TRANSFORMERS (2007) REVIEW!!! TRANSFORMERS SERIES RE-VISIT

Initial release date: July 3, 2007

Studios: Paramount Pictures/ DreamWorks Pictures/Hasbro Studios

Tagline: Their war ... Our world

Plot: The fate of humanity is at stake when two races of robots, the good Autobots and the villainous Decepticons, bring their war to Earth. The robots have the ability to change into different mechanical objects as they seek the key to ultimate power. Only a human youth, Sam Witwicky, can save the world from total destruction.

Cast

Shia LaBeouf - Sam Witwicky

Megan Fox - Mikaela Banes

Josh Duhamel - Captain Lennix

Tyrese Gibson - USAF Tech Sgt. Epps

Rachael Taylor - Maggie Madsen

Anthony Anderson - Glen Whitman

Jon Voight - Defense Secretary John Keller

John Turturro - Agent Simmons

Michael O'Neill - Tom Banacheck

Kevin Dunn - Ron Witwicky

Julie White - Judy Witwicky

Writer(s): Roberto Orci (CBSs Hawaii Five-O; The Amazing Spider-Man 2)

Alex Kurtzman (Paramount Plus' Star Trek: Discovery)

Director: Michael Bay (Ambulance; Netflix's 6 Underground)

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action violence, brief sexual humor and language (144 minutes)

Last week I checked out the latest entry of the series, Rise of the Beasts. My review for the new sequel is available in the current print/online edition of the Examiner and also on the site/blog! And, FYI - Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is AWESOME! Now, I'm going to be going through the entire live-action series and giving them a fresh look.

The 2007 Transformers movie is probably the best of the Michael Bay-directed installments. There is a good amount of gripping action scattered throughout that is really awesome to watch. The action sequences really stand out and are really fast-paced. The entire third act of the movie can get really intense and is one of the best action scenes in the Bay series.

Transformers also delivers some really funny bits, which can give you a little chuckle. The visual effects in the movie are also really great and mind-blowing, especially during all the action scenes, All the robot characters are convincing and memorable.

When I re-watched the 2007 movie a few nights back, it was the first time in a couple years since I watched it. This is definitely an enjoyable installment of the franchise and will be taking a look at the others, including 2018s Bumblebee, coming up! I'm hoping to get through the rest of the series by the middle of next week!!

Here are some fun tidbits for the 2007 movie Transformers!

• To keep the movie realistic and under budget, the US Dept. of Defense provided their support towards its production, the largest project they have assisted since Black Hawk Down. The military provided their vehicles as the alternate modes of the Decepticons Starscream and Bonecrusher. They also allowed their F-22 and CV-22 aircraft to be filmed, the first time these planes have been seen in a feature film since 2003s Hulk.

• To make sure the cars appear sentient, stunt drivers wore black balaclavas, and concealed themselves from view, and wherever possible, the cars were also given tinted windows, and had their interiors darkened.

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

• The fastest-selling DVD release of 2007.

• The movie's tagline, "Their War. Our world" was originally meant for Alien vs. Predator.

• The movie holds the record for the biggest opening week for a non-sequel, with $152.5 million. The former record holder was Spider-Man (2002) with $151.6 million.

• The Decepticons outnumber the Autobots 8 to 5. This was a deliberate move by the writers to emphasize the Autobots' teamwork, and the threat the Decepticons pose to the world.

• Producer Don Murphy was initially planning a G.I. Joe film adaptation, but when the US launched the Iraqi invasion in March 2003, Hasbro suggested adapting the Transformers franchise instead.

• Michael Bay was asked to direct by Spielberg on July 30, 2005, but he dismissed the film as a "stupid toy movie." Nonetheless, he wanted to work with Spielberg and gained a new respect for the concept upon visiting Hasbro.

• Transformers had the highest-grossing per-screen and per-theater gross in 2007 in North America. It was released on July 2, 2007 with 8 pm preview screenings on July 2. The US previews earned $8.8 million, and in its first day of general release, it grossed $27.8 million, a record for a Tuesday box office gross until it was broken by The Amazing Spider-Man 2 in 2012.

• The movie ended its US theatrical run with a gross of $319.2 million, making it the third highest-grossing film domestically in 2007 behind Spider-Man 3 and Shrek the Third. Worldwide, Transformers was the highest-grossing non-sequel film in 2007 with over $709 million, with three of its sequels surpassed.

• Transformers fans were initially divided over the movie due to the radical redesigns of many characters, although the casting of Peter Cullen was warmly received. The movie created a greater awareness of the franchise and drew in many new fans.

https://youtu.be/v8ItGrI-Ou0