prime: Before time began, there was the Cube. We know not where it comes from, only that it holds the power to create worlds and fill them with life. That is how our race was born. For a time, we lived in harmony. But like all great power, some wanted it for good...
[...]

Movie Connections:

References A Place in the Sun (1951)

Soundtrack:

Pretty Handsome Awkward

Ultimate visual entertainment

Okay, as those who have seen the trailers will figure, the CG is pretty much the cornerstone of this movie. While it probably will blow you away, the novelty eventually wears off and then you wonder: hey, where did the plot go?! But then your attention is quickly drawn back by a giant robot slamming into an office block - or a wonderfully shot car chase; probably some of the most impressive action sequences to ever grace the silver screen.

A hefty dose of cheese seems to have been added to the movie, but most of it can be laughed off. One particular scene was reminiscent of the fighter jet in the movie Stealth downloading songs off the internet. A few loose ends in the thin story probably suggest a sequel is coming - but how can anyone have a problem with that! It has its laughs (even if some are cheap) but the 2.5 hours go fast; I'm sure most people will leave the cinema on a high note. Hopefully this movie gets Bay the credit The Island didn't.

And a postscript for hardcore Transformers geeks: go with your expectations at your ankles because you're probably going to cringe when something isn't as it should be (although even a minor fan like myself noticed a lack of original transformation noises). But on the whole this movie has plenty more to offer, and appeals to many more people.