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Something something more than meets the eye, something something robots in disguise - Sage - 06-14-2009
O.o
It's not a movie intended for kids. Deal with it?
Something something more than meets the eye, something something robots in disguise - Dehan - 06-14-2009
Eh it is and isn't intended for them, Transformers I'd say is more so directed at us mature peoplez...Speed Racer too which is why they threw in the cursing I guess...but eh. I hope I get the read the script or something if it's leaked online before the movie hits that way I can beep out any bad words.
But yea
I've thought it over and I will not be seeing this movie in theaters...*winkity wink wink*
Something something more than meets the eye, something something robots in disguise - Belle Hibiki - 06-25-2009
Going to say right off the bat that there are going to be spoilers here, so if you read beyond this point and complain about them you are terrible.
-------------------
Transformers 2 is the latest dish served up to clamoring audiences by Michael Bay, the director behind the first Transformers. The first film was criticized by fans as being too focused on the humans and too little on the transformers themselves, with lots of extraneous characters tacked on. Glen Whitmann (Anthony Anderson), the overweight black 'superhacker' was perhaps the biggest offender.
Its sequel seems to initially have taken this criticism to heart. Transformers 2 is bursting to the gills with new Autobots and Decepticons at every turn. You're dumped right into the action from the word go, treated to the visual equivalent of crack-cocaine as an enormous Decepticon rampages through Shanghai, attempting to flee the combined force of Autobots and humans pursuing it. Even if Optimus' narrative exposition is clunky, and the introduction of new characters as just a matter-of-fact seems odd at best, at least for the moment it's hard to care. As in the first movie, it's assumed you're here for the spectacle.
The problem is that that's all it is. For all the amazing "wow"s the film delivers in action sequences, Transformers 2 is not an enjoyable film.
The plot is about as contrived as they come: Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) is still living the caricature of a suburban life, eager to head off to college and escape his psychotic parents and homosexual dogs, when a fragment of the All Spark (the first film's maguffin) drops from his souvenir hoodie and implants knowledge directly into his brain - a knowledge that he apparently can only access by spazzing out, a process which is rather like watching someone who, having no idea what a seizure actually looks like, decides to tru to act it out anyway.
I could explain more, but honestly, it's a fruitless exercise. It's been less than three hours since I walked out of the theater, but I still can't begin to enumerate to you all the various convolutions and plotholes that quickly unfolded in that tangled mess. The movie is long - over two and a half hours - and I felt every minute of it. And not in a good way.
While there are more Transformers, you don't really get to know them. Many have as little as a single line, and most of the bad guys not even that, making it very hard to tell who is who, and more importantly, why I should care about them. One of them, arguably one of the most significant characters in the film's canon, was turned into a giant joke on old people. It took me a while to realize why this was:
Back in 2007, I thought the description of the first movie as "a giant act of product-placement" was pretty cynical. However, that label could be fairly applied to its sequel.
Irrelevant extras are back again. Sam's roommate at college stays in the film far, far longer than he has any business being. The new "Evil Bureaucrat" is about as compelling as lead paint. Sector 7's resident douchebag specialist shows up again, though at least he proves himself to be useful this time around, if still somewhat annoying. But even the sight of Douchebag's bethonged groin was nothing compared to Transformer 2's Jar-Jar Binkses, "The Twins."
Do you remember Jazz from the first movie? Do you remember how his unironically delivered opening line was "What's crackin', little bitches?" Do you remember laughing along with the other people in the theater while, in the back of your mind, there tingled the uncomfortable realization that his whole character could be construed as kinda... offensive?
The Twins are so staggeringly racist that they make me wonder if Michael Bay spends his spare time running around in the woods with a bunch of guys wearing white hoods.
I didn't enjoy the movie. I thought it was far too long, I thought they had way too many characters, and the script was all over the place. It was full of really stupid shit that was done "just for yucks," and could have been an immeasurably better film without them. I don't know who's lined up to write and direct the third film, but if it's the same as this one, I won't be seeing it.
Grade: D
Something something more than meets the eye, something something robots in disguise - Belle Hibiki - 06-25-2009
Oh, and don't bother trying to debate with me on some of these points, because I'm not going to argue with you. This is my opinion, and my opinion only. Take it or leave it.
Something something more than meets the eye, something something robots in disguise - Kaden - 06-25-2009
I definitely disagree with most of that review, which is unfortunate.
I found it to be a very enjoyable session of mindless fun and am not sure why anyone would look at it as anything more than that.
EDIT: I should clarify, things like a flimsy plot aren't really points of disagreement. It just didn't ruin the movie for me.
Something something more than meets the eye, something something robots in disguise - Kole T. Merr - 06-25-2009
I agree. Sometimes "just for yucks" actually causes the yucks to happen. In my mind, laughter is linked to enjoyment.
This movie had a lot of robots in disguise, and they were fighting other robots in disguise. It definitely was worth the money I paid, and would not say no to seeing it again. I know you said that it would be pointless to argue, but it's the internet. Why post an opinion if you don't want it completely torn to shreds?
Something something more than meets the eye, something something robots in disguise - Ashe - 06-25-2009
Belle Hibiki Wrote:Glen Whitmann (Anthony Anderson), the overweight black 'superhacker' was perhaps the biggest offender.
Pun intended?
Something something more than meets the eye, something something robots in disguise - Waffuru - 06-25-2009
The only thing I agree with was Sam's roommate hanging around for longer than anyone cared.
For all the rest, you're wrong. YOUR OPINION IS WRONG, OKAY?
Something something more than meets the eye, something something robots in disguise - Vad - 06-25-2009
Waffuru Wrote:The only thing I agree with was Sam's roommate hanging around for longer than anyone cared.
For all the rest, you're wrong. YOUR OPINION IS WRONG, OKAY?
Your sexy when you're right.
Something something more than meets the eye, something something robots in disguise - Rem-13 - 06-25-2009
I felt the twins were caricatures of a certain type of person rather than a race, but its all in perception.
Something something more than meets the eye, something something robots in disguise - Sage - 06-25-2009
Belle is another of those hypersensitive people who think somehow a long-eared alien named Jar Jar was racist? *Facepalm*
Also, some black people actually do talk like Jazz did. What next? We start decrying actors portraying characters with English accents as perpetuating stereotypes about the United Kingdom? No, I guess we'd better give every black character - including 'black-esque-but-not-actually-human-fucking-robots - a crisp Vermont accent so as to assuage anyone who might potentially be offended by someone who says 'bitches.'
Fuck, man, give your head a shake. Stereotypes almost never exist without at least some grounding in reality.
Something something more than meets the eye, something something robots in disguise - Waffuru - 06-25-2009
Sage Wrote:Belle is another of those hypersensitive people who think somehow a long-eared alien named Jar Jar was racist? *Facepalm*
Also, some black people actually do talk like Jazz did. What next? We start decrying actors portraying characters with English accents as perpetuating stereotypes about the United Kingdom? No, I guess we'd better give every black character - including 'black-esque-but-not-actually-human-fucking-robots - a crisp Vermont accent so as to assuage anyone who might potentially be offended by someone who says 'bitches.'
Fuck, man, give your head a shake. Stereotypes almost never exist without at least some grounding in reality.
That's what I was going to say but was too lazy to type out.
Something something more than meets the eye, something something robots in disguise - Jack - 06-25-2009
Jazz is back?
Fuck me and my unwillingness to avoid spoiler threads.
Something something more than meets the eye, something something robots in disguise - Kaden - 06-25-2009
No, Jazz isn't in the new movie.
Something something more than meets the eye, something something robots in disguise - Kole T. Merr - 06-25-2009
Bil Baer Jaxx Wrote:Jazz is back?
No, Jazz is black
Something something more than meets the eye, something something robots in disguise - Dr. Cringle - 06-25-2009
Metal Teemer Wrote:No, Jazz is black
XD I hope you two know that I got a good, hearty chuckle out of that.
Something something more than meets the eye, something something robots in disguise - Jack - 06-25-2009
I like how he was the only Transformer to die in the first movie.
Something something more than meets the eye, something something robots in disguise - Belle Hibiki - 06-25-2009
I'm actually going to address this one, as I feel it bears responding to outside of the review:
Sage Wrote:Belle is another of those hypersensitive people who think somehow a long-eared alien named Jar Jar was racist? *Facepalm*
Actually, I meant that they were annoying, like Jar-Jar. I didn't think when I saw the movie, or any time after, that Jar-Jar was racist.
So if I was unclear right then, my bad. I just meant that they were the equivalent of a cheese grater applied to the balls.
Sage Wrote:Also, some black people actually do talk like Jazz did. What next? We start decrying actors portraying characters with English accents as perpetuating stereotypes about the United Kingdom? No, I guess we'd better give every black character - including 'black-esque-but-not-actually-human-fucking-robots - a crisp Vermont accent so as to assuage anyone who might potentially be offended by someone who says 'bitches.'
Fuck, man, give your head a shake. Stereotypes almost never exist without at least some grounding in reality.
And so... ... ... ? *gestures for you to continue*
I mean, what exactly are you saying here? That because some stereotypes are grounded in reality - and you admit that it is a stereotype - that it's okay to parrot it in a major motion picture? Blacks also have a stereotype of being lazy workers, does that mean it's okay for me to treat them as such?
I mean, look, I know as well as anyone how silly hypersensitivity can be, but you don't need to be hypersensitive to take offense at Skids and Mudflap. Yes, they're robots, but what they're meant to evoke in your mind is clear. In my opinion, they take it just a little too far.
Something something more than meets the eye, something something robots in disguise - Sullivan - 06-25-2009
Since when has it not been okay to depict something in a major motion picture? As if we don't see stereotypes in movies all the time. This is nothing new. This isn't even something refurbished. I can't honestly see how the average cinema-goer is going to be offended at indisciminant usage of characterization brought on from a stereotype, especially since no harm came of it. Michael Bay was not lounging in his suite laughing in a sinister, mirthless cackle at the misfortune of the African Americans suffering from a stereotypical character - much less running around in a KKK robe. Don't you think that's a little extreme?
Something something more than meets the eye, something something robots in disguise - Kole T. Merr - 06-25-2009
Without stereotypes in movies, we wouldn't have movies like Bring it On. Is it ok to have white stereotypes but not black stereotypes?