The Cream of the Crop film critics on Rotten Tomatoes have deemed Transformers fresh with a shockingly high 80% rating. The less important movie reviewers have given Michael Bay’s latest a less favorable 63% rating, which is still considered “fresh” any way you look at it. The Internet Movie Database users (over 5,500 at the time of this report) have voted the movie extremely highly at an 8.3. I’m sure that will fall as more people see the film and vote, but it’s worth noting.
What does this all mean? Transformers does not disappoint! So go see it tonight, tomorrow, or Wednesday because the best way to experience this type of [...]

Transformers is a movie based not on a television show, comic book character, novel or cartoon, but instead a line of toys. Sure, Transformers has been there, and done that - but it all started as a toyline. It amazes me that Hollywood has to reach that far to find the next “sure thing.” But thankfully the concept is a good one. How can you go wrong with big alien robots fighting each other? Answer: You really can’t. Truth is, Transformers is the film I’ve been looking the most forward to in this summer of threequels. And it didn’t disappoint.

Haven’t had enough of Transformers yet? Me neither. Check out the new international Transformers movie trailer (the second one by my count) after the jump. It’s a variation of what we’ve seen in the US trailers a few new big robot transformations and action clips I’ve never seen before.

Giant robots have invaded Westwood in preparation of the huge Transformers premiere.
Tweakmonkey reports that Bumblebee (pictured above), Optimus Prime, and the black semi are parked outside the Fox Theater on Broxton street. If I lived in southern California, I’d totally drive down there and get some photos with the giant transforming robots. We have not yet found any photos of Optimus.

Burger King has a new Transformers television advertisement that features Optimus Prime (lips and all) trying to order food through a Burger King Drive-through window. Check out the video after the jump.

The summer movie season is in full effect. I saw Live Free or Die Hard last night and loved it despite the many logic holes and ridiculous stunts (read my review here). Tonight I see License to Wed, which I don’t have much hope for (why does Mandy Moore keep picking the crappiest movies? I really want her to succeed). I would assume the studio also doesn’t have much hope for the film considering it’s being released against Transformers, possibly the biggest movie of the Summer. And before next week Sicko and Ratatouille hit theaters on Friday. I would venture to say that in this 7 day span you will [...]

Paramount/Dreamworks has sent us 8 new video clips from Michael Bay’s Transformers. Get excited and check them out below.

The cool thing to do now-a-days is to post the first 8 or 10 minutes of a film online. But Michael Bay doesn’t need 8 mintutes. Our friends over at The Movie Blog have posted this new 15 second Transformers television spot. I know it’s only fifteen seconds long, but it’s packed with brand spanking new footage. I don’t believe they’ve shown any of the shots in this television spot before. If you’re not excited to see this film after this than it’s just not gonna happen. Check out the video after the jump.

Dreamworks/Paramount has provided us with interviews with all the non-robot cast of Transformers. You can watch the ten interviews which include director Michael Bay, stars Shia Labeouf, Josh Duhamel, Megan Fox, Tyrese Gibson, Jon Voight and John Turturro after the jump. Transformers hits theaters on July 3rd 2007 (the night of July 2nd in select markets).

Jeffrey Wells at Hollywood Elsewhere has published the late June industry tracking numbers. To make things easier, we have filed the numbers in this neat little table below:

Film
General Awareness
Definite Interest
First Choice
Definately Not Interested

1408

56%

30%

9%

12%

A Mighty Heart

44%

22%

6%

Evan Almighty

89%

40%

15%

Live Free or Die Hard

92%

36%

5%

Ratatouille

78%

36%

7%

Sicko

38%

22%

3%

22%

License to Wed

69%

22%

2%

Transformers

87%

41%

12%

Here are the things that we immediately notice: More people are interested in Pixar’s Ratatouille than we originally thought. It appears that more people have that film listed as their first choice than Live Free or Die Hard, A Mighty Heart, Sicko or License to Wed.
Live Free or Die Hard has the most awareness by far (with 92%), but is not [...]

Paramount/Dreamworks has released the final batch of Transformers production photos. So we have decided to post everything that has been released thus far (officially, at least). You can browse through the 45 Photos after the jump. Some are new, while others are old. You can even click on most of them to see the photo in super high resolution. We can’t wait until the night of July 2nd, when Michael Bay’s Transformers is finally unleashed. Until then, we’ll just be looking at these photos.

A test screening of the final cut of Michael Bay’s Transformers has been held, and it tested incredibly high, according to the producers.
“[It tested] higher than any other of Michael [Bay]’s movies,” producer Tom DeSanto told RT. “It’s good, everybody’s excited. It’s a great time right now because in a summer of sequels, we’re going to be bringing something new to the table.”
I really wonder what the highest tested Bay film has been thus far. I would venture to guess that it was probably one of the Bad Boys films or The Rock.
And there was some concern online that they might have had to change the ending of the film. [...]

Josh Duhamel was a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show (who knew such a show still existed) on Monday. The Transformers star brought a new clip from the film, which shows the beginning of what appears to be the first attack. Check out the clip after the jump, thanks to the magic that is YouTube. Transformers hits theaters on July 4th.

I remember when they first came out with Darth Tader, the Star Wars characterized version of Mr. Potato Head. It was one of the hardest to find toys of that Christmas season. Hasbro has since followed up with an R2-D2 (Artoo-Potatoo), a Storm Trooper (Spud Trooper) and a very lame Spider-Man (Spider Spud). Well now the toy company is releasing, possibly the coolest Transformers toy tie in of all time - Optimash Prime.
“No ordinary fries, he’s a potato in disguise.”
The toy is now available, Transformers hits theaters on July 4th 2007.

Last month a Transformers television advertisement leaked online showing Optimus Prime talking. Fanboys were mortified. DreamWorks sent their legal watchdogs to have the video removed from all corners of the known universe. Michael Bay responded on his blog that the ad was a European test: “lets just say that it wasn’t OP or Cullen speaking. It was something the European studios added on their own. In fact, it was a test shot.” Fans were relieved. People started reporting that Optimus Prime doesn’t have lips. We were still skeptical.
This new image (seen above) was published by LA Times (via: FilmSchoolRejects) proves that Optimus does in fact have LIPS, proving many reports [...]