Transformers (2007)

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At long last, the Transformers get the live-action spectacular they deserve. They've had a movie adaptation before, but Transformers: The Movie was almost an extension of the series -- still a cartoon, just bigger. And then came Michael Bay.

Lest you get the wrong impression, I should make it plain that one of the defining moments of my adolescence was the realization that my criticisms of Yu-Gi-Oh! -- a greasy layer of story lubricating a vast merchandising machine -- applied equally well to my own cherished childhood Hasbro advertainments. My trip down nostalgia lane proved disappointing and disillusioning.

When it comes down to it, Transformers is a story about giant robots who, for no apparent reason, turn into cars and imported electronics. Available at a retailer near you!

And now Michael Bay has wreaked my vengeance. His molestation of the original is spectacularly bad: plots that go nowhere, giant robots that all look exactly the same, sleazy fanboy fantasy. A Camaro urinates on a secret service agent.

If the film has any charm at all, it's that it's irredeemably juvenile crap. It couldn't possibly be this bad by accident, could it?

- Sam - 2008-05-16 13:56:52