Comments on: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: A List of Compliments For Michael Bay

By: guru

guru — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 10:22:56 +0000

the movie was out standing but my brother told me that micheal bay showed Optimus prime the most and we were not able to make up what was the name of the decptecons which were fighting with the aurobots but the movie was inbelivable

By: colabrese

colabrese — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 08:21:12 +0000

This is the first movie I walked out of in a looooong time. Fucking unbearable, I thought.

By: russellhainline

russellhainline — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 21:38:43 +0000

Good catch on Skids, Sean. Thanks.

By: Jared

Jared — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 19:44:49 +0000

Thanks for this great post! I look forward to reading more from you!

By: russellhainline

russellhainline — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:36:58 +0000

Dr Jones: I’d say it’s easier to create a psychological drama regarding a vengeance-filled human than it is to create a meaningful drama regarding alien robots who are engaged in war. But maybe that’s just because on TV and in movies, I’ve seen Batman work on that level, but never for Transformers, which was always just alien robots engaged in war.

I do believe something interesting can be made from Transformers. I’m actually working on an article about it right now. My piece was meant mostly ironically.

Sidenote: TDK had its share of editing problems too. But I digress.

By: russellhainline

russellhainline — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:34:25 +0000

Basically, lol.

By: DrJones

DrJones — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:16:21 +0000

But I think “The Dark Knight” basically negates your whole argument.

TDK’s a great action movie that also offers competent film making fundamentals and it’s one of the biggest movies of all-time.

People are rushing to see Transformers because it’s giant robots fighting each other. They would’ve loved it just as much (more?) if there was a coherent story and decent writing wrapped around those fighting robots.

Bay shouldn’t get an ounce of credit for his sloppy, lazy, pandering work.

By: Ronnie

Ronnie — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 07:40:44 +0000

(even though it grossed a lot of money)

By: Ronnie

Ronnie — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 07:38:26 +0000

Did you not name Pearl Harbor in #7 because both critics AND audiences hated it?

By: russellhainline

russellhainline — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 03:53:52 +0000

Oh I agree, Neal, it doesn’t let Bay off the hook at all. It was meant mostly ironically, but I was taking offense to the critical stance that Bay is out of touch by believing these characters are out of whack with the youth culture of today. It is extremely sad, but these characters in my experience in the theater are indeed in touch with that youth culture.

I agree that it’s both sad and a waste. Like I said, I LOVE the Bay film “The Island,” and I recommend it to you if you haven’t seen it. And a large part of me is sad that Bay gave the audiences a film with thrills and content, and that the audiences rejected it, persuading Bay to return to non-stop story-free thrills. Bay is absolutely at fault… but when we as audiences reject his better films, and then buy ten times as many tickets to Transformers, what can we expect him as a businessman to deliver? People like Bay are businessmen first, artists second, unfortunately.

Also, I was just tired of reading the same Transformers snark in every review, and thought I’d give y’all something fresh, lol.