Transformers [HD DVD]

If you want an action packed movie then look no further, for this is surely one of the most fun films ive seen probably since Independence Day. It does exactly what it promises and delivers more action than the whole Spiderman trilogy put together. The film is about a war between robots on Earth so you'll have to suspend your disbelief for just two hours in order to enjoy. Plus, you'll be surprised how funny it is at the same time, with great supporting acts from John Turturo and Bernie Mac.
In short, this is the quintessential big, loud, dumb summer action movie many of us have been waiting for and is thunderously entertaining. Also loved the last half hour, which is simply non-stop action as a number of city blocks get destroyed while the war wages on between the bots.

The Double disk dvd is also sure to please the fans with bonus features that include:

Disc 1:
- Commentary by Michael Bay

Disc 2:

>>OUR WORLD<<
-- The Story Sparks - Steven Spielberg discusses his love for the
franchise and early concept art for the film. Explores how the
writers adapted the cartoon into a live-action movie and why
Michael Bay is the perfect director for the film.
-- Human Allies - A look at how the actors were selected and their
experiences on the set.
-- I Fight Giant Robots - An exploration of the military training
that Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson underwent for their roles
and the various stunts that the actors were asked to perform.
-- Battleground - A piece on the senior officials from the
Department of Defense and Air Force who consulted on the film
to give it authenticity and the key locations that the U.S.
government provided access to.

>>THEIR WORLD<<
-- Rise of the Robots - Explores the interaction between Hasbro
designers and Michael Bay to bring the toy line roaring to life.
-- AUTOBOTS Roll Out - Michael Bay discusses working with Chevy and
its designers and the modifications that were made to the cars
seen in the film.
-- DECEPTICONS Strike - The film's military advisors discuss the
"toys" they allowed the production to borrow: F-22 Raptors,
Ospreys and A-10 Warthogs.
-- Inside the AllSpark - ILM's digital artists discuss the
challenges of bringing the TRANSFORMERS to life.

>>MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE<<
-- From Script to Sand: The SKORPONOK Desert Attack - An in-depth
look at the making of this particularly epic and challenging
scene from initial storyboarding through production and visual
effects.
-- Concepts - Early sketch concepts of the robots.
-- Trailers

VERDICT: Highly recommended film and a worthy looking DVD purchase for the fans - 5 STARS

This is an interesting attempt to revive the Transformers franchise for a new generation in the 21st Century . The special effects are very impressive & it is nice to hear Peter Cullens voice again as Optimus Prime which injects a degree of feel good factor for fans of the 1980's Transformers cartoon . Prime is as ever a King Arthur or Richard The Lion Heart style upholder of justice while Megatron cares even less about human life than Stalin or Hitler . That is a reminder of the timeless nature of the good vs evil conflict .Transformers is sci-fi for adults as it is a modernised effort to tackle the themes , issues & scenarios that the original cartoons and subsequant movie did back in the mid 1980's . It does so more effectively by not being constrained by the need to appeal to a younger audience like the 1986 movie was . The plot line is pretty predictable & the Transformers do turn up a bit late in the film . Before that the film cannot quite decide whether or not is an American Pie parody or whether it is a suspense drama as the alien threat mounts . But that said there is much gritty realism such as human desire , death in combat , government keeping secrets from the people and the quest for power that are very much present . All in all this is not a bad effort at all - when a new film comes out and is the first one for quite a while then the hype can get out of hand thus leaving even the most level headed fan a bit disappointed . Star Wars had the same thing with The Phantom Menace and just as someone my age (27 at time of writing ) has their view of The Phantom Menace coloured by having grown up with the original Star Wars films so a person who had grown up with the 1986 Transformers Movie may have some issues with the 2007 effort . But it is certainly better than most of the other new offerings at the cinema that have been released so far in 2007 .

Like the reviewer above I managed to get a copy of this disk from the US where it has been out for a couple of weeks now. Never a great fan of the transformers toys when I was growing up I was skeptical about the film until I saw it in the cinema and was totally blown away.
The HD-DVD version I watched last night was superior to the cinema in every way. Projected onto a 106 inch screen the picture was truly magnificent - vivid hues, good contrast, and pin sharp definition. The amount of detail visible on this transfer is simply stunning; it really shows off the films high production values.
Likewise sound is also very good, with a good dynamic range that allows you to hear the dialogue but doesn't blow your speakers when the explosions start happening.
Many reviews of the film have complained that it is difficult in the action sequences to tell one robot from another - not with this version. The transformers are utterly convincing, each scratch and speck of dust on their metal bodies is visible, and the amount of detail the filmmakers put into the robots is nothing short of unbelievable - when you can see it as you can with this disk.
Some die hard fans of the toys and old cartoons find things in the film that disappoint them (such as Optimus Prime having flames painted on him) but that is inevitable. For most people this is a fantastic action film that as long as you do not take it too seriously (and lets face it the plot does have several holes) will not disappoint - if you want to see giant robots demolishing buildings, chucking tanks around and generally knocking the stuffing out of each other, this film is for you.
There is an extras disk yet, but I've got to watch the film again before I get to that!