Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Bay, 2009) — The Reviews Thread

[Trevor]

Originally Posted by Gunde

I gotta say that anyone thinking this movie is inapproriate for kids is a goddamn prude. For fucks sake that's laughable.

How many kids do you have, and what age do you think the movie is appropriate for?

[Giantrobo]

Originally Posted by Schloob1

Not quite sure how to respond to this Giantrobo, but the simple fact is probably because Transformers is supposed to be based off a "kid's" cartoon show from the 80's and this is what they have done with it. While I do not think they should make it G rated they could at least take out the offensive stuff that would make it only PG. And I think it is easily safe to assume that is why they get a pass though in "The Hangover" since IT IS an "R" rated film and bachelor parties are the LAST thing a kid should know anything about. These 2 films should not be compared whatsoever.

But the TF1 wasn't really geared towards Kids so why expect TF2 to follow a Kid friendly trend? I compared the two films because some of the same folks complaining about crude humor in TF2 clearly liked the same juvenile/crude humor on "The Hangover". It just seems strange to me that TF2 is suddenly a sign of the end of civilization.

[KillerCannibal]

So, finally checked this out last night. I had zero expectations and I didn't really leave the theater feeling like they had been met or exceeded. It's about as good as the first one, just WAY too long.

Is the humor stupid? Absolutely, but that was already to be expected.

Are the robots any easier to make out when fighting? Of course not, but that was to be expected.

Is every human character an idiot or, when needed, incredibly brilliant? Of course, but that was to be expected.

I don't know what people thought this was going to be... it's a sequel to a Bay film, directed by Bay. I always know EXACTLY what to expect when I sit down for one of his Bayhem flicks.

I will admit that this was probably one of the most excessive films in recent memory. The experience of watching it was akin to having a circle of Michael Bay clones bukkake me with napalm jism.

[Giantrobo]

Originally Posted by Suprmallet

Part of it is expectation. The Hangover is a raunchy comedy and makes no apologies for it. The trailers all advertised it that way. Transformers 2 is meant to be an action movie. It wasn't advertised as a raunchy comedy.

Another difference is the execution. The Hangover was directed by a comedic director who understands that jokes need setups and payoffs. Bay just throws in random bits, often unexpectedly, such as when the little RC car starts humping Megan Fox's leg for no reason.

Also, most of the humor in The Hangover is not juvenile. The majority of the juvenile jokes come from Zach Galifiniakis, whose character is himself childlike. In Transformers, these people are meant to be acting like adults, but instead they're gawking at women and making jokes about genitals. It's just a whole different world than The Hangover.

Note that these comments apply to only Transformers 2, I liked most of the humor in the first Transformers.

Ok, it's also a "Bay thing". And like I said, I haven't seen TF2 yet but I expect to see this weekend. So I'll see for myself how crude things get and how they're executed. Also, my point is singling out TF2 as what's wrong with a culture just makes no sense. I have a feeling that if I happen to like TF2 I'll become part of what's wrong with our culture based on comments here. Not that I care, but it just seems harsh.

And I get the the much of the crude humor in "The Hangover" was centered around one character. But the overall vibe of the films was still juvenile and crude. Again, not a bad thing. I was in tears laughing as much as anyone else. But if they're going to say TF2 is the end of civilization then "The Hangover" should be lumped in just the same.

[Jaymole]

Originally Posted by Giantrobo

Ok, it's also a "Bay thing". And like I said, I haven't seen TF2 yet but I expect to see this weekend. So I'll see for myself how crude things get and how they're executed. Also, my point is singling out TF2 as what's wrong with a culture just makes no sense. I have a feeling that if I happen to like TF2 I'll become part of what's wrong with our culture based on comments here. Not that I care, but it just seems harsh.

And I get the the much of the crude humor in "The Hangover" was centered around one character. But the overall vibe of the films was still juvenile and crude. Again, not a bad thing. I was in tears laughing as much as anyone else. But if they're going to say TF2 is the end of civilization then "The Hangover" should be lumped in just the same.

It is Bay's style as a director that would make anything he touches juvenile and crude so even if he decided to make a film about the life of Jesus, it would have the same problems as Transformers. For me it is his style of directing that exemplifies all that is wrong with American culture today.

[Sierra Disc]

Originally Posted by Trevor

How many kids do you have, and what age do you think the movie is appropriate for?

[Suprmallet]

Originally Posted by Giantrobo

Ok, it's also a "Bay thing". And like I said, I haven't seen TF2 yet but I expect to see this weekend. So I'll see for myself how crude things get and how they're executed. Also, my point is singling out TF2 as what's wrong with a culture just makes no sense. I have a feeling that if I happen to like TF2 I'll become part of what's wrong with our culture based on comments here. Not that I care, but it just seems harsh.

And I get the the much of the crude humor in "The Hangover" was centered around one character. But the overall vibe of the films was still juvenile and crude. Again, not a bad thing. I was in tears laughing as much as anyone else. But if they're going to say TF2 is the end of civilization then "The Hangover" should be lumped in just the same.

I guess it's that Transformers 2 is presented with such salaciousness. It's almost like you can see Bay jerking off onto the tits of all the hot chicks he's lumped into the film. And even though Todd Philips has a cameo in The Hangover as some guy eating out a chick in the elevator, the movie never comes off as that eager to drool over women and cars and the military the way Transformers 2 does. Also, the point of The Hangover is to indulge in that kind of humor. The point of Transformers is meant to be about giant robots.

I never said Transformers 2 is the "end of civilization" or anything like that, just that it's a very bad movie.

[Patrick_N]

Originally Posted by KillerCannibal

So, finally checked this out last night. I had zero expectations and I didn't really leave the theater feeling like they had been met or exceeded. It's about as good as the first one, just WAY too long.


I will admit that this was probably one of the most excessive films in recent memory. The experience of watching it was akin to having a circle of Michael Bay clones bukkake me with napalm jism.

Nice, if I needed clear words, I got them here. Yikes. ;-)

Not a chance I'll watch this one, even if the babe is babe, the director is the devil. ;-)

[Patrick_N]

Originally Posted by Giantrobo

Ok, it's also a "Bay thing". And like I said, I haven't seen TF2 yet but I expect to see this weekend. So I'll see for myself how crude things get and how they're executed. Also, my point is singling out TF2 as what's wrong with a culture just makes no sense. I have a feeling that if I happen to like TF2 I'll become part of what's wrong with our culture based on comments here. Not that I care, but it just seems harsh.

Buddy, YOU are part of the problem. BIG F*GGING robot. HELLO?!?!

[xage]

I think this movie will be included among the 10 nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars next year!

Not!

[Giantrobo]

Originally Posted by Patrick_N

Buddy, YOU are part of the problem. BIG F*GGING robot. HELLO?!?!

Apparently...

[Patrick_N]

Originally Posted by xage

I think this movie will be included among the 10 nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars next year!

Not!

Sneaky.

But, please, for god's sake, NO!!

[lamphorn]

I couldn't make it more than 10 minutes through the first movie, but I was considering giving it another chance, then catching this one... but my Cuban friend (who loves big action movies and enjoyed the first one) had two words for this:

"Tremendo mierda."
(translates to 'tremendous shit')

He said he was waiting for it to end, it was so painful. I think I'll pass.

[xage]

Originally Posted by Patrick_N

Sneaky.

But, please, for god's sake, NO!!

But Hey GOLDEN COMPASS beat the 1st one last 2007 Best Special Effects Award!

[Ash Ketchum]

I saw this today. I liked the first film a lot, chiefly because it was funny, with well-developed gag scenes and interactions, and because it built up its plot and characters gradually. It delayed the gratification (probably the only time a Michael Bay film did that) and made us wait for about 45 min. before the Autobots finally revealed themselves and then it built up the story to the final climactic confrontation with Megatron in L.A.

This one shoots its wad right away and then keeps shooting it--sometimes quite literally. And the humor tends to be vulgar and coarse. I don't object to it, but I just didn't find it very funny. The vulgar jokes in THE HANGOVER were funnier. The one scene I laughed out loud at, along with everybody else in the theater, was the one in the dorm where the co-ed Decepticon tries to get it on with Shia. And the laughs came from Shia's freaked-out reaction. That part was very well-played. But there weren't enough scenes like that.

The film was way too long. I started to nod out at the 2-hour mark and only managed to stay awake because of all the noise in the final battle.

Megan Fox is gorgeous, though, and I'd only get a DVD of this film if it offered a second disc filled with her outtakes, including shots of her getting in and out of that leather biker outfit.

[shadowhawk2020]

Originally Posted by wm lopez

I thought this was supposed to a family movie. Mostly there were lots of kids with their parents in line. There is a lot of swearing and sexual scenes in this movie.
Parents be warned!

Was there an ad campaign that targeted this movie at kids? Two of my coworkers took their (under 10 year old) kids to the movie, and said that the movie had too many bad words, and sexual jokes.

They looked at me funny when I asked them what the movie was rated (I thought it was PG-13 but wasn't sure.) I then asked them what their kids thought of the violence.

[mdc3000]

I decided to check this out AGAIN in IMAX this time - despite only thinking it was alright the first time... well, I'd say I enjoyed it quite a bit more this time, since I knew what I was in for, and think as popcorn entertainment, it works pretty well (the sold out crowd ate it up). The IMAX scenes were pretty great, the forest battle was amazing on the big screen and despite not ALL of the shots being IMAX in the devastator sequence, that was pretty fucking stellar - definitely the best way to see this movie.

I still think at least half of the humour doesn't work, the roommate is pointless, the twins are horrible and the pretender is a half baked idea, but overall, I had a better time and would probably bump it from 3 stars to about 3.5/3.75 out of 5.

[Sessa17]

Originally Posted by Gunde

I gotta say that anyone thinking this movie is inapproriate for kids is a goddamn prude. For fucks sake that's laughable.

What? What age are you talking about? If this is a reference to my posts in this thread where I mentioned an 8 year old, then you are absolutely crazy, I'm not a prude just look at my collection, but I don't want my 8 year old (if I had one) hearing robots that they think are cool & funny saying shit & pussy. I don't want my 8 year old who only wants to see a movie b.c it has giant robots blowing stuff up, asking me what pot is. And as far as the language if it was one or two curses, I'd have no problem but it was throughout this entire movie, & IMO felt horribly unnecessary and awkward.

[shadowhawk2020]

Originally Posted by Sessa17

What? What age are you talking about? If this is a reference to my posts in this thread where I mentioned an 8 year old, then you are absolutely crazy, I'm not a prude just look at my collection, but I don't want my 8 year old (if I had one) hearing robots that they think are cool & funny saying shit & pussy. I don't want my 8 year old who only wants to see a movie b.c it has giant robots blowing stuff up, asking me what pot is. And as far as the language if it was one or two curses, I'd have no problem but it was throughout this entire movie, & IMO felt horribly unnecessary and awkward.

You did notice the movies rating before going right?

[Sessa17]

Originally Posted by shadowhawk2020

You did notice the movies rating before going right?

Yeah, but what does that have to do with my post? I didn't take any kids to see it. Somewhere has strong feelings that it's fine for young kids, despite the rating, & I think it's rather obvious that it is not.

[chris_sc77]

Originally Posted by Sessa17

What? What age are you talking about? If this is a reference to my posts in this thread where I mentioned an 8 year old, then you are absolutely crazy, I'm not a prude just look at my collection, but I don't want my 8 year old (if I had one) hearing robots that they think are cool & funny saying shit & pussy. I don't want my 8 year old who only wants to see a movie b.c it has giant robots blowing stuff up, asking me what pot is. And as far as the language if it was one or two curses, I'd have no problem but it was throughout this entire movie, & IMO felt horribly unnecessary and awkward.

You better quit it. I havnt heard or seen one thing that makes me wanna see this movie more than this post.

[raven56706]

ok just got back from it... here's my mini review plus alittle add on

the add on: before getting into the sold out 3:50pm showing, we were waiting in line and the manager of the movie theater tried to speak lowly. he was pointing to the huge billboard of public enemies with the words out. well he spoke lowly because the L was missing. But the assistant said it out loud which got a laugh from the people in the line. LOL.

the review:

I loved the first one and i defended it so much here that i cant even count the times. But this one was way too long... with the say i love you to the desert chatter... argghhhh. The action was top notch and optimus prime was bad ass again. I went with some of my black friends and they laughed at the twin cars. They said after " what the hell is everyone complaining about? I wonder if flavor flav is given a free pass by my people?"

all in all, it was good just not as good as the first. plus it didnt setup anything for the next.

[GCS]

Going tomorrow with very low expectations now. We'll see how bad it is.

[hal9000]

Well, I thought the first Transformers movie was a big steaming pile... I won't even bother with this one. it's too bad, this franchise "had" potential. Word on the street is part 2 is worse than the first... and the first one sucked hard. The bar was set pretty low after the first one, so failing was going to be pretty hard to do, but then again it is Bay we're talking about.

[Matt925]

Movie was long, but entertaining