Transformers! (Merged)

[mousepod]

Technically, the Autobots weren't directly killing humans. But if I remember correctly (and with Michael Bay's stupid editing, I might not), weren't both kinds of Transformers smashing through buildings during the climactic battle? Even if tossed by a Decepticon, an Autobot hitting an office building full of people does do some damage.

Which wasn't really the point of my anti-Transformers rant, anyway.

[innerSpaceman]

And I see no reason to not complain about false reality when a fantasy film portrays such things as, for example, the military with such verisimilitude.

Of course, if the Giant Robot movie had been entertaining, the quibbles about Los Angeles and Hoover Dam geography wouldn't matter. It's sort of how a lot of people are bugged by the way Remy controls Linguini by hair pulling in Ratatouille, but because the film is so entertaining - - they're willing to let it go.



I guess many people are willing to overlook lots of stuff in The Transformers because they were entertained by it ... but I just don't see how anybody could be.

[BarTopDancer]

Originally Posted by mousepod

I can't wait for the two sequels that have been given the green light.

This makes me sad.

Spoiler:

Megatron is dead.

That should be the end of it.

I did think to myself that if

Spoiler:

they killed Optimus Prime again

I was going to be pissed.

[innerSpaceman]

oh, and worst of all - the actual transformations of the Transformers were stupid-looking and never bothered to use the tremendous power of CG to make the change from car to robot be niftily-believeable.

Giant Giant BAH on that count.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

oh, and worst of all - the actual transformations of the Transformers were stupid-looking and never bothered to use the tremendous power of CG to make the change from car to robot be niftily-believeable.

Giant Giant BAH on that count.

Ok, now that complaint catches my eye - really? Do others agree?

[Not Afraid]

I can't believe so many people saw this film!

[Alex]

Haven't read today's posts to the thread, though I see iSm posted so I'll be curious but want to be untainted.

Saw it tonight.

Overall a bad movie but there was a lot of energy that kept me along with it for the most part.

1. I don't understand the orgasms people are having about the effects. To make the CGI look good they made the of the film look bad (dark, grainy, jerky camera movement).

2. The action sequences had no spatial existence. It was just motion on the screen with no ability, except in the one on one fights to know where things were in relation to each other. Sure, you can say it was an attempt to create the fog of war, but I just didn't find it very exciting.

3. Most of the comedy bits were completely flat. The dog peeing on one of them; Jazz's single line of dialogue (worse than anything Jar Jar ever did). The only attempt at humor that got even a smile from me was the part over the closing credits.

4. The actual story was beyond absurd. Not the fighting robots part but what they were fighting for, how they were going about that fight, and the motivations in general.

5.

Spoiler:

On top of everything else it is a minor detail but how did they get from Hoover Dam to downtown Los Angeles in about 40 minutes and, more importantly, why was the plan apparently to drive from Hoover Dam to downtown Los Angeles in order to have helicoptors fly in and pick up the cube. That just makes no sense at all, even in an otherwise ridiculous set up.

6. In general I don't have a huge problem with product placement but the product placement here was just annoying.

On the plus side, Shia LaBeouf continues to display charisma and has the makings of a big time superstar. The movie did have a lot of energy which tended to carry me through but at any pause (and once the movie was over) a feeling of being had immediately crept in.

I'm all in favor of mindless summer action (and did enjoy Live Free or Die Hard if I need to provide a bona fide) but I saw nothing entertaining in this particularly brain dead summer action.

[BarTopDancer]

Originally Posted by Cadaverous Pallor

Ok, now that complaint catches my eye - really? Do others agree?

I don't. They transform fast (much faster than I was ever able to transform them) and it is very interesting to see how they are put together. You don't see a car then poof a robot. But it's not in slow motion. I think the speed was appropriate for the movie.

But I suspended all reality going into this movie.

[Alex]

Ok, I'm definitely in the iSm camp. As I said in my review of Ratatouille there were issues of verisimilitude but because I was entertained they weren't important. Suspension of disbelief is easy when the movie makes it easy. Transformers did not make it easy.

In the climactic fight I really was confused about whether they were supposed to be in "Mission City" or in Los Angeles. If it wasn't Los Angeles but another huge city close to Hoover Dam (I guess destroying Las Vegas is too cliche now) why put so much focus on downtown Los Angeles landmark buildings and at least digitally edit the street signs prominently visible. I'm sorry but if you are in a city that looks like LA, having a big fight in the middle of Wilshire Blvd, then you're in LA.

I'm not so with mousepod on the moral repugnance of it since Transformers is hardly unique it its mass slaughter of innocents. I'll save that for movies that seem to actually endorse it (such as two recent Mark Wahlberg movies, Four Brothers and The Shooter which truly were morally repugnant to me). But I see his point.

When Megatron finger flicked that innocent passerby into a nearby car I was appalled at the people in the audience who laughed.

[innerSpaceman]

Originally Posted by Alex

The only attempt at humor that got even a smile from me was the part over the closing credits.

Oh? What was that?





(This was the first movie I haven't stayed for the credits for in ages. I couldn't wait to get out of there.)