"Transformers" is still several days away, but summer blockbusters wait for no one: the first reviews are coming in and the initial tally is an 79 percent Tomatometer after 13 reviews. Also, we answer the question: is Pixar’s "Ratatouille" 2007’s new best-reviewed wide release?
Hot off the heels of the old-school smash ’em up "Live Free or Die Hard," "Transformers" is drawing similar praise for being an exhilaratingly straightforward escape at the movies. Danny Minton of the Beaumont Journal describes the flick "as corny as it is magnificent…I have to admit that it is the most fun I’ve had at the movies all year."
Joshua Taylor of CinemaBlend.com says, "’Transformers’ isn’t just dorky, it’s gloriously dorky." Sounds fitting for a movie about big explosions and even bigger robots, and our two Cream of the Crop reviews agree with their Fresh ratings.
And Todd Gilchrist at IGN Movies takes time to praise, of all things, the acting. Gilchrist singles out Shia LaBeouf, calling him "one of the most natural presences of any young actor in Hollywood. Even in a film which he himself admits is more about extra-vehicular action than character development or emotion, he manages to leave a lasting impression."
But resident provocateur Victoria Alexander of FilmsInReview.com gives her against-the-grain opinion: "Yes, the CGI robots transforming is absolutely terrific. Since all the creative energy was put to this use, we lose story and character. It you are not a fan of the ‘Transformers,’ stay away."
In other Tomatometer news, Disney marketing has done a bang-up job getting the word out about "Ratatouille." That, along with monumental interest that comes with every Pixar release, means a lot of our readers and forum users have been keeping a watchful eye on "Ratatouille"’s Tomatometer.
The film held steady at 100 percent for over a week until the first negative review came in two days ago. Since then, the Tomatometer has settle in the mid-90s after over a hundred reviews. Does this make "Ratatouille" 2007’s best-reviewed wide release, taking the title from "Knocked Up?"
Though "Ratatouille" currently has a higher Tomatometer, "Knocked Up" has far more reviews. Using the same math we use to calculate our monthly countdowns, "Ratatouille" is actually just a rat’s whisker away from overtaking "Knocked Up." Keep an eye out as those post-release reviews start trickling in.
"Ratatouille" opens today nationwide. "Transformers" will premiere early in some theaters on July 3, and open wide the next day.
