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 &

Animatronics, K.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 fans. I've seen most of the episodes of the classic 80s Generation One (G1) television cartoon, along with its original film, The Transformers: The Movie, as 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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