-Samurai- said:
Canadish said:
The thing is, I don't think people go to see the plot or the humor or romance.
They go to see the giant robots.
From original 80's cartoon nerds, to working class redneck American girls and all the way to guys living in small Malaysian towns on the border of the jungle. Giant Robots kinda have a worldwide appeal.
As you guessed, I'm no fan of the original cartoons, but I'd rather see Optimus Prime characterized as opposed to the humans. That would give his battles at the end more weight. The aliens are more interesting to learn about here, because they bring a different perspective to the table, and don't pander to one culture (America, fuck yeah and all that...)
Now, this debate we're having here is all pretty moot at the moment.
Even if the films HAD been about the robots, they would have sucked, because Michel Bay, and the writers for Transformers are all awful at characterization and pacing.
But at least we could have just kept looking at pretty robots.
If a competent film maker and team were behind the wheel, I'd be fine with a focus on the humans, because they would know how to make them interesting and less offensive to my intelligence. So who knows, these new movies may rock.
By the third movie, people know exactly what they're getting in to. You could figure out after the first movie that it isn't 100% robots. Expecting the human plot to be dropped in favor of giant robot battles is moronic. That's not how sequels work(good ones, any way). When you go see a Transformers movie, you know you're getting a human romance/fight for survival plot, as well as the robots. And if you don't agree with that, don't go see it.
And we both know that if there was no human plot, people would be complaining that Transformers is three movies of two teams of robots fighting the same battles over and over. How many times can people watch the same robot turn into the same vehicle, and vice versa?
Transformers gets slammed because it's popular. Michael Bay gets slammed because he made something popular, and is successful. The general public isn't stupid. If the movies were half as bad as the band wagon haters say, there never would have been a second one made.
True, I think people do know what they're getting into. As you say, it would be moronic to expect otherwise with Bay's record. And the fact its cheaper for the studios to make a movie about humans, stick enough robot action in to fill up the trailers and call it a day.
I personally skipped the last 2 after watching the first.
I find it kind of funny that you mention that people would complain if it WAS just about giant fighting robots, because your right.
Though, it's worth noting, that's a far lesser complaint then the current ones.
Just having giant robots fighting? Empty fluff. Cool, awesome, but empty.
2 hours of low brow humor, bad acting, and army propaganda? That's empty and it's not even awesome.
And honestly, I'd be tempted to agree that this franchise may just get bashed due to it's popularity, but I saw the first movie.
I saw it all the way through, and swore never again.
Movie's generally don't tend to anger me, but that one did. It was the first time I'd ever felt insulted by a movie, and the first time I was squirming in my seat due to how
mind numbingly awful it was.
They really are
that bad. If what I've heard about 2 and 3 is indeed true (and it matches all my issues with the first).
BUT the movie go-ing public is fine with that because the 20 minutes of giant robot battles is great and more then enough for them.
Seriously, if there was a survey done, NO ONE say they cared about Sam.
Megan Fox maybe, because of her ass. But that's about it.
