Jamon,
Absolutely correct. Way too harsh on a harmless film. After seeing it a second time and focusing more on the plot, I actually find it interesting that most of these "so-called" critics couldn't follow it. It seems that every negative and some positive reviews say the film has no plot. That's blatantly false. Characters? Sure, they're incomplete for Sam, Mikela, Optimus, and Bumblee. But, the film has a narrative that basically gets spell out by Jetfire in the middle of the film.
I honestly had no problem with the plot, I got it all in the first viewing and some of the complaints I have heard on here, like "why did Sam's parent's end up in Egypt?" (cant remember who said that, not having a go at you whoever you are) is literally spelled out in the movie. I have heard others as well and I explain them to people and they have no comeback. Its just basic paying attention. Another one was "were was The Fallen in the first movie?" Well seeing as there was a Prime on Earth for the majority of the first movie, and only a Prime can defeat him, The Fallen would be a bit stupid to come to Earth, notice how in ROTF he only comes to Earth when Prime is dead?
Not saying we got an intricate, brainy plot or anything, but we got one that moved the story along, and some of the complaints I have heard just take a little bit of thinking, so much for a brainless movie huh
?
The basic narrative only really has one hole and that's how the Decepticons actually found out how Sam got the information in his head. The Fallen just happens to know. But, I do buy the concept that the Decepticons have quite a small eye on Sam for two years.
chaseter,
That's basically the only way they would know.
Sarge,
I never said it wasn't a two hour toy commercial, considering the source material. But, to say it has no plot is again blatantly false. It does have a narrative. It has a theme but it's incomplete. It has character arcs, but they are also incomplete.
Yeah, Chaseter is right, the Pretender got a lot more aggressive with Sam once she saw the symbols.
Say what you want about the film but there was real, genuine feeling between Sam and Mikela, especially at the end. I didn't it something the audience can hang their hat on but it's there in parts. It's just incomplete. Michael Bay feels, like most of his film, that his is sufficient enough. It isn't. But, the idea and some execution is there.
Not only was there genuine feeling between Sam and Mikaela, but when Sam's parents are having a hard time letting him go in Egypt, it was a genuinly emotional moment, and has shown just how far Sam has come since that geek at the start of the first movie. But yet people say there was no character development in the movie.
I can see where critics are coming from, but...I agree, you'd have to be pretty dense not to be able to understand this movie. The plot is there, and it's very clear what's going on.
Guard,
Personally, I think they do understand the plot but they just don't care to discuss it because to them, it's a two hour toy commercial, so why discuss the plot.
The film has, apparently, beat them into submission by the time the hour mark happens and they gave up. Funny enough, the plot comes into focus by Jetfire after the hour mark.
Not great screenwriting for sure, but its there. The writers did the same thing with Star Trek...but that got a pass and that one was more convoluted than this one when it didn't need to be. This film is pretty straight forward.
I've noticed for years, even before the internet when I would get into arguments with friends and other people in person, that when most people(and critics for that matter)hate a movie one of the things they almost always say is that "it had no plot". That is such nonsense, technically every movie has a plot, it's just a matter of how well it was written. Maybe it has a lot of plot holes and lame or childish dialogue...but it still stands that every movie(maybe not documentaries of course)has and to be honest needs a plot to actually be a film or in general tell a story.
Totally agreed with you guys, again, the plot is pretty damn simple, I have only seen the movie once yet totally got the plot and was not confused by any of it during the movie. There were some dodgy moments, and no one would deny the movie is flawed, but God, it was NOT hard to follow at all.