Transformers 2 in summer 2009

[Tyrant]

But if I were in charge of producing a Transformers film, I'd tell you what I'd do.  I'd put the creative development of the movie in the hands of people who actually like Transformers (unlike Bay, who has openly expressed disdain for the franchise) - people who truly understand and respect the characters, and who have the talent of introducing these characters in a way that is accessible to mainstream audiences.  Failing that, I'd get someone with experience writing quality scripts for movies like this.

  Even though I liked this movie, I agree with you here. I wouldn't get any hardcore fans as producers/directors due to their tendency to immulate the franchise to their personal interpretation of it, but I would at least get someone who's neutral about the whole thing and can see it from an objective standpoint. Someone with a passing fancy for the franchise would be my alternate choice. They like it but not enough to screw it up. Fans bring baggage. That's all there is to it. Someone with a dislike for it...well, that's what we got. However, Bay knows how to blow things up, and that's what the producers wanted, and that's what we got. Perhaps someday they'll reboot the whole thing with a different director and everyone will be happy. Especially if the 3rd movie bombs at the box office (not likely, but still possible).

  To reiterate my earlier post, this movie entertained me. That's what I went in for and that's what I got. There were things I didn't like about it, but they weren't enough to ruin the experience for me. I consider myself a true TF fan, and I consider any TF fan who loathed this movie true fans as well. Different strokes for different folks. None of us are under contract by Hasbro to like 100% of everything with the TF logo on it.

Hasbro was a genius...and Optimus Prime is still my hero.

Preach it, sister!   

[RobtheBarbarian]

I couldn't decide between "emulate" and "immolate". Maybe she means it that way, that having a fanboy as a writer would result in an attempt to immitate his favorite series ultimately leading to firey destruction.

[Tyrant]

I couldn't decide between "emulate" and "immolate". Maybe she means it that way, that having a fanboy as a writer would result in an attempt to immitate his favorite series ultimately leading to firey destruction.

  Sorry. I meant this: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/emulate. I iz not gud spellr.

  What I was saying was that a fan would want to use his/her interpretation of the franchise and make the movie look like one of their fanfics. Sorry for the confusion.

[Darth Geek]

I couldn't decide between "emulate" and "immolate". Maybe she means it that way, that having a fanboy as a writer would result in an attempt to immitate his favorite series ultimately leading to firey destruction.

  Sorry. I meant this: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/emulate. I iz not gud spellr.

  What I was saying was that a fan would want to use his/her interpretation of the franchise and make the movie look like one of their fanfics. Sorry for the confusion.

Agreed. Too much fanboy involvement would at the very least make for a product a layman couldn't get invested in.

[Tyrant]

I couldn't decide between "emulate" and "immolate". Maybe she means it that way, that having a fanboy as a writer would result in an attempt to immitate his favorite series ultimately leading to firey destruction.

  Sorry. I meant this: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/emulate. I iz not gud spellr.

  What I was saying was that a fan would want to use his/her interpretation of the franchise and make the movie look like one of their fanfics. Sorry for the confusion.

It's okay. I wasn't trying to be a prick here, I honestly didn't know what you were trying for.

  No problem. 

[Minnesota]

The most appealing aspect of this movie is it leaves the viewer feeling like they got their money's worth. Going to the movies is expensive and people can trust that this movie will give them something for that dollar...  long, loud, and full of expensive action scenes.

Is the movie good? not really, the story was convoluted, the jokes are childish, and above all it lacks originality. Is the movie bad? not really, it looks great, sounds great, and meets the expectations of a summer Transformers sequel.

In the end, Transformers 2 is limited in its PG-13 potential. The dialog is a convoluted mess of mild language,  and practically the only saving grace of the film is its scenes of action violence (ie; 'that looked pretty cool' and 'whoa'). its notoriety calls for both an appeal to children and adults. The kid aspect is basically 'a child and his pet robot' and the adult appeal is 'sex and violence'. Unfortunately Shia is way to old to be still playing these kid roles, and I wish he'd take on a new role for a change. His scene presence is undeniable, but his talent is continually wasted in the 'kid' typecast of every one of his movies.

None of that criticism is meant to be a knock on the genera. Movies like ID4, Transformers, Armagedon, etcetera, are classics in their own rights... however ... I liked the movie a lot better the first time i saw it. Basically the novelty of watching giant fighting car robots has wore off a bit.

[BBQ Platypus]

The fact that people are satisfied with crap does not mean that they don't deserve better.  Do you really think they'd object to a movie that doesn't suck?  Sorry, pal - try again.  That response is at roughly the same intellectual level as putting your hands on your ears and going "LALALALALALALALALALALALAL NOT LISTENING!"  The fact that I go into movies expecting them to be good and enjoyable does not make me a snob - it makes me a sensible person.

I'm not being a snob - I'm saying that this movie wasn't GOOD.  I mean, hell, my favorite movies are Die Hard and Road House.  It's not like I'm averse to just having a good time.  I'm not EXPECTING Shakespeare, I'm just expecting passable entertainment, and I didn't GET it.  "Turn off your brain" is a response that can be used to defend ANY film - whether it be this movie, Batman and Robin, or Howard the Duck.  If that's the ONLY defense you have, then you have no defense at all.  The movie was just BAD.

Now, I'm an open-minded person.  I have a tendency to be able to see the other side of an argument.  It comes with the territory of having been on the debate team in high school.  I mean, I can even understand why some people like the Matrix sequels, for crying out loud!  But I cannot even begin to understand how someone could like this movie.  I literally cannot think of any redeeming qualities.  The closest thing to a positive thing I have to say about it is that it isn't the worst movie I've ever seen (and being better than Monster a Go-Go is so easy, since Monster a Go-Go is barely even a movie at all, which makes this not a redeeming quality).


I mean, if you like it that's...okay, I guess.  I don't think I'll ever be able to understand WHY you like it, but...you're entitled to your opinion.  I'll just stand back and regard you safely, from a very, very long distance away.  And maybe go sit in a corner and weep quietly for humanity for a little while.

[Darth Geek]

I like you, BBQ. You're bold!

[Minnesota]

It was a sequel... as such it did a good job, and didn't disappoint. It was helped by the fact that Transformers 1 was only 'very good' as opposed to 'excellent'.

Basically if you want you're summer sequel to be good, you damn sure better put Christian Bale in it (last years Dark Knight, this year's T4)

[Junkyard]

A movie review from the Escapist, which hosts Zero Punctuation:

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/escape-to-the-movies/797-Transformers-Revenge

[wurwolf]

The fact that people are satisfied with crap does not mean that they don't deserve better.  Do you really think they'd object to a movie that doesn't suck?  Sorry, pal - try again.  That response is at roughly the same intellectual level as putting your hands on your ears and going "LALALALALALALALALALALALAL NOT LISTENING!"  The fact that I go into movies expecting them to be good and enjoyable does not make me a snob - it makes me a sensible person.

I'm not being a snob - I'm saying that this movie wasn't GOOD.  I mean, hell, my favorite movies are Die Hard and Road House.  It's not like I'm averse to just having a good time.  I'm not EXPECTING Shakespeare, I'm just expecting passable entertainment, and I didn't GET it.  "Turn off your brain" is a response that can be used to defend ANY film - whether it be this movie, Batman and Robin, or Howard the Duck.  If that's the ONLY defense you have, then you have no defense at all.  The movie was just BAD.

Now, I'm an open-minded person.  I have a tendency to be able to see the other side of an argument.  It comes with the territory of having been on the debate team in high school.  I mean, I can even understand why some people like the Matrix sequels, for crying out loud!  But I cannot even begin to understand how someone could like this movie.  I literally cannot think of any redeeming qualities.  The closest thing to a positive thing I have to say about it is that it isn't the worst movie I've ever seen (and being better than Monster a Go-Go is so easy, since Monster a Go-Go is barely even a movie at all, which makes this not a redeeming quality).


I mean, if you like it that's...okay, I guess.  I don't think I'll ever be able to understand WHY you like it, but...you're entitled to your opinion.  I'll just stand back and regard you safely, from a very, very long distance away.  And maybe go sit in a corner and weep quietly for humanity for a little while.

Dude, it's Transformers 2, not Citizen Kane. Calm down.

[bettertomorrowamy]

The fact that people are satisfied with crap does not mean that they don't deserve better.  Do you really think they'd object to a movie that doesn't suck?  Sorry, pal - try again.  That response is at roughly the same intellectual level as putting your hands on your ears and going "LALALALALALALALALALALALAL NOT LISTENING!"  The fact that I go into movies expecting them to be good and enjoyable does not make me a snob - it makes me a sensible person.

I'm not being a snob - I'm saying that this movie wasn't GOOD.  I mean, hell, my favorite movies are Die Hard and Road House.  It's not like I'm averse to just having a good time.  I'm not EXPECTING Shakespeare, I'm just expecting passable entertainment, and I didn't GET it.  "Turn off your brain" is a response that can be used to defend ANY film - whether it be this movie, Batman and Robin, or Howard the Duck.  If that's the ONLY defense you have, then you have no defense at all.  The movie was just BAD.

Now, I'm an open-minded person.  I have a tendency to be able to see the other side of an argument.  It comes with the territory of having been on the debate team in high school.  I mean, I can even understand why some people like the Matrix sequels, for crying out loud!  But I cannot even begin to understand how someone could like this movie.  I literally cannot think of any redeeming qualities.  The closest thing to a positive thing I have to say about it is that it isn't the worst movie I've ever seen (and being better than Monster a Go-Go is so easy, since Monster a Go-Go is barely even a movie at all, which makes this not a redeeming quality).


I mean, if you like it that's...okay, I guess.  I don't think I'll ever be able to understand WHY you like it, but...you're entitled to your opinion.  I'll just stand back and regard you safely, from a very, very long distance away.  And maybe go sit in a corner and weep quietly for humanity for a little while.

You're as beautiful as Lisa right now.

[AmandaGal]

I mean, if you like it that's...okay, I guess.  I don't think I'll ever be able to understand WHY you like it, but...you're entitled to your opinion.  I'll just stand back and regard you safely, from a very, very long distance away.  And maybe go sit in a corner and weep quietly for humanity for a little while.

And you're not a snob at all 

[Nunyerbiz]

Maybe I'm crazy... but I've always enjoyed Michael Bay movies because they suck... not in spite of it.

To expand on this overused turn of phrase "turn off your brain".... Michael Bay is like the Hollywood equivalent of the Fourth of July. Yea, fireworks aren't going to reduce our dependence on foreign oil or clean up that nasty taint rash you caught while swimming in Mexico or make you ponder the meaning of life... but who the fuck doesn't like to watch the pretty colors and feel the loud booms for a few hours each summer? I'm not "turning off my brain"... I'm just focusing things towards the part that controls drooling, smiling at pretty colors and laughing at people getting kicked in the crotch.

[Tyrant]

I mean, if you like it that's...okay, I guess.  I don't think I'll ever be able to understand WHY you like it, but...you're entitled to your opinion.  I'll just stand back and regard you safely, from a very, very long distance away.  And maybe go sit in a corner and weep quietly for humanity for a little while.

  I can relate because I feel that way about Twilight, actually. Maybe there's something redeemable buried in there underneath all the crap that makes it worth one's time. I sure as hell can't see it, and I assume most people who are old enough to drink and smart enough to walk and breath at the same time like it only ironically because there's simply no other way to like it, but who am I to say? If people like it, there must be something in there to like. Folks liked Twilight. I liked Transformers 2.

Maybe I'm crazy... but I've always enjoyed Michael Bay movies because they suck... not in spite of it.

You're not crazy. You get it. Some of us like big, stupid fun and go into a movie expecting big, stupid fun and nothing more.