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.
Visual Effects
ILM's robot transformation physics still hold up seventeen years later.
Sound
That transforming noise is pure ASMR for millennials.
Practical Effects
Real military hardware and F-22s because Bay called the Pentagon personally.
Director
Michael Bay
Shia LaBeouf
Sam Witwicky
Megan Fox
Mikaela Banes
Mark Ryan
Bumblebee (voice)
Peter Cullen
Optimus Prime (voice)
Hugo Weaving
Megatron (voice)
Josh Duhamel
Captain Lennox
Tyrese Gibson
USAF Tech Sergeant Epps
Charlie Adler
Starscream (voice)
Rachael Taylor
Maggie Madsen
Anthony Anderson
Glen Whitmann
Jon Voight
Defense Secretary John Keller
John Turturro
Agent Simmons
Michael O'Neill
Tom Banacheck
Kevin Dunn
Ron Witwicky
Julie White
Judy Witwicky
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Peter Cullen recorded Optimus Prime's lines in his living room, same as the 1984 cartoon. Paramount tried to replace him until fan outcry demanded otherwise.
This film pioneered the 'toyetic' blockbuster template—Hasbro saw a 500% merchandise sales spike, proving Hollywood could successfully monetize millennial nostalgia before it even had a name.
US
