The Case for Meeting the Eye

What can I say about the Transformers that the Off-Black (1 July 2007) has not already said so eloquently? It was rubbish, but huge amounts of fun, with the improbably-named Shia LaBoeuf providing most of the entertainment for the first half of the film (how does he pull off playing a stuttering geek so well? What classes do they have for that?), and then Optimus Prime showing up, showing off, and the explosions doing the rest of the work.

There are, of course, major plot loopholes big enough to fly Starscream through that aren't obscured by the dazzling sunsets that form the backdrop of every scene. How the "Alien Robot" was brought from the Arctic circle to the middle of the desert in the early 20th century without it thawing out was never really fully explained. Why the Transformers' brains seem to be in their head units is also not really elaborated upon. And all the vehicles are now big American road hogs (though there is a great nod or two to Bumblebees teutonic origins). But, to be honest, this is the Transformers movie - it really is pointless trying to judge its credibility when it is a film all about giant robots.

And things go boom. In a good way. So what more could one want? Perhaps it could have afforded to be a wee bit more economical on the time (two and a half hours is a long time, though it did pass relatively quickly), but otherwise, it was a gas-guzzling monster truck of a ride, and I liked it!

Not sure if I could handle a sequel though...

Verdict: Megatron to the Optimus!