Transformers
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Wow, saw Transformers on Friday and I'd just like to say that I have never seen so many explosions in 2 1/2 hours!! The focus was a little too much on the cliched human characters, but at least you get a solid hour or so of bot-on-bot action
Some parts felt so much like G1, especially Prime vs Megs! (Most of the transformers had under-developed characters though) Special effects were also truly astounding, the audience cheered every time something transformed, the effect is crazy! All in all excellent summer eye candy 


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I was one of the few that liked The Island (even though it's a rip off from "The Clonus Affair" low budget feature from the 70s).
When it comes to a Bay film, there's nothing like him to make a semi-intelligent summer blockbuster.
Personally, I'd have loved to see what he would have come up with for Superman. McG, Rattner...no, but Bay was the only other interesting director choice for that project as it drew nearer. Singer fumbled it.
Bay was obviously looking for something franchise worthy. After missing Superman, he's locked onto this, and it sounds like it could be the true "fun ride" movie of this summer after the threequels have provided just "so-so" entertainment.
When it comes to a Bay film, there's nothing like him to make a semi-intelligent summer blockbuster.
Personally, I'd have loved to see what he would have come up with for Superman. McG, Rattner...no, but Bay was the only other interesting director choice for that project as it drew nearer. Singer fumbled it.
Bay was obviously looking for something franchise worthy. After missing Superman, he's locked onto this, and it sounds like it could be the true "fun ride" movie of this summer after the threequels have provided just "so-so" entertainment.
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I finally saw it on Thursday after looking forward to it for ages. Some of my thoughts:
At first, the movie was just fantastic. From the opening scene involving the "Helicopter" and the military, to the introduction of Bumblebee (notice how he slams his door against a VW, which is what the charcter was in the original 80's cartoon), to the simply incredible action sequence with Scorponok, "Trasformers" built a sense of consistent excitement and fun that I hadn't felt in any film this summer.
I enjoyed Shia LeBouf. He's a likable young actor and he suited his character well. I also liked the characters played by Rachel Taylor and Megan Fox. But, of course, we all know that the real stars of this movie are the robots, so let's move on.
Optimus Prime was great. So were Megatron and the other Decpticons. I also liked Bumblebee. But my favorite character was Frenzy. He was like an evil R2-D2. I loved him.
As for the other Autobots, all I can say is this: Michael Bay should've gone by his original instinct and *not* had them talk. Because, when they come into the film and start wisecracking with each other, it just feels stupid. This was especially true with Autobot Jazz. And if they have to talk, must they say such obvious lines ("Dirty Harry" has been quoted more than enough by now, thank you very much)?
But seriously, the middle of the film nearly kills the storyline's pacing. Having jokes in an action movie is fine, but "Transformers" abruptly becomes a fish-out-of-water when its been moving forward non-stop for about an hour. We didn't need the whole "Hide-and-seek" sequence at Shia LeBouf's house. We didn't need the dog urinating on Optimus Prime's foot (or, for that matter, Bumblebee later doing the same thing to a villain). And we certainly didn't need the joke which I can't even post on a family board.
Then the government agent comes in and captures the kids. There are pointless plot twists ("She's a criminal!"). The kids then get rescued by the Autobots. Then, five minutes later, they've been arrested again. It goes on and on before we FINALLY get back into the actual plot.
Which pays off big time, it must be said, for the action sequences of "Transformers" are nothing short of spectacular. And it's a very good thing that Bay *didn't* listen to the fans when it came to changing Megatron from a silver handgun to a fighter jet because, let's face it, the fighter jet is much cooler.
So, while I had many, many problems with the second third, the first hour and the last act make "Transformers" worth checking out on the big screen. Besides, Frenzy alone is worth the price of a movie ticket.
At first, the movie was just fantastic. From the opening scene involving the "Helicopter" and the military, to the introduction of Bumblebee (notice how he slams his door against a VW, which is what the charcter was in the original 80's cartoon), to the simply incredible action sequence with Scorponok, "Trasformers" built a sense of consistent excitement and fun that I hadn't felt in any film this summer.
I enjoyed Shia LeBouf. He's a likable young actor and he suited his character well. I also liked the characters played by Rachel Taylor and Megan Fox. But, of course, we all know that the real stars of this movie are the robots, so let's move on.

Optimus Prime was great. So were Megatron and the other Decpticons. I also liked Bumblebee. But my favorite character was Frenzy. He was like an evil R2-D2. I loved him.
As for the other Autobots, all I can say is this: Michael Bay should've gone by his original instinct and *not* had them talk. Because, when they come into the film and start wisecracking with each other, it just feels stupid. This was especially true with Autobot Jazz. And if they have to talk, must they say such obvious lines ("Dirty Harry" has been quoted more than enough by now, thank you very much)?
But seriously, the middle of the film nearly kills the storyline's pacing. Having jokes in an action movie is fine, but "Transformers" abruptly becomes a fish-out-of-water when its been moving forward non-stop for about an hour. We didn't need the whole "Hide-and-seek" sequence at Shia LeBouf's house. We didn't need the dog urinating on Optimus Prime's foot (or, for that matter, Bumblebee later doing the same thing to a villain). And we certainly didn't need the joke which I can't even post on a family board.
Then the government agent comes in and captures the kids. There are pointless plot twists ("She's a criminal!"). The kids then get rescued by the Autobots. Then, five minutes later, they've been arrested again. It goes on and on before we FINALLY get back into the actual plot.
Which pays off big time, it must be said, for the action sequences of "Transformers" are nothing short of spectacular. And it's a very good thing that Bay *didn't* listen to the fans when it came to changing Megatron from a silver handgun to a fighter jet because, let's face it, the fighter jet is much cooler.

So, while I had many, many problems with the second third, the first hour and the last act make "Transformers" worth checking out on the big screen. Besides, Frenzy alone is worth the price of a movie ticket.

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Just posted my thoughts on The Simpsons in that thread and remembered I hadn't said anything about TFs here, even though I saw it Monday.
I guess that's just because it didn't leave much of an impression on me.
I love the concept...never a big fan of the toys, which I thought were cheap and tacky, but the <I>concept</I> - excellent. And even though I wasn't the most avid of watchers of the cartoon, I thought the animated movie was neat, trying something new even with a limited budget.
So now, we're gonna get Michael Bay doing a TFs movie? Bring it on, this thing is gonna kick some major butt...or so I thought...
Opening...fun, unintentionally hilarious even, but in a good way. But it was just all too by the numbers. Kid hero running, screaming "no, no, no, no, no, no!" every five minutes? Check, and annoying. Big action scenes where you can't see what's going on because everything is shot too tight for the added CGI? Yep. A story that didn't actually make any sense? Sure.
Then there were the Bayisms...now I was expecting all these things to be the perfect mix for an awesome TFs movie, but the same old helicopter shots of the Pentagon, the military shots, the guys getting in planes in front of sunsets, flying machines in front of setting suns, the same old military music score. Actually until the end credits I could have sworn it was Hans Zimmer, but it turns out he was doing his most original stuff in years over on The Simpsons Movie. But the score could have been written by him, such was the cookie-cutter style.
And everything about this was cookie-cutter. Granted the CGI was a-m-a-z-i-n-g. When you could see everything. I wasn't even bothered by the voices, which brought much needed character and reminded of Small Soldiers. But who sets the climax of a movie like this with the final fight between the two biggest robots, whom we have not really been set up to cheer or dislike, in a place as mundane as a <I>street</I>?
I just don't get how a director as crazy, explosive and right for the job as Michael Bay could ever turn in a TransFormers movie - a <I>TRANSFORMERS MOVIE</I>! - as bloated, bland, run of the mill and ultimately flat and boring as what I saw on Monday night.
I guess that's just because it didn't leave much of an impression on me.
I love the concept...never a big fan of the toys, which I thought were cheap and tacky, but the <I>concept</I> - excellent. And even though I wasn't the most avid of watchers of the cartoon, I thought the animated movie was neat, trying something new even with a limited budget.
So now, we're gonna get Michael Bay doing a TFs movie? Bring it on, this thing is gonna kick some major butt...or so I thought...
Opening...fun, unintentionally hilarious even, but in a good way. But it was just all too by the numbers. Kid hero running, screaming "no, no, no, no, no, no!" every five minutes? Check, and annoying. Big action scenes where you can't see what's going on because everything is shot too tight for the added CGI? Yep. A story that didn't actually make any sense? Sure.
Then there were the Bayisms...now I was expecting all these things to be the perfect mix for an awesome TFs movie, but the same old helicopter shots of the Pentagon, the military shots, the guys getting in planes in front of sunsets, flying machines in front of setting suns, the same old military music score. Actually until the end credits I could have sworn it was Hans Zimmer, but it turns out he was doing his most original stuff in years over on The Simpsons Movie. But the score could have been written by him, such was the cookie-cutter style.
And everything about this was cookie-cutter. Granted the CGI was a-m-a-z-i-n-g. When you could see everything. I wasn't even bothered by the voices, which brought much needed character and reminded of Small Soldiers. But who sets the climax of a movie like this with the final fight between the two biggest robots, whom we have not really been set up to cheer or dislike, in a place as mundane as a <I>street</I>?
I just don't get how a director as crazy, explosive and right for the job as Michael Bay could ever turn in a TransFormers movie - a <I>TRANSFORMERS MOVIE</I>! - as bloated, bland, run of the mill and ultimately flat and boring as what I saw on Monday night.