Growing up in the 1980s ensures that I knew plenty about the Transformers cartoons. Of course, I was a girly girl so I was never a big fan of the cartoon. While Dominick was off growing up with Transformers and GI Joe, I was content absorbing the vibes of Rainbow Brite and Strawberry Shortcake. So, when the information came out that the Transformers was going to become a live action movie, I was a little less excited than Dominick.

I was certainly curious to see how things would stack up, but prior to seeing the movie I considered it to be the same as any other action movie that I wanted to see.

Dominick had a chance to see this before me and he raved the entire time. I had to see this movie. While he was right, I did have to see it, he was so enthusiastic he definitely got my interest going. After seeing this movie, I can see why he raved. It was a phenomenal film. In fact, I don’t think much, if anything, could have been done to make it better.

Release Information:
The Transformers HD DVD was released by Dreamworks and Paramount Pictures on October 16, 2006. The HD version comes with two discs, offering widescreen viewing and tons of special features. You can expect excellent audio and video quality. To find out more about the HD specifics you can check the Audio/Video section of this review.

The Transformers Plot:
One of the things that make Transformers interesting is the fact that multiple plot lines are used and then tied together for a complete picture. As the movie progresses, you see there are three major plot lines or groups. First, you have the military men. This is the first look into the film. Things begin with a group of soldiers who are stationed in Qatar. Captain Lennox (Josh Duhamel) talks to his wife and little girl on the Internet while other soldiers, like Sergeant Epps (Tyrese Gibson) go about their day doing there own thing.

It only takes about five minutes before we are introduced to our first Transformer. A helicopter enters restricted airspace. As the soldiers attempt to find out what is going on the helicopter transforms into a giant robot that attempts to obliterate the entire base. The goal appears to be gaining access to the computer, but they manage to shut the computer down before he can get any of the classified information.

Next we have the government officials. The US Defense Secretary (Jon Voight) makes it clear that there are no survivors in Qatar. Meanwhile, they are left scrambling to find a way to stop the Transformers (specifically the Decepticons) from gaining any information from the government computers. In this group, we also have we have Maggie Madsen (Rachael Taylor) who works for the government and Glen Whitman (Anthony Anderson) who Madsen works with to find answers about what is being hidden.

The results show that the enemy wants to find information concerning a man named Captain Witwicky and a part of the government known as Sector Seven. I should mention that this group seems to fuel the story very little. The point of them is definitely obvious, but some of the characters are expendable and unnecessary. Meanwhile, others are only there to make jokes about the current political climate and administration, which at the very least, makes them amusing even if they are unnecessary.

Finally we have the third group, which rests mainly on the shoulders of Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf). Sam is a geeky, 11th grade kid who dreams of having his own car. He finds the perfect one after meeting the requirements of his father, but dad isn’t willing to pay the amount the salesman is asking. However, it becomes obvious that the car is interested in him, too.

As such, fate has a way of working itself out. Sam ends up with a 77’ yellow Camaro that loves him as much as he loves it. From there we see Sam’s car is a Transformer and the story evolves, giving us a chance to see what the Witwicky family has to do with the Transformers and why they are looking for Sam’s great-great-grandfather. We also get a chance to see Sam’s relationship develop with the hot girl that’s too cool for a dork like Sam, Mikaela (Megan Fox).

The movie essentially rests on the acting of Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, and Josh Duhamel mixed with the believability and cool-factor of the Transformers. Creator, Michael Bay answers the call choosing the perfect essential cast and some excellent special features that makes even the hardest to please moviegoer a potential Transformers fan.

Audio/Video:
Of the HD movies that have come out, I have to say that this may be the HD presentation of the year. It is simply fabulous to watch. The transfer is available in 2.35:1 AVC-encoded 1080p transfer. What this means is that you receive an amazingly beautiful transfer that cannot be beat. The transfer is so vivid and so raw that it looks as if you were sitting in the theater watching it rather than in your living room. The audio is available in the form of 5.1 Dolby Digital Plus and it sounds incredible. The sound comes through loud and clear. Nothing is ever missed. Every single tiny sound is heard with vibrancy.

Special Features:
You would be hard pressed to find a recent blockbuster release to have as many special features as you are given with this release of Transformers. You receive the standards like commentary by Michael Bay, web content, and Transformers HUD, which is a little bit PiP and some trivia that includes pop up facts and information on the cast and crew. Other special features include a ton of featurettes. The featurettes include “The Story Sparks”, “Human Allies”, “I Fight Giant Robots”, “Battleground”, “Rise of the Robots”, “Autobots Roll Out”, “Decepticons Strike”, “From Script to Sand – The Skorponok Desert Attack”, “Inside the Allspark”, and “Transformers Tech Inspector”, which is an HD exclusive. Trailers are also included.

Bottom Line:
Transformers is the HD movie to own if you plan to buy one HD movie this year. The sound and video quality are superb and the movie is one that will retain its entertainment value without getting old. This is one you will be able to watch time and again without tiring of what you see. Perfect for men and women, Transformers is a high octane film with solid writing and a great cast. You need to check this one out.

Rating:

Technorati Tags: Transformers, Optimus Prime, Michael Bay, DVD Review, Movie, Shia LaBeouf, Josh Duhamel, Live Action, Cartoon, 80s, Autobots, Decepticons, Robots

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!