Post by HeXXus on Aug 11, 2009 9:45:53 GMT -5
ALRIIIIGHT, I 'm gonna yap.
Okay, so first things first. I have been a transformers fangirl ever since Beast Wars, which came out...when I think I was 7. I have loved nearly every tf series since -except beast machines and energon. ( I enjoyed all the rest.)
The point of that little rambling right there is, as I've been a fan of the cartoons and the odd comic for so long- my opinion on the transformers movies is influenced by what I've already been accustomed to- which is why it's probably different from somebody who was introduced to transformers through bay's two films.
Anyway, starting with the first movie- Transformers. I watched it again last night, on total whim. To be honest, I've never had a problem with human characters in a transformers series- so the focus on humans in this one didn't bother me nearly as much as it did other people. I liked most of the characters, and hey- it was cool. Sure the Transformers designs were way different than cartoons, but...the y HAD to be. They had to be radically different in order to seem realistic, and the animators did a great job on the transformers, I think. They did seem real.
However, watching the movie back- I did notice several things I never picked up on before. A lot of the scenes were incredibly rushed. and not only that, some of them replayed stock footage from earlier. Optimus does the same thing several times when leaning down to talk to humans, when bumblebee is running from Barricade day goes to night out of nowhere and their chase scene jumps from one place to the next without explanation. AND, I noticed for the first time- at the beginning of the chase scene- when Bumblebee is getting ready to rocket past Barricade, they show a quick clip from the building the chase previously was filmed in.
But, moving fast isn't a problem for many - and I'll forgive the film for that. Bay is an action and special effects junkie, after all.
I think my biggest disappointment with this movie- both when i first saw it and now, was the lack of characterization with the robots. bumblebee was allowed more personality than the others. And the Autobots, in some respects, had personalities. Cookie-cutter molds without the depth they had in some of the cartoons, but they had them- so I was happy .
But the Decepticons? What the heck. They had like no personality and barely any lines. They spent half their time on screen going RAAAWWR*smash*. And okay ,granted they are destructive and evul- but come ON. They gave them personalities in the cartoons and things. Why can't evil have a personality? It just seems like a cheap copout. 'oh they're evil,l let's not give them any real personality beyond destruction. They're more scary that way.'
they'd be scary with personality, Bay. THEY'RE FRIGGIN GIANT ROBOTS MESSIN UP YOUR CITIES.
But, beyond that annoyance of mine- I did like the movie. I can't watch the entire thing- I fast forward through parts that bore me now, but I like it. And though sector 7 was handled horribly, for no reason other than bay's need to absolutely glorify the military- I loved the idea of sector 7, and the actor playing reggie simmons. ( hey, I'm all for the military- but honestly. I don't like how 'nobody but the military can do it right'. And why sector 7, that's been around for AGES was suddendly so inept and unable to perform and this random band of military men came in to save the day. it's a little much. sector 7 should be the better, with more experience. reverse engineering should have wielded transformer weaknesses. the comics based on the movie handl s7 way better.)
***
Now, the second movie.
Whether you've seen it or not, I do have something to say. the first movie is better than Revenge of the Fallen. I know people say that all the time about sequels being worse, but it's true.
I won't go too indepth because it's still in theaters and I don't want to spoil it, but...m ygoodness. Okay, it IS entertaining and I did like some of it. I won't say it's an awful movie, but the first is better.
For some reason, they ramped up the sexual content and language in this movie. You think they used a lot in the first movie? hehe. When I watched the first movie last night, comparing it to the second- it was like they hardly swore at all. Revenge of the fallen takes crude humor, language, etc way further than it should.
And again, it falls into similair pitfalls. More military glorification where other government officials are totally inept and epic failures and so bad at their job that the military people have to come save their butts once again.
And, the robots- I thought they'd get more personality in this. the first movie introduced them, so why not?
There are more robots. Some of them have more lines- but it's basically focused on the teen sexcapades and military glorification. The robots, again, play secondary to the humans. Which disappointed me again, because..I let it go in the first movie, since it was introductory.
I still liked the movie- it's entertaining, it's just ...when I go to a movie called Transformers I WOULD enjoy seeing a little more Transformer storytime.
(and this is coming from a person who LIKES human characters in tf series. just think what those who hate them believe about the movies)
Okay, so first things first. I have been a transformers fangirl ever since Beast Wars, which came out...when I think I was 7. I have loved nearly every tf series since -except beast machines and energon. ( I enjoyed all the rest.)
The point of that little rambling right there is, as I've been a fan of the cartoons and the odd comic for so long- my opinion on the transformers movies is influenced by what I've already been accustomed to- which is why it's probably different from somebody who was introduced to transformers through bay's two films.
Anyway, starting with the first movie- Transformers. I watched it again last night, on total whim. To be honest, I've never had a problem with human characters in a transformers series- so the focus on humans in this one didn't bother me nearly as much as it did other people. I liked most of the characters, and hey- it was cool. Sure the Transformers designs were way different than cartoons, but...the y HAD to be. They had to be radically different in order to seem realistic, and the animators did a great job on the transformers, I think. They did seem real.
However, watching the movie back- I did notice several things I never picked up on before. A lot of the scenes were incredibly rushed. and not only that, some of them replayed stock footage from earlier. Optimus does the same thing several times when leaning down to talk to humans, when bumblebee is running from Barricade day goes to night out of nowhere and their chase scene jumps from one place to the next without explanation. AND, I noticed for the first time- at the beginning of the chase scene- when Bumblebee is getting ready to rocket past Barricade, they show a quick clip from the building the chase previously was filmed in.
But, moving fast isn't a problem for many - and I'll forgive the film for that. Bay is an action and special effects junkie, after all.
I think my biggest disappointment with this movie- both when i first saw it and now, was the lack of characterization with the robots. bumblebee was allowed more personality than the others. And the Autobots, in some respects, had personalities. Cookie-cutter molds without the depth they had in some of the cartoons, but they had them- so I was happy .
But the Decepticons? What the heck. They had like no personality and barely any lines. They spent half their time on screen going RAAAWWR*smash*. And okay ,granted they are destructive and evul- but come ON. They gave them personalities in the cartoons and things. Why can't evil have a personality? It just seems like a cheap copout. 'oh they're evil,l let's not give them any real personality beyond destruction. They're more scary that way.'
they'd be scary with personality, Bay. THEY'RE FRIGGIN GIANT ROBOTS MESSIN UP YOUR CITIES.
But, beyond that annoyance of mine- I did like the movie. I can't watch the entire thing- I fast forward through parts that bore me now, but I like it. And though sector 7 was handled horribly, for no reason other than bay's need to absolutely glorify the military- I loved the idea of sector 7, and the actor playing reggie simmons. ( hey, I'm all for the military- but honestly. I don't like how 'nobody but the military can do it right'. And why sector 7, that's been around for AGES was suddendly so inept and unable to perform and this random band of military men came in to save the day. it's a little much. sector 7 should be the better, with more experience. reverse engineering should have wielded transformer weaknesses. the comics based on the movie handl s7 way better.)
***
Now, the second movie.
Whether you've seen it or not, I do have something to say. the first movie is better than Revenge of the Fallen. I know people say that all the time about sequels being worse, but it's true.
I won't go too indepth because it's still in theaters and I don't want to spoil it, but...m ygoodness. Okay, it IS entertaining and I did like some of it. I won't say it's an awful movie, but the first is better.
For some reason, they ramped up the sexual content and language in this movie. You think they used a lot in the first movie? hehe. When I watched the first movie last night, comparing it to the second- it was like they hardly swore at all. Revenge of the fallen takes crude humor, language, etc way further than it should.
And again, it falls into similair pitfalls. More military glorification where other government officials are totally inept and epic failures and so bad at their job that the military people have to come save their butts once again.
And, the robots- I thought they'd get more personality in this. the first movie introduced them, so why not?
There are more robots. Some of them have more lines- but it's basically focused on the teen sexcapades and military glorification. The robots, again, play secondary to the humans. Which disappointed me again, because..I let it go in the first movie, since it was introductory.
I still liked the movie- it's entertaining, it's just ...when I go to a movie called Transformers I WOULD enjoy seeing a little more Transformer storytime.
(and this is coming from a person who LIKES human characters in tf series. just think what those who hate them believe about the movies)
