Transformers (2-disc Special Edition) [Blu-ray]

 

 

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Thanks to the death of the HD wars, Blu-Ray fans now have the opportunity to enjoy Michael Bay's TRANSFORMERS the way it was meant to be seen. How does it stack up against a standard DVD release?

First off, it should be noted that the movie itself is a wonderfully brainless summer action flick based off of an old 80s cartoon. That being said, TRANSFORMERS is a movie that wasn't necessarily targeted towards young children and teenagers. No, the demographic for this movie is targeted solely on those 25-35 years old, who were young enough to appreciate the Transformers cartoons for all of their glory. Michael Bay has wisely taken his cues from the mythology of the TF universe, while injecting a healthy dose of real-world physics and believability to an otherwise unbelievable premise.

The result is a movie that succeeds as a vehicle which pays homage to the wonderfully passionate cartoon series. The Autobots and Decepticons are rendered in painstaking detail, adding to the element of believability in the film. In fact, I was quite shocked to see just how much fire and energy flows throughout the film.

On Blu-Ray, the experience just gets better. The picture is crystal clear, as is expected from the majority of Blu-Ray releases. The standard-def DVD release looked fine by itself, but there is truly no substitute for a glossy HD, 1080p picture. Colors leap from the screen, blacks are deep and detailed, and there isn't a speck of grain or smudge on the entire print. However, the movie truly shines in its audio presentation.

The 5.1 Dolby TrueHD soundtrack is brilliant. Explosions will rumble the walls of your house, while character voices shine through brilliantly. I noticed a huge difference between the standard-def release and the Blu-Ray release after two respective viewings. It was immediately noticeable during the air force base attack at the beginning of the film. The sound was simply awe-inspiring, taking advantage of its HD capabilities to surround the viewer with a tremendously entertaining audio barrage. I noticed quite a few things missing from the standard-def soundtrack, including the omission or dampening of several significant sound effects, such as Blackout's transformation from Helicopter to Decepticon (the 'classic cartoon' transforming sound was almost drowned out). Not so with the Blu-Ray release.

There are extras in the package, but they don't necessarily give TRANSFORMERS a "Special Edition" feel. It will be interesting to see what Michael Bay cooks up for future (and inevitable) double-dip releases. All concerns aside, TRANSFORMERS on Blu-Ray represents the current pinnacle of home theater enjoyment. It's a wonderful film that pays respect to its cartoon lineage without drifting too far away from the source material. Repeated viewings only make the experience better.

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