Commander Obi-Wan Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 I'd say that Transformers is no doubt one of the better movies released this year and it'd say it triumphed over some rather disappointing blockbuster sequels (like Pirates 3, Spiderman 3, Shrek 3, Fantastic Four 2). I'd give it credit for that. And it probably faired better than some rather, possibly surprisingly, successful sequels (such as Ocean's Thirteen and Live Free or Die Hard). Though, I wouldn't exactly say that it was the best movie of the year. Some movies other movies such as 300, Hot Fuzz (possibly one of the most underrated movies of this year), and some others that I haven't seen are probably better than Transformers. Remember though, this is entirely my opinion. Hey, I enjoyed Transformers full-heartedly, but I won't say it's one of the best movies of the year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rogue Nine Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 Prowl is an Autobot you idiots! Get it right! >_< That was Barricade, not Prowl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aash Li Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 There was no decepticon from the original series, or any other (that I can recall) named Barricade, or that was a police car. Decepticons were always items (tape decks, guns, etc) or jets. There was only one police car, and that was Prowl. >_> So they made him up for the movie, unless of course theres some Decepticon I missed somewhere with that name... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rogue Nine Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barricade_(Transformers) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aash Li Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 Generation 1 on that site doesnt refer to the very first run of the toys around 1980 or so, its referring to that Dreamwave comic setting. I was referring to the original series, in which there were no vehicle Decepticons until season 2, and toy generation 2 when we got the constructicons (unless Im totally mis-remembering... Ill have to go look in my book again). /ultra-nerdette Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynk Former Posted July 9, 2007 Share Posted July 9, 2007 The movie is based on the toys as well as the original series, remember that there are more than one "original" source when it comes to Transforemrs. And if you're gonna get angry about something, get angry about the lack of Soundwave. But rumour has it that they'll try to work him in into the next movie... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedHawke Posted July 9, 2007 Share Posted July 9, 2007 And if you're gonna get angry about something, get angry about the lack of Soundwave. But rumour has it that they'll try to work him in into the next movie... WHAT? No Soundwave? Say it isn't so! Well there goes any and all of my excitement about this movie... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynk Former Posted July 10, 2007 Share Posted July 10, 2007 Don't worry, I wasn't too thrilled that Soundwave wasn't in it, but when I saw the movie I understood why and accepted it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prime Posted July 10, 2007 Share Posted July 10, 2007 My random thoughts...sorry if it is lengthy...I'll try to keep spoilers to a minimum, but beware! In a Nutshell: This movie didn't have everything I would have wanted, but it did have giant ****ing transforming alien robots from outer space blowing stuff up, so they are 80% of the way there. The Good: I will be the first to admit that I was one of those who did not like the new designs when they were first released. But damn, when you see those things in action, with a few exceptions (Megs and Starscream, I'm looking at you), they look awesome. And hearing Peter Cullen as Prime once again was super nostalgic for me, and made Optimus the character I know and love. The other Autobots also were very cool and reminiscent to their original counterparts (I actually liked this Ironhide a bit more than the original. Same with Bumblebee). The action itself was at times simply unbelievable. ILM has, IMO, has set the bar once again for visual effects. It is one thing to create a fantasy universe like Star Wars, but it is another to bring such over-the-top creatures to life and have them actually perform as characters and interact so seamlessly with the human actors in a "real life" environment. Amazing. This alone makes the film watchable after multiple viewings. As for the meatbags, the acting overall was OK and for the most part I thought they were entertaining. Sam was annoying at times, if only because he behaved like any teenager that age. But he delivered his often cheesy lines and humor about as well as possible. I found that he was likable because he was just awkward enough to be sympathetic. Mikaela was super hot, so full marks there. But her character was fine. The army guys had some good moments, both in terms of delivery and action scenes. Jon Voight as the Defense Secretary was pretty solid, even if his character got more unrealistic as the film went on. I love Bernie Mac, and his cameo made me laugh in his typical style. John Turturro also deserves some marks for making an otherwise straight faced character a bit more lively. For all the complaints going in (mine included) about how much was changed and the usual "raped my childhood" mantras, I was surprised at just how much of the original concepts and elements they actually drew from the original material. There were a lot of things that non-fans would never pick up on. There were many lines taken directly from the old G1 movie and shows, with many spoken again by Cullen 20 years after the fact. Actually, I would say that Cullen's involvement goes a long way, probably more than the makers realize, to really making this Transformers for my demographic. He brings to life once again a character that for kids was up there with any from that decade. The story spent a lot of time building up, but for the most part I didn't get bored at any point. It had its problems, but it served its purpose overall. The Bad: While this film does a lot of things right, it also is far from perfect. As good as the visuals are, the complexity of the transformer models sometimes made it difficult to actually make out what they were doing, particularly in action sequences. Combined with the occasional documentary-style shaky camera work, some things were just a blur. For a movie that is basically visual crack, these sequences did the film a disservice, IMO. While the story is never the focus of an action movie such as this, the movie could have done with some editing. There was too much time spent with the government and hot scientist decoding signals and the like, which didn't really add much. This was at the detriment of some character development (in an action movie? Say it ain't so!) for the TFs, especially the decepticons. Starscream gets next to no screen time, and the rivalry relationship that will no doubt be a larger part in the future was only hinted at with one line. When certain bad things happen to some of the secondary autobot characters, it is hard to care too much since they are never a big part of the story. It is fine to tell the story from a human point of view, but there didn't need to be so many human points of view. The Stupid: (more direct spoilers here) There were plenty of WTF moments all through this movie, and enough plot holes to drive Optimus Prime through... First of all, how is it that the only person that can solve the big computer mystery is some dance dance revolution-playing fat kid living in his grandma's basement? How is he better than the best the US government has to offer? And he doesn't do anything! What's more, Bay and co. thought it was time better spent to follow these chuckleheads around instead of Starscream?? They literally didn't add anything to the story. Why was Tree Boy in the movie at all? Why does the allspark only create evil robots? If that is the case, why wouldn't the autobots just want to destroy it in the first place? Can a transformers really only be taken out by humans in the manner that Captain Lennox does? I mean, come on... I don't mind product placements, but come on... Etc. Fanboy stuff: Is anyone talking about Optimus having a mouth these days? Just wondering... After going through the effort of getting Hugo Weaving to voice Megatron, I really couldn't tell it was him. Why not save some money and go with Frank Welker? That would have gone a long way to making Megs feel more like Megs. Not that he did a bad job, but he didn't add anything to it. I think the cola machine transformer shot soda can missiles. After all the comments from animators about not wanting mass shifting in the designs (thus the huge size differences), they go right out and pull the biggest mass shift of all time. Even if it could fold up like that, wouldn't it still be ****ing heavy? Sam runs around with it like it is his lunch! Why does cold affect Transformers so much? I mean, they fly through outer space, and then can survive re-entry... Final Word: A movie that delivers on what it intended to. A great trip down memory lane for some and fun popcorn movie for everyone else. 8/10 for Fans, 7/10 for non-fans. And if you're gonna get angry about something, get angry about the lack of Soundwave. But rumour has it that they'll try to work him in into the next movie...Rumor is that Blackout (the helicoptor) was supposed to be Soundwave. Thus the fact that he ejects Skorpinok... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynk Former Posted July 10, 2007 Share Posted July 10, 2007 There's an easy way to not look too far into the movie for those who are fans of G1... did any of you question all of the stupidity of the animated movie? I know I don't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prime Posted July 10, 2007 Share Posted July 10, 2007 There's an easy way to not look too far into the movie for those who are fans of G1... did any of you question all of the stupidity of the animated movie? I know I don't.At the time, no. Now? A bit. But you can get away with more in an animated film, IMO... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Source Posted July 10, 2007 Share Posted July 10, 2007 This man says it all: http://www.lucasforums.com/showpost.php?p=2341373&postcount=59 I agree with you Prime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynk Former Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 At the time, no. Now? A bit. But you can get away with more in an animated film, IMO... And I say this movie was just as stupid as the original series and movie, which makes it exactly what I wanted. If they took themselves too seriously and if they made it too "good", then it wouldn't seem right at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aash Li Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 Why was Tree Boy in the movie at all? Why does the allspark only create evil robots? If that is the case, why wouldn't the autobots just want to destroy it in the first place? Fanboy stuff: Is anyone talking about Optimus having a mouth these days? Just wondering... Tree boy was stupid and needless (like a lot of the human scenes). I dont think that the Allspark created only evil robots, otherwise Prime wouldnt have said they lost a friend but gained new ones. Although now I know he was referring to humans, but there were more than just the ones that were there before the Spark made new ones. The soda-machine Transformer is definitely a good guy. And I think the boombox that got created might become Soundwave in the next one? Unless for some reason they are making Blackout the new soundwave... but why a helicopter? >_> Helicopters dont eject scorpions! Why couldnt the Spark fix Jazz? If it made new ones in the course of it heading towards Prime, then why didnt it zap Jazz? I liked Jazz... ;_; Prime also has a face mask during battle, and Bumblebee does too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynk Former Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 they said all modern technology was derived from reverse engineering Megatron Megatron is a decepticon Decepticons are evil. Bringing these machines to life would only mean they'd turn evil. Quoted from the Transformers thread in The Swamp... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prime Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 And I think the boombox that got created might become Soundwave in the next one? Unless for some reason they are making Blackout the new soundwave... but why a helicopter? >_> Helicopters dont eject scorpions!I think that is just because the character was changed to blackout at an early state and the connection to Skorpinok is just a remnant of that. Why couldnt the Spark fix Jazz? If it made new ones in the course of it heading towards Prime, then why didnt it zap Jazz? I liked Jazz... ;_; I assumed that the spark could only create new robot life from inanimate machines, and could not bring back to life "dead" machines. Originally Posted by Lightsaberboy they said all modern technology was derived from reverse engineering Megatron Megatron is a decepticon Decepticons are evil. Bringing these machines to life would only mean they'd turn evil. As I said in the other thread, how would this even be possible? Isn't it much more likely that some technology developed by the government was reverse engineered? But I'll wait until I hear the line again... And I say this movie was just as stupid as the original series and movie, which makes it exactly what I wanted. If they took themselves too seriously and if they made it too "good", then it wouldn't seem right at all.I would say this movie isn't nearly as stupid or had nearly as many leaps as the original movie and shows did. And I'm not expecting perfection in this sort of film, but there were a few WTFs and editing choices that I felt hurt the film overall, fun as it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Totenkopf Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 After going through the effort of getting Hugo Weaving to voice Megatron, I really couldn't tell it was him. Why not save some money and go with Frank Welker? That would have gone a long way to making Megs feel more like Megs. Not that he did a bad job, but he didn't add anything to it. Only saw a clip w/Megatron so far, but didn't recognize HW's voice either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynk Former Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 @ Prime: Either way, at least it wasn't a huge disappointment that most thought it'd be. And as for pointing out flaws in the movie. If we all actually sat down and worked out where the faults were, we'd fine a TONNE of em. It's obvious that this movie was made so you just watched from start to finish in a big rush and not something to be analysed in any depth whatsoever... of course that's a big thing to ask for Transformers fans, but perfect for people who saw the movie but don't really care about the whole original concept of Transformers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rogue Nine Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 And I say this movie was just as stupid as the original series and movie, which makes it exactly what I wanted. If they took themselves too seriously and if they made it too "good", then it wouldn't seem right at all. This new movie is so, so much less stupid than the original movie if only for the fact that it doesn't have Stan Bush screaming "YOU'VE GOT THE TOUCH" in the ending credits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynk Former Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 Yeah they've got Linkin Park instead............................. x.x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prime Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 Stan Bush screaming "YOU'VE GOT THE TOUCH" in the ending credits. That song dominates! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rogue Nine Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 Yeah they've got Linkin Park instead............................. x.x Hey, there's nothing wrong with that Linkin Park song. >___> And actually, I found myself liking most of the Transformers soundtrack too. Smashing Pumpkins, Disturbed, Goo Goo Dolls... good stuff. Sure, it ain't anything like the cheesy 80s glam rock of the original animated movie, but that's a good thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aash Li Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 ...I liked Weird Al's song during the Sharkticon scene in the original movie... >_> <_< I still like the original movie... Id fan-girl to no end if the Japanese redid it with quality anime-art (such as Clamp), and gave it an awesome sound track (minus Stan Bush). :3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 omg no wai weird al had a song in the original? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prime Posted July 12, 2007 Share Posted July 12, 2007 DARE TO BE STUPID! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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