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Transformers Review |
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Let's just begin with the fact that my favourite movie this summer has been about an elderly couple with Alzheimer's called Away From Her. A week later, going to see Transformers at the theatre, I wasn't really expecting much except that it wasn't one of the less than spectacular sequels this past summer (with the exception of Fantastic Four which knew how to make a short and sweet movie). I had seen the trailer online and heard from numerous people about how cool this move looked. I didn't really play with the toys as a kid and I know I will be hated for saying the dreaded thought, "I really couldn't tell the difference between Gobots and Transformers." |
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Transformers tells the story of these warring robots from another planet which arrive on Earth and pretty much fight each other. MichaelBay directs the film a visual intensity from the beginning and creates an amazing design for the robots. He adds the up and coming actor ShiaLeBeouf in a pretty good role as the human the robots all love. The movie looks beautiful even |
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And that's where the praise stops for me. MichaelBay for all his visual intensity has one main problem: it was like watching all his films together. At one point near the end when the two main people kiss, I was thinking, "wow that was the same shot he did how many years ago in Armageddon". At other points, I found myself getting dizzy from the way too familiar shots like the MichaelBay slow circular pan of his characters (I have to say his name fits on it since its in everyone of his films). When you copy your own movies shot for shot, this is not auteurship (a director's style), it's just plain being lazy and formulaic. |
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And then there was the script. I really love movies that know what they want to be. There is just something about a movie that knows what mood it's playing, that works humour in discretely when it's a drama, which works drama into a comedy in small doses. This was not one of those films. For the first half of the film, I found myself extremely uncomfortable in my seat because I did not know whether I was watching a comedy show on TV or a war flick film with (not even close to PG style) violence. |
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And then there was the cast. LeBeouf was fine, displaying a fine humour and acting ability that hopefully will be able to get a better script later. As for the rest of the cast, well little can be said. So many of the characters had me questioning why they were even in this film such as Anthony Anderson, who I love, but regrettably not much use here. I feel particularly sorry for the great actors like Julie White, fresh off her Tony winning role in The Little Dog Laughed (an amazing performance I have seen), Jon Voigt and John Turturro. At least I know they are making enough money do really good plays and movies. |
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I'm sure this movie will make oodles of money at the box office and I'm sure it will please the legions of Transformer fans around the world. To many people's surprise, this won't be making my best of year list. Away From Her may have been about Alzheimer's, but this is the movie I wanted to forget. |
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