HUGE SPOLERS!!

 

 

The 2007 Transformers movie, was really, really fun movie. However, it had some room for improvement. It was criticized for being a little bit racist, the action was a little nausiating, and for not allowing the audience to have an emotional connection to the robots. With ROTF, Bay had a chance to fix these things and make a really amazing movie.

 

Instead Bay made the problems worse. In a nutshell, the movie was un-funny, it was not clever or charming, and worst it didn't event try to be a good film. It being a Bay film does not excuse it from having crucial elements in a good movie, an engaging story and characters, especially when the first movie achieved these things.

 

First, what was improved.

 

Megatron and Starscream were great together. Starscream had lots of great lines, and in the end you could really feel Meg's dissapointment when his plans failed. And when he yelled out Starscream's name when he nearly got his head blown-off, classic.

 

Also, It was really satisfying seeing Prime kick all sorts of butt. He was really great.

 

The REALLY BAD

 

Skids and Mudflap - my god, what a shameless, insulting couple these guys are. At first I thought they would just be dumb, but then when they were obviously black stereotypes it was such a huge turnoff. If you thougth Jazz was bad, man. And they had I think the most lines out of all the autobots. Totally useless characters, they could have used other more serious characters in their place and allow some empathy to take place.

 

The Jokes. Man Bay went totally overboard. The dogs humping, Wheelie humping Mikaela, the mom going bezerk and just acting crazy in every scene she's in. And the roomate, another totally useless character, just ruins every scene he's in, plus he doesn't do anything. Take him out of almost every scene and the outcome would have been the same. Its like every character is just so damn hyper that it leaves you exhausted. And I really did not need to see Agent Simmon's butt like that, nor Devastator's balls. Jeesh. So many jokes just fell flat so many times...sigh, as if they were throwing everything they had figuring one of them should stick. I tried hard to enjoy the jokes but they just were not working.

 

The story was not told well at all. The concept is amazing, had soo much potential. Blowing up suns to harvest its energy, and when The Fallen rebels and chooses to blow up out sun despite the other Prime's objections becomes obsessed with destroying Earth. But Bay blew it. Everything was moving so, so fast, it was so hard to follow. Like, when did the Decepticons find out that Sam had crucial info? And why use all that time to try to be funny instead of trying to be endearing, to slow down and explain things better, to let the characters build relationships with one another.

 

So many lost opportunities to make the movie great. Imagine how great it would have been if when Jetfire died, it would show him keeling over, obviously dying, and when the sacrifice is done the robots mourn for him. Instead Jetfire is, still standing, still cracking jokes, just plucks his spark and hands it over - lame. Or using Devastator only to unearth the death ray thing, when shooting at it would have done the job. Or when Prime sees Megs. OR Jetfire dissappearing after dropping them off in Egypt, making us not care when he dies. Or if when Prime died it showed the other autobots rushing to save him to be held back by other Decepticons. Imagine hearing Ironhide yelling "Prime!!!" as he falls to his knees next to him dying...so many lost chances to make the movie memorable.

 

In short, it feels like the movie hated itself. Its one thing to not take itself too seriously, and quite another to completely make a mockery of what it could have been. It feels like Bay wanted to see just how much he could push the movie before it would become unbearable.

there is already a thread about it, why create another?

http://forums.TFormers.com/talk/index.php?...0&start=290

It wasn't bad, but I do feel disapointed.

It felt like this to me.

 

The story was good. The effects were good. I just felt there were some parts lacking, and some unecessary. Some of it felt like they were thinking:

"Hey, we've got more money to work with, let's see what we can throw some of it at in terms of jokes and CGI"

 

I really found the addition of Devastator's balls unecessary, as well as Wheelie humping Mikaela's leg. Had they done it like in the book with him just saying he needed discipline while still attached to his "leash", it still would have been funny, but it might have been a two level joke for kids and adults. Had they done that, it would have made it a little more family friendly.

 

What it lacked, I can't quite put my fingers on it. I think my biggest issue is that considering the cgi is the same as the first movie, just not as blurry when going fast paced (which makes it easier to follow), there's no longer the sense of awe and wonder associated when having seen the first film and what they were capable of.

the one thing the movie was lacking was more dialog and face time with the other autobots (sorry mudflap and skids don't count...the poster children of BAD BAD BAD film writing). We needed more development with the Arcee twins, jolt and sideswipe. Sideways had a minute in the movie...again this was HUMANS 2 Revenge of the Writers Strike!

what did they strike for again? I don't think I would've missed them if this is what we get.

Pretty good write up, npsxbox. I agree for the most part. I loved the Megatron/Starscream interaction and Optimus Prime. After them, the twins, Wheelie, and Jetfire probably got the most attention, and they were the worst characters in the movie, along with Sam's roommate. I guess Wheelie wasn't that bad, but the leg humping was stupid. And Jetfire would have been so much better if they didn't make him senile.

 

I loved the story, action, effects... But the non-stop hyperactivity from most of the characters, with them all talking almost as much and as fast as G1 Blurr, really put a damper on this movie for me. That and all the swearing and crude humor.

 

I'm planning to see it again. There were a lot of scenes where I was awe-struck, so I can't argue with anyone who liked the movie. Overall I think I did like it. However, I can't stand up for this movie the way I stood up for the first one.

 

Thanks. I agree, I'm gonna see it again. I guess I was most disappointed 'cuz I wanted a better movie than the first one. Like you said, I can't stand up for this movie the way I did for the previous one. I'm also gonna see it again, but I'll turn my brain off this time.

 

But see this is the thing, I shouldn't have to turn my brain off. Mr Bay, you should be held to a higher standard precisely because its Transformers. It being giant robots doesn't give a license to be an ignorant fool. It makes it imperative that it be smart, otherwise it won't work.

I've seen it twice now and while it is missing something I can't put my finger on, I really liked it over all. I don't get what is so racist about the twins though. If you walk down a city block you see teens of all races, classes and ages glorifying Hip hop and the ghetto lifestyle. Not just African Americans. It's what kids are into and the twins are suppossed to be young inexperienced Autobots that enjoy earth culture. Yes I know not all kids today act like that but alot do and the twins were exagerations. I can't stand the trend myself and think that it doesn't say much of our youth or our parents but that is what I see when I see the twins. Not racism.

I've watched it 3 times already and I just can't see whats so bad about it. It just made me like Transformers more. Every movie has it's flaws i acknowledge that but it's no major gripe for me. All I can really complain about is not enough Fallen and Soundwave! Oh and Blackout >>>>> Grindor :thumb

I saw it twice, and even I have to say the dynamic between Megatron and Hellscream was spot on.

 

Hellscream had all the lines, actions, and fighting techniques of a true Starscream, but.....The inability to smirk and thus was unable to deliver any of the lines in a proper Starscream fashion. Hence I'm never accepting him as a Starscream. Just look at his first line in the movie!

 

"Megatron! I was so relieved to hear that you were alive!" Relieved, eh? THEN WHY DO YOU LOOK PISSED OFF?!?! Not to mention when he said "c'mere boy...", you could just tell that he was meant to be enjoying the hunt. But yet he still looked quite angry and disgruntled. The design is a FAILURE!

 

I hated the Megan Fox scenes even more the second time around. She was just..well...there. Only to make an already-obnoxious love story drag along. Bay tried to make her look "hot" in all her scenes, but instead just made her look slutty.

 

Lastly, I didn't find the twins to be racist either time I saw the movie either. They came across as hillbillies to me, not ghetto people. I think everyone's over analyzing them