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What’s the Story?

Reviewed by Cynthia Fuchs

In this live action film based on the 1980s cartoon series, the Decepticons, an evil race of alien robots, attack a U.S. military unit stationed in the Middle East. The men launch an immediate offensive -- but meanwhile, back in the States, Secretary of Defense John Keller (Jon Voight) learns of a secret U.S. project involving Megatron (voiced by Hugo Weaving), a bad robot that crash-landed in the Arctic decades before. In the film's civilian side-story, teenager Sam (Shia LaBeouf) buys a used car, unaware it's an Autobot -- a good robot. Neither does Sam realize that he has in his possession the key to the all-powerful cube -- which all the robots, good and bad, desperately want. The film's many characters and plots collide with the help of the Autobots' courageous, red-and-blue-colored leader Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen).

Is It Any Good?

3

You'd expect a summer action movie directed by Michael Bay, CGIed by Industrial Light and Magic, and based on a line of toy cars to bring the noise. TRANSFORMERS does exactly that. Big and boomy, it skimps on plot and character development, instead focusing on its decidedly spectacular explosions. Though the opening voiceover offers a cursory backstory, it hardly matters why these giant robots have come to earth. The point is much simpler: They blow stuff up.

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