Monday, March 7, 2011

Transformers Review










Transformers


Release Date: 28th June 2007 – Australia


Production Companies
DreamWorks SKG (presents)
Paramount Pictures (presents)
Hasbro (in association with)
Di Bonaventura Pictures

Amblin Entertainment (uncredited)
SprocketHeads


Distribution
Paramount Pictures Australia


Genre: Sci-Fi/Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 143 minutes



Budget: $200,000,000

Box Office Gross: $709,709,780 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary
The good Autobots and the evil Decepticons have been fighting for a long time, but when the battle moves to Earth, the entire planet is at risk of destruction. Sam Witwicky is a high school student caught in the middle of the action after meeting one of the Autobots, Bumblebee. Soon, the pair became Earth's last hope and saviour as humanity allied with the Autobots and aided in the fight against Megatron.


Cast

Humans
Shia LaBeouf – Sam Witwicky
Megan Fox
Mikaela Banes
Josh Duhamel
Captain
William Lennox
Tyrese Gibson – USAF
Tech Sergeant Robert Epps
John Turturro Agent Reggie
Simmons
Rachael Taylor Maggie Madsen
Anthony Anderson
Glen Whitmann
Kevin Dunn
Ron Witwicky
Julie White
Julie Witwicky
Jon Voight
 Defense Secretary John Keller
Michael O'Neill – Tom Banachek
Bernie Mac – Bobby Bolivia
Amaury Nolasco – ACWO
Jorge "Fig" Figueroa
Zack Ward – First
Sergeant Donnelly
W. Morgan Sheppard –
Captain Witwicky
John Robinson – Miles Lancaster
Travis Van Winkle – Trent DeMarco
Glenn Morshower – Colonel Sharp
Carlos Moreno Jr. – Manny
Peter Jacobson – Mr. Hosney
Chris Ellis – Admiral Brigham
Ravi Patel – Telephone Operator
Samantha Smith – Sarah Lennox
Rick Gomez – Sheriff
Kenny Bates – Agent at Hoover Dam (Cameo)
(Uncredited)
Ian Bryce – Agent at Hoover Dam (Cameo)
(Uncredited)
Michael Bay – Guy Flicked by
Megatron (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Autobots
Peter Cullen – Optimus Prime (Voice)
Mark Ryan
 Bumblebee (Voice)
Darius McCrary
 Jazz (Voice)
Jess Harnell
Ironhide (Voice)
Robert Foxworth
 Ratchet (Voice)

Decepticons
Hugo Weaving – Megatron (Voice)
Charles Adler
 Starscream (Voice)
Jess Harnell
 Barricade (Voice)
Reno Wilson
 Frenzy (Voice)
Jimmie Wood
 Bonecrusher (Voice)


Crew
Executive Producer/Camera Operator
(Uncredited)/Director Michael Bay
Story John Rogers
Story/Screenplay Roberto Orci
and Alex Kurtzman
Associate Producers – Matthew Cohan
and Michelle McGonagle
Executive Producers – Steven Spielberg,
Brian Goldner and Mark Vahradian
Producers Ian Bryce, Tom De Santo,
Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Lorne Orleans
(IMAX Version) and Don Murphy
Co-Producer/Unit Production Manager 
Allegra Clegg
Co-Producer/Second Unit Director/
Stunt Coordinator  Kenny Bates
Military Advisor Harry Humphries
Casting Directors – Janet Hirshenson,
Jane Jenkins and Michelle Lewitt
Animal Coordinator/Trainer Paul 'Sled' Reynolds
Production Designer  Jeff Mann
Lead Robot Illustrator – Ben Procter
Illustrators – James Clyne, Tony Kieme,
Scott Lukowski, Victor Martinez,
Ed Natividad, Paul Ozzimo,
Robert Woodruff and Feng Zhu
Supervising Art Director – Geoff Hubbard
Art Directors – Beat Frutiger,
Sean Haworth and Kevin Kavanaugh
Assistant Art Directors  Martha Johnston
and Page Buckner
Graphic Designers – François Audouy
and Zachary Fannin
Set Decorators – Rosemary Brandenburg
and Larry Dias
Property Master Andrew Petrotta
Costume Designer – Deborah Lynn Scott
Show Supervisors: Special Makeup Effects
& Animatronics, K.N.B. EFX Group –
Howard Berger and Greg Nicotero
Department Head Makeup Artist  Edouard F. Henriques
Director of Photography Mitchell Amundsen
Director of Photography: Second Unit
Lukas Ettlin
Aerial Director of Photography David B. Nowell
Russian Arm Operator – Brooks P. Guyer
Second Assistant Camera – Ryan Rayner
and Robert Settlemire
Production Supervisors – Matthew J. Birch
and Daren Hicks
First Assistant Director – Simon Warnock
First Assistant Director: Second Unit 
Cellin Gluck
Second Assistant Directors – Brian Reylea
and Fred Usher
Key Location Manager – Ilt Jones
Location Managers – Michael J. Burmeister,
Fermin Davalos, Jonathan Slator and
Emre Sonmez
Assistant Location Managers 
Ronald M. Haynes, Jonathan Hook,
Kathy McCurdy, Perri Pearson,
Kate Chase Pitzarella, Golden Swenson,
Scott Trimble, Pierre Hue (Uncredited),
Manny Padilla (Uncredited), Lisa Patton
(Uncredited), Marta Tomkiw (Uncredited),
Michael Wesley (Uncredited) and
Wade Whitman (Uncredited)
Stunt Coordinator – Troy Robinson
Stunt Co-Coordinator – Frank Torres
Aerial Coordinator/Pilot – Alan D. Purwin
Picture Vehicle Coordinator – Steve Mann
Transportation Coordinator – Randy Peters
Special Effects Supervisor – John Frazier
Special Effects Supervisor: Kerner Optical –
Geoff Heron
Special Effects Coordinator – Jim Schwalm
Special Effects Co-Coordinator – Dan Cangemi
Shop Supervisors: Special Makeup &
AnimatronicsK.N.B. EFX Group –
Wayne Toth and Michael Deak
Senior Visual Effects Supervisor: Asylum 
Nathan McGuiness
Visual Effects Supervisors  Scott Farrar
and Richard Kidd (Uncredited)
Visual Effects Supervisor: Digital Domain –
David Prescott
Associate Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM –
Russell Earl
Visual Effects Producer – Shari Hanson
Visual Effects Producer: Asylum –
Kathy Chasen-Hay
Visual Effects Production Manager: ILM –
Peter Nicolai
Digital Production Supervisor: ILM – Jeff White
Visual Effects Art Director: ILM – Alex Jaeger
Animation Supervisor – Scott Benza
Animation Supervisor: Digital Domain 
Danny Gordon Taylor
Lead Animators: ILM – Peter Daulton,
C. Michael Easton, Paul Kavanagh,
Shawn Kelly, Glen McIntosh, Rick O'Connor
and Tim Waddy
Computer Graphics Supervisor: Digital Domain –
David Hodgins
Pre-Visualisation Supervisor – Steve Yamamoto
TD Supervisor: ILM – Hilmar Koch
Model Supervisor: Kerner Optical –
Brian Gernard
Director of Photography: Kerner Optical –
Pat Sweeney
Digital Compositing Supervisor: ILM – Patrick Tubach
Digital Artist Supervisors: ILM – Jon Alexander,
Richard Bluff, Terry Chostner, Michael Conte,
Beth D'Amato, Leandro Estebecorena,
Dave Fogler, Gerald Gutschmidt,
David Hisanaga, Erich Ippen, Tom Martinek,
Nigel Sumner, Jeff Sutherland, Doug Sutton,
Todd Vaziri, Ron Woodall and Jeff Wozniak
Sound Designer  Erik Aadahl
Supervising Sound Editor – Ethan Van der Ryan
ADR Supervisor/Supervising Sound Editor –
Mike Hopkins
Sound Editors – Christopher S. Aud,
Michael Babcock, Craig Berkey, Brent Burge,
Warren Hendriks, Jeff Sawyer, Steve Bissinger
Robert Shoup and P.K. Hooker
Dialogue Editors – Ralph Osborn and
Wayne Lemmer
Sound Mixer – Peter J. Devlin
Sound Effects Recordists – John P. Fasal
and Mark Binder
Sound Re-Recording Mixers – Kevin O’Connell
and Greg P. Russell
Additional Re-Recording Mixer – Beau Borders
Foley Editors – Coya Elliott and
Pascal Garneau
Editors  Tom Muldoon, Paul Rubell
and Glen Scantlebury
Additional Editors – John Murray and
Todd E. Miller
Associate Editor – Ken Blackwell
Music  Steve Jablonsky
Additional Music – Lorne Balfe and
Clay Duncan
Music Supervisor – Dave Jordan
Music Recordist and Mixer – Alan Meyerson
Ambient Music Designer – Mel Wesson


Awards

2008 Academy Awards
Best Sound Mixing – Kevin O'Connell,
Greg P. Russell and Peter J. Devlin (Nominated)
Best Sound Editing – Ethan Van der Ryan
and Mike Hopkins (Nominated)
Best Visual Effects – Scott Farrar,
Scott Benza, John Frazier and Russell Earl (Nominated)


Review
The live-action Michael Bay movie adaptation of TRANSFORMERS is fun, spectacular and a must-see for all fansI've seen most of the episodes of the classic 80s Generation One (G1) television cartoon, along with its original film, The Transformers: The Movieas I'm a big fan of the Transformers franchise. I'm also a fan of the toy line and other TV animations. I was 15 when it first came out and was amazed by how the movie turned out after watching it. Years later, I became a film critic and started my blog before re-watching this film.

I am surprised Peter Cullen has returned to voice Optimus Prime since G1. I'm mildly disappointed that Hugo Weaving voiced Megatron in the films instead of his original voice artist, Frank Welker. I praise the Transformers' design, including the heroic Autobots and villainous Decepticons, because they looked advanced in their machinery, thanks to the CGI effects of the VFX studio Industrial Light & Magic. Besides the visual robotic design, the film includes neat acting by Shia LaBeouf and impressive action sequences.

This funny, action-packed blockbuster might appeal to those who have watched the Transformers cartoons and used to play with these action figures as kids. Those who have seen the G1 television cartoon will be amazed by its massive impact. It launched two sequels: Revenge of the Fallen and Dark of the Moon.

Star rating: (5/5) Best Movie Ever
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2 comments:

  1. I really enjoyed this movie, I am a big follower of Micheal Bay films and although I never really watched any of the old Transformers cartoon episodes I still found this movie to be an action packed thrill ride from start to finish. Cant wait for 3rd installment.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great movie it was awesome. I have watched all the Transformer movie, and i must say i think the second movie was my favourite. I cant wait to see the next one which is going to come out sometime this year.

    ReplyDelete