Transformers more than just for the eye

In a summer of blockbusters that included third installments of Spider-Man, Pirates of the Carribean and Shrek, who would have thought that it would be Michael Bay’s Transformers that would get it right??
Director Bay delivers the expected loud, slam-bang action that is his trademark but in Transformers we see something from him he hasn’t previously shown a lot of: story arc and humor.
Transformers is, of course, based on one of the most popular toy lines of all time (gee, vehicles and planes that turn into robots – wonder if boys will like those?) and the TV series (there was also an animated movie). The story has alien robot clans, the good Autobots and the evil Decepticons, battling over an all-powerful cube that found its way to earth after the robots’ planet was destroyed in the clan war. Human teenager Sam Witwicky is befriended and protected by one of the Autobots and not only holds the key to finding the cube, but to making the movie as good as it is.
Shia LeBeouf, who recently starred in the surprise suspense hit, Disturbia, creates a fun, beleaguered geek, who must balance the difficult tasks of getting the hot chick and saving the world. Naturally expressive and likeable, LeBeouf gets plenty of laughs as he deals with jocks, the girl, nosey parents, the robots and the good ol’ government agents, who are led by the great character actor, John Turturro.
The other big factor in Transformers is that the story is established well and builds properly. There are no false endings for the sake of further tacked on action sequences, as is the case with all of the Pirates of the Carribean movies, which had to toss in unnecessary and confusing subplots just to use up the action ideas that its director obviously didn’t want to go unused. Transformers progresses logically, taking its time, and has us tingling with anticipation by the time the big baddie, Megatron, enters the fray.
As for the action, Bay still does that as well as anyone, and it comes relentlessly, big, loud and bright – although I would have preferred more wide, pulled back shots. Too much of the action is shot in tight, which makes it hard to figure out just what is happening – made even more confusing by the whirring, rapid transformations.
But, I quibble.
Transformers is great entertainment, filled with humor, a cool story and incredible action. Really, what more could you ask from a movie?