Gotta love camp week! Hubby took time off and we saw it.
9 year old son is an absolute fan of Transformers, and has been for at least three years. We had to tape the series for him and everything. Even got him the 1980's movie with Leonard Nimoy. (Nimoy did a great job, too bad he didn't think enough of the genre to be proud of it.)
Unfortunately, it's definitely AA, and he's not going to see it for a few years. Much too violent, and it was a bit too spooky at times. Give him another two or three years, though, and I'd take him, no problem.
Anyhoo, the new movie rocks! I've no clue how the serious fans will like it (You gotta remember this plot point! And you got his character all wrong!),
but it work well as a stand-alone and has some fun with references to earlier series. (Although I did miss Arcee.)
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The early human damage was all off-screen. At first I wasn't sure if they were Zarking it, but in a few minutes it became clear they just weren't focusing on it; you could fill in the details as you liked. In the big fight in the city at the end, though, we knew some of the humans weren't going to get up again. They got it right where I enjoy it; not Zark, but let me focus on the plot and action and characters, no the gore.
As to holding the big fight in a city? I think it was a good choice to show the different characters' reactions, but I don't think the plot explained it well enough.
The US Special Air Forces team do a really great job. They're fast, knowledgeable, smart, adaptable, and human. Not super-human, just very, very good at complex and demanding jobs. You don't expect human heroes (other than the untrained kid) in a fighting-robot movie, but thats what these guys are. (Nice parallel, in that the Autobots are also a team.)
First "gets you right here" line: Supervisor says, "Did you double check that copter 123 went down three months ago?" "Yes, sir, my friend was on it." Barest nod and the control room action continues.
The higher ups in the military were also smart and adaptable. The Secretary of Defense knows how to defend. Military rank means you know what needs to be done, and make sure it gets done, either by other people, or by doing it yourself. And it means asking for ideas and advice as well.
Very few of the good humans wasted time disbelieving the Autobots' story, or hassling the "little guys who know". But they didn't automatically believe it, either.
The US Super Secret guy were the exception. Right on the edge of being stupid. Like, maybe you should listen to the answers the kid gives you? And why would you build a great big plant to keep something cold, when you could leave it where it was and let Mother Nature do it for you? If your scientists didn't want to have to travel all the way to Antartica. But then why not move it to Alaska instead? (It might not be quite cold enough, but at least it would thaw slower when the power goes off.)
A couple of the civilians were a bit stereotypish, but I'll forgive that; they didn't have a lot to do with the plot.
Bumblebee's speech impediment brought a smile and flashback to the 1980s movie. As a Camero's (GM must have paid for the car promo spots) attitude to the VW Bug (in one of the old ones he was a bug) was fun.
I liked the transformation effects. At first I would have liked them to be a bit slower, so I could follow them, but there were other, slower sequences later on.
Daughter's favourite Hasbro toy line had a cameo; had to laugh at that one.
The mini con was awesome! Loved his choice of disguise; another reference to the 1980 movie.
I like the gender mix here. The women are as good looking as the men, and just as smart. Not enough women with real figures, but, hey, I had all those Special Forces guys to oggle, so I guess I won't complain.
A few plot holes. Always seem to be some. We eventually learn how the Decepticons got their information, but never learn how the Autobots did. And I think they found out which kid to protect even before the Decepticons did.
After half the city saw you land, what's the problem with the kids' parents learning about you? Other than you trust the kid and he has his reasons. (Would you want to tell your parents, "Hi, I know I barely made curfew, but say hi to my new friends. By the way, I need gggpa's glasses and don't wait up for me. Oh, and take cover." Still, it made a fun sequence.
Also, while I liked the big fight being in a city, I don't quite get what they were trying to do. Getting the cube into a military jet ain't a great idea, not when the good guys are all vehicles and the bad guys have a few planes and helicopters. Maybe I missed the explanation.
I don't know why they made the kid run through the city with the thing; wouldn't it have been faster for one of the smaller ones to grab him and run? (And how did he get to the top of the building?)
And why were the gadgets enlivened by the cube all nasty? Wild and scared and trapped, I could understand, but we both felt they were evil.
Overall, well worth seeing on the big screen.
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Between stimulus and response there is a space.
In that space is our power to choose our response.
In our response lies our growth and our freedom.
- Viktor E. Frankl
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Mallanox : "My mother was Irish and my father was an alien. I was an only child and I dress funny."