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Transformers: Dark of the Moon |OT| - Bigger, Badder, Better?

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bathala said:
It's better than 2 that's for sure, but not 1.
The force humor of John and Ken (office) was force/ annoying, and if things weren't exploding it's cliche scene after another (I know it's a Bay film)

Chicago scene, it dragged and hardly any focus on the autobots. Out of nowhere Prime got his jet pack I guessed we just have to assume he got his trailer.
Click to expand...

Yeah I would have loved to have seen some awesomely detailed scene where Optimus Prime recovers his trailer and combines with it to provide the jet pack. Then he launches off to take on the Driller.
 
bathala said:
It's better than 2 that's for sure, but not 1.
The force humor of John and Ken (office) was force/ annoying, and if things weren't exploding it's cliche scene after another (I know it's a Bay film)

Chicago scene, it dragged and hardly any focus on the autobots. Out of nowhere Prime got his jet pack I guessed we just have to assume he got his trailer.
Click to expand...
I like how randomly Optimus just seemed to get stuck in a bunch of wires or something, wtf? And then when Bumbleebee saved Sam... one scene later he is a prisoner? What the FUCK was up with this movie's pacing. I like how the Decepticon invasion was just a simple flash and we see a night's look at a bunch of Decepticon ships in the air.

I just saw it earlier today, and I have a hard time deciding whether this was even better than the second one. It felt so long and the pacing was so terrible.
I also didn't even really enjoy the last battle. We're saved because the new chick just randomly finds Megatron and antagonizes him into attacking Sentinel Prime?
. I couldn't really wait to see this and I was planning on seeing it again with another friend over the weekend but there's no way I'm sitting through that movie again :|
 
Carbonox_Ratchet said:
Yeah I would have loved to have seen some awesomely detailed scene where Optimus Prime recovers his trailer and combines with it to provide the jet pack. Then he launches off to take on the Driller.
Click to expand...
It was badass during the nuclear factory scene. seeing him gear up then fly to smash that worm...sigh
 
Ebert gives the film one star, Travers awards it ZERO stars (haha), and my local paper gave the film a D+. Thank god I decided not to go to a showing this Friday.

When the first trailer launched, I honestly thought Bay had learned from his mistakes. Guess not.
 
duckroll said:
Oh, and one thing I forgot to comment on. The digital 3D projection was -fucking bright-. Before the movie even started, all the ads seemed way brighter than usual. The movie itself is probably brighter than many normal 2D films, even with glasses on. So whatever cinema Ebert went to, he should demand a refund.
Click to expand...

Yep, glad it worked out. Digital 3D all the fucking way!
 
Jack Scofield said:
Ebert gives the film one star, Travers awards it ZERO stars (haha), and my local paper gave the film a D+. Thank god I decided not to go to a showing this Friday.

When the first trailer launched, I honestly thought Bay had learned from his mistakes. Guess not.
Click to expand...
Or Maybe you should check it out and form your own opinion?
 
The film is tolerable! Yay! I give it a solid C. Apart from one sequence that is pretty cool in 3D, I say see it in 2D and save yourself some cash.
 
I dawned on me, the sound mix at the theater I went to last night SUCKED BALLS, It was so low and lacked so much of the "oomph" you expect.

Thank god im seeing it again in IMAX
 
Mairu said:
I just saw it earlier today, and I have a hard time deciding whether this was even better than the second one. It felt so long and the pacing was so terrible.
I also didn't even really enjoy the last battle. We're saved because the new chick just randomly finds Megatron and antagonizes him into attacking Sentinel Prime?
. I couldn't really wait to see this and I was planning on seeing it again with another friend over the weekend but there's no way I'm sitting through that movie again :|
Click to expand...
Oh god, I forgot about that spoiler. That was so incredibly stupid.
 
duckroll said:
So... I've finally seen it. It was pretty... unusual. I can't specifically put my finger on it, but there's a pretty large tonal shift in the third film compared to the first two. It's almost sad. While the second movie seemed to build on the events and characters of the first movie, the conclusion to the series feels more like a sort of distanced discomfort for everyone involved. It's not any one element, but basically the entire movie. '

Sam feels more like an adult than a teenager now. He feels away from home with no sign of looking back. He has a new girlfriend. The Autobots seem more distanced from the humans, doing their own things. There isn't a feel at all that there is a call to adventure, or the innocence of discovery in the previous movies. As the movie goes on, it gets darker, bleaker, and gulf between humanity and the robots grow larger and larger. It's a really interesting direction.

With the first two movies, I found myself laughing at the stupid jokes, cheering for the action sequences, and enjoying the scenery and visuals. With this one, I found myself somewhat disturbed and relatively uncomfortable throughout the entire film. Part of it is the tone, part of it is the 3D, which was used really well. The action in the movie is violent, intense, and desperate. Something which actually reminds me of Pearl Harbor more than any of Bay's other movies.

There's something about all the action in the movie where it never feels heroic, which is something the first two movies had in spades. Even as the good guys win, and even as bad guys are defeated, it never feels like a triumph or a straight victory. It just feels like a solution. This is definitely the least feel good of any of the Transformers movies, and that's a really odd experience for me.

I appreciate the film, but I'm not sure if I actually liked it. I guess I'll find out after I watch it again in IMAX 3D next weekend.


Some spoiler discussion:

I found the outright violence and brutality in the film really, really disturbing. The entire Ken Jeong character was introduced as a crude and offensive comedic character with basically no redeeming values. But what is more shocking than that was the decision to actually have him be killed off in a direct fashion. This has never happened before in the series, and it was pretty shocking for me.

That really set the tone for the rest of the movie, where you actually see humans vaporizing when shot at by Decepticons. You see human villains for the first time in the series who are working with the Decepticons and directly causing human deaths. This isn't a case of red tape or government agencies covering stuff up. These are actual evil human characters who are selling out the planet and humanity.

Then you have Optimus turning into what is basically a resentful and bitter leader who is betrayed on all sides and realizes that he has to throw away all his ideals to defend the human races. "We will them all" is something that is pretty normal when spoken by a character in Game of Thrones. When it comes out of Peter Cullen's voice, it feels pretty horrifying. You know there is no glory and honor at the end of that road, and he does too, but he has to do it.

So yeah, I think Bay definitely tried something very, very different with this last movie, and as a fan of the series this is a really bold and extreme step. It'll take a while for the feeling to settle before I actually know if I like this direction or not. But either way, it's the end and I think it was a pretty satisfying conclusion to the overall story arc.
Click to expand...
I think you're totally spot on here. Tonally, the movie is REALLY strange, it doesnt feel anything at all like the first two, even where there is comedy.

While a lot of the reviews are all "rah rah Bay loud noises!" I thought most of the movie was REALLY subdued, and even...melancholic...in a way only Bay can do, if that makes sense.

Either way, Im definitely sticking with my opinion that its the best TF yet. I definitely think its the most "Transformers" of any Transformers yet, thanks to the plot (which literally seems like it could have been pulled from any comic or tv episode) and the characterization of the Robotos (Lazerbeak really sold the movie as THE Transformers movie IMO)
 
Saw it with a free movie pass and paid the extra $3.50 for the glasses.

The first half is the typical Micheal Bay bullshit. Only the two incredibly annoying robots are at least not racial stereotypes. Also, his parents have some good lines instead of being incredibly stupid.

The second half is the biggest action spectacle put to screen. I mean, it's insane!

The 1st one was meh. Had some good action scenes but the dialogue and writing were horrible.

2nd one was an offense to all senses. I hated it immensely.

3rd one was the best by far. The huge battle in Chicago was the biggest action spectacle I've ever seen. Leonard Nemoy as Senitnal Prime was awesome. I gotta agree with some folks though
That Optimus Prime was a bit too dark and violent in this one. After killing Megatron with an Ax to the head, Sentinel Prime explains his action were to preserve their race, but Optimus just blast his head with a cyber shotgun anyway instead of showing any mercy or sympathy.
 
I liked the first one. I thought the second was decent, if only for eye candy. This one was pretty garbage though. It felt considerably dumber than the previous two films, and the whole thing felt like they were confused as to what to make it, comedy, action or sci-fi drama. I don't think I'll be back for the inevitable Trans4mers.
 
ChoklitReign said:
Has the hype deflated faster than a balloon in a vacuum?
Click to expand...

Well, they changed the release date at the last second. Pretty much all the trailers showed 7.1.11 as the release date so that might be getting a lot of people.

On a separate note, Apollo 18 was the last trailer before the movie in my theater. How fucking annoying. Since the movie opened up with a scene on the moon it was really strange. It was like we just watched one thing on the moon and then when Transformers starts I'm still visualizing Apollo 18 because Transformers is on the fucking moon. Just strange.
 
randomwab said:
It felt considerably dumber than the previous two films
Click to expand...
Transformers 3 was fucking dumb, but 2 was even more egregious. Racist bots, everything with John Turturro (SCROTUM), everything at that fucking college, etc.

ChoklitReign said:
Has the hype deflated faster than a balloon in a vacuum?
Click to expand...
Was hype that high? I think every rational person knew that it wasn't going to have good dialogue, story or characterization but that the eye candy would be incredible. It delivered on that.
 
i dont know why but the chicago fights scenes werent as crazy as i thought it was going to be, like mainly because of some minor things
i hated that we couldnt see optimus get his gear to go fight the driller thing..which i think it couldve had a bit more fight scenes with maybe the wreckers or any other transformer besides bumblebee, also the whole prisoner thing was dumb with no explanation i hated that the most, it felt like some scenes were cut out though. in the end i feel that it couldve been a little better

with that said i still enjoyed it..
 
To be honest, the most stupid thing about these movie is just how the writers dont even try to connect the continuity between each movie :lol


Movie 1: Civil War on Cybertron, fight over the Allspark, it drifts in space until it lands on Earth, Decepticons and Megatron follows in pursuit and crashes on Earth

Movie 2: Decepticons were right behind Megatron and crashed on Mars, never found Megatron, despite him being on Earth for "thousands of Years" Megatron actually subject to The Fallen

Movie 3: Megatron actually KNEW he was going to earth, since he was going to
rendez-vous with Sentinel
there. Why Earth? Wasnt this thousands of years ago? And yet the Ark crashes in the 60s? And Megatron had a plan involving Earth as leader of the Decepticons despite working for the Fal...arghhh my head

What the fuck is going on?!?!
 
Yeah Dead, Lazerbeak was one of my favorite characters in the film. Surprised by the size of his role and how pretty damn disturbing much of it was.

By the way, I just remembered being the only one in the cinema to understand and subsequently laugh at the Scottish Wrecker. "I'll bottle ya'" and "you nancy wanker" actually got a genuine laugh out of me.


fna84 said:
I fell asleep near the ending.

How did Starscream die?
Click to expand...

Sam jammed a bomb in his eye and it ended up blowing his arm, part of his body and his head off. Odd accuracy. The scene was great though and it highlighted Starscream's stupidity better than any other film so far.
 
Dead said:
To be honest, the most stupid thing about these movie is just how the writers dont even try to connect the continuity between each movie :lol


Movie 1: Civil War on Cybertron, fight over the Allspark, it drifts in space until it lands on Earth, Decepticons and Megatron follows in pursuit and crashes on Earth

Movie 2: Decepticons were right behind Megatron and crashed on Mars, never found Megatron, despite him being on Earth for "thousands of Years" Megatron actually subject to The Fallen

Movie 3: Megatron actually KNEW he was going to earth, since he was going to
rendez-vous with Sentinel
there. Why Earth? Wasnt this thousands of years ago? And yet the Ark crashes in the 60s? And Megatron had a plan involving Earth as leader of the Decepticons despite working for the Fal...arghhh my head

What the fuck is going on?!?!
Click to expand...

It9p6.gif
 
Sculli, that gif actually sums up the entire trilogy for me. It was how I was during each viewing for each film and yet it also sums up my feelings if you were to ask me for a good in-depth opinion on each film. All I would do is just nod my head and smile cos I would have no idea where to begin.

Definitely one of the most memorable - for all the good and bad reasons - movie franchises in many many years. :lol
 
Dead said:
To be honest, the most stupid thing about these movie is just how the writers dont even try to connect the continuity between each movie :lol


Movie 1: Civil War on Cybertron, fight over the Allspark, it drifts in space until it lands on Earth, Decepticons and Megatron follows in pursuit and crashes on Earth

Movie 2: Decepticons were right behind Megatron and crashed on Mars, never found Megatron, despite him being on Earth for "thousands of Years" Megatron actually subject to The Fallen

Movie 3: Megatron actually KNEW he was going to earth, since he was going to
rendez-vous with Sentinel
there. Why Earth? Wasnt this thousands of years ago? And yet the Ark crashes in the 60s? And Megatron had a plan involving Earth as leader of the Decepticons despite working for the Fal...arghhh my head

What the fuck is going on?!?!
Click to expand...
I KNEW something was bugging me about the continuity. Nail. Meet head.
 
You know what this film is like? Its like when a toddler runs up to you all out of breath and excitedly starts rambling about some incoherent story and you respond with 'and then what happens?' to see how far their hilariously misguided imagination can take them.

That is the attitude you should take when Bay's movie plays in front of you.
 
LOL, that sums it up

What I found amusing is just how RANDOM the movie is

Like, for no reason there is some kind of slobbering walking robot head in Megatrons camp

Or Shia LaBeouf LITERALLY goes crazy at one part of the movie and basically starts convulsing and screaming

And there is BLOOD EVERYWHERE. Bay doesnt even hide it as Oil. There is a fight scene where Blood literally floods the screen.

And the best part. The old Man bot. "Old chaps!"

Oh, and Alan Tudyk. Amazing.

Oh my god, this is why I enjoyed it. All the random shit, it was like Bay really no longer gave a crap and really went wild, while still maintaining some form of coherency.
 
Scullibundo said:
You know what this film is like? Its like when a toddler runs up to you all out of breath and excitedly starts rambling about some incoherent story and you respond with 'and then what happens?' to see how far their hilariously misguided imagination can take them.

That is the attitude you should take when Bay's movie plays in front of you.
Click to expand...
OMG I CANT WAIT. Just about two hours!
 
Yah I was watching and wondering wtf that frog robot thing was. I thought Megatron's now reduced to leading the rejects of Cybertron in some
desert and has gone crazy after his defeat at the end of RotF, especially when he scared the elephants away. LOL

Also what's the purpose of the camp? They're robots, not humans who can't cope with harsh climates. Sun too bright for them?
 
Carbonox_Ratchet said:
Yah I was watching and wondering wtf that frog robot thing was. I thought Megatron's now reduced to leading the rejects of Cybertron in some
desert and has gone crazy after his defeat at the end of RotF, especially when he scared the elephants away. LOL

Also what's the purpose of the camp? They're robots, not humans who can't cope with harsh climates. Sun too bright for them?
Click to expand...

I loved the
head coverings on the desert-formers. As soon as I saw Megatron all I could think about was Buster saying This will keep me safe from the hot Mexican sun.
 
Just got back. Loved the film. I like how it took a darker tone. The way some of the characters were killed was actually quite disturbing. And I heard a few gasps in the theater when the humans were War of the Worlds'd if you know what I mean. Some of the violence was extreme, and I'm not sure I understand some of the character motivations. I think Bay tried to go with more shades of gray with all parties involved, and that was partly the moral of the story. But it seemed that a couple times, the lines were almost too blurred. Still, enjoyed the hell out of it and can't wait for the blu ray. The sound, at least in my theater, was the best I've heard from a movie like this. Also, the 3D made me a fucking believer. If someone puts as much time and effort into the 3D like Bay did here, it can be fucking awesome. Even more impressive than Avatar I would say.
 
The best 3D was definitely the opening. Superb.

3D can really work wonders in those sorts of huge expansive spaces. Just goes to showcase what an utter failure Tron Legacy was, as it was unable to do what Bay did here.
 
Movie lived up to my expectations of not being nearly as bad as the 2nd one. Was actually a fun movie.

+Spock Line from Sentinel Prime
+New girl was a way better character than Megan Fox
+Buzz Aldrin
+Minimal shaky cam
+No Mudflap and Skids
+Alan Tudyk


-Pacing
-John Turturro
-Abrupt ending
-John Turturro
-Stupid parents
-John Turturro


Was there an after credits scene? I didn't stay but I assumed
they show the two retard bots survive
 
Did a lot of people find John Tuturro bad? I didn't think he was near annoying as he was in Revenge of the Fallen. He seemed pretty toned down. And yeah, Sentintel Prime's Spock line got quite a few hoots and cheers from my theater.
 
JdFoX187 said:
Did a lot of people find John Tuturro bad? I didn't think he was near annoying as he was in Revenge of the Fallen. He seemed pretty toned down. And yeah, Sentintel Prime's Spock line got quite a few hoots and cheers from my theater.
Click to expand...


Better than him in #2, but John Tuturro's character has always been absolutely awful.
 
I had a blast, and its action sequences are truly a spectacle and some of the best I've seen in my life. But like Ducky, this feels strange. I had a fear this might happen (and I believe I mentioned it before), but this film feels very distant from the others. It's dark. Even the dumb comedy seemed off, and to be honest with you, I was slightly hoping the dumb comedy from the others would make a small return.

Part of me likes this new side, because for the first time since the beginning of the first film, they've actually tried to engage us with the story. I actually liked the idea of the space race and what it led in to. Yet, I feel the story could've been executed better. Like Bay somehow watered it down, and part of me thinks it's the pacing. The story's good, but I don't think it's one requiring this run time. Also, I'm agreeing with y'all that the editing seemed rushed here, or like someone forgot to shoot some B-team footage.

I felt the character growth was pretty good. Even though
Que had just a few lines, I was sad when he died, and my heart was broken when Ironhide was murdered.
As well, for the first time in this film franchise, I cared for the
Decepticons. I was heartbroken to see Screamer, and Soundwave die.
That also brings me to a point where I question how this franchise can move forward.
Bay killed off nearly every major villian in the history of this franchise. He's killed off Megatron, Star Scream, Soundwave, Shockwave, Devastator, and The Fallen.
Like, what are the next three films going to be an adaptation of the Unicron trillogy with the big man, and Nemesis Prime?

I just got a really weird feeling about this movie. I'd encourage those on the fence to see it if not just for the visual splendor (which was awesome in 3D), since I suspect this will be the last time we have action sequences of this magnitude in this franchise for a long, long, time. But that's because I suspect Michael Bay will never direct another Transformers film.

I shouldn't really mention this, but I had some really annoying lady who had her phone on the entire fucking movie in the same row as me. 2 and a half hours. I can tell she doesn't have an iPhone or that shit would've been dead. Worse off was that she kept talking to her boyfriend about the movie, and how she expected it to play out. Thankfully she'd put her phone in her pockets so the light wasn't always a beaming ray, and I was able to ignore her chatter.


Dead said:
Or Shia LaBeouf LITERALLY goes crazy at one part of the movie and basically starts convulsing and screaming.
Click to expand...

That's easily explained...

The Decepticon watch McDreamy gave Sam was causing him to convulse near the sight, and information of Autobots due to Sam resisting its urges to find out the Autobot's plan.

WyndhamPrice said:
Lack of Hot Rod and then Rodimus Prime, for a non-Transformers fan like myself, has always irked me for some reason. He's one of the first guys I think of when I think of the series.
Click to expand...

A lot of people don't like Hot Rod/Rodimus, since he symbolizes the death of one of their childhood heroes. Plain and simple.
 
DrForester said:
Movie lived up to my expectations of not being nearly as bad as the 2nd one. Was actually a fun movie.

+Spock Line from Sentinel Prime
+New girl was a way better character than Megan Fox
+Buzz Aldrin
+Minimal shaky cam
+No Mudflap and Skids
+Alan Tudyk


-Pacing
-John Turturro
-Abrupt ending
-John Turturro
-Stupid parents
-John Turturro


Was there and after credits scene? I didn't stay but I assumed
they show the two retard bots survive
Click to expand...

No after-credits scene. As for
Brains and Wheelie, I'm sure they survived as the ship hardly got ruined. It just fell out of the sky and in to the water.
 
DrForester said:
Better than him in #2, but John Tuturro's character has always been absolutely awful.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I said it before and will say it again. I never thought I'd live to see the day when a movie made me hate John Turturro.
 
DrForester said:
Better than him in #2, but John Tuturro's character has always been absolutely awful.
Click to expand...
Yeah, it has. But he seemed the most toned down in this movie. Same goes for all the characters, actually. Bay really reigned himself in on this.
 
Scullibundo said:
I loved the
head coverings on the desert-formers. As soon as I saw Megatron all I could think about was Buster saying This will keep me safe from the hot Mexican sun.
Click to expand...

Well, given Megs
has robotic bugs eating his brains throughout the entire film.
His garment choice isn't that odd.

DrForester said:
Was there and after credits scene? I didn't stay but I assumed
they show the two retard bots survive
Click to expand...

The only thing was during the credits, and it was a sequence with Simmonds
kissing that military lady, and then subsequently getting arrested.

Oh, and a Paramore song.
 
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