Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - Grading & Discussion

[RoJoHen]

Garak wrote:

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This movie sounds so bad I feel compelled to see it.

That is exactly why you should see it.

See it for the sake of experiencing just how mind-blowingly crappy it is.

[RAMA]

OK I rated it avg strictly for its FX, otherwise it would have been below avg. I was one of the Bay haters who enjoyed the first Transformers movie...it was a good mix of action, jokes, and some top notch FX...but this movie was a mess...like they threw all that into a blender and came up with this sequel. I love epic war/battle scenes, but this movie's battles were interminable and confusing. The plot was really stupid. The ancient astronaut theory has been dead for years, why resurrect it? Not a good blockbuster at ALL.

RAMA

[exodus]

RAMA wrote:

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OK I rated it avg strictly for its FX, otherwise it would have been below avg. I was one of the Bay haters who enjoyed the first Transformers movie...it was a good mix of action, jokes, and some top notch FX...but this movie was a mess...like they threw all that into a blender and came up with this sequel. I love epic war/battle scenes, but this movie's battles were interminable and confusing. The plot was really stupid. The ancient astronaut theory has been dead for years, why resurrect it? Not a good blockbuster at ALL.

RAMA

WORD!!!!!

[Marie1]

I hadn't seen the first one, so I got together with some friends, watched it, then went to see the second.

I really liked both, I liked the first slightly better, the jokes in 2 were a bit repetitive after a while, I'm not sure why... but it was still cool robots smacking each other around.

Sam was a bit childish at times, but I forget he's as young as he is.

I never do this- but I will say I liked the two films enough that when I saw a Transformers t-shirt on sale cheap (the Heroes never Die! one) I bought it. Has anyone else seen it anywhere? I couldn't find pictures online... guess I could post one...

#1- 8.5/10
#2- 7.5/10

Plus I got a survey thing with my food at the theatre, it took maybe 2 minutes, no real PI needed, and I got a free movie ticket out of it. So good time all around!

[Manticore]

Trekker4747 wrote:

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8. Sam's balls completely fall off. So much-so that when a hot blonde-girl tries to jump him he turns into a weenie who has never touched a girl before -all afraid to touch her, kiss her, or do anything. Oh, and single, standard-sized grocery-store sheet-cake is enough for a college frat party. A college that, it seems, doesn't allow Freshmen to own cars(!). It's also one of those movie/TV colleges where all of the women are hot.

Not to defend this movie, but my school didn't allow freshmen or sophomores to have university parking permits, actually.

[Marie1]

^ That suck... all years at my uni could have them. Parking spots went fast, and the permits were costly but we could all buy them.

[RoJoHen]

Manticore wrote:

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Not to defend this movie, but my school didn't allow freshmen or sophomores to have university parking permits, actually.

We could have parking permits, but they cost over $500, so most freshmen at my college opted not to bring their car. I'm sure Sam was allowed to have his car at college (you can't exactly forbid someone from owning a car), but he probably wasn't able to legally park it anywhere.

[Trekker4747]

Such a thing is absurd. Considering college students sometimes hold part-time jobs, may need to go to stores for things like groceries, clothes, or drive home for the weekend/over vacations.

I can't believe such a thing would exsist.

[The Evil Dead]

RoJoHen wrote:

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See it for the sake of experiencing just how mind-blowingly crappy it is.

I think I actually enjoyed the sequel more because it was so crappy, like I was consistently being challenged by the film to keep watching it...which kind of made it fun.

[RoJoHen]

Trekker4747 wrote:

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Such a thing is absurd. Considering college students sometimes hold part-time jobs, may need to go to stores for things like groceries, clothes, or drive home for the weekend/over vacations.

I can't believe such a thing would exsist.

It exists because college campuses only have a limited number of parking spaces, so they give them out (well, you still have to pay for them) based on seniority. It's actually pretty common.

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

I think my biggest problems with the film apart from everything that has been mentioned over and over, is that:
1.) Having Megatron be subservient to anyone. I mean Vader became a weaker more passive character in ROTJ in many ways, at least as a villain (not a good guy) when he had to answer to the emporer.
Megatron has always been one of my favorite pop culture villains, if not my favorite. He just has so much confidence in what he does. Even though he was subserviant to Unicron, he hated being so and resisted it at every turn. He willingly served the Fallen here, and that weakened the character.

2.the use of fantasy sure they are robots that turn into vehicles and they are from another planet bla bla bla, but the first film was smart in how it managed to keep it real, from the realistic military strategy to take down Scorponok to the all-out brawl at the end. Once the "fantasy" was introduced the first film treated it like any other element in an action film. Tha last bit of fantasy introduced in the first film was shrinking the cube, but somehow I bought this contrivance. I did not buy the magic of the matrix reforming from dust

[captcalhoun]

you'd hate the comics then. the Matrix of Leadership, aka the Creation Matrix is actually the life essence of Primus, the Transformer God. that was never part of the cartoon. the Matrix is used in the comic to imbue Transformers with life. It doesn't create Transformers from machines, it brings to life Transformers built by other Transformers.

(the AllSpark being an invention of the later Beast-era cartoons)

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

-the concept isn't bad, and I do like the comics I've read.

My distinction is that in a film, particularly fantasy films, you have to stick to rules, to make them seem real and grounded. I could reccommend the first film to my father and he's appreciate it on the level of ID4 which he likes a lot. The point is once your suspension of disbelief happens, it should be done in an otherwise realistic way, and things shouldn't just come together in the last act. Films are a different medium, and the first film for all its flaws uderstood that.

[Marie1]

^ I did not know this... tho I have no Transformers background, so I'll need to study up (even if the next film isn't till 2011 (Bay) or 2012 (not Bay).

Which would be better, if they'd have gone with the comic maybe? (Re: AllSpark, if I'm understanding this).

Could something like the Matrix bring back Jazz as it did OP? Does it happen in any of the comics etc. that could indicate it could happen in a film? Probably would've happened if it was gonna. But I felt bad for him. Guess the good guys can't always live.

[RAMA]

Shocking that it has already almost surpassed the total of the far superior first movie. *shakes head*

RAMA