--- title: "Transformers: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/transformers/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/transformers" critics_score: 59 critics_reviews: 11 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): what the critics said Critics' score 59 from 11 reviews: 5 positive, 2 mixed, 4 negative. 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. ## Radio Times — Alan Jones Rating 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 the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-ngyjf2/transformers/) ## Slant Magazine — Nick Schager Rating 4/5. 8 October 2007. 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 the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/transformers-dvd/) ## Empire — Ian Nathan Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. 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 the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/transformers-review/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Kirk Honeycutt Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 28 June 2007. 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 the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/transformers-159366/) ## The Guardian — Rob Mackie Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 7 December 2007. 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 the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2007/dec/07/dvdreviews.actionandadventure) ## Time Out — Ben Walters Rating 2/5. 23 July 2007. The two-star review is skeptical of the film’s premise. It singles out the cars’ environmental implications amid the explosive action spectacle. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/transformers) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Rating 1.5/4. 2 July 2007. 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 the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/transformers-2007) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 1 July 2007. 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 the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2007/07/09/battle-scars) ## /Film — Peter Sciretta Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 21 September 2007. 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 the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/497130/movie-review-transformers-imax/) ## Den of Geek — American Bob Rating 3/5. 9 July 2007. 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 the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/transformers-our-first-review/) ## Eye for Film — Scott Macdonald Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 27 July 2007. 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 the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/transformers-film-review-by-scott-macdonald) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/transformers.md