My TRANSFORMERS review

[flipcritic]

http://www.flipcritic.net/archives/000171.html

In my adolescence, I once thought that THE TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE (1986) was one of the best films ever made. Age and access had not yet tinged my moviegoing experience. Such is youth, forever sentimentalizing our early lives and its subjects. Many of us who grew up on these Hasbro heroes still hold them in reverie, regardless of the profound silliness of it all. But we’ve all been young, and boys will be boys in love with their toys.

For followers of the series, how much you love Michael Bay’s TRANSFORMERS will depend on how much you have grown up (and probably how many decibels your eardrums can take). It seems natural that many of us who collected toy autobots and decepticons might have had great interest in the fields of science, as the mechanics of how these robots transform required inquiry during our younger years. So if you’re like me, watching this movie may not only reveal an onscreen battle between good and evil, but also one's own personal battle between nostalgia and common sense.

I know that I shouldn’t be applying logic against a concept that was never meant to be logical. Optimus Prime, Megatron and their ilk were not meant to be opposing leaders of a mechanical alien race set against a space epic. They’re cool toys representing the fanciful idea of having normal everyday vehicles transform into humanoid mechas. That’s killing two birds with one stone in toy marketing.

The problem is that the level of detail and seriousness the film initially builds up begs us to consider its plausibility. The movie’s opening sequence of where a decepticon infiltrates a US military base (apparently in the Middle East) is well-executed and as convincing as can be. Explanations on how these mechas are able to speak English are humorous but (barely) believable. And the initial electronic strategies the decepticons use to hamper US defense systems make sense.

But when the deeper questions are asked, the house of cards falls apart. These robots transform to blend into earth’s general populace, but why did they ever need to transform in the first place? Was there an evolutionary advantage that morphing gave them on their home world or are they just God’s toys? Why do they speak to communicate as they are electronic beings? If they can reach the earth through space, why do they travel slowly as grounded transport? Couldn’t they all have chosen aircraft functions to replicate? And why in one inexplicable scene are they reduced to comedic stooges hiding from a kid’s parents in his backyard?

Surely these and other queries are supposed to be ignored, but my inquisitive side keeps on tugging on my id. If your inner child wins out however, there are worthy sights to behold. The transformers themselves have been bravely redesigned, which is refreshingly the correct choice as opposed to keeping their original forms. Though some characters from the cartoon series will be familiar, the vehicular alter-egos have been totally revamped to fit current tastes (and toy franchising needs). Mecha battles engaged in Los Angeles are at times breathtaking, none more than Starscream’s low-flying dogfighting maneuvers. Fans will likely warm to some in-jokes (a decepticon police car motto), a jab at “My Little Pony” (a fellow Hasbro franchise), and surely, hearing Peter Cullen’s voicing of Prime.

Speaking of which, this gloriously authoritative father-figure lacks presence and warmth. Animated characters by their very nature more stylized and symbolic; highlighting their traits to an almost elemental level. How ironic that Optimus Prime in all his CGI glory projects less heroism and gravitas than his hand-drawn version. Perhaps it is our youth that taints our view, plus the all-to realistic detail of the film’s special effects makes him look more of a machine and less of a hero (or maybe it’s because now we can see his mouth move?). Shia LaBeouf, as the young Sam Witwicky who stumbles onto the robotic conflict, is the only well-rounded character worth following. He keeps it interesting, but can only do so much.

From a cinematic view, Michael Bay was born to direct this movie. He just loves toys, as not one of his films to date has had an unexploded vehicle. In filming convincing human dynamics however, he hasn’t got a clue, as evidenced in one scene where he tries miserably and awkwardly in getting us to feel bad for an autobot’s capture. His methods have deteriorated as he irritatingly refuses to stop using shaky camera movements during conflict, and dozens of slow motion sequences, mistaking disorientation and distraction for a frenzied perspective. For the life of me, I don’t understand why he cannot just let the action speak for itself.

As you can see, I’ve grown up a bit too far from my guilelessness to enjoy TRANSFORMERS. I do not disdain this kind of entertainment. Truth be told, its writing is better than I thought it would be, but its fancy façade can’t hide its flaws for those who want more substance. I find Prime deserving of better treatment, but considering its source, this might be as good as it gets. So enjoy it if you can. I tried and couldn’t.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

If they had inserted every recording of Chris Latta's voice into a computer, used a voice creating program and used that as Starscream's voice, I gaurantee you the rewatchability of this film would increase by 15% that means more money via rentals and DVD sales.

Sad. Michael Bay still remains a big giant nasty douche.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

His methods have deteriorated as he irritatingly refuses to stop using shaky camera movements during conflict,

oh my god dude please be shitting me


these fucking juvenile cinemetography effects are exactly what is wrong with the movie scene today (besides matrix-slow mo effects which are [thank god] almost out of the way)





Shia LaBeouf, as the young Sam Witwicky who stumbles onto the robotic conflict, is the only well-rounded character worth following. He keeps it interesting, but can only do so much.

I told ya'll!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! god dammit i told yall michael bay would make this film focus on the humans, and their personal feeligns and conflicts....
God dammit i hate michael bay

fucking HACK


omg what a freaking travesty....to think that 4 people you know in your own personal relationships could have made this potentially bad ass movie idea into a better movie than is actually being released to every marriott's pleasure...jesus christ
another sign of the fall of the empire

[L.I.T]

You know who I blame for the whole shaky camera thing? Sam Raimi. He effectively used it, and to cool effect, in his Evil Dead trilogy and since then every two-bit action hack has tried to emulate it.

[MoSpur]

I'm still gonna see it because I was a huge Transformers fan when I was a kid.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

I got hooked on the previews. I missed the Transformers fad as a kid, although I was pretty up on them as two of my younger brothers liked the Transformers. I thought it would be a good movie to see, but it sounds like another overblown Hollywood disaster.

Pirtates, Spiderman and now Transformers all look to be summer bummers. I was hoping for more from all three. But I'll definitely check out Transformers to see if it disappoints. I'm not intending to question the "why" of the various scenes like the author of the review did, I'm just going to try to enjoy the ride. We'll see how it goes.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Fuck the plot, go to watch Megan Fox. :hungry:

http://www.pestaola.gr/images/megan_fox_fhm_2006_calendar.jpg

http://www.dailysins.com/_pics/Megan_Fox5.jpg

http://www.dailysins.com/_pics/Megan_Fox.jpg

[IceColdBrewski]

Never got into the Transformers thing as a kid. I was more of a Bugs Bunny/Scooby Doo/Tom and Jerry kid. I gave the Transformers cartoon a few tries as a kid, but it just never struck my fancy. After that, Tranformers coming on meant it was time to go outside and play.

[Burn531]

The Detroit News movie reviewer hated it in todays paper. I think he gave it a D. I still wanna see it. Looks badass.

[hello13]

that bitch is UGLY

[Sec24Row7]

Variety gave it a good review...

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

that bitch is UGLY


:lol

I'd "ugly" her all night.

[TheTruth]

It's a movie about Machines that transform dude, stop trying to "suspend" belief, and enjoy the MOVIE BASED OFF OF CHILDREN'S TOYS!!

Well now, just got finished watching it. I'm gonna have to give it positive reviews. YES, the human stories sucked, but the Transformer badassedness was more than enough to send me home happy.

"It is just me and you Megatron."

"No, it is just me Optimus."



Oh yeah, Michael Bay can develop a character for shit, but his action set pieces were out of this world.

[ShoogarBear]

Wow, that was a really densely-written review. It took too much mental effort to read. I got to about the third paragraph and realized that I didn't want to know Dostoevsky's thoughts on the freakin' Transformers.

:lol

I'll come back when you review the serious fall and winter films.

[jaespur21]

my brother is goin to watch it tomorrow ill go off of what he has 2 say aboot it

[Avitus1]

The movie was good. If you were a fan of the cartoon series then you'll love this movie. It delivers just about everything you want to see in a TRANSFORMERS movie.

[The Red Hood]

So how did everyone like the JJ Abrams trailer?

[flipcritic]

I'm not trying to be pompously serious. I did admit in the review that there are really breathtaking sites to behold. But because of the way built itself up with all seriousness in the first third of the movie, I felt it was begging me to take seriously.

So fine I take it seriously.

Then it starts getting sillier and sillier, as if it had backed off everything it was trying to build up to (at least for me).

I loved the Transformers. But I know what they are: toys. And this movie is all about toys. So I hope you all remember what I said in the 2nd paragraph:

How much you will enjoy this film will depend on how much you've grown up. This movie, for me, was a battle between nostalgia and reason. The film relies on nostalgia to carry it through, but my reasoning just wouldn't let go of me.

Some of my good friends (casual viewers and critics alike) enjoyed this film very much, and I completely understand them (I'm happy they enjoyed it). But for those who will be wanting more substance (e.g. me) will be left wanting more.

I hope you guys will enjoy it too. I just hope this review gave a good sense of it.

On some less serious notes. Megatron was the best conceived of all of the mechas. You can't go wrong with Hugo Weaving voicing your primary villain.

Megan Fox is luscious, but she plays an 11th grader, which is like saying Duncan is still a rookie.

And Shia Lebouf is wonderful. I don't think I exaggerate when I say he seems to be our generation's Michael J. Fox.

[Re-Animator]

I will check it out as soon as I can Transform my RAR files to AVI :smokin

[spursaretheone]

Man I just saw this movie and the last time I heard the audience clap like this was when I went to see Rocky 4 opening night. This movie lived up to the hype and was great. You can't take it too serious because its a movie about giant robots not real people so there were some silly parts but it was funny. I loved it and if you are a fan of the cartoon you should see it.


Edit: By the way I also heard that they have agreed to two more movies. So maybe there wont be so much human development in the next one for those who hate this movie.

[ZStomp]

I enjoyed the movie immensely. :tu :tu

[TheTruth]

Man I just saw this movie and the last time I heard the audience clap like this was when I went to see Rocky 4 opening night. This movie lived up to the hype and was great. You can't take it too serious because its a movie about giant robots not real people so there were some silly parts but it was funny. I loved it and if you are a fan of the cartoon you should see it.


Edit: By the way I also heard that they have agreed to two more movies. So maybe there wont be so much human development in the next one for those who hate this movie.
Fantastic news. Just get rid of Bay.

[ShoogarBear]

Fantastic news. Just get rid of Bay.Yah. I wonder what Uwe Boll is up to?

[leemajors]

Yah. I wonder what Uwe Boll is up to?
Alone in the Dark 2?

[The Red Hood]

And Shia Lebouf is wonderful. I don't think I exaggerate when I say he seems to be our generation's Michael J. Fox.

How so?

[Sec24Row7]

The movie fucking rocks...

If you want to see a great script and wonderful acting with feelings and a bunch of bullshit go watch Driving Miss Daisy...

If you want to see Bad Boys meets Independance Day go watch Transformers.


There were 5 or 6 times that the audience clapped during the movie...

[Ginofan]

I enjoyed the movie alot and I had absolutely no idea about anything involving transformers. I thought the effects were pretty badass and just the machines themselves were sweet they way they transformed and moved and all that. I thought Shia did a great job with his character. I didn't really expect there to be as much comedy as there was, but it made it all the better. I would definitely see it again.

[Silver21_Black20]

Saw it last night and I thought it was a great movie. It was highly entertaining. I thought it was better than Spiderman 3.

[The Red Hood]

Saw it last night and I thought it was a great movie. It was highly entertaining. I thought it was better than Spiderman 3.

I wonder if it will make more than Spiderman 3

[midgetonadonkey]

This movie was kick ass. Nothing greater than giant robots tearing shit up. I give it 18 thumbs up.

[Avitus1]

But when the deeper questions are asked, the house of cards falls apart. These robots transform to blend into earth’s general populace, but why did they ever need to transform in the first place?

During the Cybertron Civil war The Autobots decided that they couldn't match the Decepticons fire power so they perfected the art of transforming so they could win the war by stealth.



Why do they speak to communicate as they are electronic beings? If they can reach the earth through space, why do they travel slowly as grounded transport? Couldn’t they all have chosen aircraft functions to replicate?

Decepticons (at least in the cartoon) can fly when they are in there robot forms. Many of them are in fact jets anyways.


The movie was good it really was my only complaint was that the Decepticons didn't talk to much and I would of liked it if they did.

[peewee's lovechild]

I'm watching it this weekend.

I will burn the theater down if I'm disappointed . . . with everyone in it.

I'm tired of Hollywood raping my childhood.

I will be in the theater with my molotov cocktail in hand.

[peewee's lovechild]

Fuck the plot, go to watch Megan Fox. :hungry:

http://www.pestaola.gr/images/megan_fox_fhm_2006_calendar.jpg

http://www.dailysins.com/_pics/Megan_Fox5.jpg

http://www.dailysins.com/_pics/Megan_Fox.jpg

Yea, she's a good reason to watch this movie.

But, Shia Lebouf makes me hard.

[ATRAIN]

Am I going to have to watch the animated movie when I get home so I can redeem my transformer love?

[CharlieMac]

Yeah dude, you gotta put the thesaurus away when you write something legnthy like that.

But I get your point. Bay fucked up the movie. There were some horrible lines and weird moments throughout the movie. I mentioned this elsewhere, but the ending strongly resembled the scene in Armageddon where Affleck gets it on with Tyler and a few animal crackers.

Fortunately, he didn't ruin it. It's still worth the effects, Megan Fox, and a chuckle here and there. I'm not going to watch Transformers to think and reflect on what has become of the movie industry, it's based on a fucking cartoon I watched when I was 6.

[rr2418]

Transformers was AWSOME!! Great movie from start to finish! Great effects, great action scene, a must see movie! Even if you don't know anything about the Transformers! What I liked is the human characters didn't get in the way and become the hero, or say cliched filled lines. IMHO, better than Spiderman. :elephant :clap :downspin:

[maxpower]

This is the first movie in a while that has me wanting to see it again. If you watched the cartoons and are not a hardcore fan, you will like the movie.

The movie was paced well enough that I did not find myself breaking suspension of disbelief.

[Mark in Austin]

I enjoyed the hell out of it - it's a great summer movie ride - great spectacle.

My main complaint is that it really had the potential to be an all time great - like T2, Jurassic Park, etc.

* minor spoiler alert *


The problem is that the pacing really didn't allow much emotional buy-in in the characters - for instance, when Bumblebee was getting tortured or when Jazz dies - we see the spectacle, but don't feel anything because we don't have anything invested in the characters. I would have liked to have seen the Sam/Bumblebee relationship built up more, and known a little more about the other characters beyond what you can read on the toy packaging.


* end spoiler *



I guess what I'm saying is that Transformers hits the target Michael Bay was aiming at perfectly... I just wish he had aimed higher.

[monosylab1k]

I can't say I liked this movie. But I was definitely entertained.

The visual effects are out of this world. There is not one moment where something looks "fake" or very obviously CGI. Absolutely incredible visuals.

The story was a complete piece of shit. I'm really happy I could enjoy seeing shit get blown up to distract me from the most puke-worthy, godawful dialogue that made The Day After Tomorrow seem smart in comparison.

Every shitty Michael Bay line was in this thing - you had the soldier going up to a reluctant Even Stevens and yelling at him "Hey! You're a soldier now! You're our only hope! Now go give 'em hell!" or some fuckin' bullshit. Then there was the scene where Bumblebee got trashed and I thought for sure that if he could talk he would have said "It's.....so cold....everything is....going...black...." And then Even Stevens standing by his toy robot destroyer screaming "I'm not leaving him!" with a quivering lower lip which inevitably reminded me of the kid from Honey I Shrunk The Kids sticking it out to the bitter end with his newfound ant buddy.

And then the final line that nearly killed it for me "I'll drive, you shoot!" which would have been incredibly fun and original if it hadn't been used in every action movie ever made, in addition to being featured in one of the Problem Child movies for fuck's sake.

Seriously, this movie would have been A++++ entertainment if there was not one word of dialogue in the entire flick. All the shitty acting and talking really took away from a great movie about robots beating the fuck out of each other.

[L.I.T]

In the immortal words of Bill Parcells: "It is what it is". Movies like this can't be held up to some grand film-making idealized concept of what they should be. It's mindless entertainment, crowd-pleasing spectacle and that's about what it aspires to be.

On those terms, this movie is a runaway success. Granted it's flaws are glaring, plotting almost non-existent, but hey who cares? It blows shit up and makes for pretty pictures. I'm an art-house movie fan, but I've also learned to take movies on their terms, to see what they are trying to achieve and gauge if they do so. Transformers was trying to be pure, dumb entertainment, and I liked it.

[monosylab1k]

In the immortal words of Bill Parcells: "It is what it is". Movies like this can't be held up to some grand film-making idealized concept of what they should be. It's mindless entertainment, crowd-pleasing spectacle and that's about what it aspires to be.

On those terms, this movie is a runaway success. Granted it's flaws are glaring, plotting almost non-existent, but hey who cares? It blows shit up and makes for pretty pictures. I'm an art-house movie fan, but I've also learned to take movies on their terms, to see what they are trying to achieve and gauge if they do so. Transformers was trying to be pure, dumb entertainment, and I liked it.

I tend to agree with this, but at the same time, I gotta wonder - if we're supposed to "turn off our brain" and just enjoy the mindless entertainment, then why do cheesedicks like Michael Bay and Roland Emmerich even bother to try to add depth to their big dumb movies? If all people care about is robots blowing shit up, and if that's all they're even supposed to care about, then don't even attempt some corny ass emotional connection between the kid and Bumblebee, don't bother with some shitty speech to get the kid to overcome his fears and become a hero, don't bother having the boy and the girl softly touch hands as shit gets blown up all around them like it has any artistic merit whatsoever....just don't bother with any of that crap. Just let robots blow shit up.

I think that's everyone's whole problem with Michael Bay films - he DOESN'T think his movies are just stupid mindless entertainment. Pearl Harbor had incredible action sequences, but two hours worth of a shitty love story fucked it all up. Same with The Island and everything else he's done.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Dude Michael Bay is everything that it is wrong with action movies today.

They're even mentioned in the same sentence as the word "action" for a reason.

There is no need for non-transformer character development, no need for love plots, no need for anything tangential to portrayign a setting of autobots and decepticons landing on earth and remodelling their transformations and then going into an all out war to destroy each other.

I find it paradoxical that to feed the mindless mass majority marriott demographic they have to actually "add" something to a movie idea.

But to own myself, to not add that extra something would mean only being accepted by a smaller (though perhaps more mindless) demographic and thereby making less money in the project. Viewed from this perspective, perhaps Michael Bay is the perfect choice for this film.


Alot of people have said he's done a great job, but I want those people to think about whether or not this movie has any replay value. I know if I went and saw it stoned I would like it cuz Michael bay can pull off some good action scenes. But good action scenes alone do not a good action movie make. Michael Bay can take pallidium, clutch it closely to his larcenous heart, and make it reek of shit.

[peewee's lovechild]

Fuck the plot, go to watch Megan Fox. :hungry:

http://www.pestaola.gr/images/megan_fox_fhm_2006_calendar.jpg

http://www.dailysins.com/_pics/Megan_Fox5.jpg

http://www.dailysins.com/_pics/Megan_Fox.jpg

I'm jacking off to Megan Fox right now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[batman2883]

part 2 coming soon

[L.I.T]

I tend to agree with this, but at the same time, I gotta wonder - if we're supposed to "turn off our brain" and just enjoy the mindless entertainment, then why do cheesedicks like Michael Bay and Roland Emmerich even bother to try to add depth to their big dumb movies? If all people care about is robots blowing shit up, and if that's all they're even supposed to care about, then don't even attempt some corny ass emotional connection between the kid and Bumblebee, don't bother with some shitty speech to get the kid to overcome his fears and become a hero, don't bother having the boy and the girl softly touch hands as shit gets blown up all around them like it has any artistic merit whatsoever....just don't bother with any of that crap. Just let robots blow shit up.

I think that's everyone's whole problem with Michael Bay films - he DOESN'T think his movies are just stupid mindless entertainment. Pearl Harbor had incredible action sequences, but two hours worth of a shitty love story fucked it all up. Same with The Island and everything else he's done.

Yup, totally agree with you. I think the only movie of Bay's that I've ever recommended to someone to watch is The Rock. Hell, as much as I enjoyed Transformers, I would only recommend it to a small percentage of people. If you've ever watched his interviews he genuinely thinks he's some brilliant visual auteur.

Bay (along with Emmerich as you say) has become the standard-bearer of Hollywood action-movie cliches. I almost like watching his movies as over-the-top satires. For me, there are certain elements that I almost expect: blatant jingoism (check), stirring speech, which in his epics usually about how humanity needs to survive (Optimus Prime...check and check), badly sketched romance (check), etc etc.

This is a slippery slope I'm on, but when I see a movie by these guys (knowing they are going to cliche-riddled) I just try and see how well-crafted the cliches are and if I enjoy all of the action sequenes. The Rock and Transformers succeed, Bad Boys II, The Island and Armageddon don't. Independence Day is great, The Day after Tomorrow sucks, and I'm on the fence with Stargate.

Hmmmm...I can't believe that I'm actually defending Bay...Jesus.

By the way, I said this before, but I absolutely hate the shaky-cam; it's the last resort of the crappy action director. It's great when applied by a good director (see Children of Men), but in the hands of a bad one...goddamn. I'm a staunch supporter of Raimi, but for creating that particular *you are there in the middle of the action* technique and SP3 he needs to take a break...for about five years.

[monosylab1k]

It's great when applied by a good director (see Children of Men)

Children Of Men is a perfectly done action movie if you want to call it that. The chase sequence in the car with the motorcycle guys where Julianne Moore gets it is one of the most heart-pounding suspenseful moments I've ever seen.

Sometimes big dumb movies need to be in the hands of a big dumb director because a smarter director might forget he's making a big dumb movie (See Ang Lee and Hulk)....but there's gotta be a middle ground somewhere that doesn't include Michael Bay making movies ever.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

I tend to agree with this, but at the same time, I gotta wonder - if we're supposed to "turn off our brain" and just enjoy the mindless entertainment, then why do cheesedicks like Michael Bay and Roland Emmerich even bother to try to add depth to their big dumb movies? If all people care about is robots blowing shit up, and if that's all they're even supposed to care about, then don't even attempt some corny ass emotional connection between the kid and Bumblebee, don't bother with some shitty speech to get the kid to overcome his fears and become a hero, don't bother having the boy and the girl softly touch hands as shit gets blown up all around them like it has any artistic merit whatsoever....just don't bother with any of that crap. Just let robots blow shit up.

I think that's everyone's whole problem with Michael Bay films - he DOESN'T think his movies are just stupid mindless entertainment. Pearl Harbor had incredible action sequences, but two hours worth of a shitty love story fucked it all up. Same with The Island and everything else he's done.


Even porn flicks have dialogue, and I can guarantee you that no one cares about the plot in a porn flick. Maybe Michael Bay is simply an aspiring adult film director.

[alamo50]

I took my girl to this movie and thought she would hate it, but because of the humor she liked it too......ok, I did like the cheesy stuff too. The action was GRRRRREAT and I will defenitely go and see it again.

[chode_regulator]

And Shia Lebouf is wonderful. I don't think I exaggerate when I say he seems to be our generation's Michael J. Fox.
shia's prime was even stevens. he'll never be as good in anything else

[peewee's lovechild]

shia's prime was even stevens. he'll never be as good in anything else

Shia is grade A, U.S.D.A. prime cut piece of man meat!!!

[peewee's lovechild]

shia's prime was even stevens. he'll never be as good in anything else

But, seriously . . . you obviously don't know jack shit about movies or acting.

Shia was pretty damn good.

Think about it you dumb fuck, he was acting to blue screen about 80% of the time. That means he was reacting and acting to nothing . . . nothing at all. And, he pulled it off.

You couldn't do it if your life depended on it.

Transformers surpassed my expectations (which was a good thing because I was ready to burn the movie theater down if I was to be dissappointed), it had a great narrative thread, great graphics, great action, and a good range of emotions. There were some cheesy laughs, granted, but I know that it was done for the kids . . . so I didn't mind all that much.

While I agree that Micheal Bay has been over-the-top at times, he actually delivered this time. However, I think it had more to do with Spielberg looking over his shoulder than with his mediocre talents.

Transformers was great.
And, I highly recommend it.

[peewee's lovechild]

However, here's the thing:

How do Transformers have sex?
And, why are are all the Transformers male?
Are they gay?

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Wow, that was a really densely-written review. It took too much mental effort to read. I got to about the third paragraph and realized that I didn't want to know Dostoevsky's thoughts on the freakin' Transformers.

:lol

I'll come back when you review the serious fall and winter films.

:lmao A-freakin'-men.

[slayermin]

I wanted to give this movie a chance because I thought Michael Bay did a great job on the movie "The Island." Normally he is the type of director that will get the job done on schedule and budget. But he isn't exactly the craftsman filmmaker like Christopher Nolan or Mel Gibson.

I watched Transformers when I was younger and was sort of familiar with the characters. I can't believe they didn't at least show Cybertron. I thought that would have given a different perspective on the entire movie and tie everything together. They are probably saving this for part two.

Anyway, I thought the movie was ok. My brother walked out of the film because he was a huge fan of the Transformers. He was pissed because the story was too simple. It wasn't exactly the storyline for your diehard Transformer fans. Michael Bay was out to make a mega summer blockbuster, and that is what he accomplished.

If you are expecting "Batman Begins," you will be gravely disappointed. If you want to watch "Batman and Robin," you'll love it.

[Mark in Austin]

In the immortal words of Bill Parcells: "It is what it is". Movies like this can't be held up to some grand film-making idealized concept of what they should be.

I have to disagree. Movies can have spectacle and still be smart. Batman Begins, The Lord of the Rings, Spider Man 2, the original Superman - all huge movies that managed to entertain, make a crapload of money, and not have shit dialoge and pedestrian plots.

As slayermin pointed out, it's the difference between Batman Begins and Batman & Robin.

[peewee's lovechild]

I wanted to give this movie a chance because I thought Michael Bay did a great job on the movie "The Island." Normally he is the type of director that will get the job done on schedule and budget. But he isn't exactly the craftsman filmmaker like Christopher Nolan or Mel Gibson.

I watched Transformers when I was younger and was sort of familiar with the characters. I can't believe they didn't at least show Cybertron. I thought that would have given a different perspective on the entire movie and tie everything together. They are probably saving this for part two.

Anyway, I thought the movie was ok. My brother walked out of the film because he was a huge fan of the Transformers. He was pissed because the story was too simple. It wasn't exactly the storyline for your diehard Transformer fans. Michael Bay was out to make a mega summer blockbuster, and that is what he accomplished.

If you are expecting "Batman Begins," you will be gravely disappointed. If you want to watch "Batman and Robin," you'll love it.

Are you fucking retarded?
Were you fed cowshit as a baby?

"The Island" was a great movie??
What the fuck are you talking about?? It was one of Bay's worst movies. It's a direct ripoff of Logan's Run and THX 1188. Same concepts of regeneration (cloning) and technology ill used. But, "The Island" is so full of holes and cheesy dialogue. It's a shit movie, and if your argument starts off with you saying it was a great movie . . . your arguement is automatically disqualified.

And, by the way you dumb fuck, Cybertron is shown in the beginning. If you weren't too busy sucking your brother's cock, you would have seen that.

[peewee's lovechild]

I have to disagree. Movies can have spectacle and still be smart. Batman Begins, The Lord of the Rings, Spider Man 2, the original Superman - all huge movies that managed to entertain, make a crapload of money, and not have shit dialoge and pedestrian plots.

As slayermin pointed out, it's the difference between Batman Begins and Batman & Robin.

Transformers = Batman & Robin??

Why don't you back up that statement with some specific examples??
You never could you fucking 'tard.

[PixelPusher]

http://www.flipcritic.net/archives/000171.html
But when the deeper questions are asked, the house of cards falls apart. These robots transform to blend into earth’s general populace, but why did they ever need to transform in the first place? Was there an evolutionary advantage that morphing gave them on their home world or are they just God’s toys? Why do they speak to communicate as they are electronic beings? If they can reach the earth through space, why do they travel slowly as grounded transport? Couldn’t they all have chosen aircraft functions to replicate? And why in one inexplicable scene are they reduced to comedic stooges hiding from a kid’s parents in his backyard?

You're thinking WAY too hard on this. If they ever make a G.I. Joe movie, your head would explode. (Everyone has laser weapons, but nobody ever gets killed! G.I. Joe and C.O.B.R.A. just blow up each others vehicles. Jeez, how many flaming F-14s have Duke and Scarlett ejected from? Is it all some cold war style arms race where they try and bankrupt each other?)

[ZStomp]

Saw it again! :tu :tu :tu :tu

[Jimcs50]

Good movie

[Jimcs50]

http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Ss/0418279/th-T14446EDIT.jpg

[ShoogarBear]

Jim, you actually went to see it? Did you ever watch the show?

[Jimcs50]

Jim, you actually went to see it? Did you ever watch the show?

I have a son, remember?

[ShoogarBear]

Ah, yes.

But isn't he like 35 years old now? :lol

I've been debating going to see it. I never watched the show, but the special effects look like it could be a good time. And it seems that you might enjoy it better if you didn't have the childhood memories coloring your opinions.

[Jimcs50]

Fuck the plot, go to watch Megan Fox. :hungry:

]


:toast


http://www.hollywoodtuna.com/images/bigimages/megan_fox_fhm_images_3_big.jpg

[Jimcs50]

Ah, yes.

But isn't he like 35 years old now? :lol

I've been debating going to see it. I never watched the show, but the special effects look like it could be a good time. And it seems that you might enjoy it better if you didn't have the childhood memories coloring your opinions.

He is 15...you remember when you were 15, right? Beatle mania and all, yes?

[SequSpur]

Transformers is for daycare. Watch a real movie.

[Kermit]

I'm not going to follow FlipCritic with a disertation on why I did or didn't like Transformers. All I will say is, yes I am using capital letters for the first time and that Michael Bay flick was the worst piece of shit I have ever laid eyes on. I want my money back and if people could sue for wasting $100 million, this would be the time to do it. The only redeeming quality that it had to offer was the leading lady and her slutiness.

Transformers is what happens when CGI and diarrhea have a baby.

[ATRAIN]

Fuck the plot, go to watch Megan Fox. :hungry:

http://www.pestaola.gr/images/megan_fox_fhm_2006_calendar.jpg

http://www.dailysins.com/_pics/Megan_Fox5.jpg

http://www.dailysins.com/_pics/Megan_Fox.jpg


SO yeah the movie was bad ass and Megan was HOTTTTTTTTT holy shit!!!

[peewee's lovechild]

:toast


http://www.hollywoodtuna.com/images/bigimages/megan_fox_fhm_images_3_big.jpg

Thank you.

Really.

You just made my morning.

[katyon6th]

TRANSFORMERS fucking rocked my world! I'm now in love with Shia LeBeouf and Megan Fox. Hottt!!!!

Seriously. It was super entertaining. The visual effects were awesome, it had me laughing pretty loudly and again, Shia LeBeouf did it for me.

Two enthusiastic thumbs up!

[peewee's lovechild]

TRANSFORMERS fucking rocked my world! I'm now in love with Shia LeBeouf and Megan Fox. Hottt!!!!

Seriously. It was super entertaining. The visual effects were awesome, it had me laughing pretty loudly and again, Shia LeBeouf did it for me.

Two enthusiastic thumbs up!

Shia LeBeouf did it for me too.

He's cute.

But, the movie was badass!!!

[florige]

Brian Austin Green is tapping her right about now. I think I heard that their engaged to me married. (Megan Fox that is)

[ATRAIN]

Brian Austin Green is tapping her right about now. I think I heard that their engaged to me married. (Megan Fox that is)


DAMMIT YOUR RIGHT.......I hate that Chode!!!!

[Ballcox]

Well, I never watched Transformers back in the day, but I have to say this movie was AWESOME. I took my son and the two of us had an absolute blast watching this movie. We both wanted to go see it again right after we walked out (and I would have done it if my wife wouldn't have been pissed wondering where we were!). Highly recommend this one, keeping in mind there isn't much of a storyline and the dialouge is pretty basic.

[MannyIsGod]

CBF you simply hated the movie before it came out. You hated it the moment Bay was announced as the director. You have more posts on this site complaining about Bay directing this than UT sports and thats saying something.

Bay is a dipshit. We all hate him. I hated - HATED the fucking humor in the movie at times. The whole house scene was so fucking annoying. The whole autobot pisses on stupid fictional overdone goverment character who works at area 51 REALLY annoyed me.

That being said, I still think it was bad ass as an action movie.

[2Blonde]

I never watched the cartoons but my nephews who are 21 and 10 were really into them. I always saw the toys laying around my mom's house. I had no interest in seeing the movie until I watched one of the trailers that looked cool. My husband and I went tonight and I thought it was one of the best action movies I've seen in a long time. I love the scene in the desert where they attacked the military the second time in the small village. It reminded me of the Scorpion King. Anyway, it was a kick-ass movie and i give it 5 cocktails. :toast :toast :toast :toast :toast

[TDMVPDPOY]

http://img473.imageshack.us/img473/9027/10podborka1fg2.jpg