Iron Man Tons of positive early screening Iron Man reviews

[BlackLantern]

Pfft. Has nothing to do with that. Not in regards to you but to others that shot is aimed at. People just like to be in an active theatre for an event/summer film like this because it's fun.

It has nothing to do with someone not being able to enjoy a film in an almost empty theatre.

That is the point....some people like to cram themselves into a theater like cattle because it enhances their enjoyment of the film/event. Your focus should be on whats on the screen not the people around you...its about that detachment from reality for an hour or two not some twit texting about the movie or some fat guy wolfing down popcorn

 

[Asgard]

Let me clarify...i don't need a crowded theater to enjoy a movie....I don't have that kind of psychological co-dependency

Neither do I. However, I find that when I do something, like watch a popcorn movie at a theater or attend a baseball game, or whatever past time activity, with a group of friends or even a group of strangers who are in the mood to enjoy themselves, the experience tends to be more enjoyable. I think it has something to do with me not being socially reclusive.

Wtf?!

Skeet, Skeet, Skeet!

 

[BlackLantern]

I separate my activities.....sporting events are completely different from movies....a good game and a large crowd...nothing like it....but maybe I'm just a snob when it comes to my movies...I need as much silence as I can get around me...

 

[Figs]

That is the point....some people like to cram themselves into a theater like cattle because it enhances their enjoyment of the film/event. Your focus should be on whats on the screen not the people around you...its about that detachment from reality for an hour or two not some twit texting about the movie or some fat guy wolfing down popcorn

I'd hate to live where you do if most of the theatre experiences are that bad. At my local theatres, yeah I do get the obnoxious types every once in awhile but never that often to where it turns me off from seeing a big movie opening night/weekend.

I don't know...anytime I've ever seen a film opening night I never get distracted from the people around me unless it's someone who is talking the entire time. The kind of person that needs to get the boot out the back door.

I don't need to see a film with people around me to enjoy it. Hell, I've gotten s*** from my friends for going to the theatre by myself when it was for a movie none of them wanted to see.

So, I do feel for where your coming from. I just wanted to note that not all of the people who like the opening night atmosphere, can't not enjoy a movie if the rest of the audience isn't getting into it as well.

 

[Asgard]

I usually do that when its a movie that needs my full attention to enjoy. You know, those movies that have a lot of quiet moments or dialogue that you need to pay attention to or you end up missing something important. Stuff like comic book movies or comedies I can watch either alone or with a crowd since theyre easier to follow even if there are distractions by the crowd.

 

[DACrowe]

I'm curious, what kind of depth did you expect this movie to have?

Go watch the Indiana Jones trilogy, Jaws, Jurassic Park, the Back to the Future trilogy, the first two Spider-Mans, Men in Black, the first Pirates of the Carribbean and of course the original Star Wars films off the top of my head.

All summer crowd pleasing films that attempt to sell audiences through wow and spectacle. All very engaging and with big senses of humor (particularly IJ, POTC and BTTF were comedies). But they all ahd enough depth and character development and charm to make it endearing. You cared about what happened. When audience members thought Doc Brown really died it was sad, unlike Jazz. Jaws had you on the edge of your seat and you gave a damn about all three men in that boat and could be just as mezmorized with them recalling war stories about the USS Indianapolis as you were about a shark eating people on screen. Spending time with INdiana Jones was a joy and you knew what made him ticked as well as Marion, even if she wasn't the star. There was a sense of awe and wonder in Jurassic Park beyond the special effects. Those raptors had less screentime than most of the transformers but these extinct CGI creations had so much personality. There was pure dread in the theater and terror when they entered that kitchen because the audience cared about these kids and were afraid they were going to be eaten. Was anyone really worried Sam was going to be killed by Megatron and not get Megan Fox laid at the end? Sure, they weren't going to kill off kids in a summer movie, but JP made you wonder and be so engrossed in what is going on that you felt the tension like a knife. When the T-rex shows up at the end the audience is literally thunderstruck. Sure, it's duex ex machina, but we don't think about that unlike "oh I'll just put this cube thingy into the bad roboto."

These movies were achievements in cinema for mainstream popcorn audiences because everyone could enjoy and be touched by them. Transformers is flash in the pan, no different than the Fantastic Four movies. Sure, Bay has a better visual eye than Tim Story and the SFX were better, but it is all souless at the end. There is no heart in his movies. TF is nothing but an opportunity for its studio to sell product placement space to sell products while getting an excuse to make hundreds of million dollars at the b.o. and DVD and sell merchandising rights out the ass. It is a business deal. A money making venture only. The plot is non-existant, there is no heart in the screenplay and it is vapid entertainment than goes in one ear and out the other. There is no substance, no depth, there IS NOTHING BUT EYE CANDY AND A FEW CHARISMATIC ACTORS IN THAT MOVIE.

that is why it is bad and void of anything that causes it to be remembered beyond the holiday season of its release on DVD. It will fade away because there is nothing to look at.

 

[flickchick85]

When a movie's an "intellectual film," I absolutely prefer to be alone when I watch it. But summer is the time for tent-pole movies. Superhero blockbusters are designed to be spectacles, and just like other spectacles (sporting events, stage shows, hell, even 4th of July fireworks), they are meant to be experienced with other people. It's not a "psychological co-dependency." It's an event. Don't get me wrong, though, I know there's nothing wrong with anyone preferring to experience them alone, either. To each his/her own.

 

[S.A.A.D.]

Go watch the Indiana Jones trilogy, Jaws, Jurassic Park, the Back to the Future trilogy, the first two Spider-Mans, Men in Black, the first Pirates of the Carribbean and of course the original Star Wars films off the top of my head.

All summer crowd pleasing films that attempt to sell audiences through wow and spectacle. All very engaging and with big senses of humor (particularly IJ, POTC and BTTF were comedies). But they all ahd enough depth and character development and charm to make it endearing. You cared about what happened. When audience members thought Doc Brown really died it was sad, unlike Jazz. Jaws had you on the edge of your seat and you gave a damn about all three men in that boat and could be just as mezmorized with them recalling war stories about the USS Indianapolis as you were about a shark eating people on screen. Spending time with INdiana Jones was a joy and you knew what made him ticked as well as Marion, even if she wasn't the star. There was a sense of awe and wonder in Jurassic Park beyond the special effects. Those raptors had less screentime than most of the transformers but these extinct CGI creations had so much personality. There was pure dread in the theater and terror when they entered that kitchen because the audience cared about these kids and were afraid they were going to be eaten. Was anyone really worried Sam was going to be killed by Megatron and not get Megan Fox laid at the end? Sure, they weren't going to kill off kids in a summer movie, but JP made you wonder and be so engrossed in what is going on that you felt the tension like a knife. When the T-rex shows up at the end the audience is literally thunderstruck. Sure, it's duex ex machina, but we don't think about that unlike "oh I'll just put this cube thingy into the bad roboto."

These movies were achievements in cinema for mainstream popcorn audiences because everyone could enjoy and be touched by them. Transformers is flash in the pan, no different than the Fantastic Four movies. Sure, Bay has a better visual eye than Tim Story and the SFX were better, but it is all souless at the end. There is no heart in his movies. TF is nothing but an opportunity for its studio to sell product placement space to sell products while getting an excuse to make hundreds of million dollars at the b.o. and DVD and sell merchandising rights out the ass. It is a business deal. A money making venture only. The plot is non-existant, there is no heart in the screenplay and it is vapid entertainment than goes in one ear and out the other. There is no substance, no depth, there IS NOTHING BUT EYE CANDY AND A FEW CHARISMATIC ACTORS IN THAT MOVIE.

that is why it is bad and void of anything that causes it to be remembered beyond the holiday season of its release on DVD. It will fade away because there is nothing to look at.

Transformers had a sense of awe and a heart and a soul. Here is the sense of awe:There was alien robots that could turn into
earth vehicles for the most part,the Transformers CGI's was very realistic looking and looked cool as designs. Here is the soul/heart:The Transformers were sentient,they moved on their own,they had eyes and mouths that could move,they communicated by talking. They had emotions such as COMPASSION,they CARED about things,ie Prime cared about keeping Sam and Mikaela safe when they went hiding under the bridge and got them out of the car,Jazz was worried because BB got captured by Sector 7,Prime felt bad when Jazz died. The Transformers had body language,The Decepticons had common goals,ie coming to earth,ie fighting the Autobots in the city and fighting whatever else that messed with them,like Blackout killing soldiers for example before he was going to get information regarding Megatron. The Transformers had MORALS as well,ie Megatron thinks there is nothing wrong with hurting or killing humans! No one controlled the Transformers at all. There was nothing to see in the movie?? Whatever,the movie had visuals.

The plot was this:Alien robots that are sentient come to earth in two different factions because their planet was put out of commission and because they want the cube for different reasons,the humans get caught in the middle of their feud. The Decepticons
needed to find their leader. The Autobots want to protect earth,while Megatron wants the cube for himself so he can have more Decepticons on his side and so he can take over earth.

 

[ultimatefan]

Congratulations. You've just described TRANSFORMERS as a concept. It was never that deep.



I'm curious, what kind of depth did you expect this movie to have?



How was TRANSFORMERS specifically condescending to the audience? And realize...there is a difference between not being brilliantly written, and being condescending. TRANSFORMERS, as I recall, didn't feel the need to beat the audience over the head with what was happening, like, oh, say...BATMAN BEGINS?

Didn't need, didn't need, didn't need...Welcome to Hollywood in 2007/2008. This is our culture. There are people who RESPOND to those kinds of stimuli, as evidenced by the braindead songs that are most popular, and the braindead shows that are popular. It's the same reason Batman has to crack jokes in BATMAN BEGINS, or we get nonsense like "I have got to get me one of those" or "DAYUMMM! NICE CAR!". You think TRANSFORMERS is the only place it shows up? Think again. There are also people who act like the characters found in TRANSFORMERS do, and yes, some of it was absurd, but what world do you all live in that you've never met someone like those characters at some point?



Gosh. I wish I cared enough to argue PIXAR VS TRANSFORMERS. I don't. The people at PIXAR tend to do something very right, seemingly in a vaccum. Good for them.



Look! Hyperbole!



I don't know what to tell you. This "sudden melodrama" is how movies work, and it's not new. I don't tend to give a fiddle when characters die. TRANSFORMERS never advertised it as a truly major event, you just seem to want it to have been. This isn't the Death of Optimus Prime we're talking about here.

What do you want, something that makes you tear up because a robot died? A robot funeral?

You want Jazz to say something witty like "Prime...don't be afraid" before he dies?



Good god...go study humanity. People use humor when they are afraid. Constantly. And humor has almost always been used to lighten an otherwise serious scene in action/adventure movies. You ***** about its use here, and you may as well go down the list of adventure films, because trust me, you'll find it there, too. It's a film convention, not something unique to Michael Bay and TRANSFORMERS.

Oh yeah, The Guard finally accomplished to throw an anti-BB rant in the argument... Seriously, he can be in a talk about earthquakes in China and find a way to bash BB. Talk about hammering people in the head with something... BB has the word fear a lot, but it doesn´t mean there´s no subtext or nuance to the topic in it, and there´s a lot. If I recall, TF repeats that "sacrifice" motto a lot, and the lead doesn´t really make any sacrifice, that is, he doesn´t really give up on anything, in the end of the movie he has all he asked for and more, the hot chick, a cool car, and badass new friends. I´d make a sacrifice like that every day... He takes risks, but risk and sacrifice are different things.

I perfectly understand the concept of comic relief, actually, the concept is directly connected to existing something that needs to be relieved, and TF has nothing, cuz it just pushes for joke after joke, much more like a straightforward comedy, and a bad one at that - my audience, full of kids and teens, didn´t laugh nine out of ten times.

Some movies, even being commercial, manage to build up enough the dramatic moments for them to be felt. When they made the speech on Jazz´s death, there literally were people in my theater audience saying (words to that effect in portuguese), "who was that again?", and if I didn´t already know who Jazz was prior to the movie, I´d have asked the exact same thing.

 

[DACrowe]

Transformers had a sense of awe and a heart and a soul. Here is the sense of awe:There was alien robots that could turn into
earth vehicles for the most part,the Transformers CGI's was very realistic looking and looked cool as designs. Here is the soul/heart:The Transformers were sentient,they moved on their own,they had eyes and mouths that could move,they communicated by talking. They had emotions such as COMPASSION,they CARED about things,ie Prime cared about keeping Sam and Mikaela safe when they went hiding under the bridge and got them out of the car,Jazz was worried because BB got captured by Sector 7,Prime felt bad when Jazz died. The Transformers had body language,The Decepticons had common goals,ie coming to earth,ie fighting the Autobots in the city and fighting whatever else that messed with them,like Blackout killing soldiers for example before he was going to get information regarding Megatron. The Transformers had MORALS as well,ie Megatron thinks there is nothing wrong with hurting or killing humans! No one controlled the Transformers at all. There was nothing to see in the movie?? Whatever,the movie had visuals.

The plot was this:Alien robots that are sentient come to earth in two different factions because their planet was put out of commission and because they want the cube for different reasons,the humans get caught in the middle of their feud. The Decepticons
needed to find their leader. The Autobots want to protect earth,while Megatron wants the cube for himself so he can have more Decepticons on his side and so he can take over earth.

Thanks for the synopsis.

I know the movie had cool special effects and I got the story as it was as basic as if it was written in third grade. The point is it was all very flat, two dimensional and transparent that this was a money-making venture only. The audience DIDN'T CARE about these characters. Outside of Prime and Bumblebee no one even remembers the other Transformers names except for the fans. The fact that they had to introduce ALL the bad guys with subtitles in the last 20 minutes speaks of how badly conceived the movie is. It is a number of generic jokes and faux-sentimentality no different from Armageddon except now Bay focused on "What if Peter Parker met E.T." as the sentimentality that had as much meaning as a Hallmark card.

I'll put it this way, did you give a crap when Jazz died? Since I am not a fan of the cartoon I literally said "Who the **** is Jazz and when did he die?" And that is how many people feel. But many more people loved the CGI as you pointed out first; hence the movie's success. It is eye candy, only.

 

[ultimatefan]

Thanks for the synopsis.

I know the movie had cool special effects and I got the story as it was as basic as if it was written in third grade. The point is it was all very flat, two dimensional and transparent that this was a money-making venture only. The audience DIDN'T CARE about these characters. Outside of Prime and Bumblebee no one even remembers the other Transformers names except for the fans. The fact that they had to introduce ALL the bad guys with subtitles in the last 20 minutes speaks of how badly conceived the movie is. It is a number of generic jokes and faux-sentimentality no different from Armageddon except now Bay focused on "What if Peter Parker met E.T." as the sentimentality that had as much meaning as a Hallmark card.

I'll put it this way, did you give a crap when Jazz died? Since I am not a fan of the cartoon I literally said "Who the **** is Jazz and when did he die?" And that is how many people feel. But many more people loved the CGI as you pointed out first; hence the movie's success. It is eye candy, only.

I´ll simply put it this way, even though the first Spidey movie was six years ago and the first X-Men eight years ago, and FX advanced since then, these movies are still big favorites among recent blockbusters. Let´s ask people five years from now - after the technology advanced and the movie´s FX get dated - if they still love TF. I can bet money it´s gonna be a helluva lot less than people say it now. A friend of mine, who doesn´t own a big screen TV, said he really enjoyed the movie when he saw it in theaters, then he went to rent it to see it home, and he couldn´t sit through the whole movie, without the big screen eye candy factory, it has nothing.

 

[Keymaker]

Speaking of opening day atmosphere and these big summer movies, especially superhero films...I hate it. I want to see the film as soon as possible but usually 80% of the audience are little kids who talk, yell and even run around all the time. It's annoying and it makes me feel like an old idiot who's excited about a ''kid's'' film t: Spidey 3 was a nightmare last year

 

[Iron_Stark]

I loved it when my brother worked at the movie theater and let me in on the private screenings, I remember watching Hulk, X-men 2, Gangs of New York and other movies with only about 10-20 other people in the theater. It was great, no talking, no kids crying or running around, no annoyiing people and thier cell phones.

 

[BlackLantern]

Speaking of opening day atmosphere and these big summer movies, especially superhero films...I hate it. I want to see the film as soon as possible but usually 80% of the audience are little kids who talk, yell and even run around all the time. It's annoying and it makes me feel like an old idiot who's excited about a ''kid's'' film t: Spidey 3 was a nightmare last year

I went to see 'The Exorcist' when it was re-released a few years ago and someone bought their kid there....some parents need to be beaten with a stick

 

[Knightsaber Priss]

Transformers had a sense of awe and a heart and a soul.

Oh, I felt awe alright...awe that this movie sucked so badly it could be labeled a black hole.

 

[BlackLantern]

Oh, I felt awe alright...awe that this movie sucked so badly it could be labeled a black hole.

Yes a 780 million dollar whole...I'm sure Paramount and Hasbro share your sentiment....but can we quit the Transformers bashing, thats what AICN is for......Iron Man releases in 8 days....7 and change for those of you doing a midnight showing

 

[Knightsaber Priss]

Yes a 780 million dollar whole...I'm sure Paramount and Hasbro share your sentiment....but can we quit the Transformers bashing, thats what AICN is for......Iron Man releases in 8 days....7 and change for those of you doing a midnight showing

Well Mr. Smart Pants, Box Office means absolutely nothing to the longevity of a movie's popularity. When Fritz Lang's Metropolis opened in 1927 it was panned by critics and was a huge financial disaster. But yet over 80 years later it is the most widely respected silent era movie ever, eclipsing many of the huge box office successes of 1927. Do you honestly think people will speak of Bayformers with such reverence 80 years from now?

 

[BlackLantern]

Well Mr. Smart Pants, Box Office means absolutely nothing to the longevity of a movie's popularity. When Fritz Lang's Metropolis opened in 1927 it was panned by critics and was a huge financial disaster. But yet over 80 years later it is the most widely respected silent era mopvie ever, eclipsing many of the huge box offfice successes of 1927. Do you honestly think people will speak of Bayformers with such reverence 80 years from now?

I don't expect a movie about giant robots to be regarded with any kind of reverence.....some things endure and some don't....its not Hasbro or Bays' problem if people had Transformers up on a pedastal. The movie made its money and the Powers that be at paramount and hasbro were happy.

back on topiic....I saw some Iron Man toys in the grocery store....decent quality too...some with snap on armor and all that

 

[YJ1]

I separate my activities.....sporting events are completely different from movies....a good game and a large crowd...nothing like it....but maybe I'm just a snob when it comes to my movies...I need as much silence as I can get around me...

Normally, I agree ( I usually go to as many matinees as possible to avoid noise) but event movies like Iron Man are a different story. Seeing it with the right crowd, it can be just like a good sporting event. The key is the type of crowd. Seeing it with fans who get caught up in the film is the best experience possible. The laughter, gasps and excitement all add to the enjoyment. Idiots who yell things or want attention for themselves are NOT what I'm talking about. To date, opening day for Spider-Man 2 was my best experience. The crowd was in to every scene. Quiet at the right time, laughed at the right jokes and even broke out in to spontaneous applause at a few of the cool action scenes. It was great and far better then watching it in an empty theatre. I think the quality of the movie is a real factor. A great film that draws you in and has a good pace will enthrall large crowds and keep the participation at an involuntary, fun level. I expect Iron Man to be good and to be able to do this with ease.

 

[S.A.A.D.]

Thanks for the synopsis.

I know the movie had cool special effects and I got the story as it was as basic as if it was written in third grade. The point is it was all very flat, two dimensional and transparent that this was a money-making venture only. The audience DIDN'T CARE about these characters. Outside of Prime and Bumblebee no one even remembers the other Transformers names except for the fans. The fact that they had to introduce ALL the bad guys with subtitles in the last 20 minutes speaks of how badly conceived the movie is. It is a number of generic jokes and faux-sentimentality no different from Armageddon except now Bay focused on "What if Peter Parker met E.T." as the sentimentality that had as much meaning as a Hallmark card.

I'll put it this way, did you give a crap when Jazz died? Since I am not a fan of the cartoon I literally said "Who the **** is Jazz and when did he die?" And that is how many people feel. But many more people loved the CGI as you pointed out first; hence the movie's success. It is eye candy, only.

So what if the story was simple?? The movies you mentioned (Indiana Jones,Jaws,Jurassic Park) those movies had simple stories and here you are giving Transformers flack for having a simple story. If you're not a fan of Transformers,why did you watch it then?? You shouldn't have bothered watching it or you should have did research properly on it before you wasted your spare time seeing it in a theater,there are resources,you could have read reviews. Or you could have asked specific questions to people on the internet who did see it,but you failed to capitalize on it. You seem to forget that the Transformers don't originate from earth,the Decepticons talked in their Cybertron language because they were from a different planet.

Oh,and by the way,Indiana Jones,Jaws,POTC,and Jurassic Park all had merchandise that was made which were connected to them,they aren't totally different from the case of merchandise that were made that had a connection to the Transformers movie. If Transformers was anymore serious,we could have had a Superman Returns on our hands in terms of fun factor,it's your problem that you're like one of those movie critics who expect every movie these days to be inspiring,thought provoking,and/or Oscar worthy material. Hell you like movies that had SIMPLE stuff in it too and that weren't DEEP,so I don't think you should bother knocking Transformers at all because of the SIMPLE/non DEEP factor.

 

[BlackLantern]

Normally, I agree ( I usually go to as many matinees as possible to avoid noise) but event movies like Iron Man are a different story. Seeing it with the right crowd, it can be just like a good sporting event. The key is the type of crowd. Seeing it with fans who get caught up in the film is the best experience possible. The laughter, gasps and excitement all add to the enjoyment. Idiots who yell things or want attention for themselves are NOT what I'm talking about. To date, opening day for Spider-Man 2 was my best experience. The crowd was in to every scene. Quiet at the right time, laughed at the right jokes and even broke out in to spontaneous applause at a few of the cool action scenes. It was great and far better then watching it in an empty theatre. I think the quality of the movie is a real factor. A great film that draws you in and has a good pace will enthrall large crowds and keep the participation at an involuntary, fun level. I expect Iron Man to be good and to be able to do this with ease.

Go and cram yourself in with the cattle then....I'll take my quarter full(if that) theater at 11 pm on a Tuesday night anyday of the week.

 

[Knightsaber Priss]

I don't expect a movie about giant robots to be regarded with any kind of reverence.....some things endure and some don't....its not Hasbro or Bays' problem if people had Transformers up on a pedastal. The movie made its money and the Powers that be at paramount and hasbro were happy.

And this is why Hollywood is in a rut, doing dumbed down comedies and unasked for remakes. *sigh* Still the sheep will flock to the manure and ignore the tasty morsels.

 

[BlackLantern]

And this is why Hollywood is in a rut, doing dumbed down comedies and unasked for remakes. *sigh* Still the sheep will flock to the manure and ignore the tasty morsels.

don't be condescending, its not witty or funny.....some films endure, like The Godfather or, for me personally LA Confidential or The Ghost and The Darkness, and some films buzz for a bit and just tread water forever...but I separate my "real movies" from my "eye candy"....

 

[ultimatefan]

Yes a 780 million dollar whole...I'm sure Paramount and Hasbro share your sentiment....but can we quit the Transformers bashing, thats what AICN is for......Iron Man releases in 8 days....7 and change for those of you doing a midnight showing

A ton of bad movies make money at the BO. I have no idea why people liked Armaggeddon - coincidence or not, another Michael Bay movie, but the first that came to mind - when it was released, but they did. Funny enough, now I have a hard timefinding people who liked that movie, and I seriously suspect the same will happen to TF.

 

[BlackLantern]

I'm very neutral about Armageddon....its just kinda there....I don't love it or hate it....thats the general feeling I get from people I talk to...