Transformers

If you want science fiction that respects its own premise, Transformers is available in Australia on BINGE and Paramount Plus, and in the US on Paramount Plus Premium and Starz Apple TV Channel right now. The length is exactly right for the story it is telling — nothing rushed, nothing dragged out. A 7/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Shia LaBeouf's performance is the anchor the more ambitious scenes need. Put it on tonight on BINGE and see for yourself.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, Transformers earns its spot. The world-building is meticulous, but it is the characters who carry Transformers through its more ambitious moments. Young teenager Sam Witwicky becomes involved in the ancient struggle between two extraterrestrial factions of transforming robots – the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons. Sam holds the clue to unimaginable power and the Decepticons will stop at nothing to retrieve it. The human element stays intact thanks to Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox, who anchor every scene. It hit screens in 2007. Transformers resists the temptation to explain everything, trusting the audience to sit with ambiguity. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

Transformers is satisfying on multiple levels — something to watch and something to think about after. It does not lean on comparisons to make its case. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Shia LaBeouf's performance is the anchor the more ambitious moments need. The world-building pays off in ways you will not anticipate on a first watch.