Transformers (2007)

An ancient struggle between two Cybertronian races, the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons, comes to Earth, with a clue to the ultimate power held by a teenager.

Director:

Michael Bay

Writers:

Roberto Orci (screenplay), Alex Kurtzman (screenplay)

Stars:

Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 20 wins & 41 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Shia LaBeouf	...	Sam Witwicky
Megan Fox	...	Mikaela Banes
Josh Duhamel	...	Captain Lennox
Tyrese Gibson	...	USAF Tech Sergeant Epps
Rachael Taylor	...	Maggie Madsen
Anthony Anderson	...	Glen Whitmann
Jon Voight	...	Defense Secretary John Keller
John Turturro	...	Agent Simmons
Michael O'Neill	...	Tom Banacheck
Kevin Dunn	...	Ron Witwicky
Julie White	...	Judy Witwicky
Amaury Nolasco	...	ACWO Jorge "Fig" Figueroa
Zack Ward	...	First Sergeant Donnelly
Luis Echagarruga	...	Ranger Team
Travis Van Winkle	...	Trent DeMarco

Storyline

A long time ago, far away on the planet of Cybertron, a war is being waged between the noble Autobots (led by the wise Optimus Prime) and the devious Decepticons (commanded by the dreaded Megatron) for control over the Allspark, a mystical talisman that would grant unlimited power to whoever possesses it. The Autobots managed to smuggle the Allspark off the planet, but Megatron blasts off in search of it. He eventually tracks it to the planet of Earth (circa 1850), but his reckless desire for power sends him right into the Arctic Ocean, and the sheer cold forces him into a paralyzed state. His body is later found by Captain Archibald Witwicky, but before going into a comatose state Megatron uses the last of his energy to engrave into the Captain's glasses a map showing the location of the Allspark, and to send a transmission to Cybertron. Megatron is then carried away aboard the Captain's ship. A century later, Captain Witwicky's grandson Sam Witwicky (nicknamed Spike by his friends) ...

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Plot Keywords:

english subtitles | first part | panasonic | burger king | hdtv | 

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Taglines:

Most have come to destroy us. Some have come to protect us.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action violence, brief sexual humor, and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Paramount [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

3 July 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

Prime Directive

Filming Locations:

Cesar E Chavez Avenue Viaduct, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$150,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$70,502,384, 8 July 2007, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$319,071,806

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$709,709,780

Company Credits

Production Co:

DreamWorks, Paramount Pictures, Hasbro

Technical Specs

Runtime:

144 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The release date was set without a script or a cast.

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Goofs

Upon arriving at the Hoover dam Starscream destroys a power substation. Reacting to this the engineer informs Banacheck that the MBE hangar has lost power. Logically, however the power system would be contained within the dam's structure preventing an attack like that from happening. The substation would service nearby communities not the dam.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Optimus Prime: Before time began, there was the Cube. We know not where it comes from, only that it holds the power to create worlds and fill them with life. That is how our race was born. For a time, we lived in harmony. But like all great power, some wanted it for good, others for evil. And so began the war. A war that ravaged our planet until it was consumed by death, and the Cube was lost to the far reaches of space. We scattered across the galaxy, hoping to find it and rebuild our home. ...
[...]

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Crazy Credits

When the DreamWorks and Paramount logos appear, they are accompanied by a series of robotic sounds.

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Connections

Referenced in Time Toys (2016)

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Soundtracks

Before It's Too Late (Sam and Mikaela's Theme)
Written by Johnny Rzeznik (as John Rzeznik)
Performed by Goo Goo Dolls (as Goo Goo Dolls)
Courtesy of Reprise Records

User Reviews

A well staged sci-fi action film

There are people who like Michael Bay for his work and others who don't. I only like Bay for certain films and Transformers (2007) is one of them. Because this is the first live action adaptation of the transformers toy line, I am amazed at how well all of it was brought together. Everything from the action, the special effects, the music and the acting.

Just like the TV show, transformers involves two sides of alien robots; the autobots (good) and decepticons (bad). Both of which fight for control over each other. This conflict soon brings them to planet Earth where the autobots join forces with the human race. The first human contact (dialog) that the autobots have is with an ordinary individual named Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf). Witwicky is like any other young guy; he tries to find a good-looking first car so he can impress the girl of his dreams. The girl of his dreams; Mikaela Banes (Megan Fox).

Both LaBeouf and Fox look great together on screen. It is easy to see that they have good chemistry. Along with them are Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson who play two military officers who become one of the first people to experience coming in contact with the "transformers". And this happens around the beginning of the film. As for the autobots and decepticons, Peter Cullen, the original voice of Optimus Prime returns and Hugo Weaving voices the menacing Megatron. Along with others, these voice actors give great performances.

The action in this film is exhilarating. Right when things seem like the movie isn't going anywhere, something either blows or lights up to get the audiences' attention. That's where the special effects come in. What amazed me the most about this is that the special effects department made sure that every single component of whatever vehicle the alien robot took form of, was all in the transforming action. Also, the sound itself of the robots transforming was so unique that it is one of those noises that can't be mistaken for something else.

The musical score composed by Steve Jablonsky was well executed too. Each track has its own tone and represents each scene accurately. It also has a memorable tune for when Otpimus Prime is on screen and that makes the action that much more entertaining. My only quarrel with the film is LaBeouf's character. If I were in his situation, yes, I would be quite nervous as well but his jitteriness gets tiresome really quickly. I'll partially accept it for now because it's Mr. Witwicky's first time experiencing this kind of unnatural event.

Michael Bay's live-action take on the Transformers toys is a blast. The action is explosive and the music is resounding.