Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #223 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-12-03
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: Surround Sound, Widescreen, PAL
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 143 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
As sci-fi action blockbusters go, they don’t come much bigger than Transformers. Maybe it’s because of the subject matter: it’s based on a toy line from the 1980s, concerning giant robots from outer space engaged in a civil war that pits the heroic Autobots against the evil Decepticons. They have the ability to disguise themselves as vehicles and other mechanical objects, transforming back into robots when it’s time to stomp each other senseless. As a premise, it’s rather silly. But it’s also very simple, and that’s why it works.

The heroes are truly heroic: the noble and powerful Autobot leader Optimus Prime is one of the most iconic characters of the 1980s, and getting the original voice actor (Peter Cullen) to give him life was a stroke of genius. The villains, meanwhile, are just plain evil: Decepticon leader Megatron (voiced by Hugo Weaving) is motivated by absolute power, and his soldiers are not above a bit of wanton destruction to achieve their goals. Mix in a bit of mysticism in the form of the Allspark, the source of life for all Transformers, and the result is pure cinematic magic.

It’s not a perfect film: there are some characters and sub-plots that are unnecessary and which go nowhere, and at almost three hours, it’s a lot of movie. But the Transformers themselves, rendered in CGI, have a very realistic size and weight on screen, and look particularly good as they switch from one mode to the other. Moreover, director Michael Bay is smart enough to realise that appealing to kids doesn’t mean pandering to them--the cutest robot on screen is a manic little psychotic killer with the apt name Frenzy. The humans in the film, meanwhile, keep the film grounded, whilst never detracting from the real robot stars. Unlike The Matrix trilogy, which tried to be too clever, or The Lord of the Rings films, which were too clever, Transformers is probably the best science fiction epic since the original Star Wars trilogy. --Robert Burrow

Synopsis
Based on the Hasbro toy line that initially captivated kids in the 1980s, director Michael Bay's TRANSFORMERS finds two warring bands of shape-shifting alien robots renewing their intergalactic conflict on Earth. While the Decepticons, followers of the malevolent Megatron (voiced by Hugo Weaving), strive to take over the planet, the Autobots, led by the valiant Optimus Prime (voiced by Peter Cullen), are intent on protecting humanity. When young Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) discovers that his new car is really the Autobot Bumblebee (voiced by Mark Ryan), it sets the stage for a massive giant-robot showdown. A shining example of the Hollywood summer blockbuster at its best, TRANSFORMERS combines stunning CGI effects and thrilling action sequences with drama, humour, and a touch of romance. Featuring a large cast that includes Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Jon Voight, John Turturro, Anthony Anderson, and Rachael Taylor, the film is anchored by LaBeouf, who always displays an engaging Everyman charm, whether he’s running from colossal robots, interacting with his well-meaning parents (hilariously played by Kevin Dunn and Julie White), or pining for his gorgeous classmate (Megan Fox). While some TRANSFORMERS purists may be dismayed by certain aspects of this bold big-screen adaptation (Bumblebee is a Camaro instead of a Volkswagen), the movie balances its spectacle with an admirable amount of substance, giving it an appeal far beyond pre-teen boys and their nostalgic Autobot-loving elders.

Customer Reviews

One of the most entertaining summer blockbusters to date!
If you want an action packed movie then look no further, for this is surely one of the most fun films ive seen probably since Independence Day. It does exactly what it promises and delivers more action than the whole Spiderman trilogy put together. The film is about a war between robots on Earth so you'll have to suspend your disbelief for just two hours in order to enjoy. Plus, you'll be surprised how funny it is at the same time, with great supporting acts from John Turturo and Bernie Mac.
In short, this is the quintessential big, loud, dumb summer action movie many of us have been waiting for and is thunderously entertaining. Also loved the last half hour, which is simply non-stop action as a number of city blocks get destroyed while the war wages on between the bots.

The Double disk dvd is also sure to please the fans with bonus features that include:

Disc 1:
- Commentary by Michael Bay

Disc 2:

>>OUR WORLD<<
-- The Story Sparks - Steven Spielberg discusses his love for the
franchise and early concept art for the film. Explores how the
writers adapted the cartoon into a live-action movie and why
Michael Bay is the perfect director for the film.
-- Human Allies - A look at how the actors were selected and their
experiences on the set.
-- I Fight Giant Robots - An exploration of the military training
that Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson underwent for their roles
and the various stunts that the actors were asked to perform.
-- Battleground - A piece on the senior officials from the
Department of Defense and Air Force who consulted on the film
to give it authenticity and the key locations that the U.S.
government provided access to.

>>THEIR WORLD<<
-- Rise of the Robots - Explores the interaction between Hasbro
designers and Michael Bay to bring the toy line roaring to life.
-- AUTOBOTS Roll Out - Michael Bay discusses working with Chevy and
its designers and the modifications that were made to the cars
seen in the film.
-- DECEPTICONS Strike - The film's military advisors discuss the
"toys" they allowed the production to borrow: F-22 Raptors,
Ospreys and A-10 Warthogs.
-- Inside the AllSpark - ILM's digital artists discuss the
challenges of bringing the TRANSFORMERS to life.

>>MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE<<
-- From Script to Sand: The SKORPONOK Desert Attack - An in-depth
look at the making of this particularly epic and challenging
scene from initial storyboarding through production and visual
effects.
-- Concepts - Early sketch concepts of the robots.
-- Trailers

VERDICT: Highly recommended film and a worthy looking DVD purchase for the fans - 5 STARS

I'd never seen transformers before
So aside from the second line of the theme tune I knew next to nothing about this. As a result I could enjoy the film for what it is. An entertaining summer blockbuster.

Lovelorn high school geek sam witwicky, who idolises classmate mikaela from afar, buys a car. which happens to a robot in disguise. he comes from a race of good robots who are looking for an object that creates life, and are fighting evil robots for it. The object is on earth. which is about to become a battleground. with sam caught in the middle.

This is an entertaining film. Pure and simple. providing laughs, excitement, spectacular action, and a lot of spectacle. shia lebouef who plays sam is a superb lead, anchoring the film with his wonderful deadpan delivery. His co star megan fox is beautiful and the rest of the cast provide great support. the robots are well voiced, especially by peter cullen who does optimus prime, the leader of the good robots, who has a fantastic commanding voice. A really entertaining movie, and a great one if you're looking for some fun action.

The dvd disc one contains the film, plus a commentary from the director, who is worth listening to and is very articulate, although he's not always talking about the things that are happening on the screen, and the usual set up options and direct scene access. go right to the end of the film's end credits and you will find an extra menu with a trailer for the forthcoming film iron man, based on the marvel comic, and the original teaser trailer for the transformers film.

on disc two, extras are divided into three sections. the first two, OUR WORLD and THEIR WAR each contain four documentaries, all ranging from fifteen to twenty minutes in length, which look at the conception of the project, the actors, the characters - human and robot - and how a lot of it was filmed. these are all good documentaries and well worth a look.

in section three, MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE you will find a ten minute long feature about the making of one key scene, and the teaser trailer plus two other trailers for the film that were shown in cinemas.

A great package and a great film

Bring the rain!
The most enjoyable movie for many a year, wonderfully transferred to DVD with an adequate bunch of bonus features.

However...the big disappointment is that this ISN'T the complete extended cut as was shown exclusively in IMAX cinemas.


The omitted scenes:-

1. Sam turns up at his friend's house in his new car.

2. Extended conversation between Sam and drugged-up detective in police station.

3. Sector 7 chap using a retinal-scanning lie detector device on Sam in the car when questioning him about aliens.

4. Sector 7 chap cracking an Area 51 joke outside the dam before they go in.

5. Sector 7 chap reminding them them how privileged they all are prior to the All-Spark and Energiser-bunny-from-hell scenes.

4. Spec-Ops team leader going into a pawn shop to get radios and being confronted by the owner, an African-American woman with a shotgun.


For some reason two extra scenes WERE left in; the F22 fighter jets pictured taking off to intercept the trespassing helicopter at the start of the film and Frenzy taking out two extra Secret Service guys onboard Air Force One.

Admittedly none of the above affect the plot in any way but i'm the type of fellow who just has to have everything!

So come on Paramount, why couldnt you have at least included them in the extra features? Spoilsports...