Transformers

In a word: Epic. That's the only way to describe it. I wanted to see giant robots fighting to the death. That wish was fulfilled. I wanted to hear Megatron's metallic voice sound indescribably evil and filled with rage. Check that. I wanted to feel Starscream's wickedness and treachery. Ditto confirm. I waited twenty-five years for this movie, and I walked out feeling immensely satisfied. Make sure you stick around and watch the credits...

Spoiler Alert! Spoiler Alert! Tranformers' fans do NOT read ahead!

What I did not like about the movie:

1. Megan Fox was way too hot for this movie. She is possibly the hottest girl on the planet right now (too bad she's marrying the dork from 90210). It's difficult to focus on the awesomeness of Megatron (or anything else) when she's on-screen. As an aside, she looks a bit like Engagement Lana (I'm not kidding).
   
2. Starscream didn't get enough screen time. I felt he could've been a larger part of the story but after Megatron's 'death' they will probably build up to giving him a larger role in the sequel (as undoubtedly there will be one, especially if you watch the credits)
3. Transforming sound- it could've been a bit louder and 'transformesque'
4. Having the Secretary of Defense fire a shotgun at the annoying little Decepticon was unnecessary and boring. I'd rather see more robots fighting
5. And this is the big one...all the Transformers (except for a Optimus, Megatron, Starscream, and Bumblebee) were new. Maybe some of them are latter generation Transformers, but it would've been cool to see a classic like Soundwave- my only guess (and hope) is that they are 'saving' them for the sequel. In his place is the annoying little Frenzy. He sucks.
   
6. The opening sequence was a bit underwhelming, I never got a real good look at the Decepticon- but perhaps that was the point
7. Megatron transforms into a jet- I was wondering how they'd deal with Transformers who convert into inanimate objects (Megatron is actually a gun), so I can't really blame them for taking some creative license
   

What I liked about the movie:

1. It was funny! It had me genuinely cracking up. There parts where the entire audience was laughing. Sam Witwicky acted well, overall great casting!
2. The plot in most summer epics is wafer-thin and the dialog leaves much to be desired. A case in point was Spiderman 3, which was just god-awful, a real franchise killer. That's a major reason I never 'believe' the critics- there were some who enjoyed it, but true movie fans know that it was far from captivating. Transformers was a surprise in that regard. Now don't expect the second coming of The Usual Suspects- let's just say it was 'good' for what it was. The movie doesn't slow down, or bog down, at any point. They kept the backstory relatively short, and at no point are you left wondering who's going where?
3. The Transformers were huge, like 15-25 stories tall- that is good! I expected them to be giant robots and they don't disappoint. There are part of the movie that looked a lot like classic Japanimation sequences, essentially giant robots fighting with each other as scared civilians run in horror- except this time around the robots looked real
   
4. Attention to detail- you can see texture, scratches, and slight dents on their exoskeleton. They didn't have a cheesy new, glossy, CGI shine and that's a good thing! For example when they show Optimus close up you can see antennae whirring, and slight movements and peripheral animations- very very nicely detailed
   
5. Nimble- they transformed very quickly and didn't come across as slow, plodding, and deliberate. These are advanced cybernetic beings, essentially biological computers. They didn't seem linear, digital, or rigid. Very well done
   
6. Megatron is pure evil- he bitches out Starscream in his first scene, and his voice is fucking epic! I had a major childhood flashback where I actually felt scared- when I was a kid I'd dream that Megatron was hunting me down and I needed to convince the Incredible Hulk to fight him, but the Hulk was too busy with one of his roid rages to listen. Very frustrating as you can imagine

All I can say is that they nailed it. The movie ,all in all, kicks ass! There are very few movies that I would see twice, but I will definitely see Transformers again. In two words: EPIC and PHENOMENAL !