If you didn't enjoy Transformers this summer on the big screen, then please go out and get this DVD. If you were at the big screen but just didn't enjoy it, then there is something seriously wrong with you. Maybe you don't have a sense of humor. Maybe you were never a kid. Maybe "fun" is not something that your brain recognizes. There are special groups just for you. A therapist certainly wouldn't hurt, either.
About the Blu-ray Release
An opportunity was definitely missed in the packaging of this 2-Disc Special Edition Blu-ray release. Considering the title - and the premise - of the film, at least an intricate way of opening the package would have been refreshing. Instead, the packaging for Transformers couldn't be any more ho-hum: a clear sleeve envelopes the BD (Blu-ray Disc) case; a simple photo of Optimus Prime adorns the front; and two discs find their homes inside - simply labeled in boring gray that one is the Feature and one contains the Special Features.
So it's a good thing that the content on the discs (obviously, the most important part) is flat. out. AWESOME.
Disc 1 is the full Transformers film, in all its glory. Full HD 1080p visuals that are absolutely crystal clear meet up with fantastic Dolby 5.1 Digital sound. With a film such as Transformers - one of the best action films ever - the sheer jaw-dropping quality of Blu-ray is the only way to go. Blu-ray also offers some pretty snazzy menu configurations - which makes the movie that much more fun to pop into your BD player.
The second disc of the set provides the meat of the release: the Special Features. There are three menus to choose from on the disc: Our World - which includes interviews with the cast and crew, and on-set behind-the-scenes insights; Their War - where you can learn more about the Transformers robots, military techniques used in the film, and special effects; and More Than Meets the Eye - a featurette on the Desert Attack scene in the movie - from concept to finish. There is also a "Play All" feature, which makes it nice to just sit back and watch the entire production story of the film - so you don't miss a thing.
As Shia LaBeouf says in the Special Features about Director Michael Bay: "He is the sickest action director on the planet." Well said. And it could be that Transformers: Two-Disc Special Edition is the "sickest" Blu-ray release to date.
Transformers: Two-Disc Special Edition (Blu-ray) Starring Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox Dreamworks Pictures, Rated PG-13. Available online at Amazon.com.
Transformers has loads of action and excellent CGI for not only the small details in the robots, but the phenomenal action sequences (especially the final showdown, and most especially the inital sequence when the deadly helicopter becomes a giant robot and destroys an entire military base at the beginning of the film). They all add up to a supreme wow factor. One of those holy shit moments.
For those out there who don't know what the hell Transformers is all about, let's give a quick refresher course. There are two groups of self-aware, alive, and very conscious robots who have come to Earth to locate a long-lost object from their home planet Cybertron: the Allspark. It has the ability to give "life" to any mechanical/electrical component. To them it is the bearer of life and unlimited power. The good robots are called Autobots, led by Optimus Prime, and the bad robots are called Decepticons, led by Megatron. The Autobots recognize the goodness and compassion in humans and not only don't want to hurt them or destroy them, but help them succeed in becoming great. The Decepticons have no problem destroying any species or race that gets in their way of getting the Allspark, and creating a powerful new society on Earth without humans.
The prologue to the story is Megatron arriving on earth in the late 1800s in search of the Allspark, and becoming frozen in the Arctic Circle. He was discovered by an explorer named Archibald Witwicky, and before Megatron becomes completely unconscious, he manages to imprint a map of the Allspark's location into Witwicky's glasses (which also leaves Witwicky blind), and get a signal sent to his home planet. The main story picks up with Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) - who has his great-great grandfather's glasses - getting his first car from his dad: a yellow camaro. The Camaro is actually a Transformer named Bumblebee, an Autobot sent to protect him. The other robots, when they arrive, take on other forms, like semi-trucks, fighter planes, and helicopters.
Michael Bay may not be known for thought-provoking films. But the guy knows how to film a summer blockbuster - an action-packed, popcorn required film. But I think what the most amazing part of it all is that the entire movie actually rides completely on the shoulders of the witty, very funny, and heartfelt Shia LaBeouf. The kid is amazing, and I have no doubt that we are watching someone who will be able to entertain us, and put crossover into many different movie genres over his lifetime. Of course, we here at E4W (as some of you may recall) were lucky enough to be able to review the second season of Project Greenlight (during which they made the filmThe Battle of Shaker Heights), and certainly remember how impressive he was in that little film; as well as how cool he came across as behind the scenes. So, while amazing that such a blockbuster of a movie (read: millions of dollars to make) was largely successful due to him, I have to admit that it shouldn't come as a surprise.
Megan Fox, who plays the (of course) sweat-glistening, California-tanned, girls-shouldn't-be-that-thin female lead, actually does a pretty good job. Surprisingly, her character wasn't made out to be the typical screaming, please-can-a-man-save-me clichéd woman. But instead, not only does she have a tiny bit of a sordid past, and a little bit of a bad girl persona, and knows how to fix a car (as opposed to the male lead; nice little switch-up), she even gets a great turn late in the film at kicking a little robot ass. My only complaint here is that I wouldn't have minded a little more of her. Along with that complaint, Rachael Taylor - who does a good job playing a convincing computer geek named Maggie Madsen - has a lot to work with in the first half of the film, but is completely wasted in the last half (along with co-stars Anthony Anderson and Jon Voight).
But seriously, go out and buy this DVD, make a batch of popcorn, curl up on the couch or chair, and enjoy the shit out of this film. Too much fun.
Transformers starring Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox Dreamworks Pictures, 2007. Rated PG-13. Available online at Amazon.com.
About the Author
Emily Roma is a proud, strangely calm (inebriated?), strict, doting, and placating mother of no children. Her husband Clive would be extremely supportive of her non-work ethic and frequently opposing mental forces of self-congratulation and humble non-certitude if he would stop doing movies and finally come home. But until that time, she is quite happy applying an objectively opinionated view on the philosophical colors of the world.
My curse is my gift. My nightmares, deep sensitivity, and emotional instability gives the best (and most uncomfortable) inspirations I could ever have. For me, art is passion - and visions are the mirror, which show my feelings and connect me with the rest of the world. Read More...
If you didn't enjoy Transformers this summer on the big screen, then please go out and get this DVD. If you were at the big screen but just didn't enjoy it, then there is something seriously wrong with you. Maybe you don't have a sense of humor. Maybe you were never a kid. Maybe "fun" is not something that your brain recognizes. There are special groups just for you. A therapist certainly wouldn't hurt, either.
An opportunity was definitely missed in the packaging of this 2-Disc Special Edition Blu-ray release. Considering the title - and the premise - of the film, at least an intricate way of opening the package would have been refreshing. Instead, the packaging for Transformers couldn't be any more ho-hum: a clear sleeve envelopes the BD (Blu-ray Disc) case; a simple photo of Optimus Prime adorns the front; and two discs find their homes inside - simply labeled in boring gray that one is the Feature and one contains the Special Features.
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