Transformers Age of Extinction

pixelburp

I hold my hands up - I went to the third: I said I wouldn't, I knew I shouldn't, but there it is. I did & now my hands are dirty but I take some responsibility for the creation of a fourth. This time I won't. Promise

donalg1

I don't get it most people here say they hated the first three and can't see why they are making a 4th, but if you hated the first two why go to the third? Now you will all go see the 4th and complain about that too!

pixelburp

donalg1 wrote: »

I don't get it most people here say they hated the first three and can't see why they are making a 4th, but if you hated the first two why go to the third? Now you will all go see the 4th and complain about that too!

In my case, it was a mixture of peer pressure, alcohol and a sense that there was fook-all else to do that evening *shrug* By no means a good excuse, but there it is.

Sad Professor

I assume "reboot" in this instance means that Shia doesn't want to do it.

Mickeroo

donalg1 wrote: »

I don't get it most people here say they hated the first three and can't see why they are making a 4th, but if you hated the first two why go to the third? Now you will all go see the 4th and complain about that too!

How would anyone know they hated them if they didn't watch them? Its a vicious circle.

pixelburp

Fool me once, shame on you
Fool me twice, shame on me
Fool me a third time, uhhhh... ... nurse! The medicines!

donalg1

Mickeroo wrote: »

How would anyone know they hated them if they didn't watch them? Its a vicious circle.

But surely if you hated the first two you could probably figure you aren't going to like the third, unless you subconciously liked the first two!!

I for one didnt mind them, hardly a work of art or riveting keep you thinking piece of cinema but they basically do what it says on the tin, stuff gets blown up, poor dialogue, one liners and chase scenes perfect hangover tv.

Mickeroo

donalg1 wrote: »

But surely if you hated the first two you could probably figure you aren't going to like the third, unless you subconciously liked the first two!!

I for one didnt mind them, hardly a work of art or riveting keep you thinking piece of cinema but they basically do what it says on the tin, stuff gets blown up, poor dialogue, one liners and chase scenes perfect hangover tv.

Liked the first one, despised he second one. THird one was awful too but not as bad as the 2nd. I had read some positive reviews and I loved Transformers when I was a kid. Nothing subconcious going on, no reason to think I'll dislike the third because I disliked the 2nd, they're two seperate films, and there's always hope it might turn out to be good against all odds. I was wrong.

Sad Professor

When it comes to blockbusters, the expected quality of the film has very little to do with why people go to see it. Mainstream cinemagoing is first and foremost a social activity. People go to see a film because their friends are going and they don't want to be left out. I almost ended up going to see TF3 for this reason.

bnt

Mickeroo wrote: »

How would anyone know they hated them if they didn't watch them? Its a vicious circle.

Don't ask me - I only saw the first one on someone else's DVD, so the franchise has not made a penny off me. As for the others ... I don't hate them. I just have no interest in seeing them.

If you're going to ask "how can you discount a film you haven't seen?", the answer is a) you could say that about every film ever made, and you can't watch them all; b) that's why reviewers get paid to watch films and review them for posterity: so we don't have to.

Galvasean

Sad Professor wrote: »

When it comes to blockbusters, the expected quality of the film has very little to do with why people go to see it. Mainstream cinemagoing is first and foremost a social activity. People go to see a film because their friends are going and they don't want to be left out. I almost ended up going to see TF3 for this reason.

Don't forget just how cool the trailer made it seem. I saw TF3, hated it, saw the trailer the next day and thought, "that looks deadly..."

JP Liz V1

Sad Professor wrote: »

I assume "reboot" in this instance means that Shia doesn't want to do it.

Or he wants more money

Galvasean

Actor: "I cant see myself playing Spider-man, Harry Potter, Sam Witwicky forever you know..."
Producer: "Here's more money."
Agent: *Pats Actor on head*

Havermeyer

I nearly choked on my coffee when I read reports about a 'reboot'.

2007 was the first. Is Hollywood really that hard-pressed for ideas?

Adamantium

Transformers 4: Me Gears are stuck

Oafley Jones

nummnutts wrote: »

I nearly choked on my coffee when I read reports about a 'reboot'.

2007 was the first. Is Hollywood really that hard-pressed for ideas?

My understanding is that the term "reboot" was used erroneously in this instance; it'll be a continuation of the last movies just with a focus on a different cast. I really think that - despite the money he's made from it - Bay secretly hates or just has no idea what to do with the franchise. I'd love to see someone else take a shot at transformers.

Mickeroo

Oafley Jones wrote: »

My understanding is that the term "reboot" was used erroneously in this instance; it'll be a continuation of the last movies just with a focus on a different cast. I really think that - despite the money he's made from it - Bay secretly hates or just has no idea what to do with the franchise. I'd love to see someone else take a shot at transformers.

They should give it to Brad Bird, he showed he can handle a big budget actioner pretty damn well with M:I 4. Combine that with the fact he made one of the best films ever that coincidently happened to be about a giant robot.

constitutionus

you know i was secretly hoping hasbro were doing that "battleship" film to get a new team up to speed to do another TF film without bay as thats pretty much what it was looking like.

im not a bay hater, his stuff is undeniably beautiful to look at, but the bloke is done on this franchise and he's let far too many of his failings come to the fore in them so its mental that hes doing a "reboot" of his own work.

not entirely surprising though as he pretty much killed every bad guy in the last one making any further film a fecking nightmare of highlander proportions. theres nobody left for the bots to fight from the villains pantheon without getting into the really obscure stuff and TBH im kinda terrifed of what bay could do to bludgeon or overlord.

i agree that bird would be a good choice.

a talent capable of pulling off the film, but not so high up the directors scale that he's a rampant ego. i loved what he did with mission impossible - and im not a fan of that series - and his track record on the iron giant and the incredibles shows he gets how to portray pathos and the fantastic without decending into farce.

jesus if we could get a TF film with that level of emotion i'd probably die in the cinema.

but were getting more bay.

will i go ?

yeah. for the same reason batman fans went to see all the burtonesque offerings. its the only game in town for TF action. im sure there'll be stuff in it ill LOVE too.

but i know were not gonna get anything of any real passion (unless bay gets an almighty kick up the arse from speilberg - which i dont expect) and will get more enjoyment out of watching it on DVD when i can skip past the bayisms off ass shots and moronic "characterisation".

sigh.

least its funding stuff like the new games. now THATs transformers.

Galvasean

Speaking of battleship I saw a massive poster/standee for it in Swords. In the top corner it says "From the company that brought you TRANSFORMERS". No mention of the name Battleship. They really are trying to sell it as a TF spinoff.

milltown

Sad Professor wrote: »

I assume "reboot" in this instance means that Shia doesn't want to do it.

I just figured he spelt robot wrong.
Or has adopted a Canadian accent.

Sindri

I was thinking of writing my own Transformers screen play. A page of dialogue and the rest taking up by 2 hours of robotic acrobatics.:D

But seriously, I think a great opening to a film would be the transformers episode called War Dawn where the aerialbots accidentally get transported back in time and meet Optimus before he was Optimus and his name was Orion Pax and he's in awe of Megatron. Megatron destroys him and Sentinel rebuilds him as Optimus. Nimoy gets a cameo and we get to see the beginnings of the relationship between Megatron and Optimus.

The thing about Transformers is the potential it has for great philosophical dialogue. Optimus is basically a philosopher warrior, he has the potential for some great lines and insight into humanity as sort of an anthropologist. With his antithesis, Megatron, we should see them almost debating the merits of Good and Evil, right and wrong, morality, mortality and life.

What we do see is terrible dialogue where they declare their intention and motivation in a 20 second window to 'beat each other up' that appears to have been written by a 10 year old. The potential it had:(

Syferus

Sindri wrote: »

I was thinking of writing my own Transformers screen play. A page of dialogue and the rest taking up by 2 hours of robotic acrobatics.:D

But seriously, I think a great opening to a film would be the transformers episode called War Dawn where the aerialbots accidentally get transported back in time and meet Optimus before he was Optimus and his name was Orion Pax and he's in awe of Megatron. Megatron destroys him and Sentinel rebuilds him as Optimus. Nimoy gets a cameo and we get to see the beginnings of the relationship between Megatron and Optimus.

The thing about Transformers is the potential it has for great philosophical dialogue. Optimus is basically a philosopher warrior, he has the potential for some great lines and insight into humanity as sort of an anthropologist. With his antithesis, Megatron, we should see them almost debating the merits of Good and Evil, right and wrong, morality, mortality and life.

What we do see is terrible dialogue where they declare their intention and motivation in a 20 second window to 'beat each other up' that appears to have been written by a 10 year old. The potential it had:(

That sounds even worse than a Michael Bay-directed Transformers.

Just pare it down to just the robots by minimizing human characters and you've got a serviceable action film, but don't wedge in cack-handed philosophy 101 lessons. There's a place for deep thought and reflection in film and it certainly isn't in a film about a transforming lorry cab and his evil tank-based nemesis.

Sindri

Syferus wrote: »

That sounds even worse than a Michael Bay-directed Transformers.

Just pare it down to just the robots by minimizing human characters and you've got a serviceable action film, but don't wedge in cack-handed philosophy 101 lessons. There's a place for deep thought and reflection in film and it certainly isn't in a film about a transforming 16-wheeler and his evil tank-shaped nemesis.

Yeah pare it down to the robots, but the movie should be more than an action movie. That's where it went wrong beforehand. The wider themes of it should be about the questions that arise from having millions of year old alien robots who've seen half the cosmos. There's the opportunity for some great imagery and metaphors. I mean what do these ancient beings think about humans? You can use them and Cybertron as an analogy against us and Earth. Optimus as a leader against a human leader. Transformers as an analogy against humans. I mean I'd think the opportunity for that, would be apparent to any half decent director. That's how you make a quality movie.

Syferus

Sindri wrote: »

Yeah pare it down to the robots, but the movie should be more than an action movie. That's where it went wrong beforehand. The wider themes of it should be about the questions that arise from having millions of year old alien robots who've seen half the cosmos. There's the opportunity for some great imagery and metaphors. I mean what do these ancient beings think about humans? You can use them and Cybertron as an analogy against us and Earth. Optimus as a leader against a human leader. Transformers as an analogy against humans. I mean I'd think the opportunity for that, would be apparent to any half decent director. That's how you make a quality movie.

That done with Transformers would end up closer to Ultraviolet than The Dark Knight. Their poster child should be Die Hard, not Plato's mechanical step-son.

Sindri

Syferus wrote: »

That done with Transformers would end up closer to Ultraviolet than The Dark Knight. Their poster child should be Die Hard, not Plato's mechanical step-son.

If it was done it would allow for character development I think and that's half of what makes an audience care about what they're watching. We've seen mindless action and I mean mindless literally. There has to be a story, some discernible plot. Optimus really needs some good dialogue. That's why we watch Transformers, Optimus being kick ass but that doesn't always mean he's ass kicking.

bnt

Dr. Kermode has heard the news. He is not pleased. :cool:

constitutionus

word on some of the TF sites is NONE of the old cast has been approached yet.

the source for that is the bloke that plays lennox.

he says lebeof is out and neither himself or tyrees have had any contact. ditto for the rosey whittingly whatever.

weird thing is though its meant to still be a direct sequel to DOTM with more concentration of it being like the end of that film (i.e axe murdering prime, devestation and full on war) and less dorky humour (where have i heard THAT before ).

I suppose it could be prime and BB Hunting down all those cons that came from the moon.

there was meant to be 200 or so of them and they cant all have got sucked back to cybertron.

on that subject i have to say was watching DOTM again last night and aint that bad of a film...


...once youve got the DVD remote control.

johnny_ultimate

TBH, I think the concept of a live action film about giant talking transforming robots is an inherently flawed concept, with or without Michael Bay.

An animated feature reboot? Perhaps more potential.

constitutionus

oh ive no problem with the live action part.

some of the stuff from the series has looked fantastic and wouldnt be as impressive in animation (stuff like megs and prime flying through that building in the first one, and pretty much most of the freeway stuff in any of the others)

the problem is bay hasnt a fecking clue what he's doing from a character point of view so doesnt even bother explaining who they are.

that said i'd weep with joy if hasbro did a collection of direct to video animated films based on the comics.

theyre a ****ing goldmine waiting to be tapped.

i STILL dont understand why they dont do it when theyve seen what marvel and DC have done in that dept (and theyve a preexisting relationship with marvel)

Galvasean

Yeah the Marvel/DC route is the way to go. Make good (but mainstream appealing) live action films for the masses and make quality animated ones for the fans. There's room for both.

Kylo Ren

Mark Wahlberg confirmed.

"Oh hey Transfooormaa, how you doin'?"

Overheal

an Orion Pax storyline... As dier-harder TF fans have pointed out, Bay didn't even understand the characters he was using in the first 3 movies, you really think he would fare better with Orion Pax?

I mean, I read TF: Autocracy, and Loved it (along with the alongside Megatron miniseries) but Bay would never do that on screen. Nothing near.

At best, Bay would try the Cybertron War and fail woefully.

No you had better just cross your fingers he just makes Megatron 'respawn' as Galvatron, do the Unicron thing, and leave it the hell alone after that.

jaykhunter

I know what bay's TF offers and that's grand. Although I dunno why these films have to be about two and a half hours. 90 minutes is enough, just cut out Shia leBouf's superfluous storyline and put a clamp down on the PG American Pie humour.

That said these films are a giant money spinner, didn't the third take in the most of the 3? We'll probably see 6 TF films.

kitakyushu

Keno 92 wrote: »

Mark Wahlberg confirmed.

"Oh hey Transfooormaa, how you doin'?"

Wahlberg's already working on a suitable theme song for Transformers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3C9Bng7NPPY

paddy kerins

Keno 92 wrote: »

Mark Wahlberg confirmed.

"Oh hey Transfooormaa, how you doin'?"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvmytj56Tck

TheDoc

A major issue with the whole serious is that for most of us, we adored the Transformers in the 80's are kids.

So now, we are all in our mid-late twenties. And we just expect a little bit more now then before.

These films while targetted broadly, are obviously gunning for the young generation of today, hence why there is **** all concern giving to certain actions and the likes, because a child is simply not going to dwell on it. They will freak out in excitement when Optimus rips of a Decepticons head, rather then let him go, it makes more sense for a child.

I still regularly ( well every so often) watch the Original 80's animated movie. And its weird that I enjoy it so much more then the new ones. And that includes the dancing on the junk planet!

Mr Freeze

TheDoc wrote: »

So now, we are all in our mid-late twenties.

Ya, all of us, yip we are all that young.

JP Liz V1

Keno 92 wrote: »

Mark Wahlberg confirmed.

"Oh hey Transfooormaa, how you doin'?"

Michael Bay quote

"Mark is awesome. We had a blast working on Pain and Gain and I'm so fired up to be back working with him. An actor of his caliber is the perfect
guy to re-invigorate the franchise and carry on the Transformers'
legacy."

constitutionus

i feel a simon furman quote coming on

Nuri Sahin

Nevermind, saw above posts

Marty McFly

Its been a while since I watched the first one,and from what i can remember of it I really liked it, some of the action sequences in all three were very well done its the one thing michael Bay can do well, Im no fan boy so the inaccuracies in it dont really grate me to much.

What ruined the movies for me is some the dialogue and cheesiness along with some of the horrible characters like Leo Spitz and the cliched autobots. With Michael Bay at the helm Im not expecting much at all.

e_e

I'm hoping this film's profits funds 40 Paul Thomas Anderson movies.

MisterAnarchy

Transformers 4 will be set four years after Dark of the Moon, Michael Bay has revealed.

"The movie is going to continue four years from the attack on Chicago, which was in the last movie," he said.

"It's going to have the same lineage, but it's going in a full new direction. It actually feels very natural how it's going in that direction... We're doing a lot of things that are really going to make it fresh and feel new."

:rolleyes:

paddy kerins

If they use Unicron as the main villain I'll give it a chance

Sad Professor

I assume Bay will be getting a new actor to voice Megatron after Weaving's less than complementary comments about working with him.

brianregan09

Megatron is more or less dead so that probaly fixes that particular problem

JP Liz V1

e_e wrote: »

I'm hoping this film's profits funds 40 Paul Thomas Anderson movies.

I'd say Marky Mark will take a share of the profits, might have been a condition of him signing on to star also as a co-producer

Out of curiousity how many from the franchise have dissed Bay so far?

Turtwig

Sad Professor wrote: »

I assume Bay will be getting a new actor to voice Megatron after Weaving's less than complementary comments about working with him.

Pardon my ignorance here, but what were these comments?

Galvasean

JP Liz V1 wrote: »

Out of curiousity how many from the franchise have dissed Bay so far?

Only Fox and Weaving as far as I know. Well publically at least. I believe Kate Beckinsale also fell out with him during Pearl Harbour. Sounds like he's hard to get on with.

Jernal

Jernal wrote: »

Pardon my ignorance here, but what were these comments?

Weaving said how he knew nothing about Bay, having never met him and only seen his face on Skype. He went on to say his lines in the Transformers films were meaningless to him as he never read a script and just performed his lines.

Bay gets a lot of criticism for being difficult to work with but it's not like he's the only one. Christ look at Janes Cameron, a director few cast or crew actually like and who takes no crap from anyone.