Review by Matt Anderson

Can a movie like Transformers, a concoction served up as a big screen adrenaline rush, really be a better experience at home? In the case of the Transformers Blu-ray, the answer is a hugely surprising – and resounding – yes. The picture quality pops with stunning clarity and detail, the audio rumbles and rocks, and the disc’s BD-Live features include a great rarity: a highly entertaining trivia track loaded with character- and story-driven material.

Transformers does get credit for feeling fresh. It was, after all, the “biggest” non-sequel movie of 2007. It also gets a nod for generating a real sense of movie magic on more than one occasion, a feat sadly lacking in this year’s The Clone Wars, the lame animated edition of the once highly magical Star Wars saga. But, on the flip side, the movie doesn’t deliver the kind of multi-layered heft that made The Dark Knight so exceptional.

As it stands, Transformers is, nonetheless, an entertaining romp. It’s Bay at his best: loud, raucous, funny, and relentlessly action-packed. But if Bay and company had only put a wee bit more thought into the story and their overarching objectives for bringing Transformers to the big screen, they could have transformed this movie into a real classic.

Pump up the volume to 11 and bask in the sensory overload of the Blu-ray presentation. Then, if you think you can handle it, rack up Michael Bay’s commentary and the Intelligence Mode simultaneously for total Transformers information overload. If that doesn’t leave you short-circuited, also check out the Tech Inspector and Their War. For those who still can’t get enough, run through the movie again with the Heads Up Display.

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