Transformers 2 opens: An epic guy flick, but replace the Camaro with a hot car
Megan Fox is still hot. Chevy Camaro as Bumblebee is not.
Initially, Michael Bay changed the character of Bumblebee in Transformers from a VW Beetle to a Chevy Camaro because the VW reminded him too much of Herbie the Love Bug. That worked in 2007 when GM was a viable company. However, making Bumblebee a 2010 Camaro today is like giving the lead to Robert Redford.
Redford is a great actor, but certainly not an action hero anymore. GM was once a great car manufacturer, and their Camaro was once a superstar hot car. Today, however, it's passé. They need to wake up and make the star car something that get great mileage and still goes fast and is manufactured by a company that is not in debt to the American taxpayer.
My recommendation is the Mini Cooper S. Something a bit more obscure but sexier would be the Tesla Roadster. Both of these vehicles are small muscle cars of the future, and that's what Transformers is all about – fictionalizing the future.
Megan Fox will be hot for many more sequels, but Bumblebee needs to be updated.
May we all enjoy such fantasy films and continue to be aware that most people on the planet are suffering without adequate food, water or housing. It's time to upgrade their standard of living to match the fictional movies.
Source:
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Sunday, June 21, 2009
On Movies: "Transformers" producer recalls Philadelphia shoot
This time last year, Megan Fox, Shia LaBeouf and the rest of the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen cast were zipping around Philadelphia, shooting inside Eastern State Penitentiary, in Fairmount Park, at Drexel and Penn, dressing up City Hall's courtyard to look like a Parisian cafe.
A Parisian cafe that gets blown to bits.
"It was great," says Ian Bryce, the sequel's producer, who's worked with blockbuster maestro Michael Bay on both Transformers. "We were in Philly for two weeks, had wonderful cooperation throughout the city, from the mayor's office, the film commission, and everybody that we dealt with."
By phone from London, where the megahit-to-be had a prerelease premiere this week, Bryce is catching his breath after working on the Autobots vs. Decepticons spectacle for nearly two years. The film, a follow-up to the $708 million-grossing Transformers (that's global box office), opens everywhere Wednesday.
"This one was quite an adventure, because when we started there was no script," Bryce acknowledges. "So, as Mike and the writers were busy writing, we essentially had a seven-page treatment that we knew was going to represent the script - and we had to start preparing the movie physically from that document.
"That included making a blueprint for where we thought we were going to shoot. We started scouting locations before we had a real solid idea of what was going to be in [the movie]. . . . Mike said, 'Look, it feels like we need this . . . kind of location.' He's great about that. He's very pragmatic about making those choices.
"And as you'll see when you watch the film, there were lots of locations, we shot on four continents, and so it was very challenging logistically and operationally."
Indeed, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen was filmed in Cairo, in Paris (yes, the real Paris), in Philadelphia, in Princeton, in Hawaii and in other U.S. locales. The Industrial Light & Magic-produced CG effects - with intergalactic robots based on the Hasbro toys morphing into giant metal machines and moving vehicles - are "more complex and sophisticated," says the producer.
Bryce describes the tone of Transformers 2 as "slightly more grown-up." There are scenes in a strip club, and, according to an early review from Variety, a glimpse of actor and Heineken spokesman John Turturro in a G-string. ("Well, there's a moment of that, yeah - a very light moment," Bryce confirms. "If you blink you'll be OK. . . . It gets a good laugh, which is obviously the intention.")
There are no shots of Fox in a G-string, alas. Fox, a virtual unknown, rocketed to stardom thanks to the first Transformers. She's now signed on for the female lead in the comic book adaptation Jonah Hex, is being rumored for a Buffy the Vampire remake, and has the title role in Jennifer's Body, the Diablo Cody horror flick.
"She deserves it - she's got star quality," Bryce says, "as does Shia. They've got great chemistry together, so sometimes a movie will do that. It just propels people into the limelight, and gives them a jump start on their careers."
Bryce, whose credits as a producer include Saving Private Ryan (he nabbed an Oscar nomination for that one) and the first Spider-Man, was circumspect when asked about the next Transformers film. Describing himself as "superstitious," he didn't want to venture thoughts about a second sequel until this one proves itself.
(Like there's a chance it won't: MovieTickets.com reported this week that advance sales for Transformers: ROTF are outpacing sales for the original Transformers by almost 3-to-1 at the same point in the sales cycle - eight days prior to each film's release. And the IMAX ticket sales at MovieTickets.com are, well, huge.)
"I don't like to go there, but the preliminary tracking for the film is quite nice," he concedes.
So, a trilogy?
"I think there's enough material there that you could do any number of movies," he says. "It's sort of like Harry Potter that way. There's just a vast cast of characters. So I think the possibilities might certainly extend beyond three - but that would be foolish to speculate on at this point."
Perhaps a part 3 is necessary for this.
source:
This time last year, Megan Fox, Shia LaBeouf and the rest of the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen cast were zipping around Philadelphia, shooting inside Eastern State Penitentiary, in Fairmount Park, at Drexel and Penn, dressing up City Hall's courtyard to look like a Parisian cafe.
A Parisian cafe that gets blown to bits.
"It was great," says Ian Bryce, the sequel's producer, who's worked with blockbuster maestro Michael Bay on both Transformers. "We were in Philly for two weeks, had wonderful cooperation throughout the city, from the mayor's office, the film commission, and everybody that we dealt with."
By phone from London, where the megahit-to-be had a prerelease premiere this week, Bryce is catching his breath after working on the Autobots vs. Decepticons spectacle for nearly two years. The film, a follow-up to the $708 million-grossing Transformers (that's global box office), opens everywhere Wednesday.
"This one was quite an adventure, because when we started there was no script," Bryce acknowledges. "So, as Mike and the writers were busy writing, we essentially had a seven-page treatment that we knew was going to represent the script - and we had to start preparing the movie physically from that document.
"That included making a blueprint for where we thought we were going to shoot. We started scouting locations before we had a real solid idea of what was going to be in [the movie]. . . . Mike said, 'Look, it feels like we need this . . . kind of location.' He's great about that. He's very pragmatic about making those choices.
"And as you'll see when you watch the film, there were lots of locations, we shot on four continents, and so it was very challenging logistically and operationally."
Indeed, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen was filmed in Cairo, in Paris (yes, the real Paris), in Philadelphia, in Princeton, in Hawaii and in other U.S. locales. The Industrial Light & Magic-produced CG effects - with intergalactic robots based on the Hasbro toys morphing into giant metal machines and moving vehicles - are "more complex and sophisticated," says the producer.
Bryce describes the tone of Transformers 2 as "slightly more grown-up." There are scenes in a strip club, and, according to an early review from Variety, a glimpse of actor and Heineken spokesman John Turturro in a G-string. ("Well, there's a moment of that, yeah - a very light moment," Bryce confirms. "If you blink you'll be OK. . . . It gets a good laugh, which is obviously the intention.")
There are no shots of Fox in a G-string, alas. Fox, a virtual unknown, rocketed to stardom thanks to the first Transformers. She's now signed on for the female lead in the comic book adaptation Jonah Hex, is being rumored for a Buffy the Vampire remake, and has the title role in Jennifer's Body, the Diablo Cody horror flick.
"She deserves it - she's got star quality," Bryce says, "as does Shia. They've got great chemistry together, so sometimes a movie will do that. It just propels people into the limelight, and gives them a jump start on their careers."
Bryce, whose credits as a producer include Saving Private Ryan (he nabbed an Oscar nomination for that one) and the first Spider-Man, was circumspect when asked about the next Transformers film. Describing himself as "superstitious," he didn't want to venture thoughts about a second sequel until this one proves itself.
(Like there's a chance it won't: MovieTickets.com reported this week that advance sales for Transformers: ROTF are outpacing sales for the original Transformers by almost 3-to-1 at the same point in the sales cycle - eight days prior to each film's release. And the IMAX ticket sales at MovieTickets.com are, well, huge.)
"I don't like to go there, but the preliminary tracking for the film is quite nice," he concedes.
So, a trilogy?
"I think there's enough material there that you could do any number of movies," he says. "It's sort of like Harry Potter that way. There's just a vast cast of characters. So I think the possibilities might certainly extend beyond three - but that would be foolish to speculate on at this point."
Perhaps a part 3 is necessary for this.
source:
Friday, June 19, 2009
Entertainment Geekly: Transformers 2 Film Review
Entertainment Geekly: Transformers 2 Film Review
transformers-2-reviewAt the Australian premiere of Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen on Tuesday night, Aussie Home & Away graduate Isabel Lucas (who stars in the film) said that there are double the explosions compared to the first film. She was wrong – it’s more like quadruple the amount. And that’s not including the nuked fridge… (Warning: Lots of spoilers follow!)
The truth about Transformers 2 is that it’s a BIG movie, in every sense of the word. Michael Bay likes making shit explode, and he has a field day with this film. The robots are huge, the explosions are massive, the gratuitous shots of Megan Fox’s body are frequent and the laughs are solid. Even the running time is big, running at 147 minutes. By the time you walk out of the cinema, you feel like you’re coming down from an insane Red Bull binge.
The film starts off relatively modestly with a scene from about 20,000 BC where cavemen and primitive Transformers battle it out to the tune of an Optimus Prime voiceover about how our two races have a history. Then it cuts to present day China, where the Autobots and the US military are rounding up and hunting down Decepticons. Cue massive explosions, robot-on-robot battles and other special effects eye-candy. This is where the film excels: the special effects do look magnificent – you believe every moment of the robots transforming and battling it out on the streets of Shanghai.
So far so good. We move from Shanghai to Shia LaBeouf and his move to college, and the plot starts moving forwards. There are some nice comedic moments, some Megan Fox skin, some Isabel Lucas skin and then BAM! Isabel Lucas is a Transformer! A hot, college student Transformer! Because Transformers can now transform metal into skin…
To be honest, while actually watching the film, I took this turn of events in my stride. But afterwards it stood out like a geeky tech journalist at a film premiere – a machine made of metal can’t transform into a human – that’s just stupid. At best, they’d be able to transform into a Terminator-like skeleton thing, not some hot young chick who tries to get into Shia LaBeouf’s pants before killing him or something. Fortunately, that sequence is over fairly quickly and the film moves on, but not before it leaves a salty flavour in the back of your throat that tastes like logic being overthrown by the allure of hot chicks and fire.
The film moves on with some more explosions, battles, Transformers, Megan Fox and explosions. I’m not going to spell it all out for you here. Instead we’re going to skip forward to near the end of the movie where Bay decides to throw in a (figurative) nuked fridge. Let’s put it simply: Shia LaBeouf dies, and is then visited by a bunch of Transformer angels who tell him it’s not his time to die and bring him back to life.
What. The. Fuck.
It was literally like Michael Bay was sitting behind me in the theatre with a cold bucket of water, waiting to pour it over me at that precise moment to completely rip me from any suspension of disbelief. Transformer Angels? What the hell were they thinking? Just like in the last Indiana Jones film when Lucas nuked the fridge and Shia LaBeouf became Tarzan, you end up so shocked by the absurdity of this moment – even in a film about transforming robots – that it almost completely ruins the entire film.
And that’s just the problem. Transformers 2 was never going to have the strongest plot. It was never going to have the best acting performances. It was never going to have you leaving the cinema thinking “well that was an intelligent film”. What it was going to do was give you enough action and robot porn, plus a few laughs along the way, to make you forget about the world for a couple of hours. And when a single scene in a two hour movie is so bad that you actually turn to the person next to you and ask them “What the fuck”, it’s going to taint the entire movie experience.
And that’s what that one scene did for me. On the whole I managed to ignore the gaping plot holes and cliches and enjoy the robot CGI and explosive action ride. There are a couple of things – like the Matrix of leadership and the Devastator – which reminded me of the original Transformers cartoon movie and my youth playing with the toys that I thoroughly enjoyed. But even after a couple of days trying to come to terms with it, I still find myself thinking about the absurdity of Transformer angels bringing Shia back to life. I can’t help but think it would have been much better for him to just stay dead…
source:
transformers-2-reviewAt the Australian premiere of Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen on Tuesday night, Aussie Home & Away graduate Isabel Lucas (who stars in the film) said that there are double the explosions compared to the first film. She was wrong – it’s more like quadruple the amount. And that’s not including the nuked fridge… (Warning: Lots of spoilers follow!)
The truth about Transformers 2 is that it’s a BIG movie, in every sense of the word. Michael Bay likes making shit explode, and he has a field day with this film. The robots are huge, the explosions are massive, the gratuitous shots of Megan Fox’s body are frequent and the laughs are solid. Even the running time is big, running at 147 minutes. By the time you walk out of the cinema, you feel like you’re coming down from an insane Red Bull binge.
The film starts off relatively modestly with a scene from about 20,000 BC where cavemen and primitive Transformers battle it out to the tune of an Optimus Prime voiceover about how our two races have a history. Then it cuts to present day China, where the Autobots and the US military are rounding up and hunting down Decepticons. Cue massive explosions, robot-on-robot battles and other special effects eye-candy. This is where the film excels: the special effects do look magnificent – you believe every moment of the robots transforming and battling it out on the streets of Shanghai.
So far so good. We move from Shanghai to Shia LaBeouf and his move to college, and the plot starts moving forwards. There are some nice comedic moments, some Megan Fox skin, some Isabel Lucas skin and then BAM! Isabel Lucas is a Transformer! A hot, college student Transformer! Because Transformers can now transform metal into skin…
To be honest, while actually watching the film, I took this turn of events in my stride. But afterwards it stood out like a geeky tech journalist at a film premiere – a machine made of metal can’t transform into a human – that’s just stupid. At best, they’d be able to transform into a Terminator-like skeleton thing, not some hot young chick who tries to get into Shia LaBeouf’s pants before killing him or something. Fortunately, that sequence is over fairly quickly and the film moves on, but not before it leaves a salty flavour in the back of your throat that tastes like logic being overthrown by the allure of hot chicks and fire.
The film moves on with some more explosions, battles, Transformers, Megan Fox and explosions. I’m not going to spell it all out for you here. Instead we’re going to skip forward to near the end of the movie where Bay decides to throw in a (figurative) nuked fridge. Let’s put it simply: Shia LaBeouf dies, and is then visited by a bunch of Transformer angels who tell him it’s not his time to die and bring him back to life.
What. The. Fuck.
It was literally like Michael Bay was sitting behind me in the theatre with a cold bucket of water, waiting to pour it over me at that precise moment to completely rip me from any suspension of disbelief. Transformer Angels? What the hell were they thinking? Just like in the last Indiana Jones film when Lucas nuked the fridge and Shia LaBeouf became Tarzan, you end up so shocked by the absurdity of this moment – even in a film about transforming robots – that it almost completely ruins the entire film.
And that’s just the problem. Transformers 2 was never going to have the strongest plot. It was never going to have the best acting performances. It was never going to have you leaving the cinema thinking “well that was an intelligent film”. What it was going to do was give you enough action and robot porn, plus a few laughs along the way, to make you forget about the world for a couple of hours. And when a single scene in a two hour movie is so bad that you actually turn to the person next to you and ask them “What the fuck”, it’s going to taint the entire movie experience.
And that’s what that one scene did for me. On the whole I managed to ignore the gaping plot holes and cliches and enjoy the robot CGI and explosive action ride. There are a couple of things – like the Matrix of leadership and the Devastator – which reminded me of the original Transformers cartoon movie and my youth playing with the toys that I thoroughly enjoyed. But even after a couple of days trying to come to terms with it, I still find myself thinking about the absurdity of Transformer angels bringing Shia back to life. I can’t help but think it would have been much better for him to just stay dead…
source:
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Movies have transformed Tyrese Gibson's life
Movies have transformed Tyrese Gibson's life
LOS ANGELES — Every day Tyrese Gibson admires a framed photo that sits on his desk at his Los Angeles office.
In it, his two acting heroes Will Smith and Denzel Washington are posed together. Each time he glances at it, he's reminded of why he's so picky with film projects.
Gibson's dream is to create a career that combines the best of Washington's and Smith's — a mix of gut-wrenching acting and explosive adrenaline-rush projects.
"Denzel works really hard and keeps a lot of people on edge on movie sets because he's so focused and he expects the best from everybody," Gibson says, pointing to Washington in the photo.
"And Will, his approach has been very global: to be the biggest movie star in the world," he says, placing the photo back in its spot.
"I definitely want to be Tyrese," he says. "But if I had it my way, my goal would be to try to be somewhere in the middle of those guys."
Gibson's on his way.
The 30-year-old actor returns to the big screen Wednesday in the hotly anticipated Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. He reprises his role as Air Force Technical Sergeant Robert Epps, who has recently been promoted to master sergeant.
The action film is a departure from Gibson's previous work. With the exception of 2003's 2 Fast 2 Furious, Gibson has performed in smaller films such as 2005's Four Brothers and 2006's Waist Deep.
"I always want to be associated with something that's going to have people feeling good, motivated, have people walking away saying 'Man, I thought my life was rough, but it's nowhere near as rough as that,' " he says. "What you decide to do in these films does have an impact on the people."
Being a part of the big-budget Transformers franchise has allowed the actor and singer to pursue other projects. He sings a Babyface-penned duet with Jewel on the Transformers soundtrack, and he'll produce an upcoming reality TV show about firefighters for BET. Gibson's company, HQ Entertainment, also will produce a new comic series with Image Comics called Mayhem.
Gibson says that when he first signed on for Transformers, he had no idea it would perform as well as it did. Worldwide, it was the highest-grossing non-sequel movie in 2007, earning more than $708 million.
He shakes his head for a few moments in disbelief, thinking about the possible magnitude of the sequel.
"This is a real monster right here," he says. "I believe that people are going to love Transformers 2. I think the chemistry among the cast is so much better in the sequel. Everybody had a job and we all came there to do it. I really believe that people are going to walk away enjoying this movie."
In his office — which many days doubles as his home — the divorced dad of 1-year-old Shayla allows his eyes to fall over the relics of his career. There are pictures of him with A-listers (Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Luther Vandross, to name a few) on a wall of fame near his in-office studio. Framed movie posters and notes from famous friends decorate the place.
"It's only by the grace of God that I've been able to go from a 30-second commercial when I was 16 to somehow figuring out a way to still be relevant in 2009. To show up and hear any kind of screams and have anybody happy to see me is a very big deal," he says.
"All I wanted was to be able to go shopping and spend over $50 a month on clothes for school and get this phone number of a girl who lived up the street. I had no goals. I just can't get used to it. And I don't want to."
Very Artistic man.
source:
LOS ANGELES — Every day Tyrese Gibson admires a framed photo that sits on his desk at his Los Angeles office.
In it, his two acting heroes Will Smith and Denzel Washington are posed together. Each time he glances at it, he's reminded of why he's so picky with film projects.
Gibson's dream is to create a career that combines the best of Washington's and Smith's — a mix of gut-wrenching acting and explosive adrenaline-rush projects.
"Denzel works really hard and keeps a lot of people on edge on movie sets because he's so focused and he expects the best from everybody," Gibson says, pointing to Washington in the photo.
"And Will, his approach has been very global: to be the biggest movie star in the world," he says, placing the photo back in its spot.
"I definitely want to be Tyrese," he says. "But if I had it my way, my goal would be to try to be somewhere in the middle of those guys."
Gibson's on his way.
The 30-year-old actor returns to the big screen Wednesday in the hotly anticipated Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. He reprises his role as Air Force Technical Sergeant Robert Epps, who has recently been promoted to master sergeant.
The action film is a departure from Gibson's previous work. With the exception of 2003's 2 Fast 2 Furious, Gibson has performed in smaller films such as 2005's Four Brothers and 2006's Waist Deep.
"I always want to be associated with something that's going to have people feeling good, motivated, have people walking away saying 'Man, I thought my life was rough, but it's nowhere near as rough as that,' " he says. "What you decide to do in these films does have an impact on the people."
Being a part of the big-budget Transformers franchise has allowed the actor and singer to pursue other projects. He sings a Babyface-penned duet with Jewel on the Transformers soundtrack, and he'll produce an upcoming reality TV show about firefighters for BET. Gibson's company, HQ Entertainment, also will produce a new comic series with Image Comics called Mayhem.
Gibson says that when he first signed on for Transformers, he had no idea it would perform as well as it did. Worldwide, it was the highest-grossing non-sequel movie in 2007, earning more than $708 million.
He shakes his head for a few moments in disbelief, thinking about the possible magnitude of the sequel.
"This is a real monster right here," he says. "I believe that people are going to love Transformers 2. I think the chemistry among the cast is so much better in the sequel. Everybody had a job and we all came there to do it. I really believe that people are going to walk away enjoying this movie."
In his office — which many days doubles as his home — the divorced dad of 1-year-old Shayla allows his eyes to fall over the relics of his career. There are pictures of him with A-listers (Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Luther Vandross, to name a few) on a wall of fame near his in-office studio. Framed movie posters and notes from famous friends decorate the place.
"It's only by the grace of God that I've been able to go from a 30-second commercial when I was 16 to somehow figuring out a way to still be relevant in 2009. To show up and hear any kind of screams and have anybody happy to see me is a very big deal," he says.
"All I wanted was to be able to go shopping and spend over $50 a month on clothes for school and get this phone number of a girl who lived up the street. I had no goals. I just can't get used to it. And I don't want to."
Very Artistic man.
source:
Transformers 2 takes revenge on its audience, leaves us exhausted Part 2
Transformers 2 takes revenge on its audience, leaves us exhausted
Part 2
The pounding relentless ferocity of the action gets so much at times, that our heads started to hurt. And this comes at the expense of a better story and characters unfortunately.
Truth be told, the audience was warned from the start of the film by Aussie starlet Isabel Lucas to 'strap in'. And right she was. If you enjoyed the first, you'll probably hoot and holla for the second. This is Michael Bay's Top Gun meets the Road Warrior and we swear that as a huge compliment to director George Miller. Thats if you can imagine Tom Cruise or Mel Gibson getting chased around by giant robots.
The bass roars, the explosions are ear piercing and half of Egypt ends up destroyed by the end. But the pyramids have never looked better than in a Bay sunset. Seriously, Tourism Austalia needs Michael Bay to do their next campiagn.
In fact, barely a moment goes by when something isn't blowing up, smashed apart or hacked into tiny robot pieces. And hardly a nanosecond passes when the hero Sam (played by Shia LaBeouf) isn't yelling, puffing or running away from something shooting at him.
Megan Fox does her best to play Megan Fox, but that isn't saying much - her acting ability is on par with most of the souped up military hardware on display (it felt like the whole US Army was on screen), and if we ever see another slow-mo shot of her racing through the sands of Giza, it won't be too late.
Fortunately, Isabel Lucas does a decent job playing a sexy Deceptacon with the ability to morph into a college-aged femme fatale. Her 6 foot long robot tongue isn't the least of this films worries or surprises - but it's definitely one of the stranger bits.
As a kind of a sassy Terminatrix, Lucas' character is half machine, half Natasha Hentridge from 1995's Spieces.
However, if Transformers could disguise themselves as sexy humanoids, it makes you wonder why other sneaky deceptacons didn't try that trick before to get at the good guys. It's one of those scriptwriter moments that suddenly 'jumps the shark' in a kind of "Hey guys, let's makes one of the bad robot warriors turn into a hot chick. Brilliant!"
Speaking of screenwriting brain freezes, most of the film could have done without the incessant backstory.
Memo to Screenwriters: We understand you want this to feel huge and epic. We get it. We know you wanted to kill Optimus to make us feel sad and behave like eight year olds as though its 1984 all over again. And we know you want us to weep like babies when Sam is shot and killed, only to be shortly returned to life by a bunch of Transformer deities in some form of meandering Obi Wan mentor sequence.
But we don't need to be told over and over again how somebody stole the Matrix key or that Optimus is the very last of the Primes or that so and so is the only way out and hope for survival. We heard it the first time. It's not a Bond film; and you aren't Blofield telling us your evil plans. Although it felt like it at times, with its endless narration on the history and existence of transformers.
Through the talking and gabbering on, we actually missed the classic Bayisms and those glorious close-ups at sunset. Bay was clearly in control, but his writers were leading us further astray. It would take a rail gun and a squadren of tanks and ships to get us back on side again.
Even so, some Transformers are solely introduced to chit chat or just for a sitcom style laugh - a tired device to fill in the blanks, while describing long passages of dense and heavy Transformers mythology.
Quick, get to the cool part where a transformer shoots something! It feels like Bay and his writers saw the Star Wars prequels and wanted the Transformers to share the same sense of mycological pathos. But after a while, it was the audience sharing the pathos...of boredom. Oh dear. You know you're in trouble when the audience just wants to see more cool explosions.
In fact, the only thing missing Bay's take on the Lucas paradigm are robot Jedis, though the presence of Transformer angels (yes, angels!) and annoying jive-talking Autobots (in the guise of comic relief, ala R2D2 and C3P0), had us wondering whether the script was just an excuse to lead us to the bits where robots go BOOM! And boom they do.
But as robot war films go, Michael Bay's Bot spectacular is a balls-to-the-wall, visually intense action flick that will either make you shed a tear for the more delicate character driven original (if there could be such a way to describe that film) or cheer on the action pounding sequel.
Either way, at over 2hours and 20 minutes long, this is one film to dazzle and exhaust the senses, though for some, thats already far too much. Autobots, roll out!
A super fantastic movie!
source:
Part 2
The pounding relentless ferocity of the action gets so much at times, that our heads started to hurt. And this comes at the expense of a better story and characters unfortunately.
Truth be told, the audience was warned from the start of the film by Aussie starlet Isabel Lucas to 'strap in'. And right she was. If you enjoyed the first, you'll probably hoot and holla for the second. This is Michael Bay's Top Gun meets the Road Warrior and we swear that as a huge compliment to director George Miller. Thats if you can imagine Tom Cruise or Mel Gibson getting chased around by giant robots.
The bass roars, the explosions are ear piercing and half of Egypt ends up destroyed by the end. But the pyramids have never looked better than in a Bay sunset. Seriously, Tourism Austalia needs Michael Bay to do their next campiagn.
In fact, barely a moment goes by when something isn't blowing up, smashed apart or hacked into tiny robot pieces. And hardly a nanosecond passes when the hero Sam (played by Shia LaBeouf) isn't yelling, puffing or running away from something shooting at him.
Megan Fox does her best to play Megan Fox, but that isn't saying much - her acting ability is on par with most of the souped up military hardware on display (it felt like the whole US Army was on screen), and if we ever see another slow-mo shot of her racing through the sands of Giza, it won't be too late.
Fortunately, Isabel Lucas does a decent job playing a sexy Deceptacon with the ability to morph into a college-aged femme fatale. Her 6 foot long robot tongue isn't the least of this films worries or surprises - but it's definitely one of the stranger bits.
As a kind of a sassy Terminatrix, Lucas' character is half machine, half Natasha Hentridge from 1995's Spieces.
However, if Transformers could disguise themselves as sexy humanoids, it makes you wonder why other sneaky deceptacons didn't try that trick before to get at the good guys. It's one of those scriptwriter moments that suddenly 'jumps the shark' in a kind of "Hey guys, let's makes one of the bad robot warriors turn into a hot chick. Brilliant!"
Speaking of screenwriting brain freezes, most of the film could have done without the incessant backstory.
Memo to Screenwriters: We understand you want this to feel huge and epic. We get it. We know you wanted to kill Optimus to make us feel sad and behave like eight year olds as though its 1984 all over again. And we know you want us to weep like babies when Sam is shot and killed, only to be shortly returned to life by a bunch of Transformer deities in some form of meandering Obi Wan mentor sequence.
But we don't need to be told over and over again how somebody stole the Matrix key or that Optimus is the very last of the Primes or that so and so is the only way out and hope for survival. We heard it the first time. It's not a Bond film; and you aren't Blofield telling us your evil plans. Although it felt like it at times, with its endless narration on the history and existence of transformers.
Through the talking and gabbering on, we actually missed the classic Bayisms and those glorious close-ups at sunset. Bay was clearly in control, but his writers were leading us further astray. It would take a rail gun and a squadren of tanks and ships to get us back on side again.
Even so, some Transformers are solely introduced to chit chat or just for a sitcom style laugh - a tired device to fill in the blanks, while describing long passages of dense and heavy Transformers mythology.
Quick, get to the cool part where a transformer shoots something! It feels like Bay and his writers saw the Star Wars prequels and wanted the Transformers to share the same sense of mycological pathos. But after a while, it was the audience sharing the pathos...of boredom. Oh dear. You know you're in trouble when the audience just wants to see more cool explosions.
In fact, the only thing missing Bay's take on the Lucas paradigm are robot Jedis, though the presence of Transformer angels (yes, angels!) and annoying jive-talking Autobots (in the guise of comic relief, ala R2D2 and C3P0), had us wondering whether the script was just an excuse to lead us to the bits where robots go BOOM! And boom they do.
But as robot war films go, Michael Bay's Bot spectacular is a balls-to-the-wall, visually intense action flick that will either make you shed a tear for the more delicate character driven original (if there could be such a way to describe that film) or cheer on the action pounding sequel.
Either way, at over 2hours and 20 minutes long, this is one film to dazzle and exhaust the senses, though for some, thats already far too much. Autobots, roll out!
A super fantastic movie!
source:
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Transformers 2 takes revenge on its audience, leaves us exhausted Part 1
Transformers 2 takes revenge on its audience, leaves us exhausted
Part 1
Only director Michael Bay could have made a film like Transformers: Revenge of the fallen. It's a head-ringing, ear-crunching and ultimately exhausting experience, filled with more than two hours of constant robot destruction.
Transformers: Revenge of the fallen is still a mouthful of a title, but as robot sequels go (and that includes the lumbering Terminator Salvation pic that came out last month) - it's the mother of all robot war films. We're still trying to wrap our earthly brain cells around the film we saw last night at the exclusive Sydney premiere.
The film is best summed up as a ludicrously thrilling adventure, bent towards complete and utter craziness. The B-grade romance feels tacked on, while everything else is flawlessly Bay.
MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW: More than meets the eye
It's really hard to accurately describe this film without taking into account the type of audience who are going to be seeing this. There are those diehard Transformer fans who will still believe that the original 80s cartoon series is better. And if that's the case, then forty foot Autobots firing rail guns possibly isn't your thing. But casual fans of the orginal are probably going to love it.
The script, if you could call it that, takes a backseat to the huge array of new robots in this film, as director Bay turns up the action quotient up to 11. More robot characters from the original cartoon series turn up, theres a pleasant homage to the original Transformers film of 1984 and of course, there is no shortage of visual eye candy: the CGI rendering is a big step-up from the last film and it seamlessly blends from one shot to another.
But its not all chocolates and roses.
The GM vechiles are starting to look a little tired by the second film. Nobody expected miracles with these fine products of American manufacturing, but the recent GM restructuring is going to make some of the autobots wish they originally landed in Italy or Germany.
We actually started to feel bad for the autobots. Design styling certainly wasn't their strong point. Where are the Ferrari and BMW transformer models when you need them?
And, remember when fanboys complained about the lack of action in the original film? If Michael Bay had added any more three-second shots to this film, they would of required one of those dire warnings you see on theme park rides.
to be continued ....
Part 1
Only director Michael Bay could have made a film like Transformers: Revenge of the fallen. It's a head-ringing, ear-crunching and ultimately exhausting experience, filled with more than two hours of constant robot destruction.
Transformers: Revenge of the fallen is still a mouthful of a title, but as robot sequels go (and that includes the lumbering Terminator Salvation pic that came out last month) - it's the mother of all robot war films. We're still trying to wrap our earthly brain cells around the film we saw last night at the exclusive Sydney premiere.
The film is best summed up as a ludicrously thrilling adventure, bent towards complete and utter craziness. The B-grade romance feels tacked on, while everything else is flawlessly Bay.
MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW: More than meets the eye
It's really hard to accurately describe this film without taking into account the type of audience who are going to be seeing this. There are those diehard Transformer fans who will still believe that the original 80s cartoon series is better. And if that's the case, then forty foot Autobots firing rail guns possibly isn't your thing. But casual fans of the orginal are probably going to love it.
The script, if you could call it that, takes a backseat to the huge array of new robots in this film, as director Bay turns up the action quotient up to 11. More robot characters from the original cartoon series turn up, theres a pleasant homage to the original Transformers film of 1984 and of course, there is no shortage of visual eye candy: the CGI rendering is a big step-up from the last film and it seamlessly blends from one shot to another.
But its not all chocolates and roses.
The GM vechiles are starting to look a little tired by the second film. Nobody expected miracles with these fine products of American manufacturing, but the recent GM restructuring is going to make some of the autobots wish they originally landed in Italy or Germany.
We actually started to feel bad for the autobots. Design styling certainly wasn't their strong point. Where are the Ferrari and BMW transformer models when you need them?
And, remember when fanboys complained about the lack of action in the original film? If Michael Bay had added any more three-second shots to this film, they would of required one of those dire warnings you see on theme park rides.
to be continued ....
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Transformers 2: Megan Fox and Shia Labeouf Talk Trilogy
Transformers 2: Megan Fox and Shia Labeouf Talk Trilogy
Jun 12, 2009 | Comments 0
Transformers 2: Megan Fox and Shia Labeouf Talk Trilogy
I don’t know about you, but I personally loved the film “Transformers” and thought that it was a great movie. And I will certainly make time to see the sequel “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.” It will be interesting to see if the sequel impresses as much as the first did.
According to mtv.com, the people behind the movie franchise are now talking trilogy. Star of the film Shia LaBeouf, who plays Sam Witwicky, said that he enjoys making the movies. And Megan Fox, who is also a star of the film, said that she would come back for a third if asked.
Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, who wrote the first two movies, are not definite whether they will return for “Transformers 3.” And it seems as though the stars Fox and LaBeouf have jam packed schedules too. So, would you watch “Transformers 3” if it comes out?
source:
Jun 12, 2009 | Comments 0
Transformers 2: Megan Fox and Shia Labeouf Talk Trilogy
I don’t know about you, but I personally loved the film “Transformers” and thought that it was a great movie. And I will certainly make time to see the sequel “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.” It will be interesting to see if the sequel impresses as much as the first did.
According to mtv.com, the people behind the movie franchise are now talking trilogy. Star of the film Shia LaBeouf, who plays Sam Witwicky, said that he enjoys making the movies. And Megan Fox, who is also a star of the film, said that she would come back for a third if asked.
Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, who wrote the first two movies, are not definite whether they will return for “Transformers 3.” And it seems as though the stars Fox and LaBeouf have jam packed schedules too. So, would you watch “Transformers 3” if it comes out?
source:
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Transformers 2 Sneak Peek
Transformers 2 Sneak Peek
Paramount Home Entertainment will offer consumers who purchase Transformers on Blu-ray or DVD access to an exclusive sneak peek at the sequel, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, via a secure Internet site. Beginning June 16, 2009, new Transformers DVDs will include an access code to a secure site and Blu-ray discs will offer the content via BD-Live. The footage includes two additional sneak peeks at the new film and more than 25 minutes of bonus materials from the original film, including never-before-seen deleted scenes, Megan Fox's audition tapes and more.
Transformers made more than $700 million worldwide during its theatrical run and went on to become the top-selling DVD of 2007, as well as one of the best-selling Blu-ray discs to date. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is due in theaters on June 24.
The full list of bonus content includes:
* Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Sneak Peek – Footage from the new film
* From the set of Revenge of the Fallen: Day 1 – An exclusive inside look at the first day of shooting
* From the set of Revenge of the Fallen: A Day in the Shade –A comical look at the differences between Megan and Shia's on-set treatment
* Never-Before-Seen Deleted Scenes from Transformers
* Fly on the Set: Pentagon – On the set filming of the Pentagon Military Command Center
* Music and Mayhem – Renowned special effects house ILM deconstructs the blockbuster action of Transformers
* Metal in Motion – Special effects tests and early robot animation
* Stunts 101 – An in-depth look at the amazing stunts in Transformers
* Choose Your Weapon –A fly on the wall glimpse into the selection of weapons and how they were used by the film's soldiers
* The Man in the Ice – From design to production, watch the Arctic come to life on various sets in Los Angeles, California
* Voices – The voices behind the Autobots and Decepticons
* Audition Tapes: Megan Fox – Megan's original Transformers audition
source
Paramount Home Entertainment will offer consumers who purchase Transformers on Blu-ray or DVD access to an exclusive sneak peek at the sequel, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, via a secure Internet site. Beginning June 16, 2009, new Transformers DVDs will include an access code to a secure site and Blu-ray discs will offer the content via BD-Live. The footage includes two additional sneak peeks at the new film and more than 25 minutes of bonus materials from the original film, including never-before-seen deleted scenes, Megan Fox's audition tapes and more.
Transformers made more than $700 million worldwide during its theatrical run and went on to become the top-selling DVD of 2007, as well as one of the best-selling Blu-ray discs to date. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is due in theaters on June 24.
The full list of bonus content includes:
* Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Sneak Peek – Footage from the new film
* From the set of Revenge of the Fallen: Day 1 – An exclusive inside look at the first day of shooting
* From the set of Revenge of the Fallen: A Day in the Shade –A comical look at the differences between Megan and Shia's on-set treatment
* Never-Before-Seen Deleted Scenes from Transformers
* Fly on the Set: Pentagon – On the set filming of the Pentagon Military Command Center
* Music and Mayhem – Renowned special effects house ILM deconstructs the blockbuster action of Transformers
* Metal in Motion – Special effects tests and early robot animation
* Stunts 101 – An in-depth look at the amazing stunts in Transformers
* Choose Your Weapon –A fly on the wall glimpse into the selection of weapons and how they were used by the film's soldiers
* The Man in the Ice – From design to production, watch the Arctic come to life on various sets in Los Angeles, California
* Voices – The voices behind the Autobots and Decepticons
* Audition Tapes: Megan Fox – Megan's original Transformers audition
source
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Friday, June 5, 2009
Linkin Park’s “New Divide” From ‘Transformers 2′ Now Streaming
Linkin Park’s “New Divide” From ‘Transformers 2′ Now Streaming
Mike Shinoda stated in an official press release “the opportunity to be creatively involved with one of the most anticipated films of the summer is pretty exciting.” “It’s one thing to shoot a video that matches sound and vision, but making music that’s built for the big screen is a completely different challenge and we ran with it.”
“New Divide” debuted at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 marking this Linkin Park’s highest debut on the charts and their third Top 10 entry.
Opening in theaters on June 24, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, starring Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson and John Turturro, will be Linkin Park’s second project with Bay. The first Transformers film, an Oscar®-nominated hit from DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures, featured “What I’ve Done,” which rocketed to No. 1 on both Billboard’s Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks and Hot Modern Rock Tracks charts.
“New Divide” will also appear on the Warner Bros. Records soundtrack album, which arrives in stores on June 23, 2009. A great song there is.
Mike Shinoda stated in an official press release “the opportunity to be creatively involved with one of the most anticipated films of the summer is pretty exciting.” “It’s one thing to shoot a video that matches sound and vision, but making music that’s built for the big screen is a completely different challenge and we ran with it.”
“New Divide” debuted at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 marking this Linkin Park’s highest debut on the charts and their third Top 10 entry.
Opening in theaters on June 24, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, starring Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson and John Turturro, will be Linkin Park’s second project with Bay. The first Transformers film, an Oscar®-nominated hit from DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures, featured “What I’ve Done,” which rocketed to No. 1 on both Billboard’s Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks and Hot Modern Rock Tracks charts.
“New Divide” will also appear on the Warner Bros. Records soundtrack album, which arrives in stores on June 23, 2009. A great song there is.
Box Office Tracking: Transformers 2 Could Take $175 Million In First Five Days
Box Office Tracking: Transformers 2 Could Take $175 Million In First Five Days
Rival movie studios are claiming that Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is tracking to open huge at the box office. According to Nikki Finke’s sources, the movie might open with a high $175 million 5-day opening when the big giant robots are unleashed on Wednesday June 24th. If this number turns out to be true, it could be the second biggest 5-day opening of all time. Which film claims the 5-Day record? Answer after the jump.
The Dark Knight claims the #1 spot with $203.7 million. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith holds the #2 record with $172.8 million, with a mid-May 2005 release. The first Transformers opened on a Monday night, and made $133.2 in its first five days of release (which due to the strange release date, doesn’t include a $22.1 million Sunday)
Paramount will likely deny reports of high-level tracking to better manage expectations. Opening weekend is key, and surpassing tracking expectations is very important. Is it possible that rival studios are leaking unrealistically high expectations to water down Transformer’s box office victory? Yeah. But the end of June, early July is a hot time period for Hollywood releases: Spider-Man 2 made $152 million in its first five days on the same week in 2004. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest pulled in $152 in its first 5 days in July 2006. It is very possible that Transformers 2 will hit $160 million+.
Rival movie studios are claiming that Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is tracking to open huge at the box office. According to Nikki Finke’s sources, the movie might open with a high $175 million 5-day opening when the big giant robots are unleashed on Wednesday June 24th. If this number turns out to be true, it could be the second biggest 5-day opening of all time. Which film claims the 5-Day record? Answer after the jump.
The Dark Knight claims the #1 spot with $203.7 million. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith holds the #2 record with $172.8 million, with a mid-May 2005 release. The first Transformers opened on a Monday night, and made $133.2 in its first five days of release (which due to the strange release date, doesn’t include a $22.1 million Sunday)
Paramount will likely deny reports of high-level tracking to better manage expectations. Opening weekend is key, and surpassing tracking expectations is very important. Is it possible that rival studios are leaking unrealistically high expectations to water down Transformer’s box office victory? Yeah. But the end of June, early July is a hot time period for Hollywood releases: Spider-Man 2 made $152 million in its first five days on the same week in 2004. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest pulled in $152 in its first 5 days in July 2006. It is very possible that Transformers 2 will hit $160 million+.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
