brilliant
'Transformers' is Paramount's top-selling next-gen title ever (on either format), and previously hit HD DVD back in 2007 with a 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 (2.40:1) encode. The studio has not messed with their golden goose for Blu-ray, and again trot out the same specs for this go-round. But that ain't bad news, because you can just about pick any scene on this disc and you've got great demo material.
Michael Bay's visual style has always been one of overkill, and 'Transformers' is no exception. But this is arguably his most ambitious film stylistically, falling roughly into three distinct acts. The first third or so of the flick, with all the exposition leading up to the initial reveals of the main Transformers is quite "dirty," with heavy use of filters to dress down colors and add a more diffused look. Once the Autobots arrive on the scene, the second part of the film takes place almost entirely at night, with hotter contrast but brighter hues, and the image really pops here. Finally, the extended city battle with the Decepticons is again awash with harsh daylight, and so much CGI and fast-cutting that the last 30 minutes of the movie often looks like one big ball of motion blur.
Impressively, this transfer handles it all very, very well. Despite the edgy contrast which results in the usual hot whites, detail ranges from excellent to exceptional, with even the widest, most CGI-crammed vistas finely textured and rich. Colors, while again all over the map, are rendered accurately and without noise or loss of stability. Unfortunately, there is some over-saturation in spots, making the image blur out in areas of solid colors and/or giving fleshtones a bit more of an orange-y wash than actual human skin. The level of sharpness can also be a problem at times -- I was surprised to see noticeable jaggies on slow horizontal pans (such as tracking shots of cityscapes, or chrome on vehicles, etc.), giving the presentation an edgy, digital sheen. All other aspects of the transfer are perfect, though, with rock solid blacks, an absolutely pristine source and not a hint of compression artifacts -- remarkable considering the film's length and intensity of fast action.
Does 'Transformers' look absolutely "perfect?" No, but it is pretty damn close. And stylistically, this is somewhat of departure for Bay (at least compared to the perfume commercials passing for movies that have comprised most of his past work), so the nod to a newfound scumminess is appropriate. Make no mistake, you'll get a great show-off disc for your home theater here.
The Audio: Rating the Sound
Paramount's previous HD DVD release of 'Transformers,' contained a high-res Dolby Digital-Plus Surround option. With this Blu-ray they've provided a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround track (48kHz/24-bit). It's hard to imagine a home theater mix that could sound better.
To say 'Transformers' is incredibly aggressive is an understatement. Discrete effects are relentless, but it is precisely this lack of subtlety that any fan of the film would want. Directionality, imaging, accuracy of localized effects, and the sheer depth of the soundfield are superb -- the "wall of sound" illusion is utterly transparent. Even the front soundstage is a stunner -- stereo effects are quite pronounced, and the first time you get to hear a Transformer "transform," it's about as cool as the first time you heard a lightsaber unsheathe in 'Star Wars.'
As you would expect, this is also the kind of disc your subwoofer will devRead full review
