Transformers Movies, why are they popular?

Discussion in 'Science Fiction & Fantasy' started by The Overlord, Mar 4, 2013.

  1. Romulan_spy

    Romulan_spy Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Exactly. The fact is that there are millions of movie goers who just want mindless entertainment. They don't care if the acting or the photography is worthy of an Oscar. They want action and sex. Transformers is popular the same reason WWE wrestling is popular!
     
  2. The Mirrorball Man

    The Mirrorball Man Vice Admiral Admiral

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    But if that were that simple, that kind of success could be replicated by anyone.
     
  3. Admiral2

    Admiral2 Admiral Admiral

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    Again, I speak for myself.

    There are giant robots that turn in to sportscars, monster trucks and F-22's and hot babes. And all of them shoot at each other.

    My question is why isn't Michael Bay president yet?
     
  4. ALF

    ALF Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    While your observations are not incorrect, for me it was a hoot to see all my favorite childhood toys come to life.

    I did feel bad for whoever else in the theater wasn't a rabid fan of Transformers as a kid. I went with my little cousin, uncle and wife. Afterwards my uncle turned to me and said, "I have no idea what the hell was happening for the past 2.5 hours." :lol:
     
  5. Avon

    Avon Commodore Commodore

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    i think i the concept of transformers is fine, the problem is michael bay. think what a good director could do with that franchise
     
  6. Gaith

    Gaith Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Almost correct. I think the TF movies are so popular in large part because they are so bad. Allow me to quote Roger Ebert's review of New York Minute:

    They say baseball is popular because everyone thinks they can play it. Similar reasoning may explain the popularity of the Olsen twins: Teenage girls love them because they believe they could be them. What, after all, do Mary-Kate and Ashley do in "New York Minute" that could not be done by any reasonably presentable female adolescent? Their careers are founded not on what they do, but on the vicarious identification of their fans, who enjoy seeing two girls making millions for doing what just about anybody could do.
    I think a similar effect is at work here: the great unwashed hordes love the TF movies precisely because the material is so stupid, anyone could write it. And very few really competent directors in Hollywood are as eager to make brainless dreck as Bay.

    TF is the Nascar/WWE/George W. Bush/Burger King of film.
     
  7. jayceee

    jayceee Commander Red Shirt

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    The same can probably be said of many other action movies and tv shows. :p
     
  8. Romulan_spy

    Romulan_spy Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    And in some ways, it is replicated. There are ton of action movies every summer that do quite well.
     
  9. FPAlpha

    FPAlpha Vice Admiral Premium Member

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    Hey! I like Burger King! :techman:

    But you are right.. it's brainless fun and often enough people want/need that (including me).

    I enjoyed TF1, hated 2 and liked 3 but they're not on my hotlist of movies to own. It looks gorgeous on HD and apart from certain bad, Bay-esque filming styles i was entertained and sometimes that's the only thing i demand from a movie.
     
  10. Trekker4747

    Trekker4747 Boldly going... Premium Member

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    The problem with the Transformers movies is that the Transformers were secondary characters and mostly comic relief in their own damn movie. The movie was more focused on Shia LeBouff's stammering antics, Megan Fox's ass and pursed, breathy, lips; comic relief characters and nearly offensive racial stereotypes.
     
  11. Mr Light

    Mr Light Admiral Admiral

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    Human actors are much cheaper to film than CGI robots with 10,000 moving pieces ;)
     
  12. The Mirrorball Man

    The Mirrorball Man Vice Admiral Admiral

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    True, but most of them are not as aggressively dumb as the Transformers movies.
     
  13. A beaker full of death

    A beaker full of death Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Jeez. You're talking about a movie series based on a cartoon series based on a bunch of silly Japanese toys meant to make money. Why anyone takes these things seriously is beyond me.
    Same goes for He-Man, Power Rangers, Shogun Warriors, pokeyman...
     
  14. Pingfah

    Pingfah Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Did you not find it disappointing as a rabid childhood fan? I was too, but the movie was so far removed from the tone and look of the original, it didn't feel like Transformers to me.
     
  15. Shazam!

    Shazam! Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    What should we be taking seriously?
     
  16. Roshi

    Roshi Admiral Admiral

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    DC Comics, of course! They're not sellouts!
     
  17. Blamo

    Blamo Commodore Commodore

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    The movies worked for three reasons:-
    1. Known brand name.
    2. Nostalgia
    3. A lot of people are just entertained by lots of motion and explosions on a screen.
     
  18. starburst

    starburst Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Its like why either of the Expendables movies or the Transporter films after the Transporter are popular...simple story and lots of things going boom.

    Personally I think they arent bad movies, not great but at least for me enjoyable to watch again.

    The problems with them were centering each one around Sam and his love problems, after the first one it just got old!

    Hopefully their will be none of that in the 4th and instead more Autobots vs Decepticons, the only humans involved should be NEST to provide distraction / collateral damage while the robots in disguise are fighting it out.
     
  19. Starbreaker

    Starbreaker Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    It's sad, because there are some incredibly cool scenes in 2 & 3. Jetfire and the moon landing scenes were intense, but I rarely remember any other parts of the movies.
     
  20. The Doctor

    The Doctor Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Because Peter Cullen is the voice of my childhood. Hearing him do Optimus again, twenty years later, was a powerful burst of nostalgia that did impressive work in covering for the otherwise inept moments of the three films.