What bothers me the most about the whole thing is that everyone seems to be giving the movie a pass because it's based on the Transformers. Like we shouldn't have expected a decent writer, worthwhile characters and a level of humor above "toilet." I ask, why shouldn't we expect better? There is absolutely no reason the script and characters couldn't have been as impressive as the effects.

There are plenty of examples of "summer popcorn flicks" that not only delivered on the spectacle but also had great stories, that respected audience intelligence. I'll throw one out: Spider-Man 2 - great effects, great story, fun and interesting characters. Sure it has it's flaws but never did I feel like the movie was aimed at 12-year old boys, which is exactly the feeling of Transfomers.

If they had made an intelligent movie, cut useless characters and lame jokes, toned down the product placement so it wasn't so obvious and shown more kick-ass robots on screen (you know...THE STARS), this movie would have blown my doors off.

Potentially a defining film for this generation and they fucking blew it. Box Office numbers mean nothing to me, since we all know the garbage audiences will sit through every year.

your probably right but there are repeat viewers and great word of mouth...

the problem with transformers is that it wanted to get the old viewers and new people in. The young kids now didnt grow up with Transformers. The slap stick comedy had to appeal to the younger audience for that to work. The demographics for this movie had lots of kids after the movies cleaning out the shelves of toystores.

thats what the problem was. I mean the product placement could have been toned down but hell most of the transformers have to transform from something.

This movie will not be liked by all but obviously lot of people like this movie, which generates it into a movie that did something successful made a fun movie.... not a great scripted movie but a fun movie with lots a popcorn effects.

i think there were flaws too but nothing to make it into a dreadful movie. This movie(IMO) blows the big three (SM3, POTC3, Shrek 3) out of the water....

no one is getting upset... i just ask what were people expecting from a movie based on a cartoon with some goofy characters.... one can only imagine if grimlock was in this movie...

There are some post eariler in the thread where people were getting a little defensive on someone not liking the film.

Also kids bought a ton of Spider-Man toys and that film didn't lower itself to the humor that was in Transformers. The humor that put me off was the scene in the backyard, the Ebay talk, the gotta find a credit card scene, and Sector 7. They also had too many side plots going on. They could have taken out the Iraq scenes and the computer hacker scenes and focused on the Autobots trying to get the glasses. That would have freed up more time for the Transformers and less humans talking.

I'm curious why some people seem to be getting upset over people liking the movie.

It's ok if you didn't like it, but many people here did so you're not going to change anybody's mind simply by listing all the things that you didn't like about it.

I mean it's like a Republican and Democrat arguing about social issues. There is nothing that either person can say to change the other's mind so what's the point in arguing?

By the way it wasn't Iraq. It was Qatar.

First off my mistake on the Iraq quote.

Secondly, I'm glad people enjoyed it. I didn't. I just think it is a little odd when someone posts they didn't like it, they have to answer twenty questions on why. "Why didn't you like that part?" "Did you like films like Armageddon?" etc.

I also think it is stupid to say, its a good movie because it made X amount of money.

All in all though, if you liked it I'm glad you did. Personally I thought it was one of the worst films of the year, it is just a little above Hills Have Eyes 2.

Also I forgot to mention, and this proves my point, I'm not trying to change anyones mind. It is a movie discussion thread. I'm not thread crapping, or putting anyone down for liking it. If someone changes there mind over something read on a message board, then they have problems.

yeah... and some people that ONCE was overrated... there are lots of critics out there...

I think it's interesting that "fun" is enough of a reason to like this movie, but if you hated it, you seem to need more of a reason than just "stupid".

This thread at this point rotflrotflrotfl

Ok, is it just me or has this movie been in the theaters a long time? It's still playing several times a day at the AMC's in my area. Is this the "normal" amount of time for most big flicks?

They're going to be showing an extended version in IMAX starting on 9/21. Given that I've been looking for an excuse to see it in theaters again, and have never been to an IMAX/always wanted to go...I'm there.

When Star Wars came out in '77 it played for a whole year non stop at my local Century theatre.

IMAX? No shit.

Looks like I'll be seeing this three times this year.

mrhan: Robo was talking about movies in the last five-ten years and/or after electricity was invented, old-timer. ;)

The last two movies I remember playing for a long time were Titanic and Jurassic Park. Jurassic Park played for about a year in this area.

Ratatoutille and Live Free or Die Hard are still playing here in addition to Transformers.

Not huge amouns of time, but longer than most summer fare.

some people are still going to see transformers....

too bad the IMAX engagements will retain the film's OAR of 2.35 -

I wanted it full screen ;)

(and I'm being serious)

rotfl Because that was what the movie was missing...length. rotfl

I'd be far more interested in seeing a shorter version.

but even at it's current running time, you can obviousily tell certain characters fell to the cutting room floor.

wonder if the IMAX version will correct the grain in the DLP version.

I don't think length was much of a common complaint.

Extraneous characters were a big complaint, and the movie runs 20 minutes north of two hours as it is.

I can almost guarantee that what gets added in is more "character" stuff, as I can't see them leaving a frame of robots on the cutting room floor.

I suppose we'll soon find out.

Not me. I don't understand the idea of people wanting to see a hacked-up version of the film just because they didn't want to sit for the full-length version.

I'm pumped as hell for it.

That's not the point he is making. There are too many extraneous characters that don't get developed. Sure the extended may help flesh them out, but then for every minute more of development spent on them is another minute not devoted to the actual Transformers. Like mentioned above, I highly doubt there are any robot sequences on the cutting room floor.

I'd love to see an abbreviated version as well. Tightening it up more is the better route, IMO. Lose the teen hacker shit, 90% of the Sector 7 garbage, and the Jar Jar Binks nonsense at the beginning.