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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Jun 28, 2011 23:19:11 GMT
Post thoughts here! Immediate reaction: Well, I wasn't bored except slightly during the moon landing bit at the start which we knew all about from the teaser trailer, and I didn't find any significant chunks really annoying like Leo and the twins in the second film. But I didn't come out of it with strong positive thoughts about any particular bits either (such as I did with Jetfire in the second film). It was very fast-paced (too fast-paced in places despite its length - I felt some of the plot points could have been better fleshed out) and action-packed, and the sky-diving/flying scenes looked good in 3D. There were a few decent laughs, and it made the first film look low-budget. Dunno... I might rate it the second-best of the trilogy, after the first film, which benefited a lot from the mystery/discovery element. The ending surprised me, because I thought I'd read a spoiler of Megatron's plot resolution based on the novel, and it was quite different. Either I misread it, or the book review was a deliberate red herring, or the novel really does end differently. Maybe someone who reads it can confirm. And of course, the main plot was a hybrid of The Ultimate Doom and Megatron's Master Plan! Shockwave fans will be disappointed by his minimal role and zero characterisation, I'm afraid. Some of the freaky human characters were on the extreme side (I'm thinking the Wang guy) but others were OK. More thoughts tomorrow, no doubt. Martin
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Post by Bogatan on Jun 28, 2011 23:28:23 GMT
I liked it.
I watched all three today and they do fit together rather well.
DOTM is my favourite I think. Everyone seems to get the screen time they deserve. Effects have really been perfected and the new human and TF additions are generally good. Even the characters from ROTF who appear grew on me.
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Jun 28, 2011 23:47:18 GMT
Oh, I've remembered a few bits I liked a lot: The Obama medal flashback. The road chase where Bumblebee transforms to car mode around Sam. Optimus sulking in truck mode when angry with the humans until Ironhide or someone gives him a smack. They all provoked a smile or a laugh. The job interview montage was fun. And the scene with Simmons' sidekick and the Russians. And Sam's parents' "What have you done to Bumblebee?" scene. Hmmm, I guess some of the humour worked well enough - after I'd had a pint, anyway. I also liked the twist with Carly's car. I didn't see that coming. And Spock got to say "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few" one more time. Martin
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Post by mabus1984 on Jun 28, 2011 23:57:12 GMT
There was me thinking i was special getting to see it a few hours ago. I'd rate it the best out of the three for it seems to me to be better than the first two in many ways. Though nothing can beat the forest fight scene in Transformers 2. The main twist i never saw coming. I'm pissed off that Ironhide finally gets a scene where he kicks ass only so that they could kill him afterwards. If he wasn't going to be killed he probably wouldn't of got his swansong scene. And where was Ratchet other than in the background! Also i thought Thundercracker was going to be in this movie?
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Jun 29, 2011 0:00:16 GMT
There was me thinking i was special getting to see it a few hours ago I'm sure you are special, just not for that reason. Martin
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Post by mabus1984 on Jun 29, 2011 0:03:48 GMT
Oh i know i already am lol
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Post by Bogatan on Jun 29, 2011 5:58:12 GMT
The job interview montage was fun. And the scene with Simmons' sidekick and the Russians. Hmmm, I guess some of the humour worked well enough - after I'd had a pint, anyway. Martin once again proving alan tudyk rules in ways others simply cant. Spoilered as. His appearance was a much welcommed surprise.
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Jun 29, 2011 6:08:35 GMT
And while we're on the cast, having Optimus Prime honoured to meet the real Buzz Aldrin was nice. On the downside, Rosie H-W's acting ability was everything we might have expected it to be. But never mind - I don't think anyone had terribly high hopes on that score. And Megan Fox couldn't have played such a posh role. I liked the Wreckers. But I see the Autobots in general and Optimus Prime in particular are as merciless to their fallen foes as they were in the last film. Martin
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Stomski
Fusilateral Quintro Combiner
YOU INTERRUPTED MY SPEECH!! But don't worry. It won't happen again.
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Post by Stomski on Jun 29, 2011 9:33:25 GMT
If this is a spoilers thread, do we really need to use spoiler tags? For ease, it's all going in one bad ass tag Rosie's acting really was terrible.
Don't like Simmons, his character serves no point. He was tolerable in the first film, but it's just too much now.
John Malkovich is amazing.
When the clip of Star Trek was shown with the comment "This is the one where Spock goes bad" I thought AHA, is that telegraphing the plot?
Laserbeak used for infiltration and spying. A+++.
Why did everyone have to die? Ironhide, Starscream, Megatron, Que/really?? I guess it opens the door for Galvatron, Cyclonus etc.
Where did all those extra military dudes come from when they finally managed to cross the river?
Indeed! This was where I was most disappointed. For a guy that has led the Decepticons simply having a massive sandworm esque thing and zero proper lines was pretty poor.
Edit: Autobot Red Ferrari = Mirage aka Dino. Hrm. Meh.
Why did they put a load of effort into making them have "alien" head/faces and then have characters like Wheeljack/Que with old professor heads?
What was with the "blood" / "spitting"??
Having said all that though, I actually really enjoyed it. I enjoyed the cover-up, Megatron debilitated was a nice twist, but would have preferred that he schemed his own recovery and then surprised Sentinel Prime rather than just being coerced into it by Carly.
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Post by blueshift on Jun 29, 2011 10:46:41 GMT
A lot of people view the forums by 'most recent post', or at least i do, so if you don't put stuff in a spoiler tag it will still be seen!
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Stomski
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YOU INTERRUPTED MY SPEECH!! But don't worry. It won't happen again.
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Post by Stomski on Jun 29, 2011 11:11:55 GMT
Good point! I like cheese
especially camembert
which is actually the same as brie,
except the ingredients are sourced from different places making it taste different .
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Post by duffism1981 on Jun 29, 2011 16:19:54 GMT
I am twenty minutes home from watching this film and I really enjoyed it. I don't know if anyone spotted this, but... When the humans were attacking Shockwave and a few other cons, did anyone else notice Barricade in that group? Well it was either him, or another Decepticon that shared his character model with Police written on their arm. I maybe one of the few, but I did not see Sentinel Prime's heel turn coming.
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Jun 29, 2011 16:32:23 GMT
I am twenty minutes home from watching this film and I really enjoyed it. I don't know if anyone spotted this, but... When the humans were attacking Shockwave and a few other cons, did anyone else notice Barricade in that group? Well it was either him, or another Decepticon that shared his character model with Police written on their arm.
I didn't spot that. Am I imagining it, or was there a blue Autobot at large in the first half of the film? I thought there was... but I can't find it on any character listings. Did Jolt appear at all? I think the purpose of having Shockwave was to provide a character that people would assume to be the main villain of the film, thus drawing suspicion away from Sentinel. The giant worm robot was good though! I think after a week or so it will be reasonable to dispense with spoiler tags, but best play it safe for now. However, if you haven't seen the film you use the recent posts facility at your own peril. Oh, I missed the Star Trek clip. Was it around the middle with the last scene that had Sam's parents in it? I went out to the loo for a minute at that point. If not, I'm just unobservant. Martin
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Post by duffism1981 on Jun 29, 2011 17:20:04 GMT
What was Wheelies side kick called? I really hated him. Wheelie on the other hand I found fairly likable this time around.
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Nigel
Thunderjet
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Post by Nigel on Jun 29, 2011 19:10:52 GMT
I was thinking the same. A lot of people view the forums by 'most recent post', or at least i do, so if you don't put stuff in a spoiler tag it will still be seen! I hadn't thought of that. I rarely use the function myself. Out of politeness to those using it, I shall put my whole post in a spoiler. I'll start by picking up on a few things other people have said. I didn't! I actually managed to avoid every trailer! Also, The Event.
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Nigel
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Post by Nigel on Jun 29, 2011 19:36:25 GMT
Oh yes, something else I was going to comment on. How does Bay introduce his new leading lady? A long tracking shot of her naked legs and her knickers. Of course! How else!
Oh, something else, too. Did anyone recognise the actor playing one of the ex-cosmonauts as the cosmonaut from Bay's earlier film, Armageddon?
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Post by Bogatan on Jun 29, 2011 20:33:12 GMT
Just back from seeing it for a second time. I think its a film that benefits from a second viewing a lot. Bays cutting left me a little dazed first time and as mentioned dialogue is hard to catch in places. Second viewing helps, I even caught Brains name a couple of times. Wheelie is good in this, and I liked Brains a lot once I was able to understand what he was saying. I do get the feeling that at some point in the past their roles were intended for the twins, but I wont hold that against them.
Actually watching ROTF yesterday I was surprised how much I liked it, considering it killed my interest in the movies so much that I hadn't watched either film since ROTF opening day. Toilet humour aside, if not for the writers strike I think it might have been a decent film.
The one bit were I am unhappy is the Autobot surrender happening off camera and apparently within seconds of bumblebee arriving. Probably some time has passed, but again Bays cutting makes judging the passage of time hard and so it just looks like Bee arrives and tells them all to surrender. I suspect there's deleted scenes for it.
Alan Tudyk still rules. It seems almost as if he and Malkovich are fighting for most mad cameo.
I only caught one of the Chuck cameo and no joke, what did I miss?
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Post by Bogatan on Jun 29, 2011 20:42:53 GMT
I take it back my main complaint is something that first struck me rewatching the first movie. The transformers generally lack character in alt mode. It might be that they never really talk when not in robot mode. Bee talks but its radio and the cons talk but its subtitles and also usually radio transmissions. In the three movie the only real exception that comes to mind are Bumblebee and Barricade in the first half of the first movie when they manage to do intimidating and mysterious and even a bit of comedy. The gun modes helped a little this time, but I still wish they had them talking to each other in car mode, its always been a feature of the Transfomer stories and I miss it.
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Post by duffism1981 on Jun 29, 2011 21:09:38 GMT
Another one of those silly little things that popped into my head is the cameo of the guy who played Shia LaBeouf's characters dad in Even Stevens. He was in the Sixties flash back working for NASA.
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Post by The Doctor on Jun 29, 2011 21:30:50 GMT
DOTM is like: "What if Frank Miller did Transformers?", but with less whores. Mental. I can't think of any other way to describe it.
-Ralph
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Post by duffism1981 on Jun 29, 2011 21:35:58 GMT
Ralph, as someone who does not know much about comic books...........Is that a good or a bad thing?
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Post by Bogatan on Jun 29, 2011 21:41:32 GMT
DOTM is like: "What if Frank Miller did Transformers?", but with less whores. Mental. I can't think of any other way to describe it. -Ralph Frank Millar almost did write Transformers sort of. This might have been covered in one of the panels which I missed, I was talking to Flint Dille at Botcon about Matt and Andy T ? 300 homage and he said he was writing the fight between Prime and Megatron when someone brought in Frank Millar and introduced them. Millar was writing 300 at the time and they go to know each other and kinda bounced ideas.
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Post by Bogatan on Jun 29, 2011 21:42:45 GMT
DOTM is like: "What if Frank Miller did Transformers?", but with less whores. Well Rosie is trying her best.
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Post by The Doctor on Jun 29, 2011 21:46:29 GMT
Ralph, as someone who does not know much about comic books...........Is that a good or a bad thing? Both. -Ralph
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Stomski
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Post by Stomski on Jun 29, 2011 22:18:35 GMT
Did not expect that reaction from Ralph.
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Post by legios on Jun 29, 2011 22:38:56 GMT
101st Airborne, and a SEAL team respectively The army units were likely either part of General Morshowers deception assault having pushed further into the city in the general chaos or were elements of the 101st Airborne whom Lennox had mentioned were standing by to make the insertion along with the N.E.S.T units, just having gone down in an alternate LZ and taken a while to link in with them. The SEALs on the other hand were mentioned as having been inserted to forward observe for the missile artillery strikes that were being launched by nearby Navy units. The explanation of that is mentioned but is pretty lost amongst the general mentalness that the film has entered at that point Karl This film would best be described as thoroughly mental. The very first scene held surprising promise, then the film slammed into a brick wall for the next fifteen minutes and left me thinking that it was going to be every bit as bad as I had braced myself for. Then the first moment of bonkersness occurred... then it was replaced by a different kind of bonkersness, and then a different kind. By halfway through it was clear that the trajectory was firmly towards ever-increasing levels of mentalness and brutal slayings being handed out left, right and centre by the freedom loving Autobots
It was by no means anything I would describe as a good film, like Revenge of the Fallen it was a bit of a train wreck (but at least this time all the train pieces spread out in a sort of cone rather than just smearing all over the place like last time). Did it entertain me? Quite thoroughly I have to say. Karl
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Jun 29, 2011 22:44:00 GMT
DOTAMAN is easily the most enjoyable film of the trilogy, as Ralph and I agreed during it. It was Frank Miller writing and essentially it is Transformers Dark Knight Strikes Again of the Moon.
Inspired a few ideas for some strips...
Andy
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nick
Spark
Chris Ryall's Butt-boy
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Post by nick on Jun 30, 2011 0:38:17 GMT
Hah! Good spot on the right-wing fascistic Millertones of the film! Lot of that stuff really sat horribly with me. Almost like they were parodying the zero-tolerance of psychopathy allegedly shown by Prime in earlier films. As with the other Bay-busters, it's easy to get swept along and not realise the whats and wherefores of events, but for me, the Autobots' involvement in a US-led Middle Eastern skirmish seemed an egregious misstep that left a horrible taste. Along with the relish the Wreckers took in eliminating that 'Con pilot (shame those gunships weren't TFs themselves), Prime's attitude to the Chicago invasion ("We'll kill them all") and the ultimate battle where he didn't seem to want to stop executing people. It's easy to see why people can't latch onto or associate with the robots in these films.
That said, Saucy Mary Christ, I enjoyed this film too much! I think it might be my fave of the lot of 'em too. Sam's frustrations at being relegated in the battle for the planet was a nice arc that rang true for him, but it also didn't sideline the goody and charming traits that won me over to him in Movie #1. I think he's pretty gifted at comedy, and willing and able to make himself look pretty daft and nebbishy with it. Some nifty action chops there too, with him full-pelting it through the rubble at the end, ducking and jumping through fallen masonry and banjaxed cars.
'Mental' really is the best term for this film. The action is so imaginative and the tone, as uneven as it is, is a pleasingly odd one when it works. The tilted building sequence is astonishing in it's audacity, as is the afore-mentioned scene where Bumblebee transforms AROUND Sam. THAT's Transformers; THAT's what we'd hope to see in these films. (Speaking of, disguises were used pretty well throughout this film. Take a bow, Soundwave.) In some ways, the first film can't be beaten, as it was the first time we were seeing these things, and every Transformation seemed to add something to the drama of the story or the character it involved. (Barricade intimidating Sam in the first flick is such an oddly unnerving sequence. The scale of the thing was perfect and instilled the living fear into me of being interrogated by a giant robot. ) But Shockwave gadding about with a giant slinky, while in someways is a cemetery's worth of stillborn potential, is also something that I can't conceive how it was imagined in the first place. It feels so good to be positive about Transformers again. Not perfect or anywhere near it, but it made me very happy. Nick
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Jun 30, 2011 6:18:50 GMT
I give up. I understood ROTFD, but remind me what DOTAMAN stands for, please?
Martin
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Post by legios on Jun 30, 2011 6:27:24 GMT
Hah! Good spot on the right-wing fascistic Millertones of the film! Lot of that stuff really sat horribly with me. Almost like they were parodying the zero-tolerance of psychopathy allegedly shown by Prime in earlier films. As with the other Bay-busters, it's easy to get swept along and not realise the whats and wherefores of events, but for me, the Autobots' involvement in a US-led Middle Eastern skirmish seemed an egregious misstep that left a horrible taste. Along with the relish the Wreckers took in eliminating that 'Con pilot (shame those gunships weren't TFs themselves), Prime's attitude to the Chicago invasion ("We'll kill them all") and the ultimate battle where he didn't seem to want to stop executing people. It's easy to see why people can't latch onto or associate with the robots in these films. I did make a muttered aside in the cinema about "the noble Autobots, instruments of American hegemony" at that scene. It didn't sit entirely well with me. Especially when we saw Bumblebee killing his way through the soldiers of a sovereign nation. But then, one of the reasons Bay gets the cooperation that he gets from the US armed forces is precisely because of his "America, America! Go America, Hoo-Raaah!" tone so it didn't entirely come as a surprise. The "We'll kill them all" line was the one that set the final cap-stone on what I was expecting tonally from the back-end of the film, and honestly almost kicked it over into the territory of parody. It was certainly the moment that confirmed that they weren't backing of from movie-Prime being a stone-cold killer, (Which are the good-guy robots again, I'm losing track.....) so it meant that I could enjoy the mental action bonkersness of the last reel without any cognitive dissonance. Every time the big, and I like this term thank you Nick, slinky showed up I did have this amused notion of putting on my best Dune voice and either noting "worm-sign!" or reverently whispering "shai-hulud" :-) Karl
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