Transformers The Reviews Thread

[CFlash]

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/transformers_the_movie/

59%...ROTTEN

but if you look at Cream of the crop it's 72% which is pretty good...

I'm pretty sure it'll go back up after tonight's screenings. I haven't seen a couple of reviews put up that I usually look forward to (New York Magazine for instance).

 

[Marvin]

Haven't seen 'Knocked Up' but... from what I've heard... it's a fun, witty romantic comedy for both men and women. If it's being judged on that, why wouldn't it get a high score?

it's a film and what's a film without sub text? without thematic writing?
without rich plot? without emotional and character development?
a movie for kids?


This has been an ongoing theme in here: judge a film on its intention. If it succeeds in being what it set out to be, it's good. If it doesn't, it's not.

40year old virgin and all comedies suffer from this..but because their funny!...there successful..
an action movie has action and misses some of those above points(not that i'm saying it does...) well then it's a BAD FILM!?!?!

'Transformers' had a lot of publicity implying great characterisation and retaining the essence of what fans loved, while updating it to make more sense for today's audiences.
publicity?
the commercials and trialers?

I think those who thought the intention was purely to have a wham-bam explosion-fest have been providing great reviews. Those of us who watched certain videos of the writers and Spielberg discussing the process of bringing the franchise into the realm of live action film weren't quite as impressed. Pre-release publicity like that is deceiving and happened to a great degree when the writers of 'X-Men: The Last Stand' chose to answer questions on discussion boards - though I get the impression they believed what they were saying, only to have it bastardised in the final film.

We were talking about RT reviewers and if they're justified in scoring it rotten...
they don't follow the stuff we genre fans follow..they don't follow promises to keep it true to g1 fans..if they did they'd fall in to that category themselves and that would make their opinions biased!

they're just middle groud ppl (ie Ebert) whom watch the film, and see bayhem(hunter rider)...

Knocked up is a funny comedy which is light on plot 90%tile
Bayformers is a actiony action film "which is light on plot" 60%tile

huh?

As for the Zod/Superman analogy, of course it didn't bother me. It's one alien telling another he won't sacrifice a well-known object/place and sounds natural. In 'Transformers', Sam's only recently found out about what he's holding yet speaks as though the term 'Allspark' is as everyday as the words 'it' or 'thing'. I dunno - just sounded dopey to me. And, for the record, if I was protecting my own child, I'd say 'him' or 'her' - not 'child'.


what makes his delivery so everyday? the fact that he's in a bar kicking it with his new girl and a bunch of pals sipping the old brewsky?

correct me if I'm wrong but he's talking to a surreal intergalactic mechanical terror...theres nothing everyday about it

I've never called Kryptonite anything but that...and i have casual discussions about superman..."alot"

U'd say him/her but a mother for example...with elegance in her speech would no doubt say child
here we are discussing how ppl should talk...

Now, if Supes had said 'I'll never surrender this planet named Earth', you might have more of a point.
huh?
the all spark = saying planet
if u give the all spark a name that = earth

Oh... and Naite, I forgot that first line from Megatron! I agree completely. It sounded so out of place... like, d'uh... Sam just said that a few times.

Why am I nitpicking the script when there clearly wasn't one? *Sigh*

 

[Red Mask]

Now this review is utterly critical and absurd!

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Movies/07/02/review.transformers/index.html

Saying we get a "sanctimonious Optimus Prime" sounds ungrateful in regards to the threat Earth was facing. Most of the characters didn't even reflect his charisma and wisdom so I think that makes him the coolest hero in the film.

Where is Die Hard's John McClane? Appearing in another theater near you, dumbass. It's not his film! Transformers already has a slew of courageous Rangers to fill his role! They've even got nerdy science geeks!

The Island. Don't bring up "The Island". We weren't overestimated. It just wasn't original enough to be diverting.

Teen romance is not Bay's style? More of Speilburg's expertise? First of all it was obviously easier and cheaper to shoot human actors than assimilate the Transformers to film. A film like this needs annoying teens to make having these robots seem fun. It's not their presence that's a problem. It's the deficient character building of the Transformers.

Teen recruitment film? The military gets their asses blown up. If not for the involvement of civilian kids they wouldn't know where to stand. It's not the military who saves the day, it's the civilians. In the end Sam and Mikaela don't even join the service. Their reward is love on the hood of a car. It couldn't get anymore American than that.

Hollow words. Yes, what was Sam willing to sacrifice? But they did the job. The Earth is saved. Count your blessings, flesh creature. John Turturro's G-Man doesn't speak well of anything.

This movie is sex, guns, and rock'n roll. It doesn't try to be anything more.

 

[CFlash]

This line from one of the reviews is funny.

At least John Turturro..., seems to have understood that "manic" is the only appropriate response. First he's stripped to his underpants, then a monstrous machine relieves itself all over him. After 144 minutes of "Herbie Goes to War," I knew just how he felt.
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Movies/07/02/review.transformers/index.html

Ha ha. Still, I have no doubt some people do like to get peed on tho? Judging by the fact that R. Kelly still has fans.

 

[Anti-Moderator]

This line from one of the reviews is funny.

At least John Turturro..., seems to have understood that "manic" is the only appropriate response. First he's stripped to his underpants, then a monstrous machine relieves itself all over him. After 144 minutes of "Herbie Goes to War," I knew just how he felt.
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Movies/07/02/review.transformers/index.html

Ha ha. Still, I have no doubt some people do like to get peed on tho? Judging by the fact that R. Kelly still has fans.

Damn you....don't bring R. Kelly's good name into this.

 

[Darkest Knight]

This movie was outstanding. Everyone in the sold out theatre loved it. Bay is the man, completely nailed it. This movie was easily the best of the summer...

 

[GrtRsponsibilty]

That was utterly the best movie of the year, it was incredible I have no complaints at all for the movie

 

[Disclaimer]

Marvin... the way you respond (forcing me to read my own post again just to have some idea what you're even saying) gets me all dizzy and I really just end up scanning over it briefly without paying attention. Just thought you should know, so you don't make the effort in future.

Having said that, your bit about kids' films is totally invalid - if you even mean what I think you mean. then again, who'd know? Your answers are so fuzzy and random that it's difficult to tell if you're Arthur or Martha. All hugely successful childrens' films have the things you listed: sub text, thematic writing, a rich plot and emotional character development. Why else do you think 'The Lion King' and every Pixar film thus far have been such overwhelming successes?

It's because the makers understand what I keep saying: 'simple' does not have to equal 'unimaginitive', 'uncomplicated' doesn't have to equal 'dumbed down' and 'action' doesn't have to equal 'lack of depth'.

Oh... and 'alot' is not a word. Why do people insist not only upon using it... but actually emphasising it?

 

[SuperJediHero]

Damn Critics DON'T bring this movie under 60%

This movie is as Good as the The Phantom Menace!

 

[Nivek]

Screw the critics, great word of mouth will make this movie huge.

 

[KappeiJin]

However, the 60% on rotten really make me think most of critics are stupid.

 

[SuperJediHero]

I am in Shock how it started SO Flawless (100% with 8 reviewers ALL positive) and now it is on brink of being Rotten.

WTF?

How do you go from Flawless to bad like this?

 

[Nivek]

I am in Shock how it started SO Flawless (100% with 8 reviewers ALL positive) and now it is on brink of being Rotten.

WTF?

How do you go from Flawless to bad like this?

Because they open the door to every published critic with a overflowing cup of "Y'know what I think?".

Don't sweat it, after watching it in a packed theater, I am confident that it's critic proof. Everyone like it to the point over half the theater watched the credits because they showed more scenes. I've never seen that before.

 

[SuperJediHero]

Don't be too overconfident about this. Transformers is NOT Star Wars. With 'Star Wars' you don't need critics, with any other movies like Transformers, Critics will be a major factor I am sure!

The First showings is almost always the biggest fans!

After July 4th, it's those that depend on Reviewers to go see it or rent it.

 

[blk_spidey]

i have the movie guys!!

 

[Nivek]

i have the movie guys!!

Just say "I wanna get banned, I'm stupid!!!"

 

[Nivek]

Don't be too overconfident about this. Transformers is NOT Star Wars. With 'Star Wars' you don't need critics, with any other movies like Transformers, Critics will be a major factor I am sure!

Overconfidence? No, I just think this movie has everything people we're looking for this summer. Everything else is a sequel or remake.

 

[Disclaimer]

However, the 60% on rotten really make me think most of critics are stupid.

Or, alternatively, that they're not. I mean, audience and critic stupidity is what the film's banking on to be successful, after all.

Needless to say, it will be a major hit.

 

[The_Guyver]

Transformers is to giant robots as Jurassic Park was to dinosaurs. This movie is awesome, I expect it will open the floodgates of giant robot movies, just as LOTR did for fantasy movies and Gladiator did for sword & sandal movies. It's getting great word of mouth here in Australia, and that's the best publicity there is. It's hands down the best sci-fi action movie I've seen since T2. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see this become as big as POTC. If it does become that huge, I see Bay filming back-to-back sequels. If you haven't seen it yet... ROLL OUT, DAMN IT!!

 

[MagicPrime]

Transformers is to giant robots as Jurassic Park was to dinosaurs. This movie is awesome, I expect it will open the floodgates of giant robot movies, just as LOTR did for fantasy movies and Gladiator did for sword & sandal movies. It's getting great word of mouth here in Australia, and that's the best publicity there is. It's hands down the best sci-fi action movie I've seen since T2. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see this become as big as POTC. If it does become that huge, I see Bay filming back-to-back sequels. If you haven't seen it yet... ROLL OUT, DAMN IT!!

Enter Live-Action:

Gundam
MechWarrior/BattleTech
Macross
Voltron?
Gigantor (the Space Aged Robot)
Go-Bots (Direct to DVD sold only at K-Mart)
erm...
Rock'em Sock'em?

You see where I'm going with this. All it takes Is one flagship film and there will be a slew of more both good - and bad. New Age People!

 

[blk_spidey]

Just say "I wanna get banned, I'm stupid!!!"

i just say i have the movie. anyway i won't post anything about it cause i'm not stupid!

 

[RI Dawg]

Transformers got 4 out of 5 stars for the review in the Providence Journal, just thought I'd throw that out there.

 

[GSFOR]

This was a mediocre movie at best, the only reason people are thinking it's over the top is because of the visuals. Oh yea let's talk about the visuals, micheal bay said optimus prime had ten thousand moving parts.But yet he makes the M-F transforms so fast that's it's hard as hell to see what's really going on. Felt Like a magic show, where the magician make you think one way and does something completely different. I am 30, maybe it's because Iam getting old and my eyes just can't seem to keep up with how fast things moves these days. In anycase I felt they shoudl have slowed down the action scenes and the Transfomations. In 300 the way they slowed the battle and fights scenes were great, you were able to see what was going on. It seems like Nowadays the faster the camera move the better. This could have been a great movie, G1 fans wanted cheese, you got cheese. Way too much comedy in movie where the world is about to be destroyed*ff2* These Rating are also hurting these movie, I would have thought machine robots in a city would have caused massive casualty. I would have love to see Blackout turn on those rotator blad and chop up some people. I don't know Iam pissed though. Maybe this will also teach to watch every spoiler on SHH. By the Blackout Transformation was the best to me in the movie.
To Micheal Bay or whom ever else is making an action movie. I wanna see what's going on, my eyes doesn't followed that fast a pace of action. In the next movie let the bots have better and longer fights....

 

[Poetic Chaos]

8/10

Mind-blowing in every visual aspect but Knish was a terrible and unnecessary character and it dragged a bit towards the end.

 

[CrashNburn]

Transformers got 4 out of 5 stars for the review in the Providence Journal, just thought I'd throw that out there.

yep,i saw that this morning! it should have got a 5