I’m sick of this notion that movie critics don’t like to have fun. Like any broad accusation, it's pure cop-out, especially when founded on the basis of but a handful of films, as is usually the case. Though a minority opinion in my circles, I liked the first Transformers. It was big, loud, and dumb in that manner that recalls the childhood ambition of instilling life in one’s toys. More importantly, it stayed just behind the line of headache-inducing excess that stands as the starting point of this new film. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is to its predecessor like a medieval torture chamber to a playground, but that won’t keep many from swallowing it hook, line and sinker, quickly and indiscriminately. I can only hope that my feelings here are the general consensus – not just for critics, but for human beings. Few elements of Fallen are completely odious unto themselves, but rolled together it becomes a wave of inescapable proportions – a literal tsunami of shit.
"tsunami of shit"
ReplyDeleteLol. Perfect description of the movie :)
I too fell victim to glancing at my watch, only an hour into the movie. While I generally disliked the first film, I will concede that it wasn't boring. Watching this sequel slowly unfold, all I could think about was the image of A Clockwork Orange, eyelids pinned open, limbs strapped down.
ReplyDeleteI loved the first one... the second, not so much. Anybody who read my defense of Up probably gets I'm a kid at heart, but this movie was atrocious. I like what IGN had to say about it: "If story isn't important, why did Michael Bay spend two and a half hours trying to tell it?"
ReplyDeleteThe first one was good popcorn fair, dumb action with good humor. This one is just... drag.
I'm laughing a little at the sheer vehemency present in the review, as Roger Ebert essentially had the same approach, likening this movie to a Faustian deal aligned to Mephistopheles :)
ReplyDeleteThe first movie was awful...I can't imagine how bad this would be. Why the hell make the movie called "Transformers" when most of the actual robots do not correspond to the actual toys (although that doesn't matter because you can't tell them apart anyway). Of course to keep the young ritalin addicted kids interested they have to have the robots act black. A- boooo
ReplyDeleteTo me, the first movie (TF1) missed the whole point of Transformers. And people loved it.
ReplyDeleteTF2 tried to inject a bit of the old (cartoon) TF; there was more robot dialogue, the playoff between Megatron and Starscream, the fact that some Decepticons defected to the Autobots...The problem I think was that Bay went halfway with trying to please TF fans and the rest who clearly have no idea what TF is about.
Conclusion: the fantastic visuals is what made the first movie. C'mon people TF1 had a REALLY crappy plot (what plot?). TF 2 had more thought put into it, but which non-fans would not appreciate.
@ anonymous 7:09: Let's keep it at this for now: I've more to say about T:RotF than I would have expected at first glance.
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