Talkback: Let's Hear About Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Since arriving in theaters on Tuesday night, Transformers: Dark of the Moon -- the summer's most outsized, eye-popping and/or melting 3-D visual effects spectacle -- has grossed to $64.6 million, commencing what will no doubt be a prodigious (if not record-breaking) holiday box-office reign. And you know what that means: Now it's time to talk it over. [Advisory: Spoilers to follow!]
Cue the latest edition of Talkback, a special holiday weekend discussion hub for Transformers, because God knows everybody has a take on Michael Bay's sense-shattering blockbuster. (For my money, I'm whole-heartedly in line with Stephanie Zacharek's review.) Among the many, many talking points:
· What's your overall impression of the film?
· Did Bay do 3-D right? Is it worth the ticket surcharge?
· Did Shia LaBeouf live up to his end of the hype?
· Rosie Huntington-Whiteley or Megan Fox?
· Who had the best paycheck role: Frances McDormand, John Turturro, Patrick Dempsey or John Malkovich?
· What was the most laugh-out-loud bit of dialogue and/or CGI highlight?
· Is it even worth the bile some of its haters are dishing out this week?
And sooooo much more. You tell us! No, seriously, spill everything. For better or worse, this movie deserves it. Happy Fourth!
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Comments
I will sit tight until it comes out on DVD. Then watch it on my Home Theater.
No $12.00 bucks to get in, no show B.S. Just good fun on my 8 feet wide 4 feet tall movie screen. And I hope it is good. About 90% of the shows now are crap..
Like the trash on TV..
Only saw the 3D show b/c I got a LivingSocial deal and the 3D showing was once again NOT WORTH the surcharge. The quality picture you are looking for in this day in age is just not there. Officially the last 3D movie I will see (unless it is a cute IMAX special like 'Into The Wild'). And the movie wasn't that awesome, I literally rolled my eyes multiple times...
S.T., with all due respect, your "spoilers to follow" note, while appreciated, made me laugh. The Transformer movies are pretty much the epitome of no surprise movie-making. While I was one of the only people that loved "The Island" (which still surprises me - I've seen it several times and still enjoy it), I have never thought of plot in regards to a Michael Bay movie. If anything, I think spoilers might give people a better chance of actually figuring out the logic behind anything he directs. But bless your soul anyway, I appreciate the warning. 🙂
I'm not talking about plot spoilers -- the film contains only one or two story turns that are remotely spoilable -- but about visual spoilers, of which there are plenty. I cannot believe some of the things I saw in this film, and not just because of the logistical and/or CG challenges, but because they are so brazenly, breathtakingly over-the-top.
Two words for awesome example: Lincoln Memorial.
Okay, now you're gonna make me want to see the movie, damn you. LOL
NOTHING will make me watch a Michael Bay movie EVER AGAIN! They have ALL been horrible! I don't give a rat's ass how fantastic it looks. It can't look fantastic for two straight hours. IT NEEDS A STORY! Michael Bay just needs to focus on the Universal Studios ride... He can throw in a bunch of eye candy and he won't need to bother with pesky things like dialog, characterizations or logic!
Poor Scrooge McAutobot, he fought well, too bad he gave his only boomstick to Sam. He could have used it against Soundwave....
R.I.P.
I enjoyed the fun, the action, attraction and contraptions. The visual effects were stunning, absolutely raising the bar. It was interesting to note how the fictional storyline was woven into actual historical events and how that played on the emotions of the audience...pulling heart strings and not all that different in approach from INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS. DARK OF THE MOON also actually did have an engaging story and it was a nice change to see Sam Witwicky wanting to make a difference and the 3D quality was great in the cinema I visited. Rosie was a nice, light, engaging new gorgeous face on the set too.
Hell Yeah everyone round your place, I'll bring some beers and some nachos?
There are a couple of directors out there that do things that no other filmmaker can do. Michael Bay and Tony Scott are two of those directors. Just as much as Bay and Scott are incapable of making the type of film that a masterful filmmaker like, say, PT Anderson might make, I don't think PT Anderson could pull off the kind of mayhem and style Bay has. Or the shaky, euphoric, oppressive camera work of Scott.
But as you sit there watching cars and buildings explode and smash in all directions, you can't help but marvel at Bay's logistical, technical, and visual achievement. That said, however, the film itself is pretty mediocre, although an improvement over the second one (which isn't saying much). But I've noticed in both of the last two transformer films there has been a high level of fast paced and somewhat bizarre/random comedy that makes me want to see what Michael Bay could do if he took some of his insanity into a world that is meant to be comedy, as opposed to some of the unintentional comedy in the Transformers trilogy.
Finally, part of the fault lies in the entire concept of taking toys and cartoons from that children's medium into the real world. It is almost impossible to take a bunch of robots transformed from cars and trucks seriously as real aliens from another planet. It just doesn't make a whole lot of sense. And I think that keeps the series from ever being able to be taken more seriously than puddle deep cliches about "humanity" and "freedom" that they constantly refer to in the film. If the transformers were just magic or something, it might work. But as an alien race... well, the mythology just doesn't work.
Jakey
Please never use the words Dark of the Moon & Inglourious Basterds in the same comment.
TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON is shitty garbage. If we can't talk about how bad the acting, plot and script are(apparently we can't), can we talk about how it even fails as spectacle? The entire Chicago siege is poorly structured and unremarkable. Characters disappear and reappear as needed and don't lend any sense of stakes, which I recall from all of the pans of SUCKER PUNCH, is of high importance. Since I don't care about any of these crap characters why should I care what happens in these action sequences. Are they well done? Not really. While everything seems large and massive and the CGI is seemless it's still unremarkable. There are no whoa moments because there is no one to care about. I care about Chow Yun Fat when he jumps out of the hospital in HARD BOILED. The greatest special effects in the world cannot hope to compensate for a lack of character and story. Optimus Prime's attributes consist of public speaking and ripping out spines. That's it. Sam is a whiny unentitled brat. Carly is a blond void, devoid of any of the menace Megan Fox brought to the Mikaela character.
T:DOTM doesn't even work well as a Michael Bay movie since Bay is playing it so safe. REVENGE OF THE FALLEN was terrible too but in a WTF kind of way. Racist robots! Decepticon's with testicles! Unreal sexism! That movie was out of its mind. A neutered Michael Bay just makes a bad thing worse.
Well said
Lincoln Memorial scene was epic, despite seeing it in the tailers. That sole thought out of the way, I felt that the movie was really a great redemption from the second movie (I love the Transformers films, but really the 2nd one? come on.) While this movie had good story, I think Bay just needed to elaborate on what is happening. He elaborated in the beginning but when the action picked up, the characters just shouted stuff. Its like why bring cybertron there? how did the autobots make it back again? Just little things. I also love Rosie over Megan Fox. Fox=skanky girl with no acting skills. Rosie HW=cute, can act mediocrely, british accent. I did enjoy Dempsey and how you expect his character to turn over and do something heroic, but he doesn't and its pretty badass of him.