Jump to content

IPBoard Styles©Fisana

Photo

Transformers: Dark of the Moon


  • Please log in to reply
52 replies to this topic

#31 Green Goblin

Green Goblin

    The voices in my head tell me to burn things...

  • Members
  • 2,977 posts
  • Location:The Capital Wasteland
  • Gender:Male

Posted 18 June 2011 - 02:14 AM

I'm not going to lie: The more I see of this movie, the more I like. The thing is, I also said the same thing going into "Revenge of the Fallen". So I'll probably see this one, but I'm really not going to get my hopes up. That being said, the trailers make it look REALLY good. o_o;

#32 Sir Deimos

Sir Deimos

    Harbinger of the Fall.

  • Members
  • 10,344 posts
  • Location:New Jersey
  • Gender:Male
  • Swaziland

Posted 19 June 2011 - 12:34 PM

When I saw Green Lantern in 3D at midnight there was a 3D trailer for Dark of the Moon, and if nothing else the 3D will be awesome.

#33 DarkJuno

DarkJuno

    Lord of the Foys

  • Members
  • 8,966 posts
  • Location:The News Desk with the rest of the NRR Crew
  • Gender:Male
  • Philippines

Posted 26 June 2011 - 07:03 PM

So! As I typically do when a sequel comes out (and I actually already did twice this summer for Pirates and First Class) I went and made a point to re-watch the first two Blu-Rays since, eh, I had to clean and dust the collection anyway so why not? So, all these years later, what do I think? Full disclosure, I am a total and utter Transformers fan, always have been as a kid and as a result that colors my perception....but that does not mean I give everything an automatic pass. If nothing else, that makes me more willing to tear things apart and gives me a lot more ammo to dislike these things then your average movie goer. That said, that also means that I've been interested in TF all these years, and to me, it's not a franchise that's been gone since the 80's and was revived in 2007 with the first movie - Transformers has literally been going on in one official form or another, though at its weakest it was a crazy Europe only exclusive Generation 2 toyline for a year before Beast Wars. Other then that, it's had a sizeable presence in at least toy aisles, whether Beast Wars/Machines, Robots in Disguise, the Unicron Trilogy (Armada/Energon/Cybertron), Aniamted, and now Prime, plus the countless comics and whatnot filling in the gaps. So perhaps the fact that I have plenty of things to look at besides the movies has some effect on my opinion of the movie, since if it sucks, oh well, I had Animated around the time of RotF and currently have Prime to enjoy.

Anyway, not much to say about the first movie. I still like it and will willingly defend it. It's got flaws and problems I absolutely did not and still do not like, but it does a decent job of keeping you vested and it's entertaining. Second movie? You know, this time 'round I made a point to go in wanting to hate it as odd as that sounds, since I never disliked it. But even so, I honestly can't bring myself to hate it. Certainly, it's an incredibly flawed film and I can totally understand why a lot of people dislike it, but I also can't help but think that a good deal of the venom and criticisms were just bandwagoning, similar to how a lot of the less desirable fans of people like the AVGN and Nostalgia Critic will leap on and immeidately bash on anything they review, even if they were positive/appathetic about it prior to the review....nevermind that off-the-record and out of character they point out that they don't hate or even actually like a lot of the stuff they rip apart. Plus, RotF has so many legitimate problems, yet people all focused on stuff like Devestator's balls (on-screen for 9 seconds plus a one-liner) Simmons' tong (on-screen for 3 seconds) humping (maybe 7 seconds, being generous) and other lowbrow humor. I hated all of that, but geez, it's such a minor part of the movie in running length and content it's ahrdly worth even mentioning beyond a note to say it occurs. How about complain about how the movie grinds to a screeching halt after the excellent forest battle and totally falls apart in terms of pacing and plot? Or how the above stupid humor is inserted into the worst possible places to ruin the flow and rhythym? Or that half the "confusing" story points were in fact in the script and just cut out due to directorial meddling, or maybe how some of the jokes were rather questionable given the fact that kids are watching this, PG-13 or no?

But no, it's pretty much just "This movie's stupid and you're stupid for liking it!" except with more cursing and worse spelling.

As for the Twins, you know, while yes, they are most certainly a stereotype, I honestly don't see what's so horribly racist about them. Again, full disclosure, I grew up in the suburbs, and one that was pretty decently culturally mixed and a pretty safe, nice place to live, but really, the cultural stereotype they were portraying was very much one I saw growing up that was not limited to certain ethnic groups. Hell, there were just as many of each ethnicity in the area that posed as wannabes because, frankly, Skids and Mudflap are the same as all those little knuckleheads - just a bunch of dumb kids who didn't know any better. If nothing else, I'm almost tempted to say the only people being overtly racist regarding them are the ones who are outright associating them to be of said group to which they're offensive to, but I'd rather not go that far over a movie that's selling toys. Really, they're just supposed to be a stereotype of dumb people, and before the movie came out, I was actually afraid they'd be hillbillies or rednecks because of the buckteeth and oversized "funny" facial designs rather then what they turned out to be. To be hoenst, their little character growth from a couple of idiot twins who couldn't even get along long enough to stay together in Ice Cream truck mode to a duo who decided to get serious and, when working together, acually got some effective hits in on the (at the time) monsterous and imposing Devestator was a nice touch.

Really, what bothered me about them was their language. Now, the first movie was PG-13 as well, but I was perfectly comfortable letting my at the time single digit cousins watch it with me. RotF, however, man, I....didn't feel right letting them watch it with me when the twins would call Leo a p*ssy and b*tchass among other words, to say nothing of Prime's awesome but holy crap violent take-downs of Grindor (helicopter guy) and The Fallen. That's obviously a personal deal, and aprents can decide for themselves what's appropriate for their kids, but to me.....eh, it didn't sit well with me, especially considering that this, like any other Transformers product exits to sell toys. Period. Being a good story is just icing on the cake, though fortunately Hasbro seems to take that latter very seriously, especially as of late. Though honestly, the Twins aren't nearly as terrible as Jar Jar Binks, not to me anyway, though they definitely toed the line that character outright crossed.

Oh, and Wheelie and Jetfire? Loved those two, other then the former humping Mikaela's leg. I still take issue with them being made stereotypes - goofy Italian Mob goon and quirky crotchity old Scotsman respectively - rather then being outright characters, they were pretty entertaining, though once more I wasn't too pleased with Wheelie's utterings of b*tch and sh*t. Jetfire falls victim to the movie's frenzied and insane pacing in the backhalf as exposition fairy, but that character/caricature himself was fine and enjoyable.

So, like I said, it's pretty obvious that the Writers' Strike hit this movie hard - when you realize that the movie wasn't so much a script as much as it was an outline prior to said strike, and the three writers ahd to finish it afterwards while locked in a hotel room by Michael Bay, it's painfully clear something ruined the creative rpocess of the typically excellent writing duo of Kurtzman and Orci. It's well documented that Bay essentially went at the script/outline during the strike himself, and as a result, a lot of it was his vision not tempered by the writers, and he was more willing to stand his ground on the stuff he changed or outright added then in the first movie. A lot of fansites where Orci posted and answered fans questions ahve them posing him the query of whether or not they had to fight Bay all the time, and in at least one case all he replied with was the ;) emoticon, which says quite a bit. Now, with two years of hindsight and a television series that they conceptualized and executive produce, it's fairly obvious that the fights they had with Bay over what to keep and/or change is why they opted to not write the third. As a specific example is the character of Arcee - prior to the final shooting script, the Twins did not exist, and Orci somewhat vaguely alluded that it should've been Sideswipe and at least one of the Arcee triplets with them instead. The writing duo was pretty high on Arcee and kept commenting about how cool she'd be.....but then here comes Bay saying he ahted the character and he thus killed her off, and that's what happend. For Transformers Prime, hwoever, it looks like we got the Arcee they actually wanted on-screen, because damn, she's easily one of the best and msot well roudned characters in an action cartoon aimed at boys I've seen in a long time, despite being an "icky girl" in the eyes of the young viewers. Obviously, it's easier to flesh characters out in a 26 episode long season then in a 2 hour movie, but damn, Arcee is well rounded and nuanced, and manages to totally avoid both the "helpless girly girl when guys are around" and the "evil heartless vamp" archetypes gals tend to fall into in boys' shows. As odd as it sounds, she's a bit like the ponies in the new MLP - tough and a warrior and not a pushover, but still very much a "girl," and....it's perfectly okay to do so.

Not that I watch MLP - one of my cousins does and she loves it, you see. -cough-

So, yeah. Ultimately, while Bay's incredibly abrasive attitude and personality is good at keeping the executive producers meddling mitts off the script (except Spielberg's, for obvious reasons), it also made it tough to convince him some of his ideas weren't necessarily for the best, especially because he gained a (perfectly understandable) sense of ownership to the script he had to write due to the strike, and as a result, Orci and Kurtzman lost a lot of minor (Soundwave's voice not being VOcoded) and major (Twins) fights, they still won a few.....but what did Jolt end up doing, if any of you even remember who that is? :arcee:

Well, there's that. It's a flawed and crippled movie, but yeah, I actually do somewhat sway into the positive side of the fence for RotF, jsut with major reservations. It's just a crazily bizzare movie in that a bunch of the people I know who loved the first movie hated it, but the other half loved it - yet on the flipside, a lot of the people who disliekd the first thought it was better and enjoyed it. It's not even divisive, it's just....wacky and fans some completely insane flamewars and incites totally unwarrented hyperbolic emotions for a damn movie.

Also, Twilight is a worse movie in every which way, top to bottom, from acting, directorial choices, cinematography, sound design, and even techncial competance. Geez louise, while I've been making an effort to try and tone down my own wild insane rantings as of late, anyone who says RotF is a worse movie then any of the Twilights is a lunatic.*

All that said, yes, I am cautiously optimisstic for the third movie. If nothing else, as GG pointed out above, these TV Spots?



Great googly moogly. @_@ Three days!














*No, not really. This is what's known as hypocritical humor. Except I'm explaining it, so it's not actually humor anymore, is it?

#34 Oberon Storm

Oberon Storm

    And so it begins.

  • Members
  • 3,212 posts
  • Location:San Marcos, TX
  • Gender:Male
  • United States

Posted 27 June 2011 - 09:18 AM

If the Twins are racist then so was Jazz.

I also watched the first two again. I absolutely love the first. I don't like that Barricade just kind of dissapeared, though he died in the novelisation and comic. I guess he's also supposed to appear in DotM. I have no idea how true that is. No other complaints.

I also loved the second one. I thin Arcee, Jolt, and Sideswipe could have just been completely left out. Especialy Jolt. There were other issues like why didn't they use the second shard to revive Prime? How did the Fallen just happen to know Sam had anything in his head? Then I remind myself that this isn't supposed to be 2001: A Space Odyssey. Hell, if you want a bad movie go watch Transmorphers from those hacks at The Asylum. Compared to that RotF is] 2001.

#35 JRPomazon

JRPomazon

    The finest version of Myself

  • Members
  • 15,805 posts
  • Location:Massachusetts
  • Gender:Male
  • United States

Posted 28 June 2011 - 02:05 AM

If the Twins are racist then so was Jazz.


One key difference. We miss Jazz.

#36 Oberon Storm

Oberon Storm

    And so it begins.

  • Members
  • 3,212 posts
  • Location:San Marcos, TX
  • Gender:Male
  • United States

Posted 28 June 2011 - 05:53 PM

Miss him or not it's the same thing. All three presented stereotypes.

#37 DarkJuno

DarkJuno

    Lord of the Foys

  • Members
  • 8,966 posts
  • Location:The News Desk with the rest of the NRR Crew
  • Gender:Male
  • Philippines

Posted 28 June 2011 - 06:06 PM

Actually, at least we saw Jazz die. If the Twins are in fact not in this movie, then that'd actually annoy me because now it means they'll be gone for no reason whatsoever, unless they throw in a line about them being dead or off somewhere else.

That said, got my tickets. 5 hours left!

#38 LoreleiRaven

LoreleiRaven

    All that we see or seem, is but a dream within a dream...

  • Members
  • 1,518 posts
  • Location:San Marcos, Texas
  • Gender:Female
  • World

Posted 28 June 2011 - 10:06 PM

^-^ in the theater now! Hour and 15 till the movie should start -happy dance-

#39 LoreleiRaven

LoreleiRaven

    All that we see or seem, is but a dream within a dream...

  • Members
  • 1,518 posts
  • Location:San Marcos, Texas
  • Gender:Female
  • World

Posted 29 June 2011 - 02:26 AM

All I have to say is wow... EPIC!

Spoiler


#40 Oberon Storm

Oberon Storm

    And so it begins.

  • Members
  • 3,212 posts
  • Location:San Marcos, TX
  • Gender:Male
  • United States

Posted 29 June 2011 - 02:32 AM

Absolutely fucking amazing. The best of the three. Even left me asking, "Megan who?" Great comedic moments. Also made me want to cry at moments. The whole thing, I think ws wrapped up pretty nicely. No real opening for a sequel. I like that. If this is the last one from Bay & Spielberg I cannot see how anyone ese can come close to what these two have done.

#41 DarkJuno

DarkJuno

    Lord of the Foys

  • Members
  • 8,966 posts
  • Location:The News Desk with the rest of the NRR Crew
  • Gender:Male
  • Philippines

Posted 29 June 2011 - 03:04 AM

I'll say more when I'm not half asleep, but.....

DAMN. o_o

#42 Crimson Lego

Crimson Lego

    Hail Reaper

  • Members
  • 12,612 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Canada

Posted 29 June 2011 - 07:18 AM

From all the above comments, I am now going to get ready to bike to SilverCity and buy a ticket for tonight at 6.

#43 DarkJuno

DarkJuno

    Lord of the Foys

  • Members
  • 8,966 posts
  • Location:The News Desk with the rest of the NRR Crew
  • Gender:Male
  • Philippines

Posted 29 June 2011 - 11:12 AM

So! Actually awake now, and having let my thoughts gather....yeah, this was a pretty damn entertaining, and fun movie, and I can say that without spending 5 paragraphs qualifying it. This is exactly the movie RotF was trying and should have been - yeah, it's kind of long, and it still has some of the typical Michael Bay film problems, but not nearly to the extent it was prevelant in the alst movie. Similar to the first, the positives far outweigh the negatives, and it's a pretty satisfying end to not only the movie tiself, but the trilogy as a whole, even with the standard rushed ending. The funny parts were (mostly) funny, the action was good and finally, the camera was actually pulled back so you could see everything, and while it starts off kinda slow, it actually builds up, picks ups team and abrrels it home with a gigantic pay-off, as oppsoed to how RotF kinda middled and flopped in the back half.

Spoiler



Got plenty more to say, but I'll leave it there. If you liked the first, watch it, it's great and satisfying. If you didn't.....I'm not entirely sure why you're even asking.

Oh, and Skids and Mudflap are clearly visible at the end of the line of Autobots as they enter the NEST base in DC. Michael Bay, you owe me $20,000.00. :prime:

Edited by DarkJuno, 29 June 2011 - 11:24 AM.


#44 JRPomazon

JRPomazon

    The finest version of Myself

  • Members
  • 15,805 posts
  • Location:Massachusetts
  • Gender:Male
  • United States

Posted 29 June 2011 - 10:22 PM

The movie was good. They took my money, I saw the show, robots robots robots. It has the same flaws as the first two movies although it is a huge improvement compared to RotF. However, it seemed that instead of ripping on Star Wars they decided to change it and used Star Trek for script line fodder. They wasted too much of my time pandering to these military ops scenes and not enough on the Autobots and Decepticons.

Spoiler


But before I end this on a sour note, I loved the wreckers. I didn't think I would. But I did. And they were great. Yay.

Edited by JRSnerpaderp, 30 June 2011 - 01:11 PM.


#45 Crimson Lego

Crimson Lego

    Hail Reaper

  • Members
  • 12,612 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Canada

Posted 30 June 2011 - 08:20 AM

This was a sick movie. :o

Spoiler


#46 Oberon Storm

Oberon Storm

    And so it begins.

  • Members
  • 3,212 posts
  • Location:San Marcos, TX
  • Gender:Male
  • United States

Posted 30 June 2011 - 09:15 AM

Spoiler

This is where I almost cried.

#47 JRPomazon

JRPomazon

    The finest version of Myself

  • Members
  • 15,805 posts
  • Location:Massachusetts
  • Gender:Male
  • United States

Posted 01 July 2011 - 12:16 AM

Quick question: was there anything at the end of the credits?

#48 LoreleiRaven

LoreleiRaven

    All that we see or seem, is but a dream within a dream...

  • Members
  • 1,518 posts
  • Location:San Marcos, Texas
  • Gender:Female
  • World

Posted 01 July 2011 - 07:12 AM

no :(

#49 Oberon Storm

Oberon Storm

    And so it begins.

  • Members
  • 3,212 posts
  • Location:San Marcos, TX
  • Gender:Male
  • United States

Posted 02 July 2011 - 11:30 AM

For people that like to incessantly bitch about how Bay doesn't know how to make Oscar caliber movies read this defense of DotM.

#50 JRPomazon

JRPomazon

    The finest version of Myself

  • Members
  • 15,805 posts
  • Location:Massachusetts
  • Gender:Male
  • United States

Posted 02 July 2011 - 06:39 PM

Oh, and Skids and Mudflap are clearly visible at the end of the line of Autobots as they enter the NEST base in DC. Michael Bay, you owe me $20,000.00. :prime:


They die offscreen as
Spoiler


#51 DarkJuno

DarkJuno

    Lord of the Foys

  • Members
  • 8,966 posts
  • Location:The News Desk with the rest of the NRR Crew
  • Gender:Male
  • Philippines

Posted 02 July 2011 - 08:51 PM

Indeed.

Spoiler


-quietly re-arranges shelves-

Edited by DarkJuno, 02 July 2011 - 08:52 PM.


#52 JRPomazon

JRPomazon

    The finest version of Myself

  • Members
  • 15,805 posts
  • Location:Massachusetts
  • Gender:Male
  • United States

Posted 02 July 2011 - 09:45 PM

Indeed.

Spoiler


-quietly re-arranges shelves-


Maybe deleted scenes?

#53 DarkJuno

DarkJuno

    Lord of the Foys

  • Members
  • 8,966 posts
  • Location:The News Desk with the rest of the NRR Crew
  • Gender:Male
  • Philippines

Posted 03 July 2011 - 08:32 PM

Eh. If they didn't even bother including the filmed but deleted scenes that explained a handful of the "unexplained" stuff from RotF that still have hooks within the movie itself, I don't see it happening.

Not to mention, without the finished CG it'll basically just be two guys with pictures of the Twins' faces on sticks running around, while Mark Ryan (Bumblebee/on-set TF voice guy) shouts stuff.




Copyright © 2025 Zelda Legends