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Transformers: Attack of the Robo-Spock (Spoilery)
14 years ago
General
Took a while to organize a trip to the theater with friends, but I finally got around to seeing this movie. (glad it wasn't right before AC like previous TF films, so I didn't have to field repeated "did you see it yet?" convention questions.)
Anyway, "Dark of the Moon" is in a lot of ways what "Revenge of the Fallen" probably should have been, Expanding the movie universe with a story that (more or less) makes sense, and dialing back about 20 or 30 percent on the unadulterated stupid. It's still your standard big, loud, mindless, over-the-top spectacle that Michael Bay has raised to an art form. I saw it in 3D, which was decent, though I rarely find my enjoyment of a movie actually enhanced by the 3D, and this is no exception. Notes and spoilers follow:
As implied by the subject, the big new baddie (actually surprise baddie if you avoided getting spoiled) of this film is Sentinel Prime, voiced by Leonard Nimoy. He even gets in a couple Spock-isms over the course of the film. He's portrayed as a misguided good guy, trying to help his race at all costs, though he gets in the occasional bit of villain-style ranting.
Very little robo-potty-humor in this film. Pretty good amount of robo-saliva though.
Strangely enough, Decepticons seem more inclined to take prisoners (however temporarily) than Autobots are. No obvious "Give me your face!" moments, but Optimus is still a pretty brutal guy, and more than willing to execute someone who seems to be done fighting. (though to be fair, said someone did mess old Op up pretty bad a few minutes previously.)
If you're all "geewun" about it, you might enjoy that this film recycles a couple plot elements from the old cartoon, namely the attempt to banish the Autobots from Earth, and the idea of teleporting the planet of Cybertron right next door to Earth. (though in the old cartoon Cybertron looked much less like a wasp nest the size of Saturn.)
Seems there has to be a mostly-pointless action sequence that goes on too long. In Revenge of the Fallen, it was where Sam runs around the desert with a sock full of sand. In this movie it's the "skyscraper tips over" sequence, where the military guys get into the building to take a shot at something they never get a chance to take a shot at.
Seriously, what is with Carly's boss, the 'token human bad guy'? Sure. he's apparently been working with/for the 'cons for a long time, but he really goes full-on into "here's to EEEEvil!" territory as the flim rolls on. It's kinda hard to imagine anyone being so delusional to be gunning for 'employee of the month with bosses that are most likely to just blast, smish, or (best case) enslave you.
The chick pretty much saves the world, or at least saves Optimus Prime - by taunting Megatron, though to be fair to poor ol' Megs he did spend the whole movie with a third of his head missing.
---
All in all, a decent flick by Transformers/Michael Bay standards, and easier to deal with than Revenge of the Fallen. I think I'm starting to tire of this style of film-making though. If it's true that this will be Bay's last Transformers film, and possible future films may reboot the franchise, I'd probably welcome that, especially if more robots get character beyond 'archetype', 'stereotype', or 'scary monster'.
Anyway, "Dark of the Moon" is in a lot of ways what "Revenge of the Fallen" probably should have been, Expanding the movie universe with a story that (more or less) makes sense, and dialing back about 20 or 30 percent on the unadulterated stupid. It's still your standard big, loud, mindless, over-the-top spectacle that Michael Bay has raised to an art form. I saw it in 3D, which was decent, though I rarely find my enjoyment of a movie actually enhanced by the 3D, and this is no exception. Notes and spoilers follow:
As implied by the subject, the big new baddie (actually surprise baddie if you avoided getting spoiled) of this film is Sentinel Prime, voiced by Leonard Nimoy. He even gets in a couple Spock-isms over the course of the film. He's portrayed as a misguided good guy, trying to help his race at all costs, though he gets in the occasional bit of villain-style ranting.
Very little robo-potty-humor in this film. Pretty good amount of robo-saliva though.
Strangely enough, Decepticons seem more inclined to take prisoners (however temporarily) than Autobots are. No obvious "Give me your face!" moments, but Optimus is still a pretty brutal guy, and more than willing to execute someone who seems to be done fighting. (though to be fair, said someone did mess old Op up pretty bad a few minutes previously.)
If you're all "geewun" about it, you might enjoy that this film recycles a couple plot elements from the old cartoon, namely the attempt to banish the Autobots from Earth, and the idea of teleporting the planet of Cybertron right next door to Earth. (though in the old cartoon Cybertron looked much less like a wasp nest the size of Saturn.)
Seems there has to be a mostly-pointless action sequence that goes on too long. In Revenge of the Fallen, it was where Sam runs around the desert with a sock full of sand. In this movie it's the "skyscraper tips over" sequence, where the military guys get into the building to take a shot at something they never get a chance to take a shot at.
Seriously, what is with Carly's boss, the 'token human bad guy'? Sure. he's apparently been working with/for the 'cons for a long time, but he really goes full-on into "here's to EEEEvil!" territory as the flim rolls on. It's kinda hard to imagine anyone being so delusional to be gunning for 'employee of the month with bosses that are most likely to just blast, smish, or (best case) enslave you.
The chick pretty much saves the world, or at least saves Optimus Prime - by taunting Megatron, though to be fair to poor ol' Megs he did spend the whole movie with a third of his head missing.
---
All in all, a decent flick by Transformers/Michael Bay standards, and easier to deal with than Revenge of the Fallen. I think I'm starting to tire of this style of film-making though. If it's true that this will be Bay's last Transformers film, and possible future films may reboot the franchise, I'd probably welcome that, especially if more robots get character beyond 'archetype', 'stereotype', or 'scary monster'.
battlefeald3 dosent
shootin autobots and then im all "NOPE, IM A TANK" transform and CANNON!
Micheal Bay has thrust himself into elite director status.
I own the movie darling.. it was 2 shots through the chest and then, as he crawled up to Megatron to try in vain to stop him.. it was then one cannon shot to the HEAD.. ( if you have it and pause when RC is busy pulling corpses out of the wreckage, you can glimpse Ironhide in one corner of the quick shot of the remains.. he's missing his head and part of his shoulder.....)
They only killed him off because they wanted to drive the "anyone can die" thing home!
then again this is a bay film
Yeah, I honestly like the movies. Shut brain off, watch robot explosions, giggle like a child. That's about it. I like it. Then again I'm not one of those Transformers fanboys who whines about the good ol' days of G1 cardboard box bots.
I think he's settled on just doing voice work - that way he can sit in a nice comfortable chair in an air-conditioned studio to do his lines.
Bay took away Bumblebees voice, which was forgivable, it gave him a carefree character that he lacked in the G1, but overall, certain things did to need to change.
The style of transformation is good. It is nice to see the thought and detail put into it, but the body forms detract from their roots, IMHO. Take Wheeljack. he is red. Jazz was silver, and while the bug was a good joke in the first movie, the reason Bumblebee was called such ( and later goldbug) was due to the fact he was a bug. That would be like calling one of the flying jets Wheeljack.
Just overall I think that the plots where good, and I make no qualms about the overall plot, just some of the facts. But the visuals squick me.
Bay took away Bumblebees voice, which was forgivable, it gave him a carefree character that he lacked in the G1, but overall, certain things did to need to change.
The style of transformation is good. It is nice to see the thought and detail put into it, but the body forms detract from their roots, IMHO. Take Wheeljack. he is red. Jazz was silver, and while the bug was a good joke in the first movie, the reason Bumblebee was called such ( and later goldbug) was due to the fact he was a bug. That would be like calling one of the flying jets Wheeljack.
Just overall I think that the plots where good, and I make no qualms about the overall plot, just some of the facts. But the visuals squick me.
1) The schlub that was the girl's boss had like, 4 opportunities to end up with the good guys. In fact he specifically declared that he hated the Decepticons and was only working for them because he really didn't have a choice... Yet there were like 3 times that he could have betrayed them, or hell simply NOT TOLD THEM something, and come out okay. "It's too late for me" be damned.
2) The giant Decepticon army on the moon. Hey remember back in the last movie when the Fallen was desperately trying to form up a full force? SHOULDN'T HE KNOW THERE WAS ABOUT THREE HUNDRED MINIONS AND MASSIVE FUCKING WARSHIPS HANGING OUT RIGHT NEXT TO THE PLANET HE WAS TRYING TO TAKE OVER!? It was EASY, the only reason the Autobots had *any* chance was because they had the element of surprise in people thinking they were dead.
Here's hoping that, if we do indeed get a reboot, the folks working on the next film are sensible enough to treat the Transformers as characters and not just living props.
This movie in my opinion was WAY worse then the 2nd movie as they were tossing in so many robots without explaining where the hell they all came from. In the 2nd movie, Starscream tells Megatron that they don't have enough energy to make more Decepticons....yet Shockwave appears out of nowhere, he is just there.
SPOILER
Did those elephants hail Megatron (beast formers?)
Lazerbeak looked and functioned way better than the toy as well as being more of a Robot in Disguise than most of the other Robots in Disguise.
Shockwave really didn't do much (kina just slowly lurched halfway down the same block), never transformed, and the cable turned out to be a guide for bullets.
But to be honest I was more inpressed with Primes Trailer in the film than on any of the toys based on the film. If anything Takara's jet wing prime was closer to what was in the film than that battle suit mess Hasbro made
I am suprised they never made a reference to cosmic rust and Iron Hide. They just kinda threw it in there at random, like Mudflap and Skids dissapreance.
there's only 2 80's franchises left to reboot. TMNT and Power Rangers. and I'm kinda getting sick of the "nostalga Heaven" stuff as everybody else is. it's like every time they try and reboot a character franchise, lately, they go the JJBay route and make it about nothing but asskicking and taking names. yeesh. I'd rather have Epics back that actually focus on PLOT and character development instead of explosions, special effects and the nearest chick's "Attributes" geeze, guys, have you said your heterosexual today?
And weren't Power Rangers from the 90's? I clearly remember watchign the first series back when I was in elementary school...
Battle of the Planets? check Tatsunoko Vs Capcom, I believe that's the only Tatsunoko franchise characters I even recognise (i was watching Voltron, Robotech, and early Macross, instead)