JustWatchWhat is the Transformers Movie About?
This is the first film in the Transformers franchise and focuses on the ongoing war between the Autobots and Decepticons. It starts with teenager Sam Whitwicky buying his first car, only to discover that it’s secretly a transforming alien robot named Bumblebee.
Sam and Bumblebee develop a close bond, but they soon find themselves in grave danger. Caught in the middle of warring robot factions, can Sam survive?
Our Honest Review of Transformers
We’ve got a few fans of the Transformers cartoon on our staff here at Compare TV. It was a staple of our childhoods, so when we watched Transformers again, we tried not to let nostalgia blind us. And do you know what? It’s actually pretty good.
It does have a few flaws; the action sequences can be hard to keep up with and telling the story from multiple perspectives was definitely a mistake. However, when it concentrates on telling a relatively intimate ‘boy and his robot’ story, it’s a lot of fun.
Shia LaBeouf is terrific as the bewildered teenager who discovers his Chevrolet Camaro is an alien robot, and the scene where he tries to keep a squad of towering Autobot warriors hidden from his parents is hilarious. The city-smashing action at the finale is enjoyable, and the film is far more entertaining than we remembered. It’s not especially clever, but it is an eye-popping spectacle with a lot of explosions, and if you switch your brain off, you’ll have a great time.
What Do the Critics Think of Transformers?
Transformers received a response that we would have to describe as ‘mixed.’ There was some praise for the action sequences and Shia LaBeouf’s lead role, however the storyline was criticised for being shallow and predictable. They were generally divided over whether it was preposterous fun or mindless rubbish.
- “Thank god the Transformers speak primarily in proper nouns–if they hadn’t shouted “Optimus! Megatron!” every time they struck a blow, I’d have no idea what was happening.” – Amy Nicholson, I.E. Weekly.
- “Films directed by Michael Bay are usually like being shouted at by a halfwit for two and a half hours, and Transformers is no exception.” – Wendy Ide, The Times.
- “The script may have rubbery legs, but the action is rock-hard. The surprise is the lightness of touch: treat as a comedy for best results.” – Ian Nathan, Empire Magazine.
- “Divorced from reality, even movie reality, Transformers becomes an action film in traction. Its relentless product placement makes it seem like a 2hr. 22min. General Motors commercial.” – Richard Corliss, Time Magazine.
- “Bay, at heart, isn’t a fantasist; he’s a literal-minded maestro of demolition. But then, that serves Transformers well during its climax, a spectacular clash of the heavy metal titans, and a primal reminder of why boys love their toys.” – Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly.
What Awards and Nominations did Transformers Receive?
Transformers was nominated for several awards, including:
- Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Sound Editing at the Academy Awards.
- Best Movie at the 2008 MTV Movie Awards (won).
- Favourite Movie at the 2008 Kids’ Choice Awards.
- Worst Supporting Actor for Jon Voight at the Golden Raspberry Awards.
- Best Special Effects at the Saturn Awards (won).
Director & Cast of Transformers
Michael Bay is one of the most successful directors in Hollywood history, and his films have grossed over $6 billion. He is responsible for two of our favourite action movies in Bad Boys (1995) and The Rock (1996), and was the man who brought the Transformers back to the big screen. He’s also a dog lover; one of his lesser-known traits is giving his dogs cameos in his movies and his English Mastiff makes an appearance in Transformers.
Shia LaBeouf originally got into acting because he was broke and had no intention of pursuing it as a serious career. His first significant role was on the Disney Channel’s Even Stevens (2000 – 2003), before growing into offbeat leading man roles such as Disturbia (2007) and Eagle Eye (2011). Our kids love him because of his lead in Holes (2003), but we’d argue that his best film is The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019), an underrated feel-good gem.
Megan Fox is incredibly famous nowadays, but was a relative unknown when she was cast in Transformers. She and co-star Shia LaBeouf had remarkable chemistry, and the film turned her into an icon almost overnight. She returned for the sequel, but a dispute with Michael Bay led to her exiting the franchise.
Rapper and actor Tyrese Gibson has the unenviable job of grounding the Transformers movie in reality. He plays Sergeant Epps, a soldier whose squad is pursued by a murderous robot scorpion across Qatar.
Alongside Gibson, Josh Duhamel stars as the square-jawed, all-American hero Captain Lennox. He spends most of the film running around shouting and blowing things up, and must have enjoyed himself because he’s been in three more Transformers movies since.
Optimus Prime stars as Optimus Prime. Honestly, if they’d cast anyone else, we wouldn’t have watched it.
Fun Facts About Transformers
- As part of the publicity, a mock-conspiracy website called Sector 7 was launched. It featured video footage of several Transformers as if they were real events. The characters depicted were Grimlock, Laserbeak, Kickback, Reflector, and Bumblebee, but only Bumblebee appears in the film.
- In the original cartoon, Bumblebee was a Volkswagen Beetle. He was changed to a Chevrolet Camaro because Michael Bay was concerned that he’d remind audiences of Herbie the Love Bug.
- Optimus Prime speaks his signature line, “Freedom is the right of all sentient beings,” ninety minutes in. Surprisingly, this is the first time he’s said it on film or TV., It originated on his toy packaging but was never spoken on the cartoon series or animated film.
- Barricade disguises himself as a Police car, but instead of the Los Angeles Police motto ‘to protect and to serve,’ he has ‘to punish and enslave’ printed on him.
- The Autobots have blue eyes and the Decepticons have red, just as they were depicted in the cartoon.
Themes of Transformers
Transformers is a classic example of the good versus evil story. The Autobots are noble and heroic, while the Decepticons are violent and evil. There is very little nuance in how they’re depicted, and it’s a straightforward, heroes against villains movie.
How Does Transformers Compare to Michael Bay’s Other Work?
It’s very similar to Michael Bay’s other films. It’s a fast-paced, energetic movie that’s full of action sequences. There’s not much in the way of subtlety, and it could even be called ‘Loud Noises: The Movie.’ The only thing that really separates this from Michael Bay’s other films is that it involved an existing intellectual property and wasn’t an original creation.
Iconic Scenes from A Time To Kill
Behind-the-Scenes Trivia
- The looks of panic on the soldiers’ faces when Scorponok erupts from the desert are real. The scene involved the actors running very close to explosive charges as they went off, and it was extremely dangerous.
- The U.S. Department of Defence supported the film. They supplied military uniforms for the actors as well as vehicles that represented Starscream and Bonecrusher. Numerous military personnel appeared as extras, and in return, they were treated to an advance screening of the movie.
- The Transformers character models featured so much detail that it took animators over thirty-eight hours to add them to a single frame of film.
- The stunt drivers had to wear balaclavas while driving to maintain the illusion of the cars being sentient.
What’s the Soundtrack Like for Transformers?
The Transformers soundtrack consists of rock music from artists like The Smashing Pumpkins and Taking Back Sunday. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, and some of the tracks are noticeably better than the others, but it’s reasonably enjoyable. Linkin Park’s What I’ve Done still sounds great, and Passion’s Killing Floor by HIM is really good too.
It’s relatively easy to enjoy and is a good choice if you’re going on a road trip. It’s a bit like listening to a mainstream rock radio station, but without the annoying DJ and endless adverts between the tracks.
Best Quotes from Transformers
- “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.” – In the opening narration, Optimus Prime describes the origin of the Transformers.
- “Were we so different? They’re a young species. They have much to learn. But I’ve seen goodness in them. Freedom is the right of all sentient beings.” – Optimus explains why it’s worth defending humanity.
- “Are you username: LadiesMan217?” – Barricade confronts Sam.
- “We are Autonomous Robotic Organisms from the planet Cybertron.” – Optimus Prime explains where the name comes from.
- “Excuse me, are you the Tooth Fairy?” – A young girl meets a Decepticon.
What People Are Asking About Transformers
At the time of writing, there are seven films in Michael Bay’s Transformers series. They are this one, Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen (2009), Transformers: Dark Of The Moon (2011), Transformers: Age Of Extinction (2014), Transformers: The Last Knight (2017), and Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts (2023), plus a Bumblebee spin-off movie (2018).
If we expand the definition though, there are nine. Transformers: The Movie (1986) was a feature-length animated film that was linked with the cartoon series, and Transformers One (2024) is a standalone animated prequel.
No, the film depicts the Transformers arriving on Earth, but it doesn’t show the origins of Optimus Prime and Megatron or how the war started. Those events were shown in Transformers One (2024), although that film has a separate continuity.
There are several options in Australia for where to watch Transformers. It’s included in subscriptions for Stan and Disney Plus, or you can purchase digital copies on services like Prime Video.
Cast & Crew
Director(s)
Michael Bay
Top Cast
