---
title: "Transformers"
year: 2007
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/transformers"
fi1m_id: "transformers"
imdb_id: "tt0418279"
tmdb_id: 1858
wikidata_id: "Q171453"
fi1m_score: 57
critics_score: 59
critics_reviews: 11
published: "2026-10-05T04:56:52.771557+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-05T04:56:53.126465+00:00"
region: "PT"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Transformers (2007)

Directed by Michael Bay · 2h 24m · IGAC M/12 · Adventure, Science Fiction, Action

## Identity

Transformers

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/transformers
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** transformers
- **IMDb ID:** tt0418279
- **TMDB ID:** 1858
- **Wikidata ID:** Q171453
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0418279/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1858, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q171453

**Fi1m score: 57** · Critics 59 from 11 reviews

*In a sentence:* We came for the transforming cars and did not need quite so much military administration

> Michael Bay’s transforming robots are intricate, convincing and occasionally a pleasure to watch. The muddled fights, thin characters and laboured comedy make the long stretches between those pleasures difficult to recommend.

## Synopsis

A war involving transforming machines draws in Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) and Mikaela Banes (Megan Fox). Captain Lennox (Josh Duhamel) and USAF Tech Sergeant Epps (Tyrese Gibson) face the conflict from the military side, while Defense Secretary John Keller (Jon Voight) is involved at government level. Bumblebee (voiced by Mark Ryan), Optimus Prime (voiced by Peter Cullen) and Megatron (voiced by Hugo Weaving) are among the robots. Vehicles become combatants, bringing the machines’ war into the human world through car chases and military action.

## Review

*Transformers* is intermittently entertaining, but its clever machines cannot make 144 minutes of muddled action and thin comedy worth the time. Michael Bay is plainly interested in the business of cars becoming robots, and the film briefly settles whenever it lets that happen. He is much less interested in giving the humans something worth saying between demonstrations. We can enjoy an action film with a daft premise; the difficulty here is how often the spectacle stops being easy to follow.

The transformations justify some of the fuss. We were delighted by them, because the intricate movement makes these impossible machines look as though somebody has worked out how they fit together. There is pleasure in being able to follow a mechanical process even while knowing perfectly well that it cannot happen. Bay’s coordination of animation and live action is most effective here, and the elaborate sound gives the moving parts a convincing sense of weight.

Mitchell Amundsen’s cinematography gives the vehicles a polish that suits Bay’s fascination with them, and the car chases benefit from his attention. Jeff Mann’s production design gives the cars and military hardware a solid-looking world to occupy, and the robots fit convincingly into it. These are substantial achievements in a film where so much depends on accepting a robot as a physical presence. The trouble comes when Bay needs several of those presences to occupy the same action sequence.

Editors Tom Muldoon, Paul Rubell and Glen Scantlebury keep the action busy without consistently making its movement clear. Too often we can register impact but cannot follow who has struck whom, which wastes some of the detail that made the transformations so enjoyable. Steve Jablonsky’s score adds another layer of insistence to a soundtrack already crowded with machinery. The music keeps pressing for excitement when a little space to see and hear what is happening would serve the film better.

The screenplay by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman does not provide much relief. Shia LaBeouf’s Sam Witwicky and Megan Fox’s Mikaela Banes have to hold our attention between the machines’ appearances, yet neither character is written with enough care to make that an attractive prospect. Some comic lines work, but the effort of getting through the explanations keeps interrupting any easy rhythm. Bay repeatedly asks the actors to make weak material lively, then gives them more of it than the film needs.

An effects-led adventure does not need complicated psychology, but it does need a reason to stay with the humans when the effects stop. Bay has not found one strong enough, and the military and comic detours make the length harder to forgive. We would happily see the machinery in action again, preferably in a film prepared to let us see it properly. If the cars becoming robots are enough for an evening, allow plenty of patience for everything that comes between.

*Fi1m score 57, published 5 October 2026.*

## What the critics say

The reviews are divided on Transformers, with praise clustering around the robots and the technical work that brings them to life. Even several sceptical critics admire the intricate transformations, kinetic movement and visual effects, while the more enthusiastic responses find Michael Bay’s spectacle exuberant, goofy and entertaining. The human characters attract less enthusiasm, and favourable reviews often accept weak writing and loose logic as the price of the machinery.

The main disagreement is over whether the action remains enjoyable when the noise, cutting and tangled story lines take over. Several critics find the combat difficult to follow, though /Film specifically praises the clearer climax in the IMAX presentation. Reservations also gather around thin characterisation, laboured comedy and military subplots. The spread is wide: some reviews enjoy the spectacle despite its faults, while others find those same faults exhausting enough to outweigh the effects.

## Straight answers

**Is Transformers worth watching?**

*Transformers* offers convincing robot transformations, but we find its muddled action and thin comedy difficult to recommend, scoring it 57 out of 100. It suits viewers chiefly interested in the machinery; at 144 minutes, the weak human characters and lengthy military detours require more patience than the occasional pleasures repay.

**How long is Transformers, and what is it rated?**

*Transformers* runs 2h 24m and is rated M/12 by the IGAC in Portugal. It is an adventure and science fiction film.

**Where can I watch Transformers in Portugal?**

*Transformers* is streaming on Amazon Prime Video in Portugal, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV from €3.99. It leaves Amazon Prime Video on 1 October. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Transformers, and is it suitable for children?**

*Transformers* has a UK 12A certificate and features robot combat, car chases and military action, making it a cautious choice for younger children. Under-12s need an accompanying adult at the cinema; we would take particular care with children sensitive to loud, busy action, since the review finds the machinery-heavy soundtrack crowded and the fighting difficult to follow.

**How does Transformers compare to The Iron Giant?**

*Transformers* is the choice for intricate mechanical spectacle, but we recommend [*The Iron Giant*](https://film.one/film/the-iron-giant) as the better film for characters and feeling. Brad Bird gives its robot convincing weight and a friendship worth following; Bay’s transformations impress, but the humans struggle to hold our attention. The adults in *The Iron Giant* are sometimes too neatly drawn, though its warmth feels earned.

**What should I watch after Transformers?**

After *Transformers*, try [*The Iron Giant*](https://film.one/film/the-iron-giant) (1999, Fi1m 88): For a machine with convincing weight and a friendship worth following. Then [*RoboCop*](https://film.one/film/robocop) (1987, Fi1m 91): Metal bodies, bruising action and satire with something specific to say; and [*Metropolis*](https://film.one/film/metropolis) (1927, Fi1m 87): Machinery and crowds arranged so precisely that the scale becomes frightening.

### Reviews we read (11)

- **Radio Times**, Alan Jones (4/5): The four-star rating indicates a positive verdict on Bay’s oversized sci-fi adventure. The review notes its familiar echoes of E.T. and other popular fantasies. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-ngyjf2/transformers/)
- **Slant Magazine**, Nick Schager (4/5): Schager condemns the film as a shallow, militaristic spectacle with little interest in its characters. He praises the elaborate sound design, while criticizing the chaotic action and the film’s treatment of its characters. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/transformers-dvd/)
- **Empire**, Ian Nathan (75/100, inferred): Nathan finds the film an exuberant, goofy action spectacle, despite its weak script and loose logic. He especially praises the intricately detailed, spectacular robot transformations. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/transformers-review/)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Kirk Honeycutt (75/100, inferred): Honeycutt finds the film noisy, entertaining fun, though its action and story lines sometimes snarl. He praises how Michael Bay coordinates the stunts, animation and characters, while criticizing the overly loud sound and forceful score. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/transformers-159366/)
- **The Guardian**, Rob Mackie (55/100, inferred): Mackie finds the film ludicrous but entertaining in fits and starts. He praises the transforming robots’ kinetic movement and occasional funny lines, while noting that the comedy and exposition clank. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2007/dec/07/dvdreviews.actionandadventure)
- **Time Out**, Ben Walters (2/5): The two-star review is skeptical of the film’s premise. It singles out the cars’ environmental implications amid the explosive action spectacle. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/transformers)
- **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (1.5/4): Ebert finds the film loud and incoherent, with little substance beneath its spectacle. He singles out the robots as its main appeal, while criticizing how hard it is to follow the action. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/transformers-2007)
- **The New Yorker**, Anthony Lane (35/100, inferred): Lane is sharply critical of the film’s noisy, toy-driven spectacle, though he calls it Bay’s first truly honest work of art. He singles out Bay’s sincere fascination with machines, while faulting the film’s thin characterization and borrowed plot. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2007/07/09/battle-scars)
- **/Film**, Peter Sciretta (85/100, inferred): The review strongly recommends seeing Transformers on the big screen, especially in IMAX. It praises the clearer, easier-to-follow climax but says the added footage offers little value. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/497130/movie-review-transformers-imax/)
- **Den of Geek**, American Bob (3/5): The critic finds the film weak in its characterization and padded with pointless military and comedic subplots. They praise Bay’s car-chase direction, polished visuals, and especially the freeway fight featuring Optimus Prime. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/transformers-our-first-review/)
- **Eye for Film**, Scott Macdonald (30/100, inferred): The critic finds the film entertaining in flashes but ultimately a tedious, poorly written spectacle. He praises the astonishing visual effects while faulting the frenetic editing and noisy action for undermining them. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/transformers-film-review-by-scott-macdonald)

## Details

- **Director:** Michael Bay
- **Director:** Michael Bay
- **Screenplay:** Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci
- **Story:** John Rogers, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci
- **Cinematography:** Mitchell Amundsen
- **Editor:** Tom Muldoon, Paul Rubell, Glen Scantlebury
- **Music:** Steve Jablonsky
- **Production design:** Jeff Mann
- **Costume design:** Deborah Lynn Scott
- **Producer:** Tom DeSanto, Don Murphy, Lorenzo di Bonaventura
- **Cast:** Shia LaBeouf as Sam Witwicky; Megan Fox as Mikaela Banes; Mark Ryan as Bumblebee (voice); Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime (voice); Hugo Weaving as Megatron (voice); Josh Duhamel as Captain Lennox; Tyrese Gibson as USAF Tech Sergeant Epps; Charlie Adler as Starscream (voice)
- **Runtime:** 2h 24m
- **Certificate (IGAC):** M/12
- **Release (Portugal):** 5 July 2007
- **Genres:** Adventure, Science Fiction, Action
- **Budget:** $150 million
- **Box office:** $710 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbX_SIz_9fk

## Where to watch in Portugal

- Amazon Prime Video: streaming, uhd, leaving 2026-10-01
- Amazon Prime Video: rent €3.99, uhd
- Apple TV: rent €3.99, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy €4.99, hd
- Apple TV: buy €7.99, sd

*Checked 2026-10-05.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 2008: Best Sound (nominated); Best Sound Editing (nominated); Best Visual Effects (nominated)
- Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie 2008: Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie (nominated)

## If you liked this

- *The Iron Giant* (1999), Fi1m 88: For a machine with convincing weight and a friendship worth following. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-iron-giant.md)
- *RoboCop* (1987), Fi1m 91: Metal bodies, bruising action and satire with something specific to say. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/robocop.md)
- *Metropolis* (1927), Fi1m 87: Machinery and crowds arranged so precisely that the scale becomes frightening. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/metropolis.md)
- *The Host* (2006): Creature destruction with a family worth caring about amid the panic.
- *Pacific Rim* (2013), Fi1m 70: Giant machines whose fights give us time to follow the punches. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/pacific-rim.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/transformers