My rating: 7/10
I've never watched an episode of Transformers before, but I believe this film comes close enough to creating a world where real-life robots threaten the human race. Michael Bay never fails to create good atmospheres for action and thrills, but Transformers still suffered from some problems. These problems were big enough to detract from the whole picture.
First, the action. It was top notch, but not perfect. The special effects were probably the best and most advanced I've seen yet. The human military presence was awesome. Watching the U.S. military, with it's most advanced technology, get served by a couple alien robots, really gives a nod to the power of the alien force. But, the action was just too much. I've been noticing a trend with new movies lately that the action in these types of movies continues to get faster. It's now getting more difficult for the human eye to follow what's happening. At times I had trouble following the action, or even recognizing which robots where good and which were evil. I really wanted to enjoy every second of the graphical battles, but if I blinked and focused on the wrong part of the picture, I found I missed a lot. Bigger and faster is not always better.
The detailed design of the transformers was also too complex for my taste. It was all SO detailed, I had a hard time appreciating it. Since of course they wouldn't stand still long enough to notice the fine details, they were a wasted feature in my mind. More complex is not always better.
I really enjoyed the slow-motion, Matrix like moments, albeit brief. These short shots really showcased the graphical power of this film.
The story was typical but sufficient. The quest for an artifact that would calm a civil war between robots, with some teenage love thrown in. You can't really expect more from this type of film.
What was refreshing and nice to see was the humor. It was actually very funny. This was what prehaps redeemed the film, giving it character and watchability that the overload of graphics took from it. Both the characters and transformers lent their personalities and their unique takes on the impending destruction, lightening up the movie enough to give it some character.
I'd recommend Transformers. Some prefer to live by "the more action, the better", even if it's too much for myself personally. Check it out.