The Transformers 2 Thread--A Michael Bay thread

[Zx31]

One thing to remember is that "death" isn't always an accurate term in Transformers. It could be argued that Megatron, Prime, and Jetfire were all in stasis lock, a form of suspended animation caused by fatal injury or power loss, with each being revived by a large source of energon. Course, that doesn't really explain why they couldn't revive Jazz.

[RavenHawk]

One thing to remember is that "death" isn't always an accurate term in Transformers. It could be argued that Megatron, Prime, and Jetfire were all in stasis lock, a form of suspended animation caused by fatal injury or power loss, with each being revived by a large source of energon. Course, that doesn't really explain why they couldn't revive Jazz.

Wasn't there a line about Jazz' spark being completely gone?

In the prequel novel to ROTF, they spend a lot of time discussing using large sources of power to recharge Megatron's spark, so I guess that is the basic idea here.

I just kind of justified the Jetfire deal as being that he was essentially in a coma, and the spark brought him out of it. Of course, that's a pretty minor issue compared to how he got to be in the form of a plane from the '60s, anyway.

You know, generally speaking, I agree with complaints here. The dialogue and plot of the second movie were absolute horrible garbage. BUT I still had fun watching it.

As I think about the movie-verse overall, I really don't mind it to much. I love the designs, because they're drastically different from the old ones (so I don't feel any issue with these movies contradicting the old series) and because I do think they look cool and alien in their own right. I don't mind the general "lore" of the movie-verse, because I've read the IDW comics and they do a decent job of fleshing it out to where it's more palatable and, again, a nice alternative to the classic continuity.

One thing that does bother me, however, is the naming. What I mean by that is that I know they are keeping G1's character names to somehow pay homage to the old characters, for the sake of all of us old fans. However, in the first movie Prime had some correlation to the G1 prime, so it made sense to keep his name. Ironhide and Ratchet were the same deal (and Jazz, to a lesser degree). In ROTF, however, Jetfire is NOTHING like the G1 Jetfire, except for being a plane and having been in stasis on Earth for a long time. Oh, and my favorite bots in the new movie, Sideswipe (sorry, but he is just plain cool) and Arcee (love bikes) have NOTHING in common with their G1 selves whatsoever, and don't have any dialogue to speak of (no pun intended) nor any personality development whatsoever. What's the point in even giving them the G1 names?

[eugimon]

Because without any real screen time, personality or dialogue, having G1 names is the only thing going for them.

Apparently sheer nostalgia is greater than actually developing characters. But hey, they needed to make room for Leo Spitz and humping dogs, so it's understandable.

[Zx31]

Keep in mind that Hasbro has a list of names that they hold trademarks on and picks those that are the most familiar and marketable for the main characters. Really, Jetfire isn't all that different from the G1 character in function. They are both explorers who choose the more peaceful Autobot cause over the Decepticons. The only real difference is the personality.

[Einherjar]

Among some of the craziness the movie has attracted, I found this lol tidbit from the entry of Judith Witwicky. Can anyone confirm this?

Her on-high escapades during the College tour

resulted in both the University of Pennsylvania and Princeton forcing Michael Bay to not reveal what college Sam was going to.

I thought

Professor Dwight Schrute's lecture

would also have the same effect.

[Agent ONE]

this is brilliant

...

OMFG WTF BBQ

Thats awesome.

Edit in:

Still liked the movie though.

Edited July 2, 2009 by Agent ONE

[Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0]

Keep in mind that Hasbro has a list of names that they hold trademarks on and picks those that are the most familiar and marketable for the main characters. Really, Jetfire isn't all that different from the G1 character in function. They are both explorers who choose the more peaceful Autobot cause over the Decepticons. The only real difference is the personality.

It also helps that Jetfire is quite popular, the most popular jet Autobot, and used in the Armada Trilogy, Classics, and Titanium lines.

Oh, and my favorite bots in the new movie, Sideswipe (sorry, but he is just plain cool) and Arcee (love bikes) have NOTHING in common with their G1 selves whatsoever, and don't have any dialogue to speak of (no pun intended) nor any personality development whatsoever. What's the point in even giving them the G1 names?

Sideswipe in the movie was a brawler/fighter and flashy, so that is similar to the G1 version save for the red. Edited July 2, 2009 by Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0

[Einherjar]

Destroy All Podcasts, unleash hell on this movie!

Destroy All Podcasts ST Episode 21 - Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

[kaiotheforsaken]

Well I saw it again and some of the plot holes that have been discussed (like the cube fragment) have a totally simple and obvious explanation in the movie. Granted it wont change anyone's opinion I don't think, but it is not nearly as bad plot hole wise as some on the interwebs have said.

Eugimon, I watched that forest scene with hawk eyes and I could not for the life of me see the frame drops you were referring too. That doesn't mean that they aren't there, but I really looked for em and didn't see it...maybe I didn't know exactly what to look for though.

Still, I enjoy this movie more every time I see it and I hope it continues to do well at least till Potter comes out and takes over again.

[eugimon]

huh, maybe it was just an issue with the particular projector at my local theater. <shrug> doesn't matter FPS drop or no I still didn't find the action very enjoyable.

[kaiotheforsaken]

Yeah I can understand the action isn't for everyone in this one. I just made a point of paying attention to that particular sequence to see if I could pick up on it.

[eugimon]

Yeah I can understand the action isn't for everyone in this one. I just made a point of paying attention to that particular sequence to see if I could pick up on it.

What's weird is that sort of overly aggressive violence is the sort of stuff I usually enjoy, I just didn't this time around. It's an odd thing, like maybe the timing was just off for me.

[Zx31]

To be fair, I noticed something odd in some of the CGI scenes as well, bit it wasn't a drop in frame rate. I'm not sure if it was just the IMAX version, but something did seem "off" for a split second every now and then.

[shiroikaze]

To be fair, I noticed something odd in some of the CGI scenes as well, bit it wasn't a drop in frame rate. I'm not sure if it was just the IMAX version, but something did seem "off" for a split second every now and then.

It felt claymation-like/stopmotion almost, right? Kinda like the ED Unit from Robocop no?

Edited July 2, 2009 by shiroikaze

[eugimon]

It felt claymation-like/stopmotion almost, right? Kinda like the ED Unit from Robocop no?

woohoo! I'm not the only one to notice! Vindicated!

[Kelsain]

It felt claymation-like/stopmotion almost, right? Kinda like the ED Unit from Robocop no?

It almost looked like they were going for the high-speed film look, like the beginning of Saving Private Ryan.

[eugimon]

It almost looked like they were going for the high-speed film look, like the beginning of Saving Private Ryan.

yeah, at times they were but there's a scene where it's the twins just walking or something and then stutter cuts in.

[VF5SS]

Destroy All Podcasts, unleash hell on this movie!

Destroy All Podcasts ST Episode 21 - Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

If you want to call my drug induced rant, "hell" go right ahead. Whatever gives CDX more hits.

[promethuem5]

Huh.... I thought I was just seeing things. There's a little bit of Roger Rabbit oddness in the scene where The Doctor examines Sam as well.

[e_jacob77]

HI all,

Am sure itz been discussed already, but can someone tell me who the silver autobot, corvette concept was?

[Einherjar]

If you want to call my drug induced rant, "hell" go right ahead. Whatever gives CDX more hits.

I meant it in a positive way, as used in Gladiator.

[Wanzerfan]

I saw the movie on opening day. For the record, Megs gets revived by a shard from the All-Spark cube that was stolen from a military base. The whole move was over the top, full of toilet humor (seeing the RC Decep humping on the hottie's leg was way too much). It continues in the Devastator scene; I didn't believe it until I saw the wrecking ball and the wighted hook. Bay, you're one sick effing puppy.

It's hard to believe, but they found a bigger douche-bag than the CIA bastard from the first movie (I mean searching a house without a warrant, give me a break), at least the spook isn't as big a prick in this movie.

The "Cylon" wasn't really needied, in my opinion.

Edited July 3, 2009 by Wanzerfan

[Zx31]

HI all,

Am sure itz been discussed already, but can someone tell me who the silver autobot, corvette concept was?

Sideswipe

[peter]

Well, I watched it for the second time last night (no, I did not pay to see it a second time....nor the first tiime), and to help me through it this time, I rolled up a big fat one and got nice and baked. Surprisingly, it didn't make the experience any better.

Two questions:

1. Wheelie, the horny little RC car....wasn't he that irritating little Autobot from the animated movie?

2. Devastator was a tank in the first Bayformers....was he rebuilt or resurrected for the second movie?

Edited July 3, 2009 by peter

[kaiotheforsaken]

1. yes

2. The Devastator from the first movie was supposed to be renamed, but they never bothered to change it as of the HD-DVD release (dunno about Blu-Ray). They are not one and the same though.

[David Hingtgen]

Blu-Ray version still says Devastator.

[kaiotheforsaken]

Bah, lazy people. Oh well, my HD-DVD version doesn't play right at all (and it's now obsolete anyways) so I guess I'll have to replace it.

[Wanzerfan]

What did they name the Audi? You know the one, it was sliced in half by Sideswipe at the beginning of the film.

I was kinda disappointed about Sideswipe, I was hoping to see a red Lamborghini Countach.

Ah, well, GM needs all the freaking money it needs to get out of bankruptcy.

[Einherjar]

Ah, well, GM needs all the freaking money it needs to get out of bankruptcy.

Funny you mention that, but why help out GM if most of their cars are crap?

Ah well, they're probably getting something from this mess anyway.

[David Hingtgen]

The Audi is Sideways. (yes, they had to use 2 similar names for new guys on opposing factions in this movie, of the dozens of names to choose from)

[grss1982]

Just saw the tail end part of this movie....and I lol'ed at the part were Optimus Prime is revived.

Optimus Prime + Jet Fire Parts = Optimus Prime with Fast Packs????

Macross Tribute, perhaps?

[eugimon]

I like how Prime doesn't even care, not even a throw away, "Aw, Jetfire" line like from the first movie when Jazz dies.

[mikeszekely]

I like how Prime doesn't even care, not even a throw away, "Aw, Jetfire" line like from the first movie when Jazz dies.

Well for giant robots that seemed nigh indestructible to the humans of the first movie, they seem to die quickly enough when fighting each other. And neither side seems all that concerned. Not just with comrades, but with enemies too. I mean, Prime and Sideswipe didn't even consider taking a prisoner and pumping them for info in Shanghai.

[Jeremy007]

I like how Prime doesn't even care, not even a throw away, "Aw, Jetfire" line like from the first movie when Jazz dies.

the way i understood it, jetfire and prime didnt even know each other. jetfire was somewhat surprised to find out that a Prime was still alive and i believe jetfire went to "sleep" or stasis lock while still a decepticon.

[Cent]

I dont think Prime would have said much no matter the situation. Prime was a cold-blooded murderer in this movie. He's going to get a hockey mask in the next movie.