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MONDAY PM: Paramount is announcing bigger actual numbers. "More theatres ran midnight shows than we had originally forecast. And a number of Imax locations that aren't in multiplexes and are not in the reporting system did huge grosses," an exec explains. So Transformers 2: Revenge Of The Fallen opened to a 3-day weekend total is $108.9M and 5-day overall is $200M from 4,234 theaters. The breakdown is $32M for Sunday, $40.2M for Saturday, $36.7M Friday, $29M Thursday, and a record smashing $62M Wednesday. Included are 169 IMAX screens which contributed a giant $14.5M to the 5 day total. Internationally, the robot sequel made $166.1M with a cume of $190.3M including the early debuts in Japan and the UK. So that makes for $390.4M worldwide, a nice haul for the 100%-owned Viacom title. (There have been some erroneous reports that Steven Spielberg has a piece of the new pic, but I'm told he has no personal financial interest in it. He received an executive producer credit and commensurate fee, but the movie falls under the original acquisition deal when Paramount acquired DreamWorks SKG.) What's amazing is that Transformers 2 even came as close as it did -- No. 2 -- to challenging the biggest ever 5-day opening record of $203.8M set by Warner Bros' 2008 The Dark Knight since Christopher Nolan's film received great reviews, and the critics hated Michael Bay's popcorn pic. But TF2 proved the definition of a summer movie: loud, mindless, and therefore controversial as a blockbuster. Still, Warner Bros closely watched the DK vs TF2 contest: of all the studios, WB gave the Paramount pic the lowest 5-day numbers.
In terms of records, Transformers 2's Wednesday midnights broke the previous post-midnight Wednesday record set by 2007's Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix: $16M vs $12M. It also smashed the Wednesday opening record set by that Harry Potter 5: $62M vs $44.2M. (DK opened on a Friday.) And TF2 shattered the biggest Wednesday 5-day opener of all time set by 2004's Spider-Man 2: $200M vs $152.4M. And it came in 2nd to Dark Knight for biggest opening day ever: $62M vs $67.1M, and for biggest ever 5-day opening: $200M vs $203.8M.
SATURDAY PM: Sources tell me Paramount's Transformers 2: Revenge Of The Fallen is looking like it took in $39.5 Saturday and $36.7M Friday from 4,234 theaters. The studio is now estimating its 3-day weekend cume is bigger than expected: $115M vs $90M previously anticipated despite lousy reviews. But execs say the robot sequel will "only" get to $200M for the 5-day opening total. Which means the rock'em, sock'em pic isn't expected to gun down the 5-day opening record of $203.8M set by last summer's The Dark Knight.
THURSDAY 10:30 PM: Sources tell me that Paramount's Transformers 2: Revenge Of The Fallen logged a $28.6M Thursday. That's $3M more than the studio expected. The pic has now made $89.3M in two days from 4,234 North American theaters, including 169 Imax locations which earned $2.3M Thursday and $1M Wednesday. Now the robot sequel is on its way to a $185+M five-day total. To beat the record, it would have to equal The Dark Knight's $203.8M. (Impossible?) But Transformers 2 is certain to post the 2nd best ever 5-day domestic total. Internationally, the pic has made just over $80M through Thursday after opening day and date in almost every territory.
THURSDAY AM UPDATE: It's now officially a rock-'em, sock-'em summer! Paramount's Transformers 2: Revenge Of The Fallen shattered the Wednesday opening record set by Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix (#5) in 2007: $60.6M vs $44.2M. Even better for the studio, Transformers 2 came in 2nd only to 2008 box office phenomenon The Dark Knight for biggest opening day ever: $60.6M vs $67.1M. So now 2007 Spider-Man 3's $59.8M single day take drops down to #3. The robot sequel grosses from 4,234 North American theaters are $16M more than Paramount expected. That puts the sci-fi actioner on track for a $175M five-day opening despite overwhelmingly lousy reviews. But Paramount boasted how exit polling showed that 91% of the audience said "they liked this movie as much or better than the first". So this Decepticons vs Autobots battle is reviewer-proof.
WEDNESDAY AM: Let's be clear: Transformers 2: Revenge Of The Fallen did not break the overall post-midnight preview record of $18.4 million (from 3,040 theaters) set by The Dark Knight on a Friday last summer, but is now 3rd of all time behind Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith's $16.9M (in 2,915 plays in 2005). But the Paramount sequel playing 12:01 AM shows in 3,000+ venues sure came closer than anyone thought possible. Rival studios had expected only between $10M-$12M in midnight shows. So the $16M for Transformers 2 smashed that and more. It broke the previous post-midnight Wednesday record of $12M set by the most recent Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix in 2007. Naturally, Paramount has a sure-shot to shatter that pic's $44M Wednesday record opening as well as the biggest Wednesday 5-day opener of all time Spider-Man 2's grosses of $152.4M in 2004. The studio's estimated 5-day breakdown for Transformers 2 as it expands into a huge release of 4,226 runs now stands at $45M for Wednesday, $25M for Thursday, and $90M for Friday-Sunday. That's in line with Paramount's estimate of $160M which I reported a month ago. But rival studios are pegging the 5-day estimated total at $165M-$175M. "Reviews have been venomous, and I get that it's review proof. But it won't be the zeitgeist movie that last summer's Dark Knight was," one competitor told me. "It's a big-ass opening movie that will fall precipitously." (*These numbers aren't adjusted for inflation or ticket prices.)
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‘Coming closer than people thought’ is not ‘record smashing.’
TRANSFORMERS RISE OF THE FALLEN WAS EVERYTHING YOU COULD EVER WANT FROM A SUMMER ACTION FLICK IT HAD NON STOP ACTION AND AMAZING SPECIAL EFFECTS! CRITICS ARE JUST WORRIED THAT THIS COULD BE THE FILM THAT COULD COME CLOSE TO THE DARK OVERATED KNIGHT SO THEY HAVE TO GIVE IT TERRIBLE REVIEWS! $400M DOMESTIC IS IN THE BAG FOR THIS SEQUEL!!!!
just looking for a quiet spot to say CONGRATS!!
Critics are so out of touch. This is a big fun movie. Heaven forbid people have a good time in a movie theater. I’m going again on Friday.
I like my robots racist, so I’ll check this out tomorrow.
The Dark Knight was not overrated it was underrated. Had it won the Best Picture Oscar it would have been overrated. And since it wasn’t even nominated, it makes it underrated. The Dark Knight combines the action extravaganza you expect from a summer movie with the dramatically powerful performances and interpretations of the characters. It gives you a compelling story. And it’s really one of the best pieces of American cinema this decade. And the reason the reviews are terrible is because it is terrible. The story is weak, the characters are stupid and the interactions between the humans is nothing. Now, is Transformers 2 good from the summer action movie standpoint? Yes. But is it a piece of art that will transcend time and be like Casablanca? No, it won’t. And that’s what gets critics mad. It’s that films don’t try to be anything anymore except big money makers.
Didn’t like the twin Jar Jar bots, but otherwise it was a fun movie. Though it felt like Bay had an invisible middle finger in the frame for the last 45 mins.
Not coming CLOSE to TDK !! LMFAO!!
Transformers will be the # 1 film for this year. It is an awesome crowd pleaser. Stop quoting Jeff Blake!
Can’t wait to see it
Is this the botanical garden or sth?
It’s not only “the critics” who diss T2, word of mouth is going south with the speed of light as well. IOW: The more people have seen it, the worse WOM gets.
I was bored out of my skull while I watched T2 today. Had trouble staying awake. Not kidding. Extremely unsatisfying experience. I’d cut at least 40 minutes.
Transformers 2 didn’t feel like a movie. Rather like a collage of different parts, some of them very weak, that didn’t work together all that well. If only the filmmakers had cared as much about the human characters and actors as they did about the explosions and fights….
What did Nikki write recently? Something like “Shia should be/will be in every movie?” Try again. When college hottie hit on him, all I could thinks was: she hits on this guy? Why on earth would she, I don’t get it.
I liked Shia so much better in Indiana Jones and Disturbia.
Michael Bay needs a directing partner who directs the humans. Seriously. What he did here is embarrassing.
“Transformers 2″ is a surprising in-depth look into the mind of Michel Bay. Not surprisingly it’s a very scary place.
Hey douchebag… err… “todd” – don’t tell me what I want from a summer action flick. Your simple reptilian mind might not be able to process more than “non stop action and amazing special effects”, but other moviegoers—people who might have a more refined taste and hold their films to a higher standard—want STORY and CHARACTER and EMOTION and editing that won’t elicit an epileptic seizure and dialogue that wasn’t written through a speak-n-spell and female characters that are more than just window-dressing (note to Bay: hot chicks are even hotter if you give them a personality and a character arc) and how about a moment of quiet… one quiet scene PLEASE. It’s called tension. You can’t build said tension if everything is always turned up to 11. The reason I know that more can/should be expected of a summer movie is because of two very recent examples of combining popcorn thrills with interesting/complex characters (that we want to watch more than the FX) and compelling stories: TDK (obviously) and Iron Man. ’nuff said.
Ugh. Why am I wasting my time on Todd… have fun. Go see the movie 10 times. That’s what we need – Michael Bay encouraged to make more of the same.
Anyone want to see The Hurt Locker with me this weekend?
great movie imo and the dark knight is so overrated the critics are idiots this movie so fun love ever min of it
Weirdly, someone identifying himself as Bob Orci posted the following on Harry Knowles’ Ain’t It Cool News:
http://www.aintitcool.com/talkback_display/41512#comment_2738378
“thanks for trying to give me and Alex a pass, but the sequence of events isn’t exactly right. Two weeks before the strike, Alex and Ehren and I generated a 20 page story outline together, and then Michael used it during the strike to prep the action and to develop some of the things he wanted into more of a 60 page scriptment. The twins were born then. I wouldn’t blame Ehren for anything that you wouldn’t blame us for, but thanks anyway.”
In other words, pointing the finger of blame straight at Bay for the racist stereotypes (among other things) in Transformers. Of course, it’s not possible to verify this poster’s identity, and the level of decorum displayed seems inappropriate for someone in Orci’s position.
Captain Kirk says “Bring It, we’re the fanboy film of the summer yo.”
@”I Saw It”
Its not just “The Critics” (who, in this multi-media, blog-driven world are all but irrelevant to a movie’s performance), its the word of mouth (which, in this multi-media, blog-driven world is vital to a movie’s performance). Given just how awful people are saying this movie is, there’s no way it sees the upper-end rival predictions. When even the perennially juvenile Harry “I’ve never met a film I didn’t like as long as I got an all expenses-paid set visit” Knowles hates it, its got to be bad.
My God this thing they call a movie was truly a painful experience to go through. Terrible beyond belief. It defines a new low in blockbuster filmmaking, or if you could even call it that. If someone knows the Email address to the producers involved please post because they really need to know their product is the very definition of garbage.
You guys are crazy I’m a general manager for a local small town theatre in south Florida and I have yet to hear anyone say anything bad about this movie. We have sold out shows all day long and nobody is complaining the only people I hear trash the movie are the people all over the internet and the critics. This is a 400 million+ movie.
TDK overrated? 1 biiiiiilllllliiiiiooooonnnnnn dollars Haters, you’re in the minority!
Just left the theater. I thought it was a fine summer flick. Enjoyed it very much.
Lighten up.
(LOL) It’s so obvious that the only people criticizing this movie are people desperate for it to do bad for whatever personal gripe they have with either the studio, the director, or some other association with the film. The real truth is it is funny, thrilling, exciting, and edge of your seat entertainment at in its most exhilerating form. I know it’s hard to hear and there’s a need to just write as snarky and as nasty of a comment as you can think of in hopes of feeling better about yourselves. But, the reality is it’s a wonderfully entertaining movie. And true word of mouth is spoken by the people exiting the theaters and talking to the neighbors, friends, and co-workers, not internet rants. Please, I saw happy, smiley people exiting the theater this morning and every single comment within earshot was positive. How about that? Bash away if you must. That’s not fooling anyone (LOL). It’s a great film with huge box office appeal. And it’s going to generate alot of positive buzz from ordinary people who saw it and will rave about it to their family and friends today and throughout the week.
A.M. did you watch the movie? oh yeah you did. the hot lady is a robot and they are tracking Shia that’s why she’s after Shia. Watch the movie again so you could understand.
“Try again. When college hottie hit on him, all I could thinks was: she hits on this guy? Why on earth would she, I don’t get it.”
A film where lots of stuff blows up and every single woman is objectified as a package of sex waiting to be unwrapped? $400 mil easily.
The first Transformers let you check your brain at the concession counter and enjoy a mindless, yet somewhat entertaining, film. This one just straight up eats the brain right out of your head while your eyes feast on Megan Fox’s boobs and ass in between explosions. It’s disgusting that parents are taking their kids to see this bile.
That is a lot of suck for your buck!
It was better than the first one at least.
I loved it. The fight in the forest was so awesome. Cant wait to see it again
@ PM – sure, but that “reveal” came on the heels of me thinking how I cannot buy it, which is not a good thing.
@ Schwartzy — exactly! Well put (not the douchebag part, but the rest… especially re: Iron Man)
@ Marc – why would I be desperate for this movie to do badly? I went to the theater hoping to have at least as good a time as I had with Transformers 1. And as for “internet rants” – there was a lot of internet hype for this flick and people were looking forward to it. They bought tickets and many hated it and say so. When Star Trek came out, many people loved it and said so. As I left the theater, two out of three comments re: T2 fell into “not impressed/disappointed” category.
I wouldn’t worry about T2 losing money. It opened super-wide and with pretty much a global release date. It ought to have made its money back within week 1. That’s the only strategy to use when your movie sucks anyway. By the time word gets around, the money’s in the bank. And still, enough people will go to see for themselves. Should be interesting to watch how T2 does USA : worldwide b.o.
That’s when imdb & Co. start showing more realistic numbers in the score – when the numerous plants are finally outnumbered. The people who regret having paid to see this overhyped lame excuse for a “blockbuster” aren’t the ones with an agenda, methinks.
I saw the movie today. I’m not surprised that it’s doing the business it’s doing. But, it is a bad film. There are good moments but i don’t think it’s as good as the first. Megan Fox is a bad actress and it really comes out in this performance, (yeah i get it she’s not there to act, but still). Shia acts ok. The story is just not fluid and feels pieced together.
SPOILER ALERT
To the poster who wrote that Michael Bay was giving a middle finger 45 minutes to the end of the movie got it right. For instance, there is the scene where the John Turturro character says to the SR-71 Blackbird robot something like “yeah get to the plot, concise the plot points” or something like that. They just threw the story together. Just because you can afford CGI and special effects doesn’t mean you have to ignore human emotion and character development. At least there is some humour in there or this would have been intolerable. I’m not an art house snob or anything i like action pics. This was a bad movie. T1 was better IMO!
Wow. Record-breaking opening. And Michael Bay was complaining that the marketing department wasn’t doing their job.
“Despite overwhelmingly lousy reviews” – makes you wonder if and when film critics will be able to tell the difference between art and entertainment. My guess is that they’ll finally have this ‘a-ha’ moment right around the time hell freezes over.
Anyone who likes that junk didn’t just leave their brain at the door, they had no brain going in.
Five of us were planning to go see this movie at the Arclight but have since cancelled our plans based on all the negative reviews. Now, none of us are going.
A friend of mine who saw the first Transformers film SIX TIMES in the theater told us he saw Revenge of the Fallen and it was so terrible that he NEVER wants to see it again.
Hollywood: we are STILL in a recession. People listen to word-of-mouth reviews even for their “popcorn flicks.”
If the “racist” Car-Bots weren’t intentionally racist, at best the humor sounds crude and awfully corny. At worst, they do seem to be racist. I can’t actually judge because I won’t be seeing the film.
What has happened to Spielberg? He used to be my hero. Who ever would have thought racially stereotyped Transformers would be a good idea? That’s the worst idea since someone thought people were longing to see Indiana Jones get married.
The Dark Knight was a success because Nolan and Company understood what audiences want: a “popcorn” movie made with genuine passion that tried to elevate audience expectations instead of insulting them. Those of you making movies now would do well to consider that.
If your excuse for making a bad film is to resort to the “it’s-just-a-popcorn-movie-based-on-a-cartoon-for-kids” defense then it’s obvious you had no passion for your film and were the wrong choice to be involved. My money is hard-earned right now, as is most people’s. I am willing to spend it to have a theatrical experience but I won’t just give it away to someone who takes my ticket for granted.
I also forgot to mention that JJ Abrams “Star Trek” was a very good “popcorn” flick. Watching the story unfold, you knew the director and his producers had passion for the film they were making. That’s a ticket price worth paying.
It doesn’t matter what the critics say, this is a cultural thing, a must see movie. Plus generation X, me included, remember Transformers. The American audience will see what they want to see.
Yep, Transformers is a surefire hit. Critics speak to a small minority of filmgoers. Moviegoers don’t need Howards End or No Country For Old Men everytime, if ever. Watch “Sullivan’s Travels”…Preston Sturges gets it. People want escape. And if the plot aint all there or the characters are thin…so what…it is ESCAPE! I love art flicks…I love popcorn flicks. I know what I am getting when I watch a Bay flick. And for 2′45″, I am entertained. I understand that the arty moments are few and far between but I will be transported to a world where point A is bad robots want to destroy our planet and point B is where good robots will fight to protect us. There isn’t much in the middle. So what…for intellectual stimulation, I will read a book…or re-watch Betty Blue…Napoleon by Abel Gance…Jules et Jim…The Magnificent Ambersons…I am lucky I suppose…I can enjoy a wide variety of flicks and not have my nose stuck up in the air. Sorry, but the magic of movies brings a lot to life from Cocteau’s hand held wall sconces in Beauty and the Beast to yes, Optimus Prime’s glowing eyes. I can appreciate all the people coming out of either theater…smiling and laughing since they left their cares behind for over two hours. Heh, and those that didn’t enjoy themselves…they can lose themselves in “The Hurt Locker” or maybe Sam Mendes’ “Away We Go” which I hear is are pretty decent.
Transformers 2 will definitely be the biggest movie of the year
FUCK all HATERS of this film..
Why don’t you all watch some porn then fuck til you drop your daughters…fuckin haters…bet you can’t even direct a 10mins clip in your backyard..lol (Michael Bay – Kick-ass Director, you did awesome for the movie, nuff said)
This is for all the haters -> FUCK YOU!!!!
Tom,
Critics can tell the difference between art and entertainment: Star Trek and Up are two examples of that. Both are meant to be big-ticket entertainment and both were loved as much as by critics as they were by average folks.
Plain and simple, a bad film is a bad film, be it a $200 million cinematic rape (like Transformers 2) or a $98 Hungarian art film about goat herders. I enjoyed the first Transformers as fun garbage, but this movie is just plain garbage. As for Car Car Binks (I got that from a review, not mine unfortunately), all that missing was black exhaust blown on their faces so they could do a minstrel show during the end credits.
I think this opening will be known in history as the day the screenplay died.
I saw the movie today. I’m not surprised that it’s doing the business it’s doing. But, it is a bad film. There are good moments but i don’t think it’s as good as the first. Megan Fox is a bad actress and it really comes out in this performance, (yeah i get it she’s not there to act, but still). Shia acts ok. The story is just not fluid and feels pieced together.
It is not UP or Slumdog Millionare so lets not compare Transformers movies with the likes shall we
Its a summer movie so it delivers just what fans wanted.
Having said that, I reckon it will collect approx 170M this week alone and end with 350M.
But wait till Harry Potter comes around..you guys are in for a surprise…
Does this mean it will now be one of the ten films nominated for Best Picture?
I saw TF2 yesterday and had a blast. It always makes me chuckle when people ripped the 1st movie for having no plot and it seems people are just cutting and pasting what they said two years ago. It also seems people want be critical of the movie to prove Michael Bay is a d-bag. Who cares if he is or isn’t. Memo to those people: IT’S A MOVIE BASED ON A CARTOON THAT WAS CREATED TO SELL TOYS! If this movie had a serious plot or character development then it would be a failure. It’s about giant robots wrecking stop. It was 100% brain rotting eye candy and it was a freaking blast! (Both of them).
You can’t rightly compare TDK or Ironman stories to TF because the source is different. There are a couple decades worth of character driven story on these two heroes. If you ignore that source and try and make a Transformers style movie out them, then you fail. (See Arnold as Mr Freeze or the 1st Hulk)
All three of these franchises are good because they are true to where they born. Transformers has never been about more than Good robots Vs Evil Robots breaking stuff.
Nikki why are you sounding celebratory for this flick?
If Jeff Zucker is deserving of your endless, daily scorn then Michael Bay oughta be the anti-Christ in your view.
Bay and his movies –and the studio-plants who try troll the internet trying to make it sound like anyone actually wants to see this crap– are like the TinMan, Scarecrow and Cowardly Lion of filmmaking: his movies have no heart, no brains and no balls.
And tell me Nikki, if Zucker –or one of your other sanctioned targets– had made a movie with blatantly racist characters in it, trying to peddle them as harmless “fun” would you be totally ignoring it, as you’ve done for Bay, or would you be condemning it?
Coming summer 2012:
Transformers 3: The Rise of Stepin Fetchit
Featuring all the CGI robot fired chicken and watermelon Michael Bay can afford.
I like the quote from the competitor — it’s only review-proof the first weekend. After that, even on popcorn movies, the movie’s staying power is DIRECTLY related to the reviews. The negative reaction to this one will also hurt Transformers 3. Mass audiences have a bigger shit detector than they’re given credit for.
Ben-
You’re an idiot. Reviewers are retarded and those who change plans because a reviewer pans a film are equally retarded. Bay made a film for the masses. NOT for the simple, pompous, pseudo-intellectual schmucks like you. He’ll laugh your pathetic ass all the way to the bank.
Love or hate this film is not the point. The point is that this what people want. So give them what they want. They didn’t want Terminator. And the numbers proved it. The numbers will prove other things this year as well. They’ll prove that NOW is the time for reviewers to be cut loose one by one. It’s over for them because with the exception of retards like you, no ONE is listening.
“Anyone who likes that junk didn’t just leave their brain at the door, they had no brain going in.”
Well said snicker. Well said.
Why not let people enjoy it if they want to? This seems like the definition of a dumb popcorn summer flick. Personally I found Batman’s growling, spitting read of every line not just annoying but unintentionally funny. I don’t hate people for liking it though.
And thanks above for spoiling the reveal or as you condescendingly call it, the ‘reveal’. How about letting people decide for themselves what’s worth finding out on their own? Very douchebaggy of you to decide nobody else needs even a small surprise when they see the movie.
Ben Ben Ben- you can rant all you want, but you WILL see the film. The film is amazing. Brilliant. Real people (not internet wankers) love the film. I hope you feel better soon.
Transformer 2 will break all kinds of summer movie number for a few reason. It’s a good movie with a hot girl in it and the racial side line story
Way to go Michael! Long live the brindled mullet!
Seriously, I heard this rube interviewed several years ago by Leo Quinones on the now-deceased 97.1 FM Talk station in Los Angeles, and he came across as personable as a cold fish, maybe a mullet. Maybe he’s got some form of Asperger’s Syndrome and can’t read emotions, but he’s one hell of a skilled noise maker.
Saw it last night and I think your moviegoing experience can be summed up as follows: if you are the type of viewer who simply wants to be immersed in special effects for 2 1/2 hours and watch pretty people you will enjoy this movie.
If you are the type of viewer who would like a coherent story and plot to accompany the visual experience along with character development to help you feel emotionally invested in what you are watching, you will likely not enjoy this movie. (I did not. At all.)
Also let me say this: I have not directed a single movie. Michael Bay has. His movies have grossed a crapload of money. I have never done that (nor attempted to). Having said that, this movie EASILY could have been trimmed by a good 40 minutes without losing anything narratively and the film would probably have been better for it. Dozens of scenes served no narrative purpose whatsoever and detracted from the overall moviegoing experience. Sadly, the movie will make a killing, Bay will think that the box office is a reflection of his brilliance and no one will have the clout to ask him to trim his next movie’s running time.
Personally, I thought the best part of my experience was the teaser trailer for next summer’s “The Last Airbender.”
Let’s see: The Dark Knight was a great story with great characters played by terrific actors. Let’s summarize:
Batman – Bale
Rachael – Holmes/Gyllenhall
Joker – Ledger
Alfred – Caine
Fox – Freeman
Gordon – Oldman
Dent – Eckhart
Now let’s look at Transformers 2:
What are the name of the characters played by LeBouef and Fox? I can’t recall, and I saw the movie last night! And what was the story about? I can’t recall, and I saw it last night! All I know is I saw a lot of fighting between robots over something or other and a lot of explosions, and some 1930’s-style racial slapstick.
There is no comparison between TDK and TF2. Of course, there are dopes who think TF2 was as good as TDK, which is why Michael Bay keeps getting work. Remember the reaction of the guys in Entoruage when they heard that Michael Bay would be doing Aquaman 2? That’s about how I feel when I hear he is involved in a movie.
I’m looking forward to watching Bay blow stuff the phuck up!!!! My son and I are planning on going to see this flick.
With all the problems – jobs, illness, oh and the world too – I need a BIG distraction. I think Transformers may be just enough.
Female 40-54 demographic and I wanna forget my troubles for a few hours…
It may have a great weekend, but does it really have any legs? Everyone I’ve talked says its terrible, and wouldn’t recommend it… so how is that gonna drive non-teenager dudes to the multi-plex. The reason Dark Knight made so much money was it had amazing action AND an incredible story. Meaning LEGS. MEANING EVERYONE wants to see it. I’d love to see Harry Potter 6 KICK Transformers BUTT Money Wise…
I can’t believe someone just compared “Transformers” to “Sullivan’s Travels”. WOW. “Sullivan’s Travels” was made back when people CARED about quality of the films they were ingesting. Back then they got the amazing thing that a film can be both a spectacle AND tell a good story.
Look, I haven’t seen the film so take what you want from this admission.
But still I’m going to interject – the populist-style arguments I’m seeing on this thread are terrible arguments.
‘Real people like Transformers’ -> ‘it’s fine’. The majority of the country also voted for a second Bush Cheney term, effectively endorsing extraordinary rendition, torture, civilian bombing, dispossession of American and Iraqi national wealth, the en masse hiring of mercenaries, etc….but since we have this idea that common people were into it I guess that means this sort of thing is permissible.
This is an awful argument, and I’m venturing most people who are making are really just excited about some clean-burning infotainment IP mopping up huge weekend grosses – this is exciting in its own pointless way, and I think this is what folks are responding to, not some populist impulse (e.g. yea the people / boo the elite reviewers)
….and this would be more or less fine with me (although I’m not sure why anyone should be excited about some ridiculous film making Paramount suits, Michael Bay, and maybe later on some investors boatloads of offensive money), if I didn’t think that the film was incredibly violent, war-mongering, sexist, jingoistic (this much is clear from the advertising materials) and evidently somewhat racist, too. This isn’t just fluff, nothing ever is, especially if it’s basically 2.5 hrs of violence and especially if millions and millions of people are waiting in line and handing over there money to soak in it.
“If your excuse for making a bad film is to resort to the “it’s-just-a-popcorn-movie-based-on-a-cartoon-for-kids” defense then it’s obvious you had no passion for your film and were the wrong choice to be involved. My money is hard-earned right now, as is most people’s. I am willing to spend it to have a theatrical experience but I won’t just give it away to someone who takes my ticket for granted.”
_Thank_ you, Ben. It’s really heartening to know that there are moviegoers who won’t fall for the usual “it’s just a summer movie” slippery-slope crap. And, trust me, given the stuff writers have to put up with to get good stuff on-screen, it’s nice to know it’s worth continuing to fight the good fight.
One of the worst theater going experiences ever. Audiences will be thrilled by explosions; parents thinking this is based on a toy, bringing younger boys will be horrified by the R-rated dialog, gruesome scenery and racist attitudes. This is NOT the toy Hasbro is marketing to 8-14 year olds.
And what the hell is up with robots humping Megan Fox.. she’s hot, but she’s the wrong species.. how goofball is that. And while she is super attractive, the movie would have been significantly improved if she hadn’t tried to act but just stood there as a prop. It might have had more depth, too.
I’m sure it will make a ton of money, but I can’t imagine this thing getting any sort of positive word of mouth.
What is all this uproar about race again?
Are you all kidding?
I am a 40+ black woman who saw the film last night with kids and while it’s not my first choice of cinema favorites, I can’t imagine what all the fuss is about the “twin” robots. Do we really want to go into what passes for black folks in movies, acted by REAL HUMAN BEINGS? REALLY?
Some folks have very selective, short memories, I tell you!
The movie is fine for kids and those who like giant robots. The kids I was with LOVED IT, and to me, that’s all that mattered. I could care less, but it certainly has not been the worst movie I have been dragged to this year (that honor goes to “The Watchmen” and “Wolverine”).
I have witnessed plenty of good race baiting in my life, but that these “twin” car/robots seem to be a talking point for anyone is beyond me. Black as I am EVERYDAY, I cannot see what has anyone in such an uproar. Those “robots” speak as I hear any number of young men, black and white, speak daily as I am going to and from work.
Let’s not get it twisted-correct one, correct them all, people….or perhaps some folks just don’t have enough to do, sitting around just looking for something to bitch about???
Peace.
Has anybody else noticed how the posters on this thread who like “Transformers 2″ have lower spelling and punctuation skills, less coherence and tolerance, and worse Internet manners than the people who don’t like the movie? Shaw called it “a great gulf fix’d” and today it seems wider than ever.
Saw a midnight show w/ my 14 year old nephew in American Fork, UT. Here’s a town that falls asleep at 8:00 pm every night of the year without fail. Seriously, even the 24 hour I-Hop shuts down at ten. Even on Friday. So was I amazed when we were just barely able to get tickets for the last of four screenings on a Wed. morning at 12:00 am. This was an EVENT! And, as indicated by the numbers, was probably playing out like this in small communities all over America. The teens were taking it to the streets.
The verdict: well my ears and eyes are still bleeding, and while my knees didn’t knock afterwards (as they inevitably do after watching great films), my teeth definitely did. But lemme tell you, it was one hell of ride. Plot? Who cares? Characters? Ditto. Couldn’t hear the dialogue through all the metal racket (robots and soundtrack alike)? Not important. This was film making as rollercoaster ride, attention spans not required. My nephew said it was the best movie he’s ever seen — and this is no reflection of his IQ but, dare I say, his adolescent yearning for more Megan Fox in a tank top and his gamer/texting/Twitter-induced consciousness. And while I can’t extol the moral or aesthetic virtues of this film, I can applaud Michael Bey for having his fingers precisely on this pulse.
To Jeff Drake and FactsStraight:
I guarantee you I will not see this movie in the theater. Neither will my five friends.
I am laid-off and living on unemployment so I am forced by circumstance to listen to reviews and word-of-mouth. Most of my 5 friends are in a similar circumstance. Ask yourself how many people you know who are jobless and/or struggling right now?
I don’t mind spending some of my limited income on a cool movie — I’m a movie fanatic who will find a way to go see something good. But I won’t shell out money for something that reeks of Spider-Man 3. Sorry. Just won’t sacrifice food money on something stupid. I don’t understand how that makes me an idiot. “The Hangover” and “Star Trek” had good word-of-mouth and I saw both and was very pleased.
It seems to me that you guys are the ones who are the pompous assholes — telling someone on a limited income they should go anyway to see a movie almost every geek/critic on the Internet hates because it has a story that’s supposed to be stupid and the filmmakers intended it to be that way and you’re “pompous” if you ignore what EVERYONE who isn’t a Paramount flack says. Fuck you guys. I’ll just re-watch the first movie at home for free.
RE: Male30-35
Sometimes I am the type of viewer who would like a coherent story and plot to accompany the visual experience along with character development to help you feel emotionally invested in what you are watching. I love RFAD, NCFOM, TWBB, etc. But… sometimes I also am the type of viewer who simply wants to be immersed in special effects for 2 1/2 hours and watch pretty people. I knew this movie was going to be for the latter. I enjoyed it. A lot.
Robot anything will do mad money in Japan.
Just saw ans it was just as good as the first. The story was a little convoluted and I agree you could trim off a bit of the film. But I agree with those that are saying this is a fun SUMMER MOVIE. People want fun. We don’t want to go to a movie and get depressed which is what most of the snobs on this site like. Name your favorite films and I bet most would make you even more depressed once its over. I want to escape the depressing day to day life, news, economy or whatever. I don’t care about Woody Allen’s latest depression motif that he perpetually puts out as a form of self therapy. I don’t want to watch a movie about someone’s miserable life and eventual death.
I’m on unemployment and what do you know, I went and seen it with my fiancee last night. Great movie, even bought the Regal’s #1 combo. Damn that unemployment. Hey Ben, you’re an idiot. Go see the movie and stop being a tight ass.
@jnw: Heh, was not comparing “Sullivan’s Travels” to Transformers at all. Was stating that the premise of “Sullivan’s Travels” is applicable to the Transformer attendance. That premise being that in times of deep trouble, people want to laugh…be entertained…escape. The movie may not be good in many’s eyes but it is viewed as an escape. It is a summer event pic that will draw the masses in.
That was the point of what I wrote.
Let’s be clear: Fridays and Wednesdays opening days at 2 very different things altogether.
sounds like you and your friends should concentrate more on getting a job than what the reviews are for transformers 2. I’m just saying.
Would I nominate it for an Oscar? Nope. But it was a thrill ride and nothing more. Bay will work a lot more than all of you posting here unless you happen to be Cameron or Speilberg.
Plenty of decently smart people went to see this movie. I reached behind my Mensa card to grab my Visa to pay for the ticket.
Also… get over the whole twin robot thing. I’m black. They were robots for crying out loud. Worry about the economy.
After attending the “Public Enemies” press screening this evening, Transformers won’t have any competition from it – although it’s not as if any would have been seriously expected.
Public Enemies is an odd movie. Everything is well done. Solid acting for the most part. Technical execution is top notch.
It’s impact is just oddly disconnected. It’s a case of the whole being less than the sum of its parts.
The most telling thing about the Dark Knight comparison is that Transformers still did record business. It’s highly likely that it would’ve surpassed $67 million if it had opened on a Friday as well, and not a (historically lower) Wednesday.
So despite all the hoopla we saw for Dark Knight’s opening weekend, less than a year later, a (polar opposite) movie manages the same heights.
It just underscores how meaningless box office records have become during this decade. Whereas such numbers used to go unbroken for years- or even decades- now they seem to fall every summer.
@Schwartzy, I’ll got see The Hurt Locker with you.
That movie is leaps and bounds better that Transformers2 for sure!
I notice that pre-buyout, you had interesting, original news, but post buyout, it’s press releases, rah rah for Paramount and nothing original. I hope this isn’t what is to come.
The movie was great for the most part saw it at Regal Cinema theatre here in Florida Wednesday 7pm showing, and I have to say my jaw hit the floor where it came to the twins it was like a WHAT THE HELL type moment, my childhood rememberances were of the G1 twins Sunstreaker and Sideswipe though Sideswipe was in it but not the twin terrors that they were known as, so could have done without them.
On to the good now, all that matters is that my 13yr daughter and 2 best friends loved it, both over 12yrs old. The movie for itself I thought had a good follow up for how the Decepticons came to be and how Megatron was corrupted. Little weepy halfway thru, still undecided about Megan.I think I will be buying this when it comes out on dvd.
What do you expect?! With the budget of a summer blockbuster like this I’d hope to hell it pulls 150+ in the first week.
All according to plan for Spielberg and my boy Michael Bay.
Like other said only critics and too many multiple accounts popping up on the internet are bashing and ranting and whining and writing negatives against Transformers2. And.. 90% of them always repeats “I liked/loved the first one but this one disappoints/sucks”. And they are all then writing the same exact things. How is that possible? Different people from different part of the world all writing the same negative things and whining the same way like they were a programmed horde of clones? Well, it’s pretty easy to understand, the competition wants to influence people will and decision to bring down the Transformers franchise and promote their own products. Two studios have supposed to be blockbuster movies that are going to be released in a few days and they are so worried of Transformers2 stealing the show now… And so what did they do? They got the critics as their puppets, that is easy.. critics are like bankers, there is nothing professional about them and if you check back in 2007 these same critics were bashing and whining and telling lies against the first Transformers movie as well.
And then they have a call-center style series of employees paid to create multiple accounts on forums, write negative comments there, insulting people and so on “to act like normal guys” they think at least.. to fool everyone better they hope and to prevent people from watching Transformers2 by spreading lies. That is the bad word of mouth the competition is talking about! They are generating as much negative noise as possible, more than what they were doing back in 2007, in a hope to destroy the Transformers franchise and stop the movie success. The marketing dept guys working for competitors studios are using this scam like tactic to fool us, you the audience and potential viewers with negative thoughts and put you in the mood to dislike the movie as they are ordering you to.
This always so amusing yet it’s done every year. Why aren’t number of tickets sold counted instead of these grosses that aren’t adjusted for inflation? If you look hard enough you can find tickets at IMAX venues in the $15-$25 range. $25!!!!!
Never mind you don’t have to answer the question.
Wow. I expected this film to do well, but not this well. Jeez. The trailer looks like a combination of Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, and of course the first Transformers. Again, I think Michael Bay’s perfect for the film.
I have talked to almost no one who’s said it was any good. Even people who “LOVED” the first one said they wanted their money back. Sure it’s making a killing its first couple days, but it’ll be interesting to see when it starts slipping. And oh yeah, who’s gonna buy it on DVD? The studios are a bunch of “First-Weekend” Junkies. With movies like this, it’s merely a fix. Think of the amount of money they could have made if it were actually a GOOD movie. Perhaps it actually WOULD dethrone “Dark Knight” and “Titanic”.
Shwartzy. You rule buddy. Bay is bottom of the barrel in Directors.
Hey folks — I just don’t understand the attacks on my opinion that Transformers 2 isn’t worth my money. It just seems crazy to me. The people I know who have seen it told me it isn’t worth sitting through. All the movie news websites I visit everyday say the same thing. Telling me to “get over it” and go anyway is a pretty strange stance to take. I’m sorry if it offends you guys but I just don’t want to go. And I commented on it here so the studio understands why in the hopes that they extend an effort to make better movies in the future instead of just throwing something together because people will go see whatever crap they promote.
We’re getting closer and closer to Idiocracy’s prediction that the most popular entertainment in the future will be a show called “Ow! My Balls!”
It’s depressing that in order to be entertained, that the simpletons here defending Bay’s oevre are also demanding that their intelligence be LOUDLY insulted by Mr. Bay as well.
@TINA and @Pete: It baffles me that people just accept that “hey, my teenager liked it,” all the sudden makes it OK. It’s a clear example of how out-of-hand parents in todays world cow-toe to their own children, instead of influencing them. So now, all the 13 year-olds are told that its Fine and Dandy to like utter garbage, because it’s loud, pretty, shiny, and makes my hormones rage even harder. And that its NOT okay for them to see stuff that will actually shape them into being respectable, intelligent, decent human beings.
People complain about “the youth today” and then say “it’s okay because THEY like it.” Just remember, these same teenagers are going to inherit what we give them… they’re going to be in-charge someday. And with their influence primarily coming from Summer movies, it’s scary to me to think that our world will one day be in there hands. If adults actually cared about the quality of the films their kids saw, actually cared about their kids reading books, and going to museums, and experiencing the world in authentic ways, our future wouldn’t seem so scary.
The good news this season is that (and contrary to some of the knuckleheads who’ve commented saying “all people want is escape”) “Up” is doing everything people are complaining about with “Transformers”. It’s a movie that not only is fun, escape, and a spectacle, but EVERYONE loves it and it’s already made over 300 million dollars. If only every studio was like Pixar in their approach. If Only…
After seeing Revenge of the fallen last night, I immediately returned to the theater today to see both UP and The Hangover. Those two movies helped clean me up after I felt soiled by Michael Bay’s latest opus.
As someone here said “he made it for the masses” – that’s for sure – the mindless, ADD, lowest common denominator masses. hey – no one says there’s nothing wrong with a fun, popcorn movie – but just because you string along some “awesome” special effects scenes and explosions doesn’t mean it is a GOOD popcorn movie – nor a well made movie. This is so simple – A to B and that is it. Bay is a glossy hack. For those of you who like his films, good for you. I have some coloring books you might enjoy as well.
For the last time: Great Summer Tentpole Entertainment and Well Made Film are not mutually exclusive.
Remember Raiders of the Lost Ark? Remember Die Hard? Hell, remember Titanic even?
To all the defenders: Yes, you can shut your brain down because you “don’t care” about story, etc, and you will then be stimulated by shiny pictures and loud noises. Magic of Cinema, hooray! But you could be getting more than that. By settling for the Shiny Object — and then defending your settling — you encourage the powers that be to only aim that high (low).
Obviously, nobody sets out to make a bad movie, and our business is filled with talented artists that give their best every single day. But there is a choice being made right now at studios to focus on films that can open big — period — no matter what the long-term shelf life may be.
Something that can open big in its first weekend is quality-proof; people will go see the mass event and profit can be made before audiences realize the film in question isn’t worth $12.50 (see the real reason behind the Wolverine leak panic). Aiming for this option makes shareholders happier on a short-term basis. It’s a no brainer. But it’s a business decision, nothing else. It needn’t be justified on a creative or audience level.
Using a crap movie’s big opening weekend as some sort of proof that it doesn’t suck is like saying you’re attractive because a stripper asks to give you for a lapdance. You’re getting gamed, and as long as you buy the lie they’re selling you, you’ll keep on getting gamed.
Ugh. Remind me why I work in this business again?
People who don’t go see a movie based on reviews are Sheep, that means your followers. If the movie looks good by previews, then go see it. Don’t judge a movie based on reviews, because like assholes everyone has an opinion.
*shakes head*
I plan on waiting for DVD because I don’t go to the movies anymore, but I still want to see it. It just looks fun, and I like fun movies.
I went to an early showing for $2 so it was worth the money to me. Had I paid full price, then not so much. The first was better. The Dark Knight still the only sequel that surpassed original.
Now I’m really going to watch this movie, out of spite to the movie watching elite and the critics. I hope it does better then the over rated DARK KNIGHT, only reason why that movie was praised is because of the death of Heath Ledger. Shame on you critics.
Star Trek was over rated!!!!!!
Batman begins sucked ass, Dark knight sucked ass boring
This just goes to show you one thing.,everyone is
entitled to their own opinion like beauty is in the eye
of the beholder. Movies are the same way. Not everyone
will like the movie end of story. For the same 10
people that praised TDK i can find you 20 that hated
it including myself. I went to see TDK and i literally
i repeat literally went to sleep for last 35 to 40 mins
of that movie. T2 gave me exactly what i was looking
for in a summer blockbuster movie and as someone who
grew up on transformers to see Optimus prime flip
Starscream over his back, hang him upside down, and
put is steel metallic autobot garganturant foot
through starscream’s jaw with superior state of the
art visual effects CGI and revelutionary 3-D technology
is just fine with me. Oh by the way T2 has shatttered
some records to a tune of 60mil weds. opening day so
the people have spoken all you haters and you guys if
you havnt all ready realized it are in the minority.
Comment by Ben — June 26, 2009 @ 11:17 am
Ben..if u don’t like the movie, keep it to yourself. No need to tell the world. We didn’t asked u what’s yr opinion about the movie nor do we care:-)
No offence..but just saying. If u talk, we talk too..
All this bizarre arguing over movies makes me wanna write a new screenplay, “A Rose by Any Other Name is Still an Explosion Waiting to be Filmed by Michael Bay!”
There are some flaws with the movie caused by the fact that they cut scenes that are on the novel version for no real reason. I mean.. the movie is way better than the first BUT if only they didn’t change some key scenes from the novel version it could have been absolutely perfect. Why did they change those? Also the Showest footage sneak peak scene … they cut pieces of that scene and no cut was needed, really. If they left that scene alone it would have helped the movie characters development a lot.
The CGI is the best you can get, no other movie features such a CGI. It’s never enough. But why the changes from the novel? Why? They damaged themselves for no reason. By changing those little bits that are on the novel they introduced some flaws that hurt the overall flowing and perception of the movie.
I really hope that they filmed those scenes and that there will be an extended cut Blu-Ray version, not just with the added 2-minutes IMAX scenes.
Generation R (retard) strikes again!
Star Trek = Transformers 2. Both had good parts, silly parts and downright stupid parts . I hated the whole Spoke returns from the future section of Star Trek.
I do think Megan Fox needs to take some acting lessons or she will be the next Pam Anderson. Also Shia needs to find a good serious script so he can have a variety of acting in his portfolio. Because right now there is no distinction between how he acted in Eagle Eye, Indiana and Transformers movies.
Boy, a lot of haters here.
I hope you get work soon.
Peace.
aptom565 you say, riiiiiiight.Bay, we all know it’s you.It’s really pathetic that you would roam the internet trying to spread ridiculous conspiracy theories.Transformer was terrible and you’re a terrible director.Also, I would like a refund.
Boom Boom Pow..that almost 125M in days of weekdays playdates.
Tue 60M
Wed 28M
Thur 35M (est)
If Thursday estimates holds, then the 3 days take will be the 4th best ever with POTC-Dead Man’s Chest at 135M and Shrek3rd at 121M.
So the record that it now has, in addition to biggest Wed of 60M are:
1)Biggest weekday ‘3 days’ take ever at 125M.
2)Biggest B.O collection for weekdays playdates for any movies on its 1st or 2nd weekend besting Transformer 1, 4days weekdays take of 85M. (Transformer 1 started out on Monday while Fallen started only on Tuesday)
Fallen might have a shot to take on Harry Potter’s..Azkaban June Top Opening Weekends of 93M.
Anyone wanna bet Fallen might break DK’s 5 days take of 203M?
“…one competitor told me. “It’s a big-ass opening movie that will fall precipitously.”
Doesn’t look like it.
pJ
F-U, ’cause it’s going to put my friend’s kids through college- just off DVD projections. worked with him, today, on another, soon2be, action blockbuster)
But, You know what? He continues to earn his Gdamned just due$!
If you hate, you just don’t know!.. the right people)
Survival of the Fittest!
I havent seen it, but … doesnt this movie have a little bit of a right wing message in it? At least thats what Ive read. And if thats so then critics may have picked up on that and thats why theyre bashing it so badly. Critics in general are fairly liberal, just like the news media is.
Thats why they liked Star Trek so much too becuase it had suble liberal themes in it. It had an interracial romance, waterboarding, The Federation as United Nation peacekeepers, etc…..
Critics are snobs and politically biased, I agree with many of the posters above. And Im basically liberal myself, but I have to be honest.
Would to comment but I’m skipping this one.
Tired of things blowing up on on Megan Fox’s tits.
BTW, she’s got Monkey Thumbs.
We already are in an idiocracy. Its not open to debate. We’re in it. Just look at the assholes commenting on this post who are saying “its only a movie; just check your brain at the door; Transformers is the best ever; don’t be a hater.”
Don’t you dipshits understand that the more money this movie makes you’re enabling the studio mindset of greenlighting these sub par retarded special efx reel shows. We’re gonna have a flood of cheap knockoff imitators invading the multiplex for years to come. God forbid this movie makes 500 million. If that day comes. Forget it, commercial films are done. We’ll just be seeing CGI clips with a modicum of storytelling to tie up the bits.
Nah man I’m sorry, but this really does represent a new low in commericial filmmaking. I loved the first movie a lot and was briefly a Michael Bay convert, but but holy shit this guy sunk to the depths. Whenever I hear his name now I just have to roll my eyes and laugh. He’s ruined Shia’s rep as an actor. He’s certainly sullied Spielberg’s rep as a producer whose now sadly become a weasely joke. The acting across the board is laughably bad. The staging of the action, with the exception of the Shanghai sequence, is confusing at best.
Whenever you watch any movie and you start to making mental lists of what you would do differently as you’re watching it, it’s all over. The film has failed in its goal of suspending disbelief. I pray this will have a steep fall off next weekend. A sad weekend for pop filmmaking indeed.
This doing better than “The Dark Knight” would be a sin against nature. While “The Dark Knight” proved that audiences could embrace smarter entertainment, Transformers 2 only proves how easily audiences are manipulated by familiarity and promises of action.
TF2 is dreadful. Simply and brain dead rehash of garbage served up two years ago. Anyone who compares this to The Dark Knight is exposed as an idiot and should be banned from ever posting here again. It isn’t even close to Iron Man either. Hell, if I was Robert Downey Jr, I’d bitch slap the moron.
plus nobody had to die to make this film popular
Even if it manages to out-do TDK in terms of 5-day opening gross — it won’t have nearly as good legs or longevity. And you have to calculate in the number of tickets sold and subsequent inflation.
OMG!!! Almost 40 million on Friday and you know with matinees on Saturday and Sunday this thing is going to be huge! We’re looking at a film with the capability of taking in more than 120 million dollars after making 90 million over two weekdays. Amazing box office legs here. Amazing. Who knows what kind of crazy numbers this movie is going to bring in over the holiday weekend next week.
You know what, go see it. What bothers me is that the b.o. numbers are this big. I´m going to go see it, but frankly, the fact that it comes anywhere close to the dark knight is just atrocious…it speaks volumes not about escapism in troubling times, but about how low our standards for movies have become. This should be a big movie, like Star Trek, it SHOULD NOT come close to an absolute masterpiece of summer movies.
NIKKI, Not Only do I “Do geek”, I AM A GEEK yet I wish I could travel through time and warn myself not to see this movie. The 2.5 hours of this movie WeRE HORRIBLE> WORST MOVIE I HAVE SEEN IN TWO YEARS. MY GOD MY LIFE HAS BEEN RUNIED
“I saw IT” is an “id-i-ot” critics aren’t out of touch, audiences like you with low expectations are…you don’t even KNOw you sat through a piece ofshit…
this film is a litmus test for who should be allowed to reproduce. anyone over the age of 5 who enjoys this bloated, nonsensical drivel needs to be euthanized for the sake of our species.
“Aslyn” – let’s go! There’s a 4:40 and 7:40 show of Hurt Locker at Arclight. Send me a pic first though. Although I despise Mr Bay, we do share an appreciation for attractive women
Hey “Enough” – people that go to see a movie based on a preview are the same people that drink Zima just because it comes in a cool bottle. Really? Are you that distracted by shiny objects? You’re the advertising world’s dream come true. But the jokes on you… you’re the one forcing down Zima (gag)
“Jerry” – You’re cutting off your nose to spite your face buddy. Hoping Transformers does better than TDK is cursing the cinemas with the promise of more mindless-plotless-characterless-soulless-CGI-driven-drivel like GI Joe, Alvin & The Chipmunks, G-Force, and of course the next 5 Transformers sequels.
Certainly, there are haters who wish ill on Bay and his career and then there are those who defend him just because they love being a pain in the ass, but to say this is a “good popcorn movie” is basically saying “I have no standards, don’t know what a good movie is and really don’t care…” In other words, “I have no taste.” Success does not equal quality. There are movies with explosions that are good…movies with robots that are good and movies with hot chicks in it that are good…this has all three and is still not good…why?
Personally, I enjoyed it. As long as you’re not going into Transformers 2 and expecting an art-house quality film, you probably won’t be disappointed. It is what it claims to be, a fun movie. Nothing more, nothing less.
It’s not going to win an Oscar. It would be laughed out of Sundance. It isn’t going to satisfy art-minded critics who only applaud “cinematic masterpieces.”
But should every movie attempt such artistic expression? There are more than 250,000,000 people in this country and more than 7 Billion around the world. Only a small handful are interested in seeing movies for their artistry. The rest have varied specific interests, but generally only desire an entertaining movie.
Transformers 2 isn’t artistic, but it is entertaining. That is why so many people are flocking to theaters around the globe, they simply want to be entertained. To forget the stressful, trying times we’re all in right now and watch robots destroy each other for two hours.
Compare apples to apples, if you’re going to play amateur critic or decry the “sad state of mediocre films.” Otherwise, sit back and be entertained.
Transformers 2 = CRRRRRAAAAAAAPPPPPPP
One of the worst movies i have ever seen
Megan Fox = Not thaat hot and cant act for shit.
Dark Knight = CLLLLLLAAAAASSSSSSSICCC
One of the best movies i have ever seen.
This movie opened big but it will drop fast and wont pass TDK = THANK GOD
Pete -
When does “Ow, My Balls!” open? And is it also directed by Michael Bay? Do the balls explode – a lot? And is there a hot chick running in slow motion and periodically bending over the balls?
That would be freakin’ rad, dude! $370,000,000,000 opening weekend – guaran-damn-teed!
If and when you decide you need help with continuity with Naval Ship hull numbers and the next Transformers flick, call me….you had some pretty glaring holes in your latest flick….
Signed, a Navy Vet….(and plankowner of TR)
I wonder when people are going to realize that a movie doesn’t need a super great plot to be entertaining. Secondly you don’t have to be braindead to enjoy a movie, even a stupid movie. I thought the new transformers movie wasn’t as good as the last, but I didnt waste any money because it was entertaining. There was way too much vulgarity though considering the theater was packed with young children when I went.
I must stop underestimating the sheer stupidity of the American public. Idiocracy is truly here. Why does it take five years for Judge’s films to become appreciated?
This is almost the worst movie I have seen, after Pearl Harbor. Michael Bay is the most overrated director in Hollywood. It may have a big opening but after word by mouth, it will quickly drop in numbers. The only people who would like it, are teenagers and people who think they’re still teenagers. It’s truly a piece of sh**.
Comment by dan — June 27, 2009 @ 3:39 pm
Your comments shows you are NOT smarter than any 5th Grader. Heck..you are alot more stupid than any 1st grader.
While at that, go learn your grammars. Think you are a 6 year old girl..so which explains why you think Megan is not hot.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first movie, but I felt that this one fell far short of the bar set by it. Now, having said that, it could be the case that since I thought the first was so spectacular I went in with too many expectations for part two. Looking at this as standalone, I would say it was a mediocre summer blockbuster – I just was saddened by how much the quality declined from the first.
The “Jive” Twins aside, as people have said above, the movie is at least 45 minutes too long. I felt like they took the writer(s) from the first movie and only let them write one out of every five minutes, since only one out of every five scenes/jokes/lines was any good. Also, the random increase in colorful language (by the robots) seemed really awkward and out of place. People like to jump all over Megan Fox, but since she was 100 times better in the first movie, I have to blame that on the weak script/directing this time around.
All in all, it’s a moderately entertaining popcorn flick, but it falls far short of the first.
Well, if we’re talking about Mike Judge and Idiocracy, when will Michael Bay direct the soon to be 10 time Oscar winner “Ass”?
God I love this movie. It continues to kick you movie elitest critics and wannabe critics in the balls. I love the fact that you can’t derail it with all of your moronic whining and it is pissing you off more and more as each day passes.
Whine all you want. America and world (it preforming great overseas as well) at a whole don’t give a crap what you think and this movie proves it. LOL!!!!!!!!!
So continue on with your made up boasts of “I talked to 20 people and they all walked out and demanded their money back” claims or your insinuations that everyone else are idiots just becuase they like something you hate.
It is almost as entertaining as the movie was to watch you all spin your wheels in vain and gripe and gripe and gripe in futility. This movie truly is the gift that keeps on giving.
Looks like word-of-mouth is turning favorable, as seen in the most recent comments on Twitter. Go ahead and search “Transformers 2″, people are digging it.
I thought the movie was OK, but some of the comic relief was corny and the movie was a little drawn out but over all it was entertaining. Good summer flick and leave your brain at the door. It’s only a movie.
TF2 was great, and I loved the TWINS! It’s not racism, it’s called a stereotype and people are forgetting the Transformers learn these things from the WWW and various other places on earth before they choose who they want to Transform into.
TDK Fanboys,… Suck My Popscicle!
look at all the smart intelligent people! criticize something like this movie just to prove how ’smart’ you are. you have to realize that people who liked this movie aren’t stupid. you’re just being too serious. lighten up!
Lost in all of this “excitement” is the fact that when asked what she’d say to keep Megatron from destroying the world, Megan Fox responded, “I’d barter with him,” she muses to the July issue Total Film UK, “and say instead of the entire planet, can you just take out all of the white trash, hillbilly, anti-gay, super bible-beating people in Middle America?”
I’d bet the people she’s talking about are the same ones buying tickets to this thing. It’s easy for the Drudge crowd to boycott Sean Penn films because they go right over their heads anyway, but boycott their “check your brain at the door” summer flick? Never.
I liked the first Transformers movie, but this was fucking terrible.
It was the cinematic equivalent of Michael Bay taking a shit for two and a half hours.
Con’t from my earlier post..
Comment by Armand — June 27, 2009 @ 7:01 am
Fallen….B.O
Wed 60.62M
Thur 28.61M (-52%)
Fri 36.70M (est) (+28.2%)
Sat 39.5M (est) (+9%)
Sun 28.72 (est) (-20%)
Therefore, total 5days opening weekend for for Fallen shd be btw 190M & 195M
FYI, Fallen is performing very similar to Harry..Phoenix..5days opening weekend.
Harry 5
Wed 44.23M
Thur 18.37M (-58.5%)
Fri 25.84(est) (+40.6%)
Sat 328.31M (est) (+9.6%)
Sun 22.95M (est) (-18.9%)
Total for Harry5 opening weekend 139.7M
Not bad for a movie that the critics didn’t get but the masses did.
David Lean – who the fuck are you to judge who should reproduce and who has no taste, by the way you talk you should be killed for suc judgement of people you are the one who should reproduce for saying those kind of shit who the fuck are you to make that decision? i would fucking kill you and put you beside joker, you tdk fans are fucking overboard.. the dark knight is a good movie did you think slumdog millionaire is better than dark knight? i bet you don’t it won more awards than tdk right? so so what if transformers makes more money? who gives a shit the dark knight = joker and overdose heath death, the same people who watch transformers are the same people who wanted to see heath’s last big movie performance.
The Dark Knight was a terrible movie.
If only the Dark Knight was released this year. Then it really would have shined, gained an Oscar for Best Film (10 nominees). The difference between the Dark Knight and this film. People wanted to see it. I saw it three times. Only the teen, little kid crowd and their parents contributed to this disaster of a Transformers adaptation.
This wasn’t little Nemo and the sexual humor was tasteless even for my 17 yo. The Dark Knight by contrast had music, action and drama and the right amount of sexual tension. Knight wasn’t a music video or Pepsi commercial, pretending to be a movie.
If this film made 400 million dollars it would never be a Cleopatra, Bad Boys 2 or Ishtar. Those movies at least were original in their crappiness. This film had to borrow themes from everything.
First the things it borrowed. It appeared to be a compilation of things.
1 A little bitty voice of Lord of the Rings, without the menace of agent Smith.
2. Some Matrix theme of machines that reflected the worst of that trilogy.
3. Some Visual Star Wars I-6, the red eyes, the want to be sabers, the knife thrust, the robot samurai battles. Yikes
4. Some First Contact without Picard and the Borg drama as the quest to stop the robots came to its fitting section EIGHT end.
5. A sexy want to be Uhuru, who modeled throughout the movie, like a Pepsi commercial, but still couldn’t get more than a kiss.
6. A bad music track.
7. The failure to have the proverbial I’ll be back moment.
8. Shia Lebouf looked like he fell off his motorcycle in Indiana Jones, lost and confused throughout the movie.
9. The multi location Egypt theme like Cleopatra without the great costumes.
10. A lack of military originality though they seemed to get a lot of credits at the end of the movie, I was waiting or one of the soldiers to say the few the proud the MARINES. In fact that commercial was better than this movie.
Rottentomatoes initially gave this movie 38 percent. If I chose to review this it would be 10 percent, no matter how much money it made. My teenage son wanted to see this **** of a movie or I would have passed.
wicked best movie i told you thivyan…
Not going to visit the site for a bit, until that heinous Transformers graphic & story are down the page. Hopefully today but likely not. Enough with this. Movies are not horse races. This is part of the problem why movies are so sucky and so few get made. Celebrating rubbish like this, and reinforcing narcissistic egos doesn’t help. This story also seems to be drawing an inordinate amount of morons or promotional comments which is good for page views but not for reading.
Im a big fan of the first film as it’s one of my favorite summer films of the last decade. Having said that I thought this sequel was pretty AWFUL. It was just FLAT and uninspired. Whatever magic the first film had vanished for this follow-up.
Here’ my review-http://blog.entertainmenttodayandbeyond.com/2009/06/28/transformers-revenge-of-the-fallen-a-flat-uneventful-follow-up/
Chuck
No one who participated in this crapfest by buying a ticket can ever complain that Hollywood doesn’t make good movies anymore. The moviegoers are every bit a part of the problem as hacks like Bay. Idiots will always be able to cater to idiots.
In 30 years, EVERY movie will outgross the current record-holders. You’ve long decried movie marketing departments for all the hype so why not start a new, more accurate way of measuring B.O. performance with your updated site? Otherwise, it’s just silly.
Good, not great. You can’t compare it to the first one, very different film in terms of tone & scope. As a fan of the TF universe I enjoyed the expansion of the characters in terms of the “origin” elements. Worth watching in Imax for the forest fight sequence.
Watched at Universal City y’day and the place was absolutely packed. Will play great thru the 4th and then tail-off. Won’t matter, P-mount will have $350M in the bag by next weekend and more than half-a-bill worldwide.
Sat next to an African-American family with kids and they laughed everytime the Twins were on screen. The Latino roommate played great with that aud segment (I’m not Latino but thought he was genuinely funny).
“Whether you like it or not”, 3rd film will do the same in 2012 or whenever it comes out, it will be in 3D, many of you will hate it once again and Bay will tell you to go f- yourself all the way to his government-controlled bank.
Glad to hear it.
If only to make the so-called cinema “elite” angry.
Yay!!
Awww what’s the matter “Schwartzy” did I hit a nerve, and that’s the best joke you can come up with? And the joke is on you, because I don’t drink.
But it’s true, go see a movie because you want to see it, don’t let people tell you or change your mind. It’s that simple, but I guess most people here don’t have brains because they gotta bash the film and the director because it didn’t live up to their expectations.
Yes, you all are being so smart bashing the film and the director, how old are we 12? grow up some, you didn’t like the film fine, but don’t go bashing the director. That just shows your lack of class and immaturity.
Also you can’t compare The DK with Transformers, you just can’t they are two totally different films, each one made in a different style.
*steps off soap box*
We’re getting closer and closer to Idiocracy’s prediction that the most popular entertainment in the future will be a show called “Ow! My Balls!”
It’s depressing that in order to be entertained, that the simpletons here defending Bay’s oevre are also demanding that their intelligence be LOUDLY insulted by Mr. Bay as well.
Comment by Pete — June 26, 2009 @ 11:24 am
Careful, more talk like that & you’ll be hauled to the nearest monster truck arena & killed.
Pete, while I wholeheartedly agree w/ you & point to STAR TREK as @ least a slightly better example of summer blockbuster fare; at least these primitives have Michael Bay to soothe their savage breasts & they’re not out w/ their (physical, mental) shortcomings & torches burning down your house.
Yes, f***youallhaters & MRH et al, though I doubt you have the aptitude to read this, I’m talking to you.
I have never been more in disagreement with the critics and so are most of the people I know who saw Trandsformers 2. And I thought Megan Fox had more to do and was very good in this film. The movie has comedy, all the great robot stuff, action, locations, special efx. Without the comedy, I think it would not have done as well. The thing I keep hearing from real people who actually saw the movie is that it’s funny and I have to agree. The people who don’t like the comedy are the same reviewers who loved Borat. Go figure!
This is once again proof that the demographic that is interested in these overblown video games, doesn’t have the slightest interest in what the critics say, let alone even know how to read.
This film was an utter disappointment and a huge let down from the first one which I actually enjoyed. Horrible storyline, very unintelligent plot, bad directing. I was sitting there thinking how did this happen. The first 2minutes were horrible the next 30 min were decent then it just floats into the Abyss. I was very stoked about watching this film and went to the midnight showing and i’m an open minded kind of guy when it comes to films but a bad film is a bad film and this is one of the worse i’ve seen. From Optamus Prime dying and comeing back to a new ultimate power and the descepticons leaving to space again it just a retarded film.
It appears all of the snarly comments directed at folks who don’t like “Transformers 2″ by the fan boys is a bit over the top. Perhaps they should play with their “favorite toy” to get them to tone it down a notch or two. Afterall, I doubt we’ll ever see a movie about their real favorite toy…yet, we may see “Dick” by Michael Bay even yet.
Sat next to an African-American family with kids and they laughed everytime the Twins were on screen. The Latino roommate played great with that aud segment (I’m not Latino but thought he was genuinely funny).
Comment by TF Fan — June 28, 2009 @ 11:53 am
Translation: “See, the ni***rs liked it, so it’s ok!”
If you’re going to justify loving a movie w/ racist elements in it, @ least have the courage to be honest about it.
Making up black people, whether you’re Susan Smith or the woman who went to Disney World, is the oldest, lamest trick in the book.
Not to mention the most pathetic.
I have not seen the movie and does not plan on doing so.
my roomates saw it and said that even though it didn’t really had a plot, was way too long and not always funny, it still was a great movie (go figure…)
I think it’s fine for people to see and like those things that called themselves movies, but dont complain when in 10-15 years the only things in theaters will be Transformers 8, Spiderman 9, terminator 6, the return of GI joe. maybe some studio will have the balls to make titanic 2 and 3 since the first did so well…
This sums it up:
“I am standing directly beneath the enemy’s scrotum.”
I also loved the anti-Obama material in TF2.
No wonder the critics are upset.
You know, ever since Nikki started getting linked on Drudge regularly, the quality of the comment threads have dropped immensely.
I honestly don’t understand modern conservatives utter disdain for entertainment that requires a person to use their brains a little bit. Championing brain-dead and soul crushing Michael Bay films as a way of sticking it to the elitists is part and parcel with modern conservatives hatred of people who can speak in complete sentences. It probably isn’t surprising that mediocre people who read Drudge support mediocre movies as a badge of honor (hell, look who Drudge readers supported in the last election).
With the immense amount of money Hollywood has at its disposal, we should demand movies with actual plots. We should rally around original stories. The more money you plunk into dreck like Transformers and Paul Blart, the more of those type of films you’ll get.
Just for fun, how many of you Drudge readers streaming over here to post “suck it, elitists” have actually READ A BOOK in the last six months. Moreover, what was the title of the last book you read?
I really hate having to spend my Sundays teaching the children, but “Enough” is in sore need of some schooling…
First, I wasn’t making a joke, I was using a metaphor. (why do I have the feeling I’ll be posting the definition of a metaphor for “Enough” in my next message…) I don’t care if you drink or not. Although, since you are a tad over-sensitive, it probably wouldn’t hurt if you took a nip. Or two. Or seven.
Second, your statement— “you didn’t like the film fine, but don’t go bashing the director. That just shows your lack of class and immaturity”—is ill of logic. Or, illogical. It doesn’t make sense. If one does not like a film, then the ultimate responsibility falls on the director. Films don’t just magically make themselves ya know. And if anyone is in true control of their films, it’s Mr Bay. He’ll be the first to tell you that nothing happens onscreen without his approval and handprint. So when we bash the movie, of course we will subsequently bash the director. Just like if we’re praising a movie, we’re gonna praise the director (how many of us knelt at the altar of Chris Nolan last summer?) Were there any personal attacks on Mikey Bay? No (not by me at least). So what if Bay is a juvenile, soulless, misogynistic, egotistical, juvenile, ADD-riddled, drug-abusing, whore-lovin’, puppy-kicker… that’s none of my business. I’m only critiquing his film. It blows. That’s all.
On a positive note – I saw Hurt Locker last night. For the budget Bay spent on Megan Fox’s spray tan in Transformers, Kathryn Bigelow has made an amazing, edge-of-your-seat thrill-ride of a war movie that does not let up for two hours. It’s amazing. Go see it. I’m talking to you, “Enough” – go see it. That’s your assignment.
Class dismissed.
“very unintelligent plot”
this movie is in partnership with Hasbro the toy maker & you say this is “unintelligent”???? so why did you go see a movie by a toy-maker in the first place? just sayin…
I saw this with 3 family members over the age of 40, sat near two dudes over the age of 50 as well as latinos & african-americans AND EVERYONE LUVED THIS FLICK! The theatre roared with laughter & luved in the action scenes!!!
I will be seeing this twice. so many great scenes and the acting was top notch for this type of action/fantasy genre.
sad to see so much hate & bad attitude against a movie.
the nay-sayers are just so uptight when they see a movie that has roots in judeo-christian history & theology, not too mention tons of allusions to the war on terror.
sorry nay-sayers, you have the right to say what you want, but the rest of us have the right to call on being too too biased and almost bigoted against a movie that shows the US military in a positive light, not to mention the whole battle of good vs evil that the world has been involved with since day one, post-Garden of Eden.
cheers folks & ignore the nay-sayers…they are clue-less.
You WarnerBros studio plants posting comments here and in forums are pretty pathetic. Everyone of you is always opening the post with the pathetic “I liked the first but this one is awful” sentence thing.. Geez! You are a joke! Really.You are a bunch of sheeps worse than employees working for a few bucks at call centers. You bashing Transformers2 and insulting people enjoying the movie is a really disgusting thing. Quit the job because working under cover is not for you anyway, you all say the same things like clones, you can’t fool anyone anymore.
Transformers2 storyline, compared to the wonderful novel of the movie written by famous sci-fi writer Alan Dean Foster, containes some flaws that needed fixes BUT despite those flaws the movie flows well enough anyway. If only they delayed the movie a few weeks to refine the scenes better and added some inter-link scenes where needed this movie could have been perfect.
This piece of cinematic dross does serve a valid purpose – it keeps all of the goats in flyover country safe for another night, as their inbred owners flock to the theaters showing Transformers 2….
Maybe Shia LaBeouf, who I think gave a wonderfully nuanced performance in “Bobby”, has now made the money that he needs to fund his future psychotherapy and hand surgeries, so that he can leave the action genre behind and get on to make serious films…
One thing’s for sure: This opening proves that The Dark Knight didn’t open huge because the masses had some newfound respect for comic books. Both Dark Knight and Transformers enjoyed this kind of success because their studios successfully played they hype game. When you’re good at it, this is the kind of business you can wring from today’s box office.
Just look at those numbers. Transformers had abysmal reviews AND fewer theaters than The Dark Knight. If it had also debuted on a Friday, we would probably be looking at new Midnight, Opening Day, and- possibly- Three Day records. And all for a movie that is essentially the polar opposite of The Dark Knight.
Regardless of where the final weekend numbers land, the movie has already underscored how meaningless a “record” opening weekend truly is.
First movie I’ve seen at the Academy theater where it was almost empty by the time the credits finished rolling.
The effects were amazing. There were some nice moments, I thought the opening fight in Shanghai was the best VFX sequence in the movie, it nicely hung together as a sequence.
This is the kind of movie people want??! God that is a very scary thought.
People stop and stare and gawk at car wrecks. Should we give The People more of those, too?
I heard how bad Tranformers 2 was supposed to be from the critics and I thought oh no, something as bad as Matrix 2 & 3 and POTC 2 & 3. What did a find upon viewing twice this weekend in major east coast city not “fly over” country? A block buster movie that large theaters are built for. Great effects, sound, funny cheezy line that had both audiences I sat in laughing from start to finish. Oh and the audience cheered at the end both times. You can see Redacted and Milk at home, but T2 should be enjoyed at the theater. So why did the critics so rip the movie. Yeah it had more than its share of super slow mo and an oiled up sex goddess, but want to know the real reason? psss lean closer…
Transformers is pro military and calls out President Obama by name as a weak and craven administration. Interesting that the Iran situation broke right before this came out. This reminds me of when The Kingdom opened up to very mixed reviews. If the Kingdom’s conclusion was that everything in the middle east was the US and President Bush’s fault it would of been on Ten Best Lists at the end of the year, but when it found fault with extremists and protrayed the US in a positive light it was “jingoistic”
Wake up Hollywood! Grand Torino, Taken, T2 have all been box office gold for a reason. Come off your collective soap boxes and make movies people want. Where is the bio movie on Reagan showing him as an American hero that won the cold war? If he was a democrat it would have been in the can 15 years ago already.
I’ve stopped going to the movies because of films like this. I’d rather watch beautiful, entertaining and thought provoking films at home on netflix than sit in a theater and have my intelligence insulted. american filmmaking died many years ago, and what we now see produced by america is for wall street, not film lovers. they should just call these kind of films extended video game trailers or something other than films, as they are an insult to filmmakers such as hitchcock, lean, scorsese, kubrick, Renoir, Cocteau, Clouzot, Fellini, etc.
The novel?!
Uh, what did people expect? It’s a freaking Michael Bay movie. Of course it’s going to be mindless explosions and tits. That’s what his movies are. And Bay’s name plastered all over the thing should have told moviegoers everything they needed to know.
The simple fact is that not every movie actually does need character arc and emotion and whatever. Sometimes I just want to see explosions, robots and hot women. I can enjoy it for what it is: mindless entertainment.
Michael Bay has never made a *good* movie. But he makes fun movies. If you’re looking for something else, go see a different movie. It’s Transformers for God’s sake! Did you really expect better? It’s not like the source material even has the potential for anything other than mindless fun. It’s transforming robots! Jeeze, people.
This movie was EPIC WIN. I want to see it again. PEOPLE ACTUALLY APPLUADED AT THE END OF THE FILM. THAT’S RIGHT. IT WAS THAT GOOD. It was sooo funny (although alittle vulgar at times) and I love that nothing changed. I think I like it as much as the first. there yeah. You don’t know me and I don’t know you but if you liked to first one, I’m pretty sure you’ll like the second.
To the poster above complaining that the Transformers-going public was stupid enough to elect Bush a second time, “effectively endorsing extraordinary rendition, torture, civilian bombing, dispossession of American and Iraqi national wealth, the en masse hiring of mercenaries, etc”
Please tell me which part of that has changed with the new president. The only difference is the media doesn’t pretend to be outraged when a drone wipes out 40 people (like last week), rendition is still a go, ‘extraordinary interrogation measures’ are allowed under loopholes, no funding to close guantanamo was asked for, “don’t ask don’t tell” is not being repealed, and on and on. Give us a break, go see ‘My Dinner With Andre’ again and let everyone else enjoy their summer.
If enough people skip the movie because they’re offended by its poor script, or object to it for being insufficiently nuanced, then they’ll stop making movies like it. Otherwise, the public is being well served despite your disapproval.
I absolutely loved Transformers 2. It was EXACTLY what I was hoping it would be. Transformers 2 reminded me what movie making is all about, and for 2 and a half hours I forgot all about all the crap going on in my life. Thank you Mr. Bay, and congrats on the success of a VERY fun film.
Giant. Robot. Balls.
WTF?
Plus a peter jackson style running time.
But it’s totally and exactly the movie M. bay wanted to make.
@Skidflaps
TF2 was great, and I loved the TWINS! It’s not racism, it’s called a stereotype
So this douchebag thinks it’s okay to promote a stereotype as long as it’s nor racism.
Michael Bay will now send this latest “fuck you” to black people all around the world where people will believe in it and further the aversion to black film products.
But who’s to blame really? Because we still have this asshole Tyler Perry doing his drag queen act and black people buying it up. Now we see the danger as white men think it’s okay because “hey they like it.”
Michael Bay is the misbegotten child of a business that fucked it’s retarded sister.
Skidflaps is a typical brainless asshole.
Tyler Perry is an ignorant bufoon.
The audience is a victim.
And I– am finished.
Thanks for all the negative reviews to lower my expectations. I went to see the movie in the theater with my 10 year old figuring at least I would enjoy the special effects on the big screen. (I’m 47, and a retired Navy commander). To help you assess my comments I fell asleep during KING KONG, and almost walked out of Spiderman 3 out of boredom. However, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, perhaps since I wasn’t expecting much. It worked on two levels- yeah, it’s big ‘park your brain for while’ action flick. DUDES- it’s a movie about alien robots! It also works as, and I think this is why there’s so much negative reaction an allegory for terrorism and peace through strength. An enemy that is hidden all over the world and independent of any government- and focused on taking out the sun/son. Taking away the light of the world and thrusting us into darkness. Perhaps it’s too blatant..
If you want to enjoy the movie on that level, you’ll have to do quite a bit of research as well as watch a lot of old war movies which I think Bay sourced in creating some of the scenes. I recognized several scenes. It would also behoove you to read accounts of actual combat. Yes, men have died in aircraft with their last transmissions being- ‘Cancel two box lunches’, ‘I’ve got 25 cornered over here. Hurry up if anybody wants some too.”
Oh, and the hint about the Three Kings (stars) leading them to their goal. Come on folks.
A history of US wars and UK/Canadian cooperation could also explain the staff seargent’s comments about our alies dying with us- in almost every war we’ve fought. The dismissive attitude to these allies by the government representative could be taken as a commentary on the current administration’s treatment of them.
I also don’t think it was an accident that you see the Enola Gay in the Smithsonian. A reference to another hard choice which had to be made in facing evil. I thought it was also odd that the ‘ancient’ transformer was one of the most technologically advanced planes ever created. (You do know this plane’s engines converted from turbojet to straight ramjet in flight, right?) I couldn’t help but think of the SR-71s role during the Cold War. Again, you’ld have to do some research to realize it’s more than a sinister looking plane. (also research the links between SR71/XB70/MIG 25 Foxbat).
I could go on and on, you could certainly criticize the allegory for being ham-handed and over the top at times. But I had colleagues who died in the Pentagon, and a sister who didn’t at the Capitol.
Which may explain my son asking me why I jumped when Optimus Prime said “LET’S ROLL”.
Google it if you’ve forgotten where that line comes from…
Nothing more amusing than watching the sheep defending their stupidity on the internet. “Yeah I’m stupid! But I WANT to be stupid! So I’m not really stupid! The elite! Elite! Eliteeliteleleeiteeete.”
Ah, folks, this is Transformers, NOT Shakespeare.
Huge difference. Reduce your expectations.
One is based on a cartoon.
One is based on human frailty.
And people choose the cartoon every time.
i went to the movies with my friends here in chicago yesterday. pretty prominent theatre, right off michigan avenue. i was shocked to see that the theatre was extremely empty, including all the the transformer screenings (we were there to see UP). be ready for a massive drop off next weekend, as the weather gets better/warmer here in the midwest…
A big loud lame Bayformer movie is never going to be better than a great critical, artistic, and financial hit like The Dark Knight was.
Keep wet dreaming lame BAYFORMER fans and you TDK haters with no credibility. LOL
It’s hilarious how some of the posters on here are getting so worked up towards those who didn’t like this movie. If you worked on it, I guess I can understand the passionate defense of it, but many of those hell bent set on defending it seem to be defending it as though they’re defending their own way of life. You even got some people throwing in criticisms of elitists, liberals, and the “liberal media” as though attacking Transformers 2 is an assault on conservatives. It’s a movie, not your mom or your grandma or Sarah Palin, so relax.
And wanting a plot in your films and having the desire to not see 100+ rip off movies that will be even worse than this one does not make you an elitist.
We’ll see if it continues to play well in the next couple weekends though… I haven’t spoken to one person who recommended seeing. Most said they wanted their money back (especially after spending money on inflated prices at the Arclight). Does anyone remember “Wolverine”? And in three weeks we’ll all be talking about Harry Potter anyway.
I predict that Transformers 2 will lose its staying power the second weekend. Why? Because of 2 reasons:
1. I believe in the power of the word of mouth.
2. Public Enemies is as much a blockbuster as Transformers 2 is, and is getting much better reviews.
3. Public Enemies is opening the Wednesday before July 4th. Everyone knows holiday openers make more money.
It’s going to be funny when Avatar comes out in December. Transformers2 obviously has a huge opening week. Word of mouth rarely affects something like this, as you can tell by the numbers. Next week there’s probably going to be a huge drop off because most people are going to hear how terrible it is. Avatar, on the other hand, is almost the opposite. I think it will have a modest to big opening. Probably $60 million tops. But when word of mouth carries, and people hear how the special effects are the most realistic and by far the best that we have ever seen before, the next weekend might even be bigger than the first. Avatar will be just like Titanic, where it will have a very long life because people will want to see it over and over. That’s how I see it, anyway.
How about some information on The Hurt Locker…that little known action film that is doing very well despite its limited release directed by Bieglow??
this movie is awful and further proves my point on how dumb today’s movie goers are. This movie is nothing but spfx/vfx and there is no substance let alone a point and contains too much irrelivent info/scences that don’t pertain to the story.
Get ready idiots, GI JOE is out next month. More “mindless entertianment” to ruin a classic series.
It doesn’t have to be Shakespeare but DAMN IT COULD OF BEEN BETTER THAN Dr.SEUSS ! That’s how bad the plot for this movie was.
“this movie is awful and further proves my point on how dumb today’s movie goers are.”comment by Imfamous
well Infamouth I dont think I saw one reason why you hate the movie and hate those who like it. Name a scene that “sucked,” as your kind would say.
“contains too much irrelivent info/scences that don’t pertain to the story.” comment by Imfamous
what do you mean by “irrelivent”?? name a scene?
did you even see it? do you know how to even spell or is stupidity also on the side of those who hate this movie?
unreal the amount of hate over a movie. absolutely pathetic. oh wait let me spell it in the way those who hate this movie can understand it: “pathietc”
The critics are right. This movie is terrible from a script, acting, and directing standpoint. Critics don’t determine popularity though. The masses do. Many a terrible thing have been made popular, without having been made good. Does anyone remember Jackass?
What critics don’t write about is the extent to which people will tolerate cinematic mediocrity when it comes to summer popcorn movies. Critics will always make movies like this look like someone has defiled the Mona Lisa and correctly so. There is no level or even attempt at artistry in this film at all. It’s one of the worst movies I’ve seen ever, but I did pay my $13 to see it in XD to make that conclusion.
Is it summer escapism? Absolutely. Does that justify the abandonment of good story telling? To some people yes. Does that mean only the audience or the critics can have a monopoly on being right? No. If you like this kind of thing it’s entirely up to you. Is this a pretty sorry movie if you take it out of a summer context? Most likely yes, which is why the Dark Knight’s total haul will be double what Transformers makes when it’s all said and done because TDK will stand on it’s own as timeless while Armageddon, I mean I mean Bad Boys, I mean Transformers 2 won’t. This movie will probably be forgotten after 2009 but that doesn’t mean it didn’t rightfully or through self deception entertain many people one summer with a conspicuous absence of quality throughout the lineup. Anyone watch Bad Boys lately?
so I see Lincoln has a personal hate & bias against the director of T2. I also see that Lincoln didnt even go to the movie or pay $13 to see it. not a chance.
since Lincoln already hates all Bay’s work why did he waste his money on this one too?
absoltuely lame.
Lincoln, Why are you on a thread about T2 promoting TDK? What could possibly be your worry? do you think humankind will self-destruct or something over this?
And I saw TDK 3X so I am not biased. I can see Lincoln is just a shill for somebody or something. heaven only knows what.
Lincoln, do you seriously see yourself as the MOVIE-AVENGER, saving humankind from the clutches of EVIL, as represented in T2?
do ya?
I love how all the defenders of this “summer popcorn movie” preface their rationalization of it by saying something along the lines of “It’s a movie about giant fighting robots, for frak’s sake.” Basically, because the movie has an oversized, sci-fi premise it doesn’t really have to be very good. That would mean that any movie that isn’t a straight, real-world drama has a built-in excuse to emphasize special effects over coherent plot, noise over emotion, eye candy over characters you care about. That’s a cop-out.
Here are some “far-out” plots of movies that ended up being, you know, actually good:
Outer space marines fight vicious, acid-bleeding aliens on a human outpost.
Cyborg is sent from the future to kill the mother of a future resistance leader.
Family of humans with unbelievable (nay, incredible) superpowers have to come out of hiding to fight giant robots.
And dozens more.
I’m all for escapism. Good escapism that respects my intelligence. For instance, back when Sci-Fi was running Stargate: Atlantis and Battlestar: Galactica on Fridays, I’d always watch both, but I found myself more looking forward to watching SGA. BSG was an excellent, gritty drama, but it was so relentlessly grim and humorless. SGA offered characters I actually liked, a decent dose of humor, and fun, adventure-filled plots.
I guess I don’t understand why it’s important to folks whether TDK or TF2 makes more money. They aren’t the same kind of film at all- why do folks see this as some kind of competition? They’re very different projects- it’s comparing apples to oranges.
As I said, I’m glad the reviews had lowered my expectations before seeing TF2. Folks see what they want to see filtered through their biases/experience.
I thought you could take the little robot dry-humping Mikela’s leg as he calls her the “Warrior Goddess” as a slap at the mindless, cult-of-personality followers of folks like Palin because of their image. That probably says more about how my mind works than what Bay intended to convey.
For those deciding whether to go see the film- it’s not an art film, or a drama, or some attempt to convey great truths. Its a sci-fi film with a lot of emphasis on visual effects and action, which it delivers. It has about as much story as any other action film. If you’re into military hardware you’ll notice some of the equipment more than the casual viewer.
I’m trying to understand how exactly a movie that was written and filmed before we even had a Presidential nominee from either party, let alone an election, has been conflated in the Drudgebots pea-brains as being a slam on Obama? It appears that when it comes to Transformers 2, we’re seeing more “projection” than just the guy rolling the film.
Hey all you lovers of the oh so boring TDK,
just checked the numbers for TF2 on monday and it
pulled in 14mil. 14 mil dollars on monday that is very impressive for a movie that is being slammed by critics
and by hated on by so many of you ‘nay sayers’. Please
if all u ‘nay sayers’ continue with your voice so the
real america can show you the cracks of our asses as
the beastly, awesome, mindblowing, and extemely
entertaining TF2 marches it way to the bank. Can i say
that again 14mil dollars…one more time 14mil dollars
on a monday. Who says TF2 wont perform? Schools out
for summer and kids are into this movie so i wouldnt
count on TF2 not performing. I have seen TF2 twice and
plan on seeing it a third time in IMAX…worth every
penny, go Bay. Heres a little something all you bitch
ass haters should chew. According to the poll
“snap decision” done on leesmovieinfo.com 70% of people
thought TF2 was awesome and 29% said it was aweful.
What does that tell you? You haters are the minority..
your voice counts for nothing. WE THE PEOPLE are the
majority and our voices count for everyhing.
Lets go Bay cant wait for TF3
Well said Adix! Well said indeed! I’m going to see it for my third time tomorrow – this time in Imax!
Pete,
Drudgebots/Huffpobots/Rushbots/DailyKosbots/CNNbots/FNbots. You confirm my point, people take away or read things into films based on their biases and perceptions. This is why a dumb film to one-person may have more relevance to another—regardless of what the film-maker was trying to do. It’s also why how much revenue a film makes isn’t the measure of anything other than what the public was in the mood for at the moment.
I mentioned the cameo of the Enola Gay (bomber which dropped the nuke on Hiroshima) earlier. Depending on your point of view you can see it as a condemnation of using an evil to oppose evil. Or you can see it as the ultimate cost that appeasement, not confronting evil early on can lead to. You might link it to Optimus saying earlier ‘Not today’? It’s an individual impression independent of why Bay put it there. (He could simply have used it since it’s one of the few airplanes that large numbers would easily recognize- or cuz’ it looked cool to him- or it was the right height off the ground for the actors to pass under.. who knows.
Well written comment, styrgwillidar.
For the rest-I thought the movie was ok. IT’S A JUST MOVIE-honestly, WHO CARES???? It seems to have accomplished what the director set out to do, the kids in the theater w/me loved it and I have never read the “Drudge Report” (or whatever) in my life.
No one is making anyone see this movie, so why all the disrespect? Those of you who hate this and it’s director can do so as you choose (free country), but practically speaking, it looks like M. Bay will keep several in Hollywood working for years to come…
Just sayin’…..Peace.
I’m trying to figure out why I’m seeing so many comments about racist robots in the movie. Could someone point out what in the movie is racist? I find it much more likely that the people calling out racism are racists themselves and look for it everywhere they go. Enjoy life stop living in the past, your holding back society
I agree with you on that one Kev. Is anyone called a nigger, white cracker, redneck, spic, chink, etc…and we gone on on. The answer to that is no but somehow you
people manage to come away with its a ‘racist’ movie.
How the hell does that make any since?…it doesnt.
Sounds to me like a lack of education and maturity.
Like Kev said the people that think this is a racist
movie are racist themselves. They cant for one second
get a taste of a culture that differs from their own.
I am a black man and i wasnt offended by this movie
at all. I was a little bit more focused on Optimus
prime putting his foot through some decepticon ass.
Oh by the way for all you out thier that are hoping and
praying for TF2 to weaken in the knees it pulled in
13mil tuesday added another 11mil wednsday but hey whos
counting.