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Transformers
International poster
Directed by	Michael Bay
Produced by	Steven Spielberg (executive) Tom DeSanto Don Murphy
Written by	Roberto Orci Alex Kurtzman John Rogers
Starring	Shia LaBeouf Megan Fox Josh Duhamel Tyrese Gibson Voices: Peter Cullen Hugo Weaving
Music by	Steve Jablonsky
Cinematography	Mitchell Amundsen
Editing by	Paul Rubell Glen Scantlebury
Distributed by	DreamWorks Paramount Pictures United International Pictures
Release date(s)	June 28, 2007 (AUS) July 2, 2007 (US) July 27, 2007 (UK)
Running time	143 min.
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$151 million[1]
Gross revenue	$702,924,525
Official website
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

Transformers is a 2007 live action film adaptation of the Transformers franchise. Directed by Michael Bay and executive produced by Steven Spielberg, the film stars Shia LaBeouf as Sam Witwicky, a teenager involved in the war between the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons for the All Spark. It also stars Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Jon Voight and John Turturro, and it features the voices of Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime and Hugo Weaving as Megatron. Cullen voiced Prime in the 1980s cartoon.

Producers Don Murphy and Tom DeSanto developed the film, and Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman wrote the script, aiming for a realistic interpretation of the characters. Though not a Transformers fan, Bay was convinced by Spielberg to direct, and he created an intricate design aesthetic for the computer-generated robots. General Motors and the United States military lent their support during filming, to keep the budget under $150 million. Armed with an enormous marketing campaign including comics, toys, and tie-in deals, Transformers became the twenty-eighth most successful film released, despite mixed reviews. A sequel is expected for release on June 26, 2009.

The film begins with Optimus Prime explaining Cybertron's destruction at the hands of Megatron, and his quest to obtain the All Spark. Megatron finds it on Earth, but crash-lands in the Arctic Circle, and is frozen in the ice. Captain Archibald Witwicky and his crew of explorers stumble upon Megatron's body in 1897. Megatron's navigational system is activated by Captain Witwicky, and Archibald's eye glasses are imprinted with the All Spark's coordinates. Sector 7, a secret United States government organization, discovers the All Spark and builds the Hoover Dam around it to mask the energy signal. The still-frozen Megatron is moved into this facility, and is reverse engineered to further advance human technology.

In the present day, the rest of the Decepticons — Blackout, Scorponok, Frenzy, Barricade, Starscream, Devastator and Bonecrusher — have landed on Earth and assumed the disguise of Earth vehicles (except Scorponok, who hides within Blackout) . Blackout and Scorponok attack the U.S. SOCCENT FWD military base in Qatar and try to hack into the military database to find where Megatron and the All Spark are. They fail when the network is manually shut down. While Blackout destroys the rest of the base, Scorponok chases a small group of survivors who have photographic evidence of the robots, but he is eventually repelled. By battling him, the military discovers their main defense is 6000-degree sabot rounds.

After Blackout's failure, Frenzy infiltrates Air Force One to hack again into the military database, and plants a virus. He finds the map imprinted on Captain Witwicky's glasses, which his descendant Sam intends to sell on eBay for money. Frenzy and Barricade begin tracking Sam's location. The Autonomous Robotic Organism (shortened to "Autobot") Bumblebee is also on Earth, disguised as a 1976 Chevrolet Camaro,^[2] and is bought by Sam, out shopping for his first car. He helps him try to woo his crush, Mikaela Banes. Bumblebee leaves at night to send a homing signal to the rest of the Autobots, and Sam sees him in robot mode. Barricade confronts Sam and demands Archibald's spectacles. Bumblebee rescues him and Mikaela from Barricade. They leave to rendezvous with the rest of the Autobots. The Autobots — Optimus Prime, Jazz, Ironhide, and Ratchet — land on Earth and take on the forms of Earth vehicles. Sam, Mikaela, and the Autobots return to Sam's home to retrieve the glasses. Although the Autobots manage to get the glasses, agents from Sector 7 arrive and capture Sam, Mikaela and Bumblebee.

Frenzy, disguised as a cellphone, secretly accompanies the group to the Hoover Dam and releases Megatron from suspended animation. Locating the All Spark, he sends an alert to the other Decepticons. Sam convinces the Sector 7 agents to release Bumblebee so that he can get the All Spark to Optimus Prime. Frenzy's virus shuts down government communications, so the Autobot-human convoy go to the nearby Mission City, to get a radio that can communicate with the air force into taking the All Spark away. The Decepticons attack, and in the ensuing battle, Bonecrusher, Frenzy, Jazz, Devastator and Blackout are killed, before Sam rams the All Spark into Megatron's chest. Optimus takes a fragment of the All Spark from Megatron's corpse, but realizes that with it destroyed, Cybertron cannot be restored. He sends a signal to other surviving Autobots in the universe, directing them to their new home, Earth. Sector 7 is closed, and the dead Decepticons are dumped into the Laurentian Abyss. The surviving Starscream escapes into space.

Producer Don Murphy was planning a film adaptation of G.I. Joe, but when the U.S. invaded Iraq in March 2003, Hasbro suggested Transformers instead.^[4] Tom DeSanto joined the project because he was a big fan of the characters,^[5] and they wrote a treatment featuring the Autobots Optimus Prime, Ironhide, Jazz, Prowl, Ratchet, Wheeljack, and Bumblebee, and the Decepticons Megatron, Starscream, Soundwave, Ravage, Laserbeak, Rumble, Skywarp and Shockwave.^[6] DeSanto and Murphy met with comic book writer Simon Furman, and researched the Generation 1 cartoon and comics for their story.^[4] They decided to explore why Transformers exist,^[4] focusing on the Creation Matrix, though Murphy felt the plot device would have to be renamed because of the film series of the same name.^[7] DeSanto chose a human point-of-view in his treatment to engage the audience.^[8] while Murphy wanted it to feel realistic, with the tone akin to that of a disaster film.^[7]

Steven Spielberg, a fan of the comics and toys,^[5] signed on as executive producer in 2004, and John Rogers was hired as screenwriter.^[9] Rogers' script pitted four Autobots against four Decepticons,^[10] and featured the Ark spaceship.^[11] Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, fans of the cartoon,^[12] were hired in February 2005 to start a new script.^[13] Spielberg suggested to the screenwriters a focus about "a boy and his car",^[14] which appealed to them as adulthood and responsibility are "the things that a car represents in [the United States]."^[15] Sam and Mikaela were the sole focus of the first draft,^[16] and the Transformers had no dialogue. This was changed as the writers felt that even if talking robots could look ridiculous, having them not speak would betray the fanbase.^[12] Spielberg read every draft of their script and gave notes on improvement.^[14] Orci and Kurtzman remained throughout production, and would add new dialogue after finding unexpected quirks in the animated robots' performances.^[17] Optimus, Megatron, Bumblebee and Starscream were the only robots present in all the rewrites.^[12]

Spielberg asked Michael Bay to direct on July 30, 2005,^[1] but he dismissed it as a "stupid toy movie".^[18] Nonetheless, Bay wanted to work with Spielberg, and upon visiting Hasbro, he gained a new respect for the mythology.^[1] As he considered the first draft "too kiddie",^[19] Bay increased the presence of the military for greater realism, which would lead into the main story.^[1] The writers sought inspiration from G.I. Joe for the soldier characters, though they were careful not to mix the brands.^[20] Arcee was cut because the writers were finding it difficult to explain robotic gender, and Bay found her too small compared to the other Autobots, being a motorcycle.^[20] An idea that the Decepticons planned to strike at different places in the whole world was also simplified.^[16] Bay admitted most of the Decepticons had their designs done before their names and roles were chosen, as Hasbro needed to get started on the toys.^[21]

The filmmakers chose to incorporate real-world physics into their designs, accounting that a robot would need to match the size of their chosen disguise. Here is a the layout for Optimus Prime's robotic body within his truck mode

A major decision made in designing the robots was having the size of the robot match their vehicle form. This acts as a rationale for why a Transformer would come to Earth and choose his particular disguise, as he would scan a vehicle that would contain a similar mass.^[22] The idea of travelling protoforms was developed as Roberto Orci wondered why "aliens who moonlight as vehicles need other vehicles to travel."^[23] A major influence in the designs were samurai armor, which goes back full circle to the Japanese origins of the toy line.^[22] There was also a desire to reflect their alien origins.^[24]

For most of the Autobots, a product placement deal with General Motors was made to supply their alternate forms, which saved $3 million.^[25] GM also provided almost two hundred cars to be blown up during the climactic battle.^[26] To supply most of the alternate modes of the Decepticons, as well as in keeping with making the film realistic, Bay had the support of the United States military. The film features F-22s, F-117s, and two V-22 Ospreys, the first time any of these have been used for a film.^[1] Two Ospreys were used, out of three that were in the U.S. Air Force inventory.^[27] Soldiers served as extras, and authentic uniforms were provided for the actors.^[1]

Director Michael Bay filming at Holloman Air Force Base

To save money, Michael Bay cut his fee by 30%,^[1] and planned an eighty-three day shooting schedule.^[19] He kept up the pace by doing more camera set-ups per day than usual^[25] and chose to shoot the film with a crew he was familiar with in the United States.^[1] A pre-shoot took place on April 19, 2006, and principal photography began on April 22 at Holloman Air Force Base.^[2] Holloman stood in for Qatar.^[1] To film Scorponok's attack at White Sands Missile Range, a mine sweep was performed to build a village, which would ironically be blown up.^[28] The scene was broken down for pilots flying the AWACS in the scene, who improvised dialog as if it was really happening.^[1]

The film also shot at the Hoover Dam and The Pentagon, the first time since the September 11, 2001 attacks that film crews were allowed into these locations.^[2] The Hoover Dam shoot was scheduled to film outside scenes before 10am, before the crowds came in, and shooting would take place inside for the rest of the day.^[28] Production in California was based at Hughes Aircraft at Playa Vista, where the hangar Megatron is imprisoned in was built.^[28] Six weekends were spent in Los Angeles, California, to shoot the climactic battle.^[2] Elements of the battle were also shot on the Universal backlot and in Detroit.^[28] The crew were also allowed to shoot at Griffith Observatory, which was still closed to the public because of rennovation that began in 2002.^[2] Filming wrapped on October 4.^[19]

Michael Bay shot his action sequences live to keep the budget below $150 million, with Spielberg encouraging him to only occasionally use computer-generated imagery for backgrounds.^[1] Stunts such as Bonecrusher were performed live, while cameras were placed into the midst of car crashes and explosions to make it look more exciting.^[26] Work on the animatics began in April 2005.^[10] Industrial Light & Magic created computer-generated transformations over six months in 2005, looking at every inch of the car models.^[29] Initially they were designed to follow the laws of physics, but it did not look exciting enough and was changed to be more fluid.^[30] One decision made was that the wheels should stay on the ground for as long as possible, allowing the robots to cruise around as they changed.^[31] Bay stated ILM made 3/4 of the film's effects, while Digital Domain made the rest,^[1] including the Arctic discovery of Megatron, Frenzy's severed head, a vending machine mutated by the All Spark, and the Autobots' protoforms.^[32]

Bay rejected a liquid metal surface for the character's faces, instead going for a "Rubik's Cube" style of modelling.^[1] He wanted numerous mechanical pieces visible, so the robots would look more interesting and realistic,^[33] making them dynamic and quick rather than lumbering beasts.^[1] Bumblebee uses a piece below his faceplate as an eyebrow, and pieces in his cheeks can swivel to resemble a smile. All the characters' eyes are designed to dilate and brighten.^[31] Bay instructed the animators to observe footage of two martial artists and watch numerous martial arts films to make the fights look graceful.^[1] Many of the animators were big Transformers fans and were given free rein to experiment: a scene where Jazz attacks Devastator is a reference to a scene in The Transformers: The Movie where Kup jumps on Blitzwing.^[34]

Due to the intricate designs of the Transformers, even the simplest notion of turning a wrist needs 17 visible parts;^[2] each of Ironhide's guns are made of ten thousand parts.^[33] Such detail needed 38 hours to render each frame of animation,^[2] which meant ILM had to increase their processing facilities.^[35] Each rendered piece had to look like real metal, shiny or dull, which became difficult to model because the aged and scarred robots had to transform from clean cars. Close-up shots of the robots were sped up to look cool, but in wide shots the animation was slowed down to convincingly illustrate a sense of weight. Photographs were taken of each set and had a lighting environment produced within a computer so the robots would look like they were convincingly moving there. Bay, who has directed numerous car commercials, understood ray tracing was the key to making the robots look real, in which the CG models would look realistic based on how much of the environment was reflecting on their bodies.^[34] Numerous simulations were programmed into the robots, so the animators could just focus on animating the particular areas needed for a convincing performance.^[35]

See also: Transformers: The Album and Transformers: The Score

Composer Steve Jablonsky, who collaborated with Bay on The Island, scored music for the trailers before work began on the film itself. Recording took place in April 2007 at the Sony Scoring Stage in Culver City. The score uses six major themes across ninety minutes of music, including the teaser music.^[36] The Autobots have three themes, with one named "Optimus" to represent their friendship with Sam, and another played during their arrival on Earth. The Decepticons have a chanted theme, which relies on electronics, unlike most of the score. The All Spark has its own theme as well.^[37] Hans Zimmer, Jablonsky's mentor, also helped compose the score.^[1]

Shia LaBeouf starred as Sam Witwicky, who unwittingly buys Bumblebee as his first car. The character is based upon the mechanic Spike from the television series,^[38] but the nickname was considered inappropriate because they dropped the character's profession.^[39] Bay stated he wanted to make Sam be an average Joe, and not a geek. Bay initially considered LaBeouf too old, having only seen his performance in Constantine, but he was bowled over by the actor's enthusiasm.^[1] A Transformers fan,^[5] LaBeouf also reminded the filmmakers of the young Tom Hanks.^[18] He worked out five days a week for three months and gained twenty-five pounds of muscle to prepare for the role, but realized during shooting that his role required agility rather than strength.^[2] LaBeouf performed his own stunts, including a scene where Sam clings to a statue as Megatron approaches, with only a safety harness to protect him. "There are action stars who wouldn’t have been as dumb", he joked.^[2]

Megan Fox plays Sam's crush, Mikaela Banes, whom he woos with Bumblebee's help. She is mechanically skilled because her father was a car thief. She had auditioned for Bay's production of The Amityville Horror. To make her give a tough performance, Bay often threatened to repeatedly film takes of scenes at night so she would appear frustrated and tired.^[1] Fox gained ten pounds of muscle during shooting due to the physicality of the role.^[2] Other figures in Sam's life include Kevin Dunn and Julie White as his parents, Ron and Judy, while Bernie Mac cameoed as Bobby Bolivia, who sells Sam Bumblebee.

Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson play the soldiers, Captain William Lennox and Technical Sergeant Robert Epps, respectively. The characters are part of a 7-man Joint Special Operations Command team in Qatar, who survive Blackout's attack on the base. Lennox has a wife and new-born daughter in the United States. Duhamel and Gibson were fans of the toy line as children,^[5] and the latter even paid the filmmakers so he could be in the film.^[40] They spent three days in boot camp to prepare for the role. Gibson met combat controller Ray Bollinger, and spent time learning technical terms and military code to make his dialogue sound convincing.^[5]

John Turturro played Agent Reggie Simmons of Sector 7. Bay wanted Steve Buscemi for the role, but he was busy, so Turturro, whom Bay had wanted to work with ever since seeing The Big Lebowski, was cast instead.^[1] Turturro gave a slapstick performance, which was intended to be in contrast to the serious military scenes, so that a sense of fun would not completely dissapear.^[20] The actor claimed to have based his performance on the director, although Bay himself stated he cannot see anything of himself in Turturro's performance. A backstory was fashioned for Simmons, explaining his family had served in Sector 7 for generations, giving him a mother's boy personality. Bay deleted these many jokes as they were too crude.^[1] Michael O'Neill played Simmons's superior, Tom Banachek.

Rachael Taylor played Maggie Madsen, who assists the Department of Defense in decoding the virus left by Frenzy. She realizes that those hacking into the government's data files cannot be human. The writers had initially envisioned Maggie as quirkier and more cyberpunk.^[20] The filmmakers opted for Taylor's natural Australian accent to give the film a global sensibility.^[2] She found many of her scenes difficult because of the high heels she had to wear.^[40] Anthony Anderson played Glen Whitmann, a computer hacker and friend of Maggie, while Jon Voight played the United States Secretary of Defense John Keller.

Peter Cullen voices Optimus Prime, the Autobot leader who comes to Earth to sacrifice himself by merging with the All Spark, destroying it and thereby ending the war. Don Murphy decided after discussions with fans on his website that they wanted the surviving voices from the 1980s cartoon.^[7] Cullen described reprising the role as easy as "slipping into an old pair of very comfortable shoes that you haven't worn for a while", and was grateful to the fans for wanting him back.^[41] His vocal performance consisted of much improvisation with Bay, and portraying the traditional heroism of the character as well as bringing a sense of humor.^[42] Bay told the animators to seek inspiration from Liam Neeson to inspire Optimus's body language.^[1] Optimus transforms into a Peterbilt truck. The original cab over design was rejected because that would only transform into a twenty-feet tall model of the character, because the filmmakers wanted him to stand twenty-eight feet tall.^[1] Optimus has red flame artwork on his blue body. This acted as a compromise between Hasbro, who wanted to retain the character's iconic red chest, and Bay, who felt red alone would not photograph well.^[26] Hasbro rejected early designs as there was too much blue.^[22] Optimus's head was also built on set.^[1]

Optimus's scout Bumblebee transforms into a 1976 Chevrolet Camaro, and upgrades into the 2009 model.^[2] Bay rejected the G1 form of the Volkswagen Beetle, as it reminded him of Herbie the Love Bug. Hasbro did not mind as long as the car remained yellow.^[26] The Camaro was chosen for its friendly appearance.^[2] Bumblebee communicates with radio soundbites because of his damaged vocal processor. The decision was inspired by Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, as the writers wanted to show his bond was Sam was beyond words.^[43] They had considered using lines from various Paramount films, including "I feel the need for speed!" from Top Gun, but it was considered too obvious.^[44] Credited clips used in the film include John Wayne from El Dorado and Nichelle Nichols as Uhura from the Star Trek television series. Mark Ryan voiced the character for his two lines at the film's end, when he regains his voice. He had acted as a stand in for the robots during filming, giving actors someone to react to, both physically where appropriate and providing dialogue.^[45] A fully-sized puppet was also used,^[2] while the animators modeled the character on Michael J. Fox.^[1]

Darius McCrary voices Jazz, a lieutenant who develops a fondness for urban culture. McCrary said he honored to follow in the footsteps of Scatman Crothers, who voiced Jazz on television. "When I was actually [recording], I really did feel Scatman's presence," he said.^[46] Mark Ryan had tried out numerous voices for Jazz, including a Sean Connery impersonation, before McCrary was cast.^[45] Jazz transforms into a Pontiac Solstice, a car the director considered too small, but he decided not to argue with GM.^[21] The screenwriters chose to kill off Jazz as they felt he was the most likeable character after Optimus and Bumblebee.^[47]

Alternate modes. Top: Starscream.
Mid, left to right: Optimus Prime, Ironhide, Ratchet and Barricade.
Bottom, left to right: Bumblebee, Jazz.

Jess Harnell voices Ironhide, who transforms into a GMC Topkick pick-up truck. He is the grumpy weapons specialist of the group. Peter Cullen voiced Ironhide on television and also auditioned to reprise the role.^[48] When Ryan was voicing the character on set, he had used a Southern accent as Cullen did.^[45]

Robert Foxworth voices Ratchet, the team's medical officer. He transforms into Search and rescue Hummer H2. The writers had wanted to keep his G1 ambulance form, but the producers wanted something else. Hasbro did not mind if the character was either an ambulance or a fire apparatus.^[10]

Hugo Weaving voices Megatron, the Decepticon leader who crash-landed in the Arctic thousands of years ago in his quest to obtain the All Spark. When he is defrosted, he keeps his original alien jet form out of vanity.^[49] Frank Welker, who played the part on television opposite Cullen, auditioned to reprise the role. Bay considered his voice too soft, and he also felt it would be disrespectful to ask Welker to change his voice. Weaving's voice had been part of the inspiration Bay had given to his animators for the character, and the character's voice had become that of Weaving in the director's imagination. The actor recorded his lines in Australia, where he was directed by Bay through iChat.^[1] The change from Megatron's G1 Walther P38 pistol form was done to avoid morphing. Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman also felt it would be "the equivalent to Darth Vader becoming his own lightsaber and having someone else swing him around."^[49] Fans disliked leaked images of the character's head design, which was much narrower, so it was redesigned during filming.^[22] Optimus calls Megatron his brother; Peter Cullen interpreted this line literally,^[50] but while the writers state this was the case in early drafts, they consider the line in its final context to be metaphorical.^[20]

Reno Wilson voices Frenzy, a small and vicious spy who transforms into a boombox and later into a mobile phone. Frenzy was primarily animated by a French man who gave the character quirky movements: Bay could tell which shots were not done by him and felt the character totally changed in those scenes.^[1] A puppet was also used on set.^[2] Frenzy was originally named Soundwave, but the writers decided to rename him as he was too different from the original character.^[49] Jess Harnell voices Barricade, (a Saleen Mustang police car), whom Frenzy guides to Sam. The character was inspired by the G1 Autobot Prowl, as the writers thought a Decepticon seeking authority would use the police car form.^[49]

Blackout transforms into a MH-53 Pave Low helicopter, with his minion Scorponok attaching to him. Soundwave had been considered for this role,^[51] with Ravage as his minion,^[43] but Hasbro insisted Soundwave have a music-based role.^[10] Scorponok was chosen after the writers discovered him in the pages of The Ultimate Guide, and felt he was appropriate to the setting.^[52] A model of his tail was built,^[53] while primacord explosives was used for his ripple movements in the sand. This was potentially dangerous to cast members, therefore creating genuine terror in the film's shots.^[1]

Charlie Adler voices Starscream, Megatron's second-in-command, who transforms into an F-22 Raptor. Despite being a popular character, his role is limited because of the film's running time.^[20] Nonetheless, a post-credits scene of him escaping Earth was added because audiences at test screenings wanted to know what happened to him.^[1] Jim Wood voices Bonecrusher, who attacks Optimus on the highway to Mission City. The animators modelled his fighting styles on hockey and football players,^[1] and his alternate form of the Buffalo H Mine-Protected vehicle was altered with a larger fork.^[49] For Devastator, the crew chose to use an M1 Abrams tank prop built for xXx: State of the Union.^[2] The character was intended to be named Brawl, but the subtitled line where the character names himself in Cybertronian reads "Devastator reporting". It was not fixed despite being pointed out by the writers twice.^[54]

Transformers had its worldwide premiere at N Seoul Tower on June 11, 2007.^[55] It premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival on June 27 via digital satellite feed,^[56] and in Rhode Island on June 28. The Rhode Island premiere was a freely available event offering fans 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.^[57] The film was released on IMAX on September 21, 2007,^[58] with an additional two minutes that were not seen elsewhere.^[59]

Mountain Dew sidewalk chalk advert featuring Bumblebee on a New York City pavement, by Julian Beever

Further information: Transformers movie toy line, Transformers: Movie Prequel, Transformers: Movie Adaptation, Transformers: Ghosts of Yesterday, and Transformers: The Game

Hasbro made deals with 200 companies across 70 countries to promote the film.^[60] Their toy line for the film was created over two months over late 2005/early 2006, collaborating heavily with the filmmakers.^[24] A pair of preview toys, Protoform Optimus Prime and Starscream, were released in the U.S.A. on May 1, 2007, before the first wave of figures were released on June 2.^[24] The line featured characters not in the film, including Arcee.^[22] A second wave of toys set for late 2007 is labeled the "Allspark Power" line, which includes ordinary vehicles in the film turned into Transformers, and repaints of existing toys.^[61] The toys feature "Automorph Technology" in which moving parts of the toy allow other parts to shift automatically.^[62] Michael Bay directed tie-in commercials for General Motors, Burger King and PepsiCo,^[63] while props including the Chevrolet Camaro used for Bumblebee and the Allspark, were put up for charity on eBay.^[64] A viral marketing alternate reality game was employed through the Sector 7 web site, which presented the film and all previous Transformers toys and media as part of a cover-up operation called "Hungry Dragon," perpetrated by a "real life" Sector 7 to hide the existence of "real" Transformers. The site featured several videos recording "evidence" of Transformers on Earth, with cameos by G1 characters Grimlock and Bumblebee.^[65]

Transformers was released in Region 1 territories on October 16, 2007, on DVD and HD DVD formats. The standard DVD is offered in single disc and two disc editions.^[66] Michael Bay contributed an audio commentary. The DVD release altered a few frames to add product placement for Cisco Systems.^[67] The Wal-Mart edition of the DVD includes an animated version of the prequel comic book, entitled Transformers Beginnings. Mark Ryan, Peter Cullen and Kevin Dunn reprised their roles, while Frank Welker played Megatron.^[68] The Target disc case is a transformable two-dimensional image of Optimus Prime,^[69] and contains a prequel comic book focusing on the Decepticons.^[68] The DVD sold 8.3 million copies, making it the fastest-selling DVD of the year in North America, and it sold 190 thousand copies on HD DVD, the biggest debut on the format.^[70]

Transformers fans were initially divided over the film due to the radical redesigns of many characters, although the casting of Peter Cullen was warmly received.^[22] Transformers comic book writer Simon Furman and Beast Wars script consultant Benson Yee both warmly received it as spectacular fun, but Furman argued there were too many human storylines.^[71] Yee felt that being the first in a series, the film had to establish much of the fictional universe and therefore did not have time to focus on the Decepticons.^[72] Nonetheless, the film created a greater awareness of the franchise and drew in many new fans.^[73] Transformers' box office success led to development of films based on Voltron and Robotech,^[74] as well as a Knight Rider remake.^[75]

The film was released in ten overseas markets on June 28, 2007, including Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and the Philippines. Transformers made $29.5 million in its first weekend, topping the box office in ten countries including a $1.7 million four-day weekend gross in Singapore, the biggest yet.^[76] It grossed $5.2 million in Malaysia, becoming the most successful film in the country's history.^[77] Transformers opened in China on July 11, setting a record for the biggest foreign language film opening there, with $3 million.^[78] It became the second highest-grossing foreign film behind Titanic, making $37.3 million.^[79] The film was officially released in the United Kingdom on July 27, making £8.7 million, and helped contribute to the biggest attendance record ever, for that weekend. It was second at the U.K. box office, behind The Simpsons Movie.^[80] The film has grossed $702.9 million worldwide, including $319 million in the United States, making it Michael Bay's highest grossing film to date, not counting for inflation.^[81]

The film was released in the U.S. and Canada on July 3, 2007, with 8 p.m. preview screenings on July 2. The previews earned $8.8 million,^[82] and in its first day of general release it grossed $27.8 million, a record for Tuesday box office attendance. It broke Spider-Man 2's record for the biggest July 4th gross, making $29 million.^[83] On its opening weekend, Transformers grossed $70.5 million, amounting to a $155.4 million opening week, giving it the record for the biggest opening week for a non-sequel.^[84] The opening's domestic gross was 50% more than what Paramount Pictures expected, with one executive attributing it to word of mouth, telling parents that "it's OK to take the kids." A Cinemascope poll indicated the film was most popular with children and parents, including older women, and attracted many African American and Latino viewers.^[85]

Transformers was met with mixed reviews from film critics, receiving a "rotten" rating of 56% favorable reviews out of one hundred-and-eighty-six reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, with a Cream of the Crop rating of 68% "fresh" based on thirty-six reviews from major news outlets.^[86] It received a Metacritic score of 61/100 (generally favorable) from thirty-five reviews.^[87] IGN's Todd Gilchrist found it Michael Bay's best film, and "one of the few instances where it's OK to enjoy something for being smart and dumb at the same time, mostly because it's undeniably also a whole lot of fun."^[88] The Advertiser's Sean Fewster found the visual effects so seamless that "you may come to believe the studio somehow engineered artificial intelligence".^[89] The Denver Post's Lisa Kennedy praised the depiction of the robots as having "a believably rendered scale and intimacy"^[90] and ABC presenter Margaret Pomeranz was surprised "that a complete newcomer to the Transformers phenomenon like myself became involved in the fate of these mega-machines."^[91] Ain't It Cool News's Drew McWeeny felt most of the cast grounded the story, and that "it has a real sense of wonder, one of the things that’s missing from so much of the big CGI lightshows released these days."^[92] Author Peter David found it ludicrous fun, and that "[Bay] manages to hold on to his audience's suspension of disbelief long enough for us to segue into some truly spectacular battle scenes."^[93]

Despite the praise for the visual effects, there was division over the human storylines. The Hollywood Reporter's Kirk Honeycutt liked "how a teen plot line gets tied in to the end of the world,"^[94] while Empire's Ian Nathan praised Shia LaBeouf as "a smart, natural comedian, [who] levels the bluntness of this toy story with an ironic bluster."^[95] Ain't It Cool News founder Harry Knowles found the military storylines distracting from Sam, a conflict of Bay and Steven Spielberg's styles.^[96] James Berardinelli hated the film as he did not connect with the characters in-between the action, which he found tedious.^[97] Los Angeles Times's Kenneth Turan found the humans "oddly lifeless, doing little besides marking time until those big toys fill the screen,"^[98] while ComingSoon.net's Joshua Stames felt the Transformers were "completely believable, right up to the moment they open their mouths to talk, when they revert to bad cartoon characters."^[99] Daily Herald's Matt Arado was annoyed that "the Transformers [are] little more than supporting players", and felt the middle act was sluggish.^[100] CNN's Tom Charity questioned the idea of a film based on a toy, and felt it would "buzz its youthful demographic... but leave the rest of us wondering if Hollywood could possibly aim lower."^[101]

Before its release, Transformers was voted "Best Summer Movie You Haven't Seen Yet" at the 2007 MTV Movie Awards.^[102] Entertainment Weekly named Bumblebee as their fourth favorite computer generated character,^[103] while The Times listed Optimus Prime's depiction as the thirtieth best film robot, citing his coolness and dangerousness.^[104] Visual effects supervisor Scott Farrar was honored at the Hollywood Film Festival and Hollywood Awards Gala Ceremony on October 22, 2007 for his work on the film.^[105]

Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg are expected to return as director and executive producer for Transformers 2, while Paramount has announced a June 26, 2009 release.^[106] Shia LaBeouf,^[107] Megan Fox^[108] and Peter Cullen are signed on to return.^[109] Before Transformers was released, Bay expressed interest in an aircraft carrier character,^[110] while producer Tom DeSanto was interested in the Dinobots, Constructicons, and Soundwave.^[111] Ehren Kruger was hired to write the script, alongside the returning Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman.^[112] The script was not completed because of the 2007 Writers Guild of America strike, but filming is expected to begin in June 2008.^[113]

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Transformers (film)

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Category:Transformers (film)

• Official site
  • Sector Seven Org - Viral marketing site. Latest password is Deceptibot.
• Transformers at the Internet Movie Database
• Transformers at All Movie Guide
• Transformers at Yahoo! Movies
• Transformers at Rotten Tomatoes
• Transformers at Metacritic

• Transformers at Box Office Mojo
• Transformers at Circuit City
• Ben Procter's concept art for the film