Transformers The Official Trailer #2 Discussion Thread.

[CFlash]

I still can't get over how bad that script review of transformers was. Not every film that Spielberg had involvement with turned into a box office hit. However, he has never directed or produced anything that was pure trash. I hope his friendship with Lucas has not caused the quality of his filmmaking to deteriorate. The last thing I want to see in this film is an annoying character(aka Jar Jar Binks) who serves no purpose to the storyline and utimately ends up lowering the I.Q. of an audience with his or her presence. I have a shred of hope that Steven will keep this from sucking.

It's quite interesting that during the 70s and 80s there were numerous sci-films with good storylines whose failure at the box office could be attributed to poor special effects. In this time period the opposite happens quite frequently. There are plenty of sci-fi movies with great special effects that bomb because of their atrocious storylines. I didn't know it was so difficult for movie companies to find quality writers to write scripts. I was exposed to plenty of quality creative writing students in high school who were more than capable of writing better scripts than over half of the sci-fi stories Hollywood has butchered since the early 90s.

Because when intelligent sci-fi stories get put on the big screen they usually bomb. Case-in-point: Gattaca and A.I. Even when they're full of action, if they're anywhere near intelligent, they bomb. Case-in-point: Equilibrium.

Good filmmakers struggle to find the "middle ground" between being intelligent under the surface but not overtly. Then they're a success. Cases-in-point: Men in Black, Starship Troopers, etc. Other filmmakers couldn't care less and throw the dumbest stuff on the screen.... unfortunately they're a success too!!! Cases-in-point: Armageddon and Independence Day.

 

[Modernize73]

Because when intelligent sci-fi stories get put on the big screen they usually bomb. Case-in-point: Gattaca and A.I. Even when they're full of action, if they're anywhere near intelligent, they bomb. Case-in-point: Equilibrium.

Equilibrium is such an under-rated movie....loved it.

 

[Substance D]

Because when intelligent sci-fi stories get put on the big screen they usually bomb. Case-in-point: Gattaca and A.I. Even when they're full of action, if they're anywhere near intelligent, they bomb. Case-in-point: Equilibrium.

Equilibrium is such an under-rated movie....loved it.

Equilibrium was a cheesy Matrix ripoff.

 

[cryptic name]

Equilibrium was a cheesy Matrix ripoff.

the only thing matrix-like about it were the long black coats.

 

[CFlash]

Equilibrium was a cheesy Matrix ripoff.

Hands down... the most idiotic thing I've heard you say in this forum.

 

[skorponok]

Give me an unbiased account of events as listed in the script, then post thoughts on it and then I'll possibly give him the time of day and maybe even believe him.

Til then.. meh. Go eat more sugar or something. It seems like I'd be in a lonely place if I got that upset over a script for a movie I didn't work on.

-Vaportrail

How did I miss this post? I like this postt:

 

[Modernize73]

No way on earth is the Equilibrium a rip off of the matrix...the only thing it directly related was the orwellian classic "1984", even then the story line added a whole lot. There was no fighting on wires, and i'm sorry but if the matrix would of cast christian bale for neo...it would of improved 100%

I'm not saying i'm not a matrix fan, i own all of those movies too...but ya gotta give it up for the gunkata

 

[xwolverine2]

yeah i agree.... whoever said EQ was a matrix rip-off obviously didnt even see it

 

[DorkyFresh]

i won't say Equilibrium totally ripped off the Matrix, but you CANNOT deny that the action in EQ was heavily influenced by the Matrix. i would even go so far as to say some of the look and feel borrowed from the Matrix as well.

 

[Theweepeople]

Like what? Starcrash, The Humanoid, Metalstorm?

Like Dragonslayer, Dune, Outland, Excalibur, Flash Gordon, Krull, Scanners, and Enemy Mine. Also, the films Willow(domestic gross of 57mil) and The Terminator(38mil) needed foreign money combined with their domestic grosses to have a significant impact on the box office.

 

[CFlash]

i won't say Equilibrium totally ripped off the Matrix, but you CANNOT deny that the action in EQ was heavily influenced by the Matrix. i would even go so far as to say some of the look and feel borrowed from the Matrix as well.

About as much as The Matrix "borrowed from" Dark City.

 

[Theweepeople]

About as much as The Matrix "borrowed from" Dark City.

I didn't want to get off subject or insult Dark City lovers but, could someone tell me what was so good about that film. I thought the sci-fi element of the story was unique but, I quickly lost interest in the film.

 

[CFlash]

I didn't want to get off subject or insult Dark City lovers but, could someone tell me what was so good about that film. I thought the sci-fi element of the story was unique but, I quickly lost interest in the film.

It was laborious, slow, and surreal... Like a dark 2001. But it was a well-done movie... and influenced lots of subsequent movies (obviously).

 

[cryptic name]

I didn't want to get off subject or insult Dark City lovers but, could someone tell me what was so good about that film. I thought the sci-fi element of the story was unique but, I quickly lost interest in the film.

because the idea of a noir murder mystery transposed into a surreal scifi setting inherantly kicks ass.

 

[dark_b]

i won't say Equilibrium totally ripped off the Matrix, but you CANNOT deny that the action in EQ was heavily influenced by the Matrix. i would even go so far as to say some of the look and feel borrowed from the Matrix as well.

i agree. lets not forget the gun fighting style in the matrix. thats where they got the idea in EQ. and lets not forget the slow motion and bullet time that was in EQ. there was a lot of this.

the action in EQ was 100% exactly like in the matrix. t:

 

[Supreme Power]

Like Dragonslayer, Dune, Outland, Excalibur, Flash Gordon, Krull, Scanners, and Enemy Mine. Also, the films Willow(domestic gross of 57mil) and The Terminator(38mil) needed foreign money combined with their domestic grosses to have a significant impact on the box office.

Man, I loved those movies.

 

[3 Dev Adam]

I'm still waiting for a decent Flash Gordon DVD release.

 

[Avangarde]

I'm still waiting for a decent Flash Gordon DVD release.

 

[DorkyFresh]

About as much as The Matrix "borrowed from" Dark City.

i think the Matrix looked quite different from Dark City. sure there are similarities but the Matrix did a better job at hiding it's Dark City influence than EQ did at hiding it's Matrix influence.

 

[CFlash]

i think the Matrix looked quite different from Dark City. sure there are similarities but the Matrix did a better job at hiding it's Dark City influence than EQ did at hiding it's Matrix influence.

I disagree. Sure the pallete in The Matrix was dark green versus gray. Is that what you mean by "looks?" Beyond that, not only did the Matrix involve a similar kind of artificial alternate reality but the story also involved omnipotent "overseers" that manipulated it. Throw in the black outfits and, well, it's obvious.

As someone else already said... pretty much the only thing EQ had in common with The Matrix was the long black coats (which to me were more classic-fascist inspired than Matrix inspired).

 

[DorkyFresh]

Beyond that, not only did the Matrix involve a similar kind of artificial alternate reality but the story also involved omnipotent "overseers" that manipulated it.

when i said the Matrix hid it's Dark City influence well, i was talking about the visuals. i know they heavily bit off of Dark City's story/plot/characters/etc...but as far as visuals are concerned i think Matrix was very different from Dark City.

As someone else already said... pretty much the only thing EQ had in common with The Matrix was the long black coats (which to me were more classic-fascist inspired than Matrix inspired).

oh okay...so i guess the long hall that Bale was shooting all the guards in didn't reflect the hallway Neo and Trinity destroyed at the end of the Matrix at all then. nor did the uber stylized, flashy gun-kata moves reflect the unrealistic Matrix gun fights. nor did the scene where Bale is practicing his katas in martial arts uniform reflect the dojo scene where Neo first battles Morpheus. i'm surprised they didn't include an underground subway station fight.

c'mon man...Matrix was released in 1999 and a couple of years later EQ comes out in same fashion that Aeon Flux is released in 2005 with Ultraviolet (same director) comes out in 2006 and anyone who's seen that movie can tell that Kurt Wimmer bit off of Spider-Man's intro for that movie. so if he bit off of Spider-Man's intro to use for Ultraviolet...then what makes you say he didn't bite off of the Matrix for Equilibrium?

 

[IKnowSomeJudo]

when i said the Matrix hid it's Dark City influence well, i was talking about the visuals. i know they heavily bit off of Dark City's story/plot/characters/etc...but as far as visuals are concerned i think Matrix was very different from Dark City.

oh okay...so i guess the long hall that Bale was shooting all the guards in didn't reflect the hallway Neo and Trinity destroyed at the end of the Matrix at all then. nor did the uber stylized, flashy gun-kata moves reflect the unrealistic Matrix gun fights. nor did the scene where Bale is practicing his katas in martial arts uniform reflect the dojo scene where Neo first battles Morpheus. i'm surprised they didn't include an underground subway station fight.

In any case, Matrix is a much worse offender as far as ripping off stuff goes. While EQ borrowed some of Matrix's visual aesthetic, it had a pretty original story going on, whereas *******skys bros ripped off the ENTIRE GODDAMN PLOT from Dark City.

 

[xwolverine2]

i won't say Equilibrium totally ripped off the Matrix, but you CANNOT deny that the action in EQ was heavily influenced by the Matrix. i would even go so far as to say some of the look and feel borrowed from the Matrix as well.

umm........ no.

like what!? ........ bullet time?...nope none there..... wirefu?....nope none there, even if they did the matrix didnt invent it....... gun kata?.....nope not in matrix.......

yeah....... NO

 

[xwolverine2]

oh okay...so i guess the long hall that Bale was shooting all the guards in didn't reflect the hallway Neo and Trinity destroyed at the end of the Matrix at all then. nor did the uber stylized, flashy gun-kata moves reflect the unrealistic Matrix gun fights. nor did the scene where Bale is practicing his katas in martial arts uniform reflect the dojo scene where Neo first battles Morpheus. i'm surprised they didn't include an underground subway station fight.

WHAT!?

no...they were completely different...i cant believe im on CFlash's side on something but hes right...the ONLY thing the same are the dark coats,and since people saw that they are now SEEING the matrix in this movie.

the matrix didnt have "gunfights"... the dojo scene was as much the matrix as jurassic park was A Sound Of Thunder(which nobody saw but met: )...they had wooden sticks for god sakes, no flips,slow motion,bullet time, NOTHING!. the hallway fight i could understand...........if i never saw the movie.

EQ had that underworld blue type color going on.... matrix only had it in the real world, the rest was green.


TRANSFORMERS

 

[DorkyFresh]

While EQ borrowed some of Matrix's visual aesthetic, it had a pretty original story going on

i guess you've never heard of Nineteen Eighty Four, Fahrenheit 451, or Logan's Run then...

whereas *******skys bros ripped off the ENTIRE GODDAMN PLOT from Dark City.

i never said they didn't and i've already admitted that the Matrix has ripped off of other things. why are you people so defensive about Equilibrium? it's as much of a rip off of things as much as the Matrix is...

the matrix didnt have "gunfights"... the dojo scene was as much the matrix as jurassic park was A Sound Of Thunder(which nobody saw but met: )...they had wooden sticks for god sakes, no flips,slow motion,bullet time, NOTHING!. the hallway fight i could understand...........if i never saw the movie.

just because EQ didn't have a dojo scene that looked EXACTLY like the dojo scene from Matrix doesn't mean that it wasn't influenced. that fight didn't have to take place in a dojo while they were wearing martial artsy uniforms (ala Matrix). it could've taken place in a futuristic gym with workout clothes.