Transformers the Movie

[Fit For Natalie]

If it offsets the cost of production, cross promote the movie and allows them to do what they want with the vehicles, what does it matter?

Better than dealing with the whiny, tempermental European car makers who don't think Transformers (any Transformers) are deserving of their licenseses. But understandably, they have an image to maintain.

And besides, Transformers fiction has always been the very definition of product placement.

[Keith]

Honestly, the more I actually see footage of the movie, the less apprehensive I am of it.

[kensei]

I must say that some of the TFs seem out of character, like OP. I wouldn't have expected him to rip off the top of the car like that, I expected him to do it with more finesse as a couple of his mates were in there.

[wolfx]

I saw "The Making of TF" on HBO few days ago and it seems like Scorponok will be a smallish anti-infantry robot.

[T.V.]

Scorponok fill the role Ravage and the other cassette minions have in G1..

[CoryHolmes]

It's easiest to reconcile how these robots look by completely divorcing them from any G1 roots they may have had. It's like trying to enjoy Energon or Robots in Disguise. Even though they have the same character names, I find them physically sickening to watch and place them in a different universe from G1 (which isn't that great, now that I've tried watching it again).

I've been looking forward to this film since it was announced, and have enjoyed the trailers and movie designs right from day 1.

[big F]

Better than dealing with the whiny, tempermental European car makers who don't think Transformers (any Transformers) are deserving of their licenseses.

You mean a couple of German based companies who didnt want machines of war made from their designs.

As if anyone is gonna belive that their V.W is actually a robot. As a V.W owner I sometime have to question their logic or lack of it. I`ll bet there are some on the V.A.G and Porsche Management teams who are just shaking their heads thinking "dumb asses missed that cash cow"

Just watch how many step up to the plate if they make a second film.

[Ladic]

review with minor spoilers

http://www.darkhorizons.com/reviews/transformers.php

Review: "Transformers"By Garth FranklinJuly 2nd 2007, PG-13, 140mins, Paramount PicturesNo greater example of a text book Summer movie will be found this season than Michael Bay's live-action take on the near three decades old "Transformers" cartoon and toy line. Awe-inspiring spectacle and practically flawless visual effects throughout much of the runtime make this a thrill ride for all ages, but the sheer lack of a script - let alone anything approximating character or storyline - will result in an increasingly corrosive distaste on repeat viewings.

It's funny that in a Summer filled with overstuffed sequels containing unnecessarily convoluted plots and an increasingly dark tone, the one truly original big action movie staunchly goes the other way - keeping the story as simple as a nursery rhyme and light as a feather. Two groups of warring aliens from a robotic planet come to Earth seeking a power source in the form of a cube. Along the way they encounter allies in the form of a likeable young teenager, a hot girl he's after, a group of US soldiers in the Middle East, and a sexy female Australian computer hacker.

That's truly about it. Bay and scribes Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci understand that people are simply here to see giant robots thrash the hell out of both each other and metropolitan surroundings - thus don't bother spending time with much preamble. The result is a 140 minute movie with over an hour of it devoted to truly hardcore action - and on that front Bay shines as always.

Despite a camera that shakes so much it often makes the frentic visuals of "The Bourne Supremacy" look like still life in comparison, the action is superb. Kicking off with a truly bone-shattering attack on a US military base in Qatar, sequences spice the film throughout which means the pace rarely falters, whilst much of the last hour is one giant series of sequences which sees downtown Los Angeles ripped apart by feuding robots.

It does all go on too long at times, most notably that last act, yet the scenes that need to be exciting are. ILM's truly jaw-dropping effects not only look practically photo real throughout, but also take into consideration the one thing that far too many films of this type ignore - the laws of physics. Giant robots have mass, intertia, and thousands of complex working parts - something the FX house not only understands but gets right. Shots like two robots falling off a raised highway or Optimus and Megatron in a death grip as they go flying through a building (the film's single most epic shot) feel very real which makes the action that much more intense.

As the series was several years before my time I had no knowledge or favoritism toward it going in, yet was able to follow things very easily and without issue. In terms of sheer spectacle, "Transformers" is a hard film to beat and certainly it looks like every single dollar of its $200 million budget is up there on screen and spent well. Combined with so many cars in display it'll satiate any auto-fetishist or toy-collecting child, a blaring soundtrack and some silly but at times effective light humor - it certainly feels as if it's one of the few movies this Summer that is actually worth the ticket price.

Yet don't look too closely under the hood as what's here is a true sports car - sleek, sexy and powerful yet lacking both fuel economy and stamina. Scribes Orci & Kurtzman continue their so far unblemished streak of mediocre action vehicle scripts which, much like their work on "M:I-3," "The Island" and "The Legend of Zorro," delivers forgettable nonsense for a storyline and stock TV characterisations to fill out the empty gaps between action scenes.

When focused on character, or more specifically Shia LaBeouf's enjoyably sympathetic awkward teen Sam, the pair do well. Rather than striving for realism or backstory, the tone is kept light with some tired but audience-pleasing sitcom laughs including parents that look like they walked right out of ABC's Family Hour line-up. John Turturro as a shadowy Government agent seems to be the only one acknowledging the ridiculousness of the whole scenario and so hams it up with glee in a fun supporting performance.

Hugo Weaving was paid handsomely to voice the villain Megatron, but he's so barely in it (not to mention sounds completely unlike Weaving) that it seems an utter waste. Peter Cullen on the other hand relishes his time behind the mike as Optimus Prime again. That instantly recognisable voice is a little distracting at first, but gives Prime necessary nobility and gravitas. Even Bernie Mac, reduced to a few line cameo as a car salesman, FINALLY delivers work that can actually be termed funny.

These make the wooden turns by much of the rest of the cast stand out even more. Jon Voight as a Donald Rumsfeld knock-off continues to cash in pay cheques, Josh Duhamel shows up at points but keeps his shirt on throughout (kind of defeats the point) and Anthony Anderson as a whinging computer geek simply annoys. The women especially are mere handbags - Rachael Taylor as a hot Australian computer geek does well but struggles with such little material, whilst Megan Fox shows off little more than her torso and pouty mouth. She's the female lead, yet all she gets in the way of character development is that she's a gearhead with a laughable 'past'.

Moments like that, when the action and comedy have to be put aside to try and develop serious dramatic conflict and tailor the story into a cohesive plot, crash land with a thud. The plot holes are gaping, but more notably what plot is on display is silly - even for a cartoon show. From a pair of eyeglasses of a 19th century Arctic explorer being a keypoint, to some almost Reagen-era US politics which show more than ever why the rest of the modern world has turned against such jingoistic imperialism, the subplots aren't just tired but truly dumb and borderline offensive in some cases.

Other moments simply don't work. Whilst fans will be pleased to hear that the Prime/Megatron fight is one of the best bits of the movie, many will be disheartened by a drawn-out alley scene in the which the Decepticons are introduced and the back story explained in a pain-stakingly tedious way that reminds you that you're watching a cheesy science-fiction story. It's a tough task adapting an 80's children's show into a workable film, yet a real chance to invent a rich and compelling mythology is never even attempted - rather cheap tricks and only a semblance of story to try and link the action sequences together.

That is ultimately what "Transformers" was designed to be though - a quite effective thrill ride. It's the ecstasy of Summer movies - the first time is a rush, but each subsequent hit has less effect and proves ultimately futile after the first few times. Whereas truly great Summer films get more rewarding on subsequent glances, this packs all its power on the initial viewing and that viewing will please most everyone from fanboys to casual cinemagoers. It's not a movie that you need to see again however, and whilst it'll probably be one of the better films of the season - it ultimately doesn't have the weight let alone staying power to sit fondly in retrospect.

[The Shade]

Phew! I wonder if that review will be echoed by others? It certainly was devastating (no pun intended).

[Fit For Natalie]

You mean a couple of German based companies who didnt want machines of war made from their designs.

As if anyone is gonna belive that their V.W is actually a robot. As a V.W owner I sometime have to question their logic or lack of it. I`ll bet there are some on the V.A.G and Porsche Management teams who are just shaking their heads thinking "dumb asses missed that cash cow"

Just watch how many step up to the plate if they make a second film.

A friend of mine (a very notable fan who has friends at Hasbro and has interviewed the Hasbro executive in charge of TF in the 80s) contacted Porsche in Germany's licensing and marketing department awhile back, and the person in charge said that she didn't think Transformers deserved Porsche's license.

Phew! I wonder if that review will be echoed by others? It certainly was devastating (no pun intended).

So far they seem to be mostly positive.

For another Australian review, which out At the Movies with Margaret and David - they are by far the most respected and well-known film critics in Australia, and they are 'artsy fartsy' high-culture types. They gave 3 and a half stars each out of 5.

Truncated transcript.

As of writing, the ABC hasn't transcribed the rest of the review:

David went on to say he agreed that Transformers, like many modern action films, cuts too quickly and didn't stay focused on particular shots, possibly because of the younger generation's being used to things moving very, very quickly, perhaps due to being brought up on computer games (joking that maybe they should train the younger generation should slow down abit, or alternatively train the older generation to speed up).

He then asked Margaret if this was her first good Bay review, and she disagreed (They gave The Island 4 and 3 stars respectively), and he replied Bay hasn't had a very good track record, to which she agreed, but said Bay did bring that sort of muscularity to films to which he agreed.

David said what sets this film somewhat apart (though he is not a huge fan) are the human characters, who are pretty well defined, well acted and an interesting cast, there's alot of humour in it and the special effects, as always in these films, are wonderful.

Margaret then said what surprised her was that the TFs had real personalities, which he agreed. She said they seem to have more personality than some real characters they've seen in films lately, which he said was true.

[azrael]

review with minor spoilers

http://www.darkhorizons.com/reviews/transformers.php

The line about Hugo Weaving as Megatron makes me wonder if they should have stuck with Frank Welker instead of brushing him off to the game. Guess we'll find out next week.

[kensei]

The line about Hugo Weaving as Megatron makes me wonder if they should have stuck with Frank Welker instead of brushing him off to the game. Guess we'll find out next week.

?

Its released tonight in my country.

[big F]

A friend of mine (a very notable fan who has friends at Hasbro and has interviewed the Hasbro executive in charge of TF in the 80s) contacted Porsche in Germany's licensing and marketing department awhile back, and the person in charge said that she didn't think Transformers deserved Porsche's license.

Ouch!!

?

Its released tonight in my country.

Lucky you I have to wait till the 27th of July, by which time you`ll all be talking about the sequel.

Edited June 27, 2007 by big F

[Fit For Natalie]

Yeah, he contacted them back during the height of BT/Alternators to find out why they had passed on the Porsche Boxster(?) Jazz toy that was revealed in a Binaltech book.

While Hasbro's claim of naming the Mazda guy 'Meister' was because 'Autobot Jazz' sounded crap, Takara said its really because Hasbro was still holding out hope Porsche would change its mind.

The line about Hugo Weaving as Megatron makes me wonder if they should have stuck with Frank Welker instead of brushing him off to the game. Guess we'll find out next week.

I find Welker's Megatron WAAAAAAAAAY too cartoony sounding to fit Movie Megatron.

[crasis]

Okay, I just came home from an early screening of the film (thanks Pepsi!), and all I can say is...WOW. I take back any hate that I may have spewed out over the past year.

That was AMAZING.

From the minute I heard Cullen's voice rumble through the opening monologue, my brain immediately accepted this as pure Transformers love. My wife (who is far from a fan) absolutely loved it, as well. I don't want to drop any spoilers, so I'll just say I have honestly never experienced anything quite like this. Sure, there were some scenes of questionable dialogue/plot, but nothing that made me wince in shame like the Star Wars prequels.

I...(gasp!) love a Michael Bay film.

I need to see this again. Soon!

[Chewie]

Okay, I just came home from an early screening of the film (thanks Pepsi!), and all I can say is...WOW. I take back any hate that I may have spewed out over the past year.

That was AMAZING.

From the minute I heard Cullen's voice rumble through the opening monologue, my brain immediately accepted this as pure Transformers love. My wife (who is far from a fan) absolutely loved it, as well. I don't want to drop any spoilers, so I'll just say I have honestly never experienced anything quite like this. Sure, there were some scenes of questionable dialogue/plot, but nothing that made me wince in shame like the Star Wars prequels.

I...(gasp!) love a Michael Bay film.

I need to see this again. Soon!

So it begins...

[azrael]

So it begins...

I already read the comic adaption.....I'll just watch it for the SFX....

[crasis]

It certainly wasn't Shakespeare by any stretch, but it was a perfect popcorn flick with just the right dash of nostalgic lines and arse kicking. It's fluff, for sure, but the best tasting stuff I've had in ages.

And Brawl was still labeled "Devastator", for whatever reason. I hope that's not a spoiler...?

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

I'll probably end up seeing it, but won't hold huge expectations. Just going to go in with the thinking of: It's an action movie with robots. G1 universe was just a dream. The real transformers are messy and detailed and more complex than the shapeshifting cartoon robots we all thought were awesome as little kids.

They should hold a new poll: did you actually like the movie after seeing it?

Maybe they could even do a beast wars cg movie after this?

Edited June 28, 2007 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker

[Fit For Natalie]

I just saw it and it was awesome. I got all choked up when the Autobots made their big entrance with the heroic music in the background.

[David Hingtgen]

It kicked ass, that's all there really is to say.

Also--there are 3 clips played during the beginning parts of the credits. Just sit for like 2 mins. Once the credits switch to "white text scrolling on black" that's it.

[GobotFool]

I can't give this movie a high star rating. But with that out of the way, wow. I don't think my inner child has ever been this satisfied. I truly felt 8 years old again, my eyes were glued to the screen for every scene containing transformers. Though my mind wandered a lot during the scenes involving the computer scientist chick and Anderson's computer hacker character. I am hoping the sequels are heavier on the transformers, and much lighter on the comic relief sidekicks. (The flick's sense of humor really saved it; I just found everything involving Anderson's character painfully unfunny.)

[HoveringCheesecake]

It was great. The one thing that should have been changed was the stupid plot with the hackers. That chick annoyed the hell out of me.

[Scream Man]

Kicked so much ass I can't sit down now.

i was floored by how good it was. SO much better than i expected!

[Golden Arms]

I loved the film as well. Great action Flick. Did anyone see what happened to Barricade(Saleen) at the end of the film? I remember seeing him come to the fight. I gotta see this film again. In the theathre I saw the film, they were showing the old G1 cartoon in the lobby. Another theathre in Town will have Robosaurus in the parking lot.

[HoveringCheesecake]

I loved the film as well. Great action Flick. Did anyone see what happened to Barricade(Saleen) at the end of the film? I remember seeing him come to the fight. I gotta see this film again. In the theathre I saw the film, they were showing the old G1 cartoon in the lobby. Another theathre in Town will have Robosaurus in the parking lot.

I didn't see Barricade in the last fight. Perhaps the script can answer that question? Did he survive?

[Golden Arms]

I didn't see Barricade in the last fight. Perhaps the script can answer that question? Did he survive?

I don't know. He came to the fight, but as to his survival, beats me. Did you notice that Brawl went by another name in the film?

[HoveringCheesecake]

I don't know. He came to the fight, but as to his survival, beats me. Did you notice that Brawl went by another name in the film?

Yes. I think at Botcon Hasbro said that calling him Devastator was a goof. He is supposed to be Brawl.

[Apollo Leader]

I saw it tonight (Monday the second) at the Cinema Center here in Omaha at 8:00.

Frickin' awesome.

I noticed the goof about Brawl being called Devastator, too. I wonder if that'll be fixed on the DVD?

I will be seeing it again tomorrow night. Might have the chance to see it a third time this upcoming week.

I think David was happy to see that Blackout was refered to as an MH-53 instead of just MH-3.

[Chewie]

Greatest movie ever.

I will see it again at least a dozen times.

[Golden Arms]

Yes. I think at Botcon Hasbro said that calling him Devastator was a goof. He is supposed to be Brawl.

When I saw it I thought it was a Homage to the G1 cartoon. They showed Brawl(Dev.) and then Bonecrusher.

BTW what film is the JJ Abrams Trailer for? I was kinda thinking the Watchmen.

[Chewie]

So, was it said somewhere that the tank was Brawl? The guys who made the movie kinda didn't seem to care that he was called Devastator....

Just wondering.

[Golden Arms]

So, was it said somewhere that the tank was Brawl? The guys who made the movie kinda didn't seem to care that he was called Devastator....

Just wondering.

The toys refer to him as Brawl.

[David Hingtgen]

New poll, check out the first page! (It took me 3 tries for it to allow people to re-vote, it was easy to change the questions and set results to zero, but allowing people to re-vote took some effort---as I've said, you don't get a manual for how the boards work when you become a mod, it's all trial and error)

Here's the final results of the original poll:

It will rock! [ 52 ] [21.85%]

It'll suck! [ 76 ] [31.93%]

I'm sure It'll be a good popcorn flick. [ 81 ] [34.03%]

Mmmmmmm, transformers merchandise! 29 ] [12.18%

As for Brawl vs Devastator---apparently the guys who subtitled it screwed up, and Bay's not happy about it. The character is Brawl, the text on-screen is wrong and is expected to be changed for the DVD etc.

[Golden Arms]

New poll, check out the first page! (It took me 3 tries for it to allow people to re-vote, it was easy to change the questions and set results to zero, but allowing people to re-vote took some effort---as I've said, you don't get a manual for how the boards work when you become a mod, it's all trial and error)

Here's the final results of the original poll:

It will rock! [ 52 ] [21.85%]

It'll suck! [ 76 ] [31.93%]

I'm sure It'll be a good popcorn flick. [ 81 ] [34.03%]

Mmmmmmm, transformers merchandise! 29 ] [12.18%

As for Brawl vs Devastator---apparently the guys who subtitled it screwed up, and Bay's not happy about it. The character is Brawl, the text on-screen is wrong and is expected to be changed for the DVD etc.

I had to eat crow after seeing the film. I originally was horrified to hear that Bay was doing a Transformers film. The only film of his that I liked was The Rock, but he brought his A Game with Transformers. My only real gripes were that I think Jazz, Ratchet and Iron Hide could've had more to do, and I wish the Chase scene between the Camaro and Saleen was longer. Lastly, Frenzy seemed to get stupider as the film progressed.

Edited July 3, 2007 by Golden Arms