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First, thanks for sharing your thoughts with us. I've actually been torn about seeing this movie since I heard some of the spoilers from IDW (the two major canon character deaths you mentioned) and, well, ROTF. It's great to have a FAN review, rather than some outsider--though those are valid, too--which goes into such depth.

I can say that Mudflap and Skids show up briefly in the movie adaptation comics (which I have been reading and are everything you complain about narrative-wise as well),and they are executed by Sentinel right after Ironhide.

I'm of course distressed to hear about my dorito's untimely demise. Then again, I'd more or less expected it the last two movies.

I can't say I"m surprised by the 'fanservice' upskirt of Carly, but then again, Bay's idea of what's appropriate for family viewing is a bit...off (testicle jokes, anyone?) As they said about him in the HOF video, he knows what the male audience wants to see.

Unfortunately, I am not male.

I'm most distressed, of course, that it's more about the people than the 'bots. I had this response to the comics as well--WHO ARE ALL THESE PEOPLE (is there a throwaway racefail character named Wang in the film?) and why am I seeing so many of THEM and so few ROBOTS?!?! Again, as Bay himself said, he hated the franchise until he took it and changed it. He changed it mostly by making it NOT about the canon characters we love, but about these dippy humans.


ANYWAY, thanks for a great review. You haven't tipped the balance of whether I see it this week or not, but expectations? SUITABLY LOWERED.

HK, My eye candy is robots

Cheesinator wrote:In fact, aside from that and Sentinel's betrayal, doesn't the entire story boil down to 'Decepticons attack but Optimus brutally murders all of them'...again?

You can't "murder" active combatants in a war of extinction.

I think chees's point was that Optimus's ethics are a bit...darker than previous incarnations of Autobots? I remember being more than a little dismayed in ROTF when Bumblebee skinned Ravage and that whole 'gimme ur fais' meme. In my Geewunner head? AUTOBOTS DON"T DO THAT. They fight, but they're not brutal thugs.

If they are, do they deserve to win?

HK, not had tea yet, and philosophizin'.

So i'm still sad about starscreams death
Everything else i like that he said,it would be better if shockwave did more i guess.
But i cant wait for this i'm excited!
also i have an idea for a 4th depending on how this one ends. And even if shias gone i think with some cooperation he'd make a small appearence because my idea barely includes sam.

hellkitty wrote:I think chees's point was that Optimus's ethics are a bit...darker than previous incarnations of Autobots? I remember being more than a little dismayed in ROTF when Bumblebee skinned Ravage and that whole 'gimme ur fais' meme. In my Geewunner head? AUTOBOTS DON"T DO THAT. They fight, but they're not brutal thugs.

If they are, do they deserve to win?

HK, not had tea yet, and philosophizin'.

Yeah, this^. Prime is a bit of a psycho in these movies ("We'll kill them all!" "Give me your face!" being lovely examples). The entire plot of ROTF was that Prime can and will kill everything that opposes him, with even death being a temporary setback.

I'm actually a huge fan of the Bayverse movies, but I definitely prefer pretty much every other incarnation of Prime. I thought he was supposed to be a wise, good leader who always sought peace and valued life and freedom above all else. If Megatron is portrayed in DOTM like he is in the novel (ie, severely weakened and tired of the war), I really don't see how Prime can justifiably kill him in cold blood. Uh, oil.

Nice write up, seibs. I got to meet Siskel and Ebert when 5th element came out... or at least have ebert turn around and ask me to shut up.

I have no comment on the content of the film itself.. Not yet, anyway.

Autobot032 wrote:I'm incredibly disappointed. I'm going to go see it, but my expectations have been lowered.

Yeah...Same here.

hellkitty wrote:
I can't say I"m surprised by the 'fanservice' upskirt of Carly, but then again, Bay's idea of what's appropriate for family viewing is a bit...off (testicle jokes, anyone?) As they said about him in the HOF video, he knows what the male audience wants to see.

Unfortunately, I am not male.

I like Bay's movies but he's kind of an idiot. I'm male and I don't want to see either of those. Maybe if I was like 12 I would find giant testicles on a robot funny, (or perhaps not really), and I don't watch a movie like this for up-skirt shots.

Cheesinator wrote:"We'll kill them all!"

It's lines like this and the total departure from the virtuous Optimus Prime chariacture that I know, is what ensures that this character will never find a place among my fond memories. There is one way this could change however, and that would be for some explanation as to why he is the way he is.

If there is one overriding factor that makes the storytelling in these movies sub par, it is that the histories, motivations, and feelings of the individual Transformers are largely ignored in favour of focus on human interest and comedy.

Optimus is a 'prime' example of this. When his ally, Jazz, meets his end, he doesn't seem to care. His home planet is doomed to oblivion, he doesn't seem to care. I wouldn't go as far as to call him an emotionless monster, since he seems to do an excellent job of protecting humans and their interests under the banner of justice, but he is seemingly cold and devoid of sympathy for anyone and anything that doesn't go squish underfoot. Even the much disputed execution of Demolisher displays to me only that he has no respect for existence of his own species.

I know, it's an analysis of story elements that probably weren't given much consideration.

But a little to nod to his history, perhaps what the Decepticons may have done to desensitize him in the past, would go a long long way to allaying the impression that this Prime is little more than a thunderous brute.

no offense you should put in title some spoilers in description what happens to what chARACTER stupid caps lock i stopped reading half way hrough.

3d i feel same way you do your prblem problem with 3d is differnt i wear glasses when i watch movies you dont for me to see film in 3d is to have 2 pairs of glasses on my face not fun not comfterable & its very overused in movies & games now