ROTF at home

[Benn]

I have beer. I have not seen Fallen Dave since the cinema. There are evidently sinister forces at work here.

[Shockprowl]

I have wine. And my Grandad's old service revolver. Locked and loaded.


Green Giant will see me through! The true Devastator!

[Shockprowl]

Ok, here we go.



Maybe there'll be a power cut or something.

[Benn]

The forces of light have saved me. Reception on my digibox renders all channels unwatchable this night!

[Marc Graham]

um.... now I am meeting someone tomorrow and they may be watching this film tonight on channel 4 knowing I'm a huge Transformers fan. Oh dear! RoTF is not a high point!

[legios]

It isn't, but at least you might be able to get a wry laugh out of the fact that it is not far of the nadir of Transformers.... Assuming that wry is your thing/would go down ok in the moment...

Karl

[Grand Moff Muffin]

I think all three films had perfectly decent plots by Transformers standards. If Budiansky, Furman or Roberts came up with those plots in the comics and brought them to life with their own script styles and execution I don't think people would suddenly be saying, "Why haven't the comics got plots any more?" I think the plots of the first film (humans learn that alien robots disguised as machines are searching for an artefact that turns Earth machines into Transformers, and the key to its location is in possession of a boy who happens to be buying his first car, etc., etc.), the second film (boy from first film is seeing visions due to his earlier possession of the Transformers' sacred life-force, and with Prime dead and the Decepticons hunting for him he must find an ancient Transformer that can tell him what they mean, and bring Prime back to life / save Earth) and the third film (same kid and girlfriend learn that their employers are being controlled by the Decepticons who trick the Autobots into reviving an Autobot who has actually switched sides and has the ability to open space bridges to bring Cybertron to Earth and enslave the human race) are fine, and much better than the plot of the 1986 movie (new robots replace previous cast of robots and chase each other across various robot cities and robot planets in order to stop giant robot destroying their own robot planet).

It's just the script, direction and most of all the 'humour' that stop me classing them as amongst the good TF stories.

Martin

[Benn]

I'm in agreement there, but I'll add casting to it's list of crimes.

I tried watching the first one again last night (DVD) and found any scene which contained a Witwicky to be painful. I hate Shia LeBouf. He is not a good actor, and the main reason I have never rewatched Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

And we decided that the guy who plays his dad is slowly destroying the Pirrie brothers childhood memories. He's in Godzilla, too...

[Kingoji]

Kevin Dunne was Major Hicks, yes. He did go some way to amending his presence in Godzilla by reprising the role for the cartoon series, which was far better, but which I would still happily sacrifice for the movie to have never happened.
I still refuse to talk about the Transformers movies, so this is all you'll get from me here.

[Shockprowl]

Well I survived.

I have to say, Martin, once again, in your usual highly eloquent style, you've hit the nail on the head there with your assessment of the Transformers films.

One thing that would have VASTLY improved ROTF?- ALLOW BUMBLEBEE TO TALK!!!!! They wasted a great opportunity to have some real quality characterisation. If Bumblebee could talk, the relationship between him and Sam would have driven the film. No need for the God awful Twins or extra 'filler' human characters. Sam and Bumblebee solving the mystery together.

Generally, I like the fight scenes. But the over dependence on weak human characters, enormous plot holes, almost total lack of robot characterisation, and stupid brain-dead 'humor' make it a train-wreck of a film.

[The Doctor]

I just think they're trash. I have no interest in a 4th helping from the same pie.

-Ralph

[Grand Moff Muffin]

Nov 18, 2012 19:55:28 GMT Shockprowl said:

One thing that would have VASTLY improved ROTF?- ALLOW BUMBLEBEE TO TALK!!!!! They wasted a great opportunity to have some real quality characterisation. If Bumblebee could talk, the relationship between him and Sam would have driven the film.

Have to disagree I'm afraid, Shockers. One of my favourite things about the films is the non-talking of Bumblebee, as it makes him seem more machine-like and alien. I liked the first half of the first film with the Decepticons speaking their own language and Bumblebee speaking through his radio. Right up to the moment when Optimus Prime transformed - which was great, by the way - but then suddenly the Autobots opened their mouths and spoilt it all. Particularly in by-passing the whole not-understanding-human-concepts thing and revealing they knew everything thanks to the Internet. (Ratchet's first line revealing he even knew about human concepts of mating.) I felt there was more characterisation in some of the electronic noises Bumblebee made, or the revving of his engine, than in the inane banter of most of the talking characters.

Provided the fourth film keeps the robots-in-disguise concept and the present-day Earth setting, I'll continue to pay out to be entertained by more of the same, albeit in a brain-completely-disengaged sort of way, and wishing the 'humour' was dispensed with. Nothing Michael Bay has done so far has alienated me in the way that, say, destroying Earth and casually offing a 100-plus strong human civilian cast built up over seven years of children's comics, has done for me in RG1. It's very interesting how we all have different red lines in terms of what we find unacceptable to our enjoyment of something!

Martin

[Shockprowl]

I see what you mean about the first film, robot and alien, and yes soon as they opened their mouths that feeling disapeared, but I suspect that was more down to crap dialog! The alieness could have been maintained. By the second film, I wanted more development of the 'core' relationship between Sam and Bumblebee, not more of the same. And even that was diluted by the God awful Twins.

But yes yes! It is fascinating how we all focus on different aspects of the films. Gives us something to talk about anyway!

[Stomski]

Nov 18, 2012 8:30:49 GMT Benn said:

I hate Shia LeBouf. He is not a good actor, and the main reason I have never rewatched Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Trust me, he's the least of your worries where that film is concerned.

[Benn]

I would quite happily rewatch Kingdom if not for LeBouf. I like a good old fashioned good natured romp, and I'll quite happily watch the Star Wars prequels for the exact same reason. But Shia just annoys me.

[Grand Moff Muffin]

I don't mind Shia but felt Kingdom lacked the Indy spirit on other points. (By Indy spirit, I mean Raiders and Last Crusade spirit. It was better than Temple of Doom.) Biggest gripe was turning it all sci-fi at the end, but I also felt the void left by his previous male comrades.

Martin

[The Doctor]

I thought Shia was miscast and not that great in Indy IV but I enjoyed the film overall. Think it should be left alone at that though. Not every film series needs to be dragged out to oblivion.

-Ralph

[Andy Turnbull]

The biggest problem with Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was that if Indy wasn't in it, the same ending would have occurred. That's a major flaw in the basic structure of the tale.

Andy

[Shockprowl]

I just about found the Sci-fi ending of Crystal Skull ok, but only just. I loved Harrison Ford in it, and it felt Indy to me, but not as Indy as the previous three. Shia was ok for me, I thought there was the beginnings of chemistry between him and Ford, but it just felt like there was 'something' missing from their relationship, and indeed from the entire film. I can't put my finger on what that missing thing was sadly. Generally, a good film, and I'd welcome a second trilogy of Indy films IF IF IF the stories are good enough. If they're not good engough then they should leave the series alone.

[Stomski]

Hey remember the anticipation to ROTF? I enforced a media blackout as per usual.



Remember the scene in the desert whilst Sam is dashing between houses and stuff.



Meanwhile the Twins are off doing goofy stuff and despite the rest of the clusterf*** that's being committed to celluloid, I'm waiting for something else... It pans across some construction vehicles.



And by the time the swinging destruction balls were shown, I'd pretty much just given up.

[primenova]

I watched the 2nd film in the cinema because I had a free ticket. But I did stay to watch the end credit stuff while everyone else was walking out.