Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Hits One Out of the Park

[LarryFlowers]

The Transformers sequel, attacked by critics, just hit a major home run. Domestic Box Office estimate thru Sunday are $201M. International Box Office estimate is $187M for an opening total of $388M. That's over half of what the original Transformers movie did in it's total run.

Larry

[space86]

Live Action Cartoon = Money at the Box Office ?

[Stewart Vernon]

I haven't seen this yet.. it'll instead be a blind buy when it comes out on Blu ray.

The F/X in the first Transformers looked good, and I figured it'd be good cartoon-like escapism with lots of action. I was pleasantly surprised to find there was a semblance of a followable plot, but I considered that a bonus.

Not all movies have to be Shakespeare!

Even if this movie turns out to be "just" what I expected from the first... I still think I'll be pleased.

[Fontano]

I did go and see it this weekend.

Personally:
- It was NOT as good as the first one, but I wasn't expecting it to be.

- Highly recommend seeing it before your younger child does, and evaluate it for your child. I know it will be a while before my kids will be able to see it, even though they can watch the first one.

- Make sure that you go to the bathroom before the movie starts, there is really no down time in this one to get up and go.


Overall the movie was pretty good, I question a few sceens and lines in the script and wonder why they were there, they didn't really need to be and wouldn't have impacted the story.

Worth seeing in the theaters, primarily for the audio which is just spectactular, and the picture and eye candy (both technology and human) is worth it to.

3 Star in my book

[Stuart Sweet]

Twelve Second Review: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

A lot of stuff goes boom in this movie, and Megan Fox runs toward the camera wearing an unsupportive bra at least eight times. A lot of cool robots, but too much language and some very offensive racial stereotypes.

Don't go looking for great acting, this isn't that sort of movie. If anything should surprise you, it's that the guys who wrote this cardboard script wrote the new Star Trek.

Do not get sucked into IMAX. You're too close to the action and it's impossible to see "the big picture" because the picture is literally too big.

[LarryFlowers]

Twelve Second Review: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

A lot of stuff goes boom in this movie, and Megan Fox runs toward the camera wearing an unsupportive bra at least eight times.

That's all that is necessary... It's a hit!!!:lol:

[cmtar]

Do not get sucked into IMAX. You're too close to the action and it's impossible to see "the big picture" because the picture is literally too big.


I plan to see it at the IMAX but only because it is 20 mins longer.

[hdtvfan0001]

I've now read 6 different critical reviews on this movie:

"Bust"
"Disappointment"
"A big droppoff from the original"
"All action, no acting".

...etc.

So much for the critics...:D

Will catch some time this weekend coming up.

To the "critics" - not very movie that is entertaining has to be Oscar material, I suspect. :p

[WestDC]

I plan to see it at the IMAX but only because it is 20 mins longer.

And this will look 20 times larger :D Megan Fox runs toward the camera wearing an unsupportive bra at least eight times.

[Stuart Sweet]

I will say that shortly after seeing this film I saw the critics' darling Revolutionary Road which I thought was sloppy, boring, and made me wish for more more robots. Sure, it's harder to enjoy a mature film than an immature one, but I'd give Mr. Bay a B+ for his film, based on his intention to entertain through explosions. I'd give Mr. Mendes (the director of Revolutionary Road) a D for his attempt to create an honest vision of suburban despair.

[jdmac29]

Seen it this weekend. Did not like the robots using language. When I was a kid they did the same thing when they did the animated movie.
I like the action, explosions, and to me the story plot was not bad.
All action movies always have a hot girl in them and Megan Fox has that part covered. The dog humping was stupid and so was the mom being high.
I know it is doing well at the box office right now but I think dvd sales/blu ray will probably not be as good as they hope.

[Jasqid]

Twelve Second Review: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

A lot of stuff goes boom in this movie, and Megan Fox runs toward the camera wearing an unsupportive bra at least eight times.

Thats worth $7 for me! :D

[Stewart Vernon]

I do think the critics sometimes forget what they are doing.

One shouldn't go into Transformers expecting great classic movie-making of the likes of artistic cinema. You shouldn't expect great acting or incredible script either really.

I personally wish critics would include what the movie advertises itself to be in their critique.

Ex... A movie that sells itself as a stupid buddy comedy should be rated on a scale of stupid buddy comedies. A movie that sells itself as an accurate, heart-wrenching tale of a real person's struggles in 1812 should be critiqued on a much different scale.

I'm not expecting great acting or poetic dialogue in Transformers... so a critic rating it low for those reasons is arguably missing the point. Sometimes I just want escapism and that is when this kind of movie fits the bill.

All that said... I do wonder how it will perform compared to the first movie. It has a lot to live up to, and audiences aren't as forgiving as I might be in terms of success of sequels.

[Stuart Sweet]

I agree completely, Mr. Vernon.

I'm no professional critic — I wish I were — but I did take a film criticism course from a professional critic back in the dark ages. I got two important things from it. First of all, ask whether or not the movie did what it was intended to do. Second, ask yourself, if you liked it, why? If you disliked it, why? There's not much more to good criticism than that.

This film has been universally panned and I do agree with the criticisms:

It is too long.
It lacks suspense because everything is at the same tension level.
There are some really offensive parts that are inappropriate for children and make enlightened adults shudder.
It has inexplicably bad writing.


To which I add... Mr. Bay wanted to make a film where cars turn into robots, things go boom, and occasionally you laugh. Low expectations but he certainly hits it out of the park!

I go again to Revolutionary Road because I saw it an hour after I saw Transformers. The reviews say it captures mid-century angst with a profound and clear vision, or something like that. Let's say that's what director Sam Mendes was trying to do.

Mr. Mendes is hampered by bad production design, as opposed to Transformers which has excellent production design.

It's not surprising that Mr. Mendes chose his wife, Ms. Winslet, and her most celebrated acting partner, Mr. DiCaprio. However, they've aged differently and look unsuited to each other. Mr. Bay's choice of stunt casting was simply bringing back Ms. Fox to do what she admits she does best.

Mr. Mendes tries to show contemporary audiences how our grandparents felt trapped in suburbia. All he showed was that in 1955, you could have a brand new car and a beautiful house with a ton of land with only one wage-earner, a guy who works in a cubicle. Yeah, I feel for those people.

I know this isn't a review of Revolutionary Road but my point is, aiming low and hitting the target sometimes beats aiming high and missing.

[Stewart Vernon]

Absolutely!

Also worth noting that I happen to have a broad taste when it comes to entertainment. I once bought the original Ten Commandments and the Omen trilogy on DVD in the same purchase :)

I have watched and re-watched my copy of Transformers many times. I bought the DVD.. when I got my HD-DVD player I bought it again in HD... and then last year when I got my Samsung Blu/HD combo player and Transformers was available for $9.95 on black Friday, I bought it again and gave away my HD DVD copy to someone else who still had only an HD player.

When I sit down to watch a movie, my mind has to be right. I love the Romero Zombie flicks, but I do NOT like to watch them when I am eating... I also don't watch the extreme slasher/action movies late at night before bed.

In the wrong mood, a classic movie will not hold my interest. In the right mood, BabyTV flashing bright colors and numbers might be all I can handle ;)

I love me some action, and sometimes adult themes... BUT I also wish more family pictures would be made. And I mean truly family pictures that you can sit with kids and grandparents and everyone is entertained and no one feels uncomfortable.

[dreadlk]

Great action, not a moments letup, it's like they filmed two movies then decided to scrap out all the story line and use the action scenes from both to make one. So many deep story areas where just scratched over with quick blurbs. In any case I give this one an "A" for action, you wont fall asleep during this movie :)

[SteveHas]

My short review
hot chick
explosions
cool cars
hot chick
laughs
hot chick
fun
fun
fun

I truly enjoyed it
Was it Citizen Kane?
No
Its a ROBOT CAR MOVIE

turn your brain off and enjoy, you'll be glad you did

:)

[mhayes70]

My short review
hot chick
explosions
cool cars
hot chick
laughs
hot chick
fun
fun
fun

I truly enjoyed it
Was it Citizen Kane?
No
Its a ROBOT CAR MOVIE

turn your brain off and enjoy, you'll be glad you did

:)

I totally agree!! :D

[LarryFlowers]

Steve... you have properly defined a Summer Movie Blockbuster!

Larry

My short review
hot chick
explosions
cool cars
hot chick
laughs
hot chick
fun
fun
fun

I truly enjoyed it
Was it Citizen Kane?
No
Its a ROBOT CAR MOVIE

turn your brain off and enjoy, you'll be glad you did

:)

[FaderMD]

And this will look 20 times larger :D Megan Fox runs toward the camera wearing an unsupportive bra at least eight times.

In slow motion even! :)

I thought it was good. It was worth the $9.50 my employer paid for Mrs. Fader and I via a theater gift card. :)

Keep in mind, i'm a regular Joe.. i don't proofread the phone book, or study great literary works and write papers on them for fun.

The movie was targeted at the younger generation. I believe it hit it's mark.. or at least the nearly $200 mil says so.

[dreadlk]

Agree 100% but with one Caveat, this may have worked for this movie but lets not forget what killed the original TV series! This movie skirts very close to the exact elements that made the later versions of the TV show stupid.

A hundred different robots
Story lines thrown together that make no sense.
Endless returns of long dead villains.
Bigger and badder robots for each episode.

Do this for the third movie and the public might not be so enthused.


My short review
hot chick
explosions
cool cars
hot chick
laughs
hot chick
fun
fun
fun

I truly enjoyed it
Was it Citizen Kane?
No
Its a ROBOT CAR MOVIE

turn your brain off and enjoy, you'll be glad you did

:)

[smiddy]

Twelve Second Review: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

A lot of stuff goes boom in this movie, and Megan Fox runs toward the camera wearing an unsupportive bra at least eight times. A lot of cool robots, but too much language and some very offensive racial stereotypes.

Don't go looking for great acting, this isn't that sort of movie. If anything should surprise you, it's that the guys who wrote this cardboard script wrote the new Star Trek.

Do not get sucked into IMAX. You're too close to the action and it's impossible to see "the big picture" because the picture is literally too big.

That's all that is necessary... It's a hit!!!:lol:

:D