Just got back from seeing it. Overall I really liked it.
nerd hat
Some of the name changes bugged me. Blackout (helicopter robot) should’ve been Soundwave, since Frenzy (teeny robot) was sone of Soundwave’s minions. Bonecrusher (Bulldozer) was part of Devastator (tank robot). They should’ve simply renamed Devastator Blitzwing (or even just Blitz) since that decepticon DID turn into a tank.
The scale of the robots worked well. The transformations seemed realistic. And as always, with a film like this, there is sequel potential.
Anyone else get a kick out of some of the other allspark-created transformers? The cell phone with a tiny machine gun and rocket launcher, and the Mountain Dew machine that started firing missles randomly was a riot. Speaking of which…if the allspark is gone, aren’t those three (a junky computer, a car, and a Mountain Dew machine) running amok? They certainly can’t turn them off…also I’m pretty sure they didn’t kill Skorpinok…
FUCKING AWESOME is my official opinion. I am a G1 loyalist, and consider most other continuums to be blasphemy. It was pure badassery of the highest order, despite the fact that it didn’t have Soundwave, who is of course the coolest transformer of all time.
I was a kid in the 1980s. I think it is definitely the coolest thing ever.
You’re right about the junkions, but everything else you are going to hell for.
You’re going to hell too.
Because Chris Latta is dead and therefore there can be no more true Cobra Commander voice. He also did Starscream, and I think the lack of THAT voice for Starscream is one of the new movie’s few weak points.
I was 5 when that movie came out. It was VERY traumatic.
He keeps his cybertronian form as a bomber. Blasphemous, but he doesn’t have much of a role in this movie.
I know Bay didn’t want any “cheating” in the form of mass-shifting, which is why we couldn’t have Soundwave, Blaster (or even a good Frenzy) etc.
But my question is: if the giant fucking cube (referred to as an Energon cube in the novelization - obviously an idiotic mistake) can shrink down, why the FUCK can’t we have Soundwave?
Anybody catch the last trailer before the movie started? (at least in Hawaii)
Party scene. Some guy is going to Japan.
Then boom, a huge explosion in NYC.
Screaming, then the Statue of Liberty head comes rolling down the street.
I swear I heard a roar… but then it cut to coming soon, with no title.
Godzilla was my guess. Might actually be interesting if the entire film is told “Blair Witch” style through different first-person media. Definitely caught my attention.
I saw it last night, and I thought is was good summer entertainment. Great robot effects, interesting cinematography that translated the action well in a cinema verite style. I like the teen actors. Nice support from John Turturro and Jon Voight . The only thing I found off-putting was…
…the robot’s dialog. Somehow, it was too cheesy and Saturday morning cartoonish. It dimished the robots for me.
I saw a packed 9:30 showing this morning. Here’s my take.
The GOOD:
Shia LeBouf - very funny, does a good job of getting you invested in the story.
Megan Fox - did a good job and is HOT! Reminds me very much of a young Jennifer Connelly.
Optimus Prime and Bumblebee were kick-ass. The rest of the friendly bots weren’t characterized well enough, though.
Megatron was appropriately menacing, but I would have liked him to have been in the movie more. The little guy (Frenzy?) was cool.
The BAD:
The MOST annoying actor in the world is the guy who played the computer hacker that the cute blonde turned to for help. All he does is yell, in every movie he’s ever been in. He’s not funny. Please, Hollywood, stop employing this idiot. And really, all of the scenes involving the blonde and the hacker were pretty pointless.
The movie suffered from the shaky-cam effect. And everything was shot in EXTREME CLOSE-UP! I kept hoping for a static wide shot in the fight scenes so that you could, you know, tell what the hell was actually happening. I fucking hate this trend in action movies.
Overall, I was entertained by it, but it was a little disappointing.
I noticed J.J. Abrams name on that trailer, so I checked his IMDB page and one of his “Untitled J.J. Abrams Projects” currently has this as its plot synopsis:
sort of a spoiler, I guess, so I’ll box it:
giant monster movie (refferred internally as The Parasite) which is shot using home video cameras from the point of view of real people who are experiencing the attack on New York City
I agree. Even though this was The Greatest Movie Of All Time, it would have been better if the audience could have actually seen what was happening from a static view.
Saw it this afternoon. I thought it was great…a terrific way to lose yourself for a couple hours.
The robots were very well done. I can now say with confidence that anyone who complains about the movie not staying true to the original characters is just impossible to please. The Transformers are, IMHO, awesomely brought to life. There are no unforgivable liberties taken with appearances, and I think the changes that were made were necessary and appropriate for a live-action movie. So Bumblebee is a Camaro…it really works fine when you’re watching it.
I do, however, have a couple questions that may take a second viewing to resolve:
[spoiler]What happened to Barricade? He was on the freeway headed away from Hoover Dam, but didn’t get into any action and was never seen again. Is he still presumably alive somewhere, ready for the sequel?
Starscream’s Wikipedia article says about the movie, “he disguises himself as one of the [F-22] Raptors that severely wound Megatron, resurfacing Starscream’s treachery and eagerness to lead”. Did he actually take a shot at Megatron and I missed it? That, to me, would be a major, if subtle, piece of the character development missing from the film. Because if a viewer didn’t know about the Megatron/Starscream relationship beforehand, the movie wouldn’t do much to make it clear.[/spoiler]
I saw the movie at a matinee today. THIS is what a summer blockbuster and 80s nostalgia movie should be – entertaining, pure and simple. Praise Og and pass the popcorn!
I actually liked the Human-perspective camera angles in the Big Climactic Battle - it helped show that while the Cybertronian war may be fought by 4-storey-high mechanicals, they’re fighting here on Earth. And the US Rangers, F-22s, and tow-truck-driving babe (I never did get her name) did their part too.
In follow-up to aerodave’s Wikipedia quote:As I remember, Starscream was in the second wave of F-22s – then started shooting down the USAF planes, disrupting their attack run. Wikipedia needs updating!
That would be Anthony Anderson and he is an extremely versatile actor. Remember his role in Transformers then watch him in Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London and then The Shield season four. You wont believe it’s the same actor. I enjoyed his scenes in Transformers but you’re right, they were pointless.
Scuba_Ben, that’s what I remembered, too. I will be keeping an eye out next time I see it, though.
But a couple more questions have come to mind (and this spoiler box is for real…major surprise killer here)
[spoiler]Right before Sam shoves the Allspark into Megatron’s chest to kill him, Optimus Prime urges him not to. His concern ends up being unwarranted, because Sam’s plan works. But what could have been Optimus’s reason for trying to stop him? As soon as he realized what the result would be–the death of Megatron–you’d think he would be all for it. Was he expecting a worse-than-predicted outcome? That line got no resolution…perhaps there’s something to it that will be made clear in a sequel. My guess is that Sam’s manner of dispatching Megatron leaves a loophole for Megatron’s resurrection. The Government’s choice to dispose of him intact only serves to enable that.
Also, are the robots created from the vending machine and Xbox as Sam carries the cube supposed to be of any consequence? Do they match up to any classic characters, or are they just disposable characters? (I’m sure it’s hard to tell from 3 seconds of screen time, but some true fans may have a clue) Why’s the Allspark always making mean robots, anyway?[/spoiler]
Prime’s words after that scene were, “You left me no choice brother.” I took that to mean he and Megatron are more intertwined than previous incarnations of the franchise and that he didn’t want to kill him. Just stop him from using the Allspark for evil.
