Well... No: It's not automatically stupid. G1 was great but it all went south after the cartoon movie. Besides, even in the first two seasons: There were characters, plot lines and other things that weren't so great. And then, armada, energon and Cybertron sucked a** (My opinion only: No offense to the fans of those versions), while Beast Wars and Beast Machines were great.
I guess I just do not take a: If it is good, it is automatically GREAT kind of attitude! Plus, while I did get hyped up when I learned they were gonna make the movie, I got a cold shower when I saw the teaser trailer and wondered "how does that fit into the TF story?" and an even colder shower when I learned that it would have nothing to do with the movie. I guess that to me, it becomes akin to false advertising! It's as though someone was trying to get me to go to a movie by showing me the trailer to another movie (!!??!!)
See now... That is another point that rubbed me the wrong way as the movie was developed: Too many humans! For once we had the chance to have a movie that would have been nearly all "alien culture" sort of thing, but now it looks like it's going to be more about the humans, again! There's been 20 billion movies about humans in the history of cinema... Couldn't we change, just for once?
Plus when I read synopsis on the net that hints that it might be Shia Leboeuf's character that may have, in the end, "the fate of the world in his hands"... It screams "Cliché" story to me.
A note on Hugo Weaving: I don't mind his casting. I haven't heard the voice he'll make for Megatron yet, so I'll hold back on the verdict until I do hear it; but my instincts still feel like the leader of the Decepticons, just like the leader of the Autobots, should have had the same voice as in the cartoon (Heck! If Chris Latta was still alive: He'd be the only choice for Starscream in my book!!... And for a future Cobra commander!!!... Such a shame!)
Same old?... Bonecrusher? Demolisher? Blackout? Scorpinok? Brawl? Barricade?... I guess whoever was asking me how long ago I had watched G1 was right 'cause I don't remember these guys in there?
Sarcasm aside, just saying same old but different is a contradiction ("Yes but..." does not mean "Yes": It means "No"). This all goes back to the argument of the looks and the alternate modes being different: Some like it, some don't... I hate it! I don't care if the WV Beetle doesn't look like a good race car: Bumbblebee is a WV Beetle! Not a camero. Besides: he would have been a Beetle only in appearance, not in mechanics; it would have been absolutely acceptable that it would have raced at 300 MPH.
For Bay:
I'm sorry but the guy seems hell bent on ruining classics! He's not only raping my childhood with TF, but now I learn that he is going to ruin one of my favorite Horror franchise: Friday the 13th! He already made a mockery of Amityville and Texas chainsaw Massacre.
Plus: What is it with Bay and remakes????? Add the Hitcher and the Birds to the list and it is as though he can't work on anything that is genuine and brand new!?? Or is it just another sign that he is so arrogant that he thinks he can do better then anyone, that old movies were badly made and the is going to "correct" them?
For Spielberg:
Yes: He is a great director/producer... So? Does that mean his ***** doesn't smell like everybody else's? War of the Worlds was very crappy! Didn't care for Minority Report and A.I. either! I'm not saying he is bad: I'm saying he is not perfect to the point of being "Bad movie proof". And I can't help but get the feeling that, in the same way that he and others like Lucas and Coppola were all a breath of fresh air that pushed away some "old croutons" when they came onto the movie scene, maybe it is time for Spielberg to leave the place to a new generation of movie makers; just not Micheal Bay!
(... I know, I know: The Spielberg lovers are going to crucify me for saying that he should retire... Oh well!)
Intense action? Sure! I have no doubt. But that is the credo of ALL summer movies. As I mentioned before: I want a story first (Action is the cherry on top of the Sunday; the story is the ice cream that holds everything else on top of it!)
Good story?... On what do you base that? I haven't read the story anywhere? I've read people mentioning a "script" running around but, even if I would get a copy of it, I know that allot of movies have multiple scripts made before the movie is made and that the final product often doesn't match most of those scripts (... But if that "optimus is sick and hiding on earth" crap pans out: I'm gonna cry!!). So: I'm holding out judgment on that one; but I am not optimistic from what I've seen so far.
Good portrayal? Well, there we'll have to agree to disagree, as they say. I don't recognize my favorites (Sure, Prime's head looks similar... From the back! After that, I don't recognize anything)
A more human side? I'm all for that! But why then go to such lengths to make the robots look LESS human? The thing that I dislike most of the "hip" debate is that even if there were some few comic relief moments in which Prime was made to look hip in the cartoons, it's not what was so great about the character: His focus, leadership, compassion and ability to balance it all together is what made the character iconic.
In the end, if you think that TF is going to be the biggest thing since LOTR (...?...): Good for you! If you go see it and you still think it: Even better for you! And I am not being sarcastic. I would love to share your enthusiasm and maybe once I see the movie, maybe I'll even like it (Neither of us will know until it is out). But... A word of caution:
The way you feel about TF sounds allot like the way I felt about 300 a few months ago. And while it was still a very good, 9/10 movie... I was expecting it to be an 11/10 movie... and couldn't help but leave the movie theatre somewhat disappointed. So, the ironic thing is that, since you seem to give TF a 15/10 already, without having seeing it: It means that I'm actually more likely to enjoy the movie, in the end, and you are more in a position to come out of it disappointed...!
Faith is a good thing: Until it blinds you!