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Going to see this tonight, man I haven't been this excited by a movie since well ever.  Reviews have been resonably possitive so far and our movie show gave it 3.5 out of 5, said it was exceptional fun and even had decent characterisation(both the humans and suprisingly the Bots).  Will let you know my opinion tommorow but I think it'll be a bit one sided as I'm in love with the previews and will pay the price of admision just to see some bots smashed through walls.  The game looks good to I'll see if I can link to the intro.

CU Radbacker

half way down this page if I get the link right.

CU Radbacker

Link: Bots bashing and tanks smashing

it got a good review from David and Margaret last night, although she complained that the change scenes were too fast

common fault in modern movies is the fast cut tecnique they seem to use as Margaret said whats wrong with showing all the action.  Totally ruined the Chronicles of Riddick movie with an over abundence of MTV style cutting.

CU radbacker

Totally ruined the Chronicles of Riddick movie with an over abundence of MTV style cutting.

Oh, THAT'S what was wrong with Chronicles of Riddick - I knew there was something up (other than the appalling plot, dialogue, characters, pacing, acting, costumes and ropey CGI...)

(Which isn't to say i didn't enjoy it.)

well I liked Riddick and thought it was quite a comendable set for a universe that further movies could take place in.
Anyway only  an hour and a half till I'm watching it :)  can you tell I'm excited.

CU Radbacker

well thats the best $15 I've ever spent.  Not the brainiest movie ever(as if it would be) and a few plot holes develop when your brain can finally start to behave rationaly again(took about 12 hours for me) but go damn if that wasn't awsome.  Starts fast almost getting straight into the action then stops to develop the humans a bit, frankly a part of the movie I didn't think I'd be into but was handled very well and was supprisingly funny.  In fact the whole movie has a fun happy vibe to it(supprising considering the dark look of the previews).  Exposition and plot set up happens throughout the first hour with only a couple of sporadic action sequences but I tell you once the re-enforcements arrive and all the Autobots get together it takes off at 100mph.  Will say no more except from here on its what you paid for Bot crunching action.  Being a Bay movie its got a lota Gun and car porn in it and an overly loud soundtrack but it all works wonderfully.  If I have one complaint its that the Decepticons weren't in it together enough and Megatron only pops up for the final act(though when he does your left in no doubt as to who the badest Transformer around is, this guy wipes the floor with everyone), oh and shaky camera syndrome that seems to infect all modern movies is in full effect too.  I cant rave enough about this you must all see it we need a sequal quick smart.

CU Radbacker
favorite bits in spoiler text below
poor old Jazz coping it, true to the movie adage the black man always cops it.  Starscream transforming mid flight leaping from plane to plane destroying them then poping back into plane mode and fucking off.  The army taking down Brawl(the tank) and pretty much the whole third act of the movie

Woooooow! Now Can't wait.

Is there more Big Stompy Robot action than Whingeing All American Teen action?

yes, about 1hr vs 1.5hrs but honestly the teen stuff is quite entertaining and not as lame as you'd think.
it's very violent too(because they're robots) lots of destruction
CU Radbacker

"well I liked Riddick and thought it was quite a comendable set for a universe that further movies could take place in"

While at the same time making pretty sure there wouldn't be any other movies... :)

Whee the oiginal was an inventive low budget SF flick, the Ridicules of Chronic was an overblown self important and self indulgent bag of shite.  

And you can tell the necromong I said that too.

Bump
no one seen it yet, is it not out over there yet? or are you all just not going to watch it? I shall regale a couple more cool bits(espicially if you like the original cartoon) in spoiler text bellow, beware these are spoilers
Optimus getting all medevel on Bonecrusher arse and decapitating him, pure geekgasm at the site of Optimus generating some kind of power sword to get the job done(like in the original cartoon) Megatron materializing a energy mace/flail type thing as in the cartoon.  Megatrons line "you've failed me yet again Starscream",  Optimus "One shall stand and one shall fall".  Megan Fox's bare midriff  mmmmnnn very nice.  Even the end is a nice wrap up leaving the story fully rounded out but open for a sequal.

CU Radbacker

Wikipedia claims the UK release date will be July 27.

*grumble grumble wants big robots NOW damnit!*

Saw the trailer on the big screen at the weekend, but this is going to be an august treat for the bolts.

Bolt-01

27TH JULY!!!!! thats the pits man.  For some reason we got this before everyone even the U.S.
All I can say is watch it it's awsome.

CU Radbacker

I have never, ever, seen the point of Transformers (sorry folks), despite their obvious Big Robot credentials.  One run through the trailer on the big screen last weekend, and I was a convert.  Just awesome!

A mate in Oz just sent his verdict:-

Excellent!

Will take the boy to see this, as good an excuse as any!

Bump.

I don't know how many of you will be interested, but this is brilliant news in the bolt household.

Bolt-01

Link: Optimus Primal- MAXIMISE!

Just seen a copy of it.... and found it to be shit :(

I'd explain, but don't want to spoil anything for anyone! Besides, im usually in the minority when it comes to reviewing films...

ahh but Mr Wooley did you see it on the big screen with thumping bowel rumbling sound and huge screen for if not you saw but a mere taste of the movie it should be.(still if you didn't like it on bit torrent you probably wouldn't like it on big screen).

CU Radbacker

You're right, but then ive got a home cinema system :) (yeah, i know. Im a show off!)

Ive got no problems with the special effects, which were bloody stunning even on the dodgy version i watched.
My issues are with the plot, the script, and the direction of the messy action scenes (although i must admit that the effects in said scenes are still jaw-dropping!)

Still gonna buy it when it comes out though.
Couple o' pints should make it a better watch!

:)

I saw it on dodgyvision like Wolly, including running it through a large cinema system - best comparison I can think of is Independence Day.  Both are spectacular to look at, but ultimately shallow movies.  Transformers particularly, with contrived bits that would ring false to the average six year-old, some knuckle-whiteningly bad 'comedy' moments, an uncomfortable bit for dads when the camera spends long moments leering over the body of a schoolgirl, and Jazz...  I don't remember him breakdancing all the time in the cartoon just because he was voiced by an African-American - and I do mean ALL the time, even when he's having a conversation - but that's the case here.
File it alongside Independence Day - watch it a few times, gaze happily at the spectacle of big robots smashing each other over the heads with buses, then join everyone else in a few years' time slagging it off down the pub, pretending you never liked it in the first place.  It IS fantastic to look at, though, which is really all you need from a summer movie aimed at kids, and - slow middle section with puny humans aside - at least it doesn't drag on for hours like Pirates 3 did.

Kickass film I thought, it did exactly what it said on the tin, namely delivered tons of giant robots kicking the crap out of each other. The actual transforms looked amazing (Optimus got the big heroic mythical transform sequences, with the camera swirling around him for about 15 seconds) and I loved the bits like Barricade breaking into a sprint and trandforming back into a car mid-stride.

Also, on a side note, one thing occired to me: Did anyone else reckon that Frenzy (the little guy who transformed into a cd player) looked quite like the Scientist from the Ten-Seconders when he was in robot form? Particularly around the face design......

Saw it on Sunday.
Plot was straightforward enough and I wasn't nearly as annoyed by John Turturro's Sector 7 chief as many others seem to be.
The comedy moments were mostly funny.
Megan Fox is gorgeous.
Shia LeBouef is fun as the lead.
Big Robots smacking seven shades out of each other.
Megan Fox is so hot.
Action sequences are Michael Bay's forte and he delivers here on most of them (the first Bumblebee/Barricade fight is a bit meh).
That bookbox Decepticon that isn't Soundwave isn't as annoying as I'd heard, there is a bit too mush of him.
Megan Fox is very hot while Big Robots are destroying stuff in a huge ruckus.

I enjoyed this film.

not seen this yet, but I base all transformers stories around the G2 comic run and the war within stories, so this will have some way to go. I really don't want to hate it, but I think I'm gonna...

yes Megan Fox is very hot.

CU Radbacker

Hard to see why anyone would actually *hate* this, as it was never going to be like the comics or cartoons - for brevity's sake, if nothing else.  It's directed by Michael Bay, it's called Transformers, it has big robots having fights and things will blow up in it.  You can have issues with plot - as with anything, really - but I think you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who didn't have some concept of what they're likely to get if they decide to pay money to see this.

*** Very mild SPOILERS ***



It was funny - about two thirds of the way into this I realised something: I was bored.

While Bay might have worried about losing the human element with so many stompy robots, it didn't need so people many in there. I am waiting for a 'phantom edit' of this film, which would kick arse.

The whole army sub-plot was unnecessary as was the sub-plot about that Aussie Chick and fat dude and the inclusion of the secretary of defence. Refine the reason why the transformer need the help of Whitwicky rather than that navigation nonsense and you can even keep in your Vector 13, sorry Sector 7. That would be a smart, quick and exciting film.

Another major problem was the difficulty in telling the transformers apart, especially when fighting. When you also have to contend with the jump cuts there was time when it was nigh on impossible to work out exactly what was going on.

The effects were great though and the robots did feel tangible - especially when they transformed at speed and still had to cope with the velocity in their new forms.