Transformers is a 2007 American science fiction action film based on the Transformers toy line. The film, which combines computer animation with live-action, is directed by Michael Bay, with Steven Spielberg serving as executive producer. It stars Shia LaBeouf as Sam Witwicky, a teenager involved in a war between the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons, two factions of alien robots who can disguise themselves by transforming into everyday machinery. The Decepticons desire control of the AllSpark, the object that created their robotic race, with the intention of using it to build an army by giving life to the machines of Earth. Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Jon Voight, Anthony Anderson and John Turturro also star, while voice actors Peter Cullen and Hugo Weaving voice Optimus Prime and Megatron respectively.
Produced by Don Murphy and Tom DeSanto, they developed the project in 2003 and DeSanto wrote a treatment. Steven Spielberg came on board the following year, hiring Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman to write the screenplay. The United States Armed Forces and General Motors (GM) loaned vehicles and aircraft during filming, which saved money for the production and added realism to the battle scenes. Hasbro organized an enormous promotional campaign for the film, making deals with hundreds of companies. This advertising blitz included a viral marketing campaign, coordinated releases of prequel comic books, toys and books and, as well as product placement deals with GM, Burger King, and eBay.
Despite mixed critical reaction to the radical redesigns of the characters, and reviews criticizing the focus on the humans at the expense of the robots, Transformers was a box office success. It is the forty-fifth most successful film released and the fifth most successful of 2007, grossing approximately US$709 million worldwide. The film won four awards from the Visual Effects Society and was nominated for three Academy Awards for Best Sound, Best Visual Effects, and Best Sound Editing. A sequel, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, was released on June 24, 2009, despite the film being panned by critics, it was a commercial success and grossed more than its predecessor. A third film, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, was released on June 29, 2011, in 3-D and went on to gross over $1 billion dollars, despite mixed and negative reviews. On February 13, 2012, Paramount Pictures announced that a fourth Transformers movie will begin production with Michael Bay as director. Its scheduled release date is June 2014.
Produced by Don Murphy and Tom DeSanto, they developed the project in 2003 and DeSanto wrote a treatment. Steven Spielberg came on board the following year, hiring Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman to write the screenplay. The United States Armed Forces and General Motors (GM) loaned vehicles and aircraft during filming, which saved money for the production and added realism to the battle scenes. Hasbro organized an enormous promotional campaign for the film, making deals with hundreds of companies. This advertising blitz included a viral marketing campaign, coordinated releases of prequel comic books, toys and books and, as well as product placement deals with GM, Burger King, and eBay.
Despite mixed critical reaction to the radical redesigns of the characters, and reviews criticizing the focus on the humans at the expense of the robots, Transformers was a box office success. It is the forty-fifth most successful film released and the fifth most successful of 2007, grossing approximately US$709 million worldwide. The film won four awards from the Visual Effects Society and was nominated for three Academy Awards for Best Sound, Best Visual Effects, and Best Sound Editing. A sequel, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, was released on June 24, 2009, despite the film being panned by critics, it was a commercial success and grossed more than its predecessor. A third film, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, was released on June 29, 2011, in 3-D and went on to gross over $1 billion dollars, despite mixed and negative reviews. On February 13, 2012, Paramount Pictures announced that a fourth Transformers movie will begin production with Michael Bay as director. Its scheduled release date is June 2014.
The Plot
Optimus Prime, leader of the benevolent Autobots, narrates the collapse of the Transformers' home world, Cybertron. It was destroyed by war between the Autobots and the malevolent Decepticons, lead by Megatron in his quest to get hold of the All Spark. The Autobots want to find the All Spark so they can use it to rebuild Cybertron and end the war, while the Decepticons want to use it to defeat the Autobots and take over the universe. Megatron had managed to locate the All Spark on Earth, but crash-landed in the Arctic Circle and froze in the ice. After stumbling upon his frozen body in 1897, explorer Captain Archibald Witwicky accidentally activated Megatron's navigational system and his eye glasses were imprinted with the coordinates of the All Spark's location, an incident that left him blind and mentally unstable. Sector 7, a secret government organization created by President Herbert Hoover, discovered the All Spark in the Colorado River and built the Hoover Dam around it to mask its energy emissions. The still-frozen Megatron was moved into this facility and was used to advance human technology through reverse engineering.
In the present day, the Decepticon known as Blackout arrives in a U.S. military base in Qatar to find the location of Megatron and the AllSpark. He tries to hack into the files of the computer base, but is stopped by Captain William Lennox and his team. Back in the United States, Captain Witwicky's descendant Sam Witwicky buys his first car which turns out to be the Autobot scout Bumblebee and helps him woo his crush Mikaela Banes. Later, Sam catches a glimpse of Bumblebee's true form when he signals the other Autobots.
In the present day, the Decepticon known as Blackout arrives in a U.S. military base in Qatar to find the location of Megatron and the AllSpark. He tries to hack into the files of the computer base, but is stopped by Captain William Lennox and his team. Back in the United States, Captain Witwicky's descendant Sam Witwicky buys his first car which turns out to be the Autobot scout Bumblebee and helps him woo his crush Mikaela Banes. Later, Sam catches a glimpse of Bumblebee's true form when he signals the other Autobots.
On Air Force One, another Decepticon named Frenzy infiltrates the plane and tries to hack into the network again, only this time is more successful until he is stopped by the US Security Defense before he can retrieve all of the file information. Frenzy is then picked up by his partner Barricade and they go after Sam after learning he has the glasses needed to find the AllSpark. Sam is rescued by Bumblebee and Mikaela also learns of the Transformers' existence. Bumblebee fights Barricade and manages to subdue him while Sam and Mikaela decapitate Frenzy, but he still survives.
Meanwhile, Scorponok, who was sent by Blackout, goes after Captain Lennox and his team, murdering one of them and injuring another. During the battle, Scorponok is forced to retreat when he gets injured by sabot rounds dropped him by the Air Force. Sam and Mikaela soon meet Optimus Prime and his other Autobot partners Jazz, Ironhide, and Ratchet. They explain their origins to the two humans and insist on the urgency to get to the Allspark first before the Decepticons, knowing that the Decepticons plan to use it to turn all of Earth's technologies into a new army of Transformers and render humanity extinct. The Autobots bring the two humans back to Sam's house to find the glasses, and they nearly reveal their existence to Sam's parents.
However, Sector 7 agent Seymour Simmons and his team find Sam and take his family away to a classified location after learning Sam came into contact with the Autobots. However, Sam and Mikaela are rescued by Optimus and the Autobots, but Bumblebee ends up getting captured. The Autobots get the glasses and use them to find the AllSpark's location so they can destroy it so the Decepticons cannot get to it. Sam and Mikaela along with two hackers named Maggie and Glenn arrive at the Hoover Dam, where Maggie and Glenn got arrested by the FBI for trying to decipher the information Frenzy stole.
Frenzy finds the AllSpark and gets his body back, then contacts the other Decepticons, Starscream, Bonecrusher, Brawl, Barricade, and Blackout. Starscream attacks the dam and Frenzy frees Megatron from his frozen prison, where he joins his cohorts into chasing down Sam and the Autobots, where Bumblebee has shrunk the cube to a reasonable size. They then get to Mission City, where a large battle ensues. Working together, the Autobots and human soldiers manage to bring down Bonecrusher, Blackout, Brawl. However the war caused Bumblebee to get crippled, and Jazz is killed by Megatron.
Soon, it is up to Sam to decide Earth's fate. Optimus urges Sam to put the AllSpark in his chest, which will destroy them both, but Sam instead inserts the cube into Megatron's chest, which kills him and destroys the AllSpark. All of the dead Transformer bodies are dumped into the Laurentian Abyss in the Atlantic Ocean to be hidden, Sector 7 gets closed down by the President of the United States, and the Witwicky family are released from custody.
Sam and Mikaela soon start a new relationship, and the film ends with Optimus Prime saying that the Autobots' fates have given them a new home, Earth, and sends a message calling out all surviving Autobots to join them.
During the credits, Starscream is shown escaping into space.
Reviews
Transformers had its worldwide premiere at N Seoul Tower on June 10, 2007. The film's June 27 premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival used a live digital satellite feed to project the film on to a screen. A premiere took place at Rhode Island on June 28, which was a freely available event giving attendees the opportunity to buy tickets for $75 to benefit four charities: the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, the Autism Project of Rhode Island, Adoption Rhode Island, and Hasbro Children's Hospital. The film was released on IMAX on September 21, 2007, with additional footage that were not included in the general theatrical release.
The Cast
Shia LaBeouf as Sam Witwicky
Megan Fox as Mikaela Banes
Josh Duhamel as Captain William Lennox
Tyrese Gibson as USAF Tech Sergeant Epps
Rachael Taylor as Maggie Madsen
Anthony Anderson as Glen Whitmann
Jon Voight as Defense Secretary John Keller
John Turturro as Agent Simmons
Michael O'Neill as Tom Banacheck
Kevin Dunn as Ron Witwicky
Julie White as Judy Witwicky
Amaury Nolasco as ACWO Jorge "Fig" Figueroa
Zack Ward as First Sergeant Donnelly
Travis Van Winkle as Trent DeMarco
Megan Fox as Mikaela Banes
Josh Duhamel as Captain William Lennox
Tyrese Gibson as USAF Tech Sergeant Epps
Rachael Taylor as Maggie Madsen
Anthony Anderson as Glen Whitmann
Jon Voight as Defense Secretary John Keller
John Turturro as Agent Simmons
Michael O'Neill as Tom Banacheck
Kevin Dunn as Ron Witwicky
Julie White as Judy Witwicky
Amaury Nolasco as ACWO Jorge "Fig" Figueroa
Zack Ward as First Sergeant Donnelly
Travis Van Winkle as Trent DeMarco
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