I saw Transformers late last night. It was a late viewing, at 11:30 pm. I didn’t go home until 2:30am. I write this post, red-eyed and weary, to say quite plainly that Transformers is one of the greatest action movies of all time.

My faithful readers should know that I’ve been anticipating this movie for some time. I, like most, was originally skeptical when it was announced that Michael Bay would be taking the helm of the Transformers franchise. But as more information on the completed work became available, I became more confident in the film’s merit. I sung the praises of the film, trusting that Hollywood would not butcher the cartoon series that I loved in my childhood.

That trust was not misplaced.

I wish that I could find the words to accurately describe this movie, but the truth is that even though I am well versed in the English language, when it comes to Transformers words fail.

So I am forced to use metaphor.

I remember when the first Lord of the Rings film was released. The fans were at excited that the beloved epic tale would finally make the big screen, but worried that perhaps this Peter Jackson guy (relatively unknown and unproven at the time) would screw it all up royally.

But the beautifully directed intro sequence in The Fellowship of the Ring, Galadriel’s angelic voice narrating the tale of the One Ring and its history, the exquisite portrayal of Sauron’s initial defeat, dissolved all doubt. At that point you just knew that everything was going to be alright. It was like Peter Jackson coming right at the beginning and saying “You ain’t got no problem, Jules. I’m on the motherfucker.”

The opening sequence of Transformers had a similar effect on me. Though it wasn’t as masterfully crafted as the work in Lord of the Rings, it capitalized on the fact that there are only 3 male voices ingrained in the psyche of most young men in this country that were raised in the 80s:

1. Their father
2. Darth Vader
3. Optimus Prime

Peter Cullen does a fantastic job narrating the open sequence as Optimus Prime, the role that he has played for decades, the role that he was born to play. The producers of this movie carefully avoided including soundbytes from Optimus in the trailers, and it was a brilliant decision. The sound of his voice alone recalled almost forgotten images and sounds of my childhood, the unbridled joy of my first Transformer wrapped in Christmas paper, the innumerable hours spent watching these Robotic heroes fight for honor and justice.

And that’s just the opening sequence.

All fanboyism aside, the movie does have a few flaws. Some of the humor, although deliciously funny, is admittedly a bit juvenile. But considering the target audience, who really cares?

The CGI Transformers are just beautiful, the best work that ILM has ever done. Ever.

The action sequences are awe-inspiring, I found myself giggling with glee everytime StarScream did a mid-battle transformation.

And the writing? Classic Transformers, all the way up to the end.

I can only hope that the rest of the films (and you can bet your Paramount stock that there WILL be more) match and even exceed the quality of this one.

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