Official TRANSFORMERS Dark of the Moon discussion thread.

[MrRoboto]

I'm glad that if true, Shockwave will be the main villain. After Megatron & Soundwave, he was my next favourite villain. Not too interested in what is being said by those associated with T3 as i'd rather wait for the movie to be released and then make my mind up. Just saw a trailer, although it didn't reveal much it looked interesting enough.

I still get annoyed at what they did to Jetfire.

[wolfsfang]

Now I really am excited for this movie. I think it will probably be as great as the first 2.

[Mr_Yuck]

I'm happy to hear Shockwave is in the movie. But Shockwave as the main villian? It doesn't sound or feel right to me personally.

As far as the teaser trailer goes, a lot of people have said that the bot in the ship is Alpha Trion. Given the way he is introduced (score used and such), and the look of the robot is coming across as distinctly menacing to me. They wouldn't do Alpha Trion as menacing I would think.

I know it's been discussed before, but is it possible it's Unicron? Clearly, they wouldn't be able to do him in the scale as a giant planet as presented previously. Maybe he would be some kind of "Destroyer of Worlds" warlord. You know, without actually eating the planet per se.

Thoughts?

[Mern-Ra]

I still get annoyed at what they did to Jetfire.

Agreed. But I wasn't as upset about what they did to the character as I was about the fact that they finally got around to using what is arguably the most
awesome looking vehicle ever created, and had it turn into an old fart who couldn't fight.

Anyway, that would be awesome if that were Alpha Trion! And I think it looks great so far--I love when they take actual historic events and tie them into this world of fantasy, just like they did in the first one with the Mars Rover and Hoover Dam. Yeah, the more they follow the first one and get away from the second one, the better.

[heavy-eternium]

I liked the trailer, I hope this time the story is about the transformers not about Sam Witwicky .

[MegaGearMax]

It's probably Alpha Trion, but that robot reminds me of Vector Prime.

As for the toys, I'm assuming that they'll have another Leader Class Prime and Megatron that'll be better than the last ones. Hopefully, we'll get a Leader Class Shockwave and Soundwave.

[BlueStreak]

Someone clear something up for me.

In TF2 - when Megatron is revived and he flies off to meet up with the Fallen - where was the Fallen hiding out? I thought he was on the moon? Or was it Mars?

I won't be able to pull out the DVD till later tonight so I'm hoping someone here can shed some light...

[MegaGearMax]

Someone clear something up for me.

In TF2 - when Megatron is revived and he flies off to meet up with the Fallen - where was the Fallen hiding out? I thought he was on the moon? Or was it Mars?

I won't be able to pull out the DVD till later tonight so I'm hoping someone here can shed some light...

I think it was either Saturn or some other planet beyond our solar system. The Nemesis was parked there.

[Mr. Shokoti]

The trailer didn't look bad because, imo, not much was shown. Once we see the designs and Bay's typical camera "tricks"(I loved his first 2 movies, liked his second 2, and was sick of his style with everything after that), I'm sure I'll find myself disliking this as much as the first 2. I'll be fair & see the movie before I judge it(I expected to hate Batman Begins & G.I. Joe Rise Of Cobra but loved them both), but I'm not expecting to like it.

I'm not as well versed on TF characters as a lot of you are(I grew up with G1 but it didn't stick with me as much as MOTU & G.I. Joe did). Whatever that robot is, it reminds me of...

[Krueger]

The trailer didn't look bad because, imo, not much was shown. Once we see the designs and Bay's typical camera "tricks"

I highly recommend that you go and read the report over at Collider.com. When talking about using 3D cameras, Bay basically says that he was forced to change his style. He says that he had to make do with wider shots and that, and this is the best bit, the camera isn’t as jerky. That was the word he used.

Honestly, how scathing Bay is of ROTF really surprises me. Seems that his ego took a real battering.

EDIT: just found a new report over at IGN, although it’s no way near as in-depth as the Collider one: http://uk.movies.ign.com/articles/113/1138953p1.html

[BlueStreak]

I think it was either Saturn or some other planet beyond our solar system. The Nemesis was parked there.

Cool that helps!

Thanks.

[Sorceress]

I think the bot is Alpha Trion.

[Captain Marvel]

As far as the teaser trailer goes, a lot of people have said that the bot in the ship is Alpha Trion. Given the way he is introduced (score used and such), and the look of the robot is coming across as distinctly menacing to me. They wouldn't do Alpha Trion as menacing I would think.

It's probably Alpha Trion, but that robot reminds me of Vector Prime.

That's the name I was thinking of, Alpha Trion -- somehow I was confusing the name with G1 Optimus's initial name of Orion Pax. I was also thinking of Vector Prime as well, perhaps because of the way the "shoulder" pieces extend.

[Mr. Shokoti]

I highly recommend that you go and read the report over at Collider.com. When talking about using 3D cameras, Bay basically says that he was forced to change his style. He says that he had to make do with wider shots and that, and this is the best bit, the camera isn’t as jerky. That was the word he used.

Aren't wide, sweeping shots one of his most used tricks? He's been using them since I first saw the trailer to the original Bad Boys.

Honestly, how scathing Bay is of ROTF really surprises me. Seems that his ego took a real battering.

I really don't understand this. I didn't like either Transformers movie, but I really don't see why so many people felt the second movie was bad but the first one was great. Wasn't the first movie the one where Bumblebee "pees" on people, "Spike's" mom starts talking about "sexual gratification", a great leader like Optimus Prime starts stomping all over a flower bed like a 6 year old with ADD(while exclaiming "my bad" no less), and the final shot of the film is of "Spike" making out with his girlfriend while laying on top of his new best friend? What did the second movie do that was any worse than that?

[FAKER II]

I really don't understand this. I didn't like either Transformers movie, but I really don't see why so many people felt the second movie was bad but the first one was great. Wasn't the first movie the one where Bumblebee "pees" on people, "Spike's" mom starts talking about "sexual gratification", a great leader like Optimus Prime starts stomping all over a flower bed like a 6 year old with ADD(while exclaiming "my bad" no less), and the final shot of the film is of "Spike" making out with his girlfriend while laying on top of his new best friend? What did the second movie do that was any worse than that?

I agree that the reference to self gratification in the 1st movie was probably the worse thing about any of the movies. But here is what I think was worse in the 2nd movie than everything else about the 1st movie (except that one thing):

- The evil female pretender scene where she/it was trying to seduce Sam. I thought this was way over the top.
- The scene with Sam’s mom where she was high on the brownies. Not just for the drugs alone but also the sexually explicit stuff she starts talking about.
- Wheelie humping Mikaela’s leg like a horny dog. I actually forgot Wheelie was even in that movie as I guess I subconsciously tried to block that out.
- Optimus Prime killing a wounded prisoner of war. The true Optimus Prime (and any good hero) would never kill an enemy that has already been taken down and disarmed just for the sake of killing him.
- The twins. Need I say more.

Of course there are plenty of action flicks with the kind of violence and sensuality as listed above. But Transformers is based on a kids toyline.

[Mr. Shokoti]

Of course there are plenty of action flicks with the kind of violence and sensuality as listed above. But Transformers is based on a kids toyline.

Don't forget that, while based on a toyline, it's based on a Hasbro toyline. They are the same company that allowed for a few adult words to be sprinkled throughout the animated Transformers movie, thought a good way to introduce new characters in said movie was to kill off most of the old ones, and had planned to have one of the female villains go topless in the G.I. Joe animated movie. I'm an adult, don't have any kids yet, and have no problem with adult material for adults, but I just don't like that at all. It just seems sleazy. To be honest, no matter how much money the movie made, I'd have kicked Bay off of the Transformers film franchise after seeing the way he treated my "toys" in the first film if I was a bigwig at Hasbro. I don't even know if that would have been an option for Hasbro though.

[Thatman]

I kind of got the impression there were any number of robots on that ship on the moon (but I do agree the featured one looked like it could have been Alpha Trion) - so could that imply this moon-ship is the Ark? (If the Nemesis ended up somewhere out in the solar system?)

I want to like this movie - I'm going to give it my best shot, but I really hated the second one. The first one, while cheesy, was pretty enjoyable, but the second one was just stupid, over the top, and tried (and failed) too hard to be funny. I really want TF3 to be better.

I like how all four major Decepticons (Megatron, Soundwave, Starscream and Shockwave) will be in it (And Soundwave will transform this time).

Also, Prime finally gets his trailer, and it looks like Wheeljack may be appearing, in addition to any number of new guys. (And they dumped Megan Fox, and the new love interest is Carly).

If the movie is just as good as TF1, at whatever level of 'good' you want to call that, I'll have to be satisfied with that.

[MegaGearMax]

I agree that the reference to self gratification in the 1st movie was probably the worse thing about any of the movies. But here is what I think was worse in the 2nd movie than everything else about the 1st movie (except that one thing):

- The evil female pretender scene where she/it was trying to seduce Sam. I thought this was way over the top.
- The scene with Sam’s mom where she was high on the brownies. Not just for the drugs alone but also the sexually explicit stuff she starts talking about.
- Wheelie humping Mikaela’s leg like a horny dog. I actually forgot Wheelie was even in that movie as I guess I subconsciously tried to block that out.
- Optimus Prime killing a wounded prisoner of war. The true Optimus Prime (and any good hero) would never kill an enemy that has already been taken down and disarmed just for the sake of killing him.
- The twins. Need I say more.

There are more!

- Devastator's testicles
- Jetfire being an old fart
- "Punk ass Decepticon!"

Of course there are plenty of action flicks with the kind of violence and sensuality as listed above. But Transformers is based on a kids toyline.

You can get away with murder using robots. Ask Tarantulas when he was running down the hall, when Primal set him on fire in Beast Wars.

Ah, Hasbro has stones and realize that kids are more hardcore than those Reagan-era kids! They probably figure that kids routinely curse at school or among their friends, watch R-rated moves and hide Playboys under their beds. ROFLMAO!

(I'm kidding, but looking at the Zarana nude scene and the death and cursing from TFTM, maybe this is how "hip" Hasbro execs are...)

[hauke]

Aren't wide, sweeping shots one of his most used tricks? He's been using them since I first saw the trailer to the original Bad Boys.



I really don't understand this. I didn't like either Transformers movie, but I really don't see why so many people felt the second movie was bad but the first one was great. Wasn't the first movie the one where Bumblebee "pees" on people, "Spike's" mom starts talking about "sexual gratification", a great leader like Optimus Prime starts stomping all over a flower bed like a 6 year old with ADD(while exclaiming "my bad" no less), and the final shot of the film is of "Spike" making out with his girlfriend while laying on top of his new best friend? What did the second movie do that was any worse than that?

Well I for one did not like the first movie either except for some of the action scenes. What made the second movie worse for me is simply the fact that almost any character was an over the top raving lunatic: Spikes parents, Agent Simmons, that Hacker guy, the Twins, Jetfire, Wheelie, and even Spike. When almost every character in a movie gets on your nerves it is very hard to enjoy that film.
Some of the humor was too much to as mentioned above by others.
I actually do enjoy Bays humor in other movies like Bad Boys II but it just does not fit Transformers.

[Mr. Shokoti]

(I'm kidding, but looking at the Zarana nude scene and the death and cursing from TFTM, maybe this is how "hip" Hasbro execs are...)

Just so I don't look like I'm just leveling my usual bias against Hasbro, I was also kind of surprised when Detective Lubic swore in the MOTU movie. It just didn't seem as "shocking" as TFTM since it was live action and not animated.

[MrRoboto]

Agreed. But I wasn't as upset about what they did to the character as I was about the fact that they finally got around to using what is arguably the most
awesome looking vehicle ever created, and had it turn into an old fart who couldn't fight.

Anyway, that would be awesome if that were Alpha Trion! And I think it looks great so far--I love when they take actual historic events and tie them into this world of fantasy, just like they did in the first one with the Mars Rover and Hoover Dam. Yeah, the more they follow the first one and get away from the second one, the better.

Totally agree with you on that Mern-Ra.

[krosfyah]

I really don't understand this. I didn't like either Transformers movie, but I really don't see why so many people felt the second movie was bad but the first one was great. Wasn't the first movie the one where Bumblebee "pees" on people, "Spike's" mom starts talking about "sexual gratification", a great leader like Optimus Prime starts stomping all over a flower bed like a 6 year old with ADD(while exclaiming "my bad" no less), and the final shot of the film is of "Spike" making out with his girlfriend while laying on top of his new best friend? What did the second movie do that was any worse than that?

MY take is that the first movie wasn't so much perceived as great as much as people were excited by what it delivered, it was mindless fun, but then they just amped up the mindless and took out the fun for the sequel, I just don't get how a movie so maligned made so much $$

[Mr. Shokoti]

MY take is that the first movie wasn't so much perceived as great as much as people were excited by what it delivered, it was mindless fun, but then they just amped up the mindless and took out the fun for the sequel,

That might very well be true.

I just don't get how a movie so maligned made so much $$

It's probably either the case of those who hated it are just a part of the very vocal minority or that a lot of the people who loved it saw it multiple times in the theater.

[Krueger]

That might very well be true.

It's probably either the case of those who hated it are just a part of the very vocal minority or that a lot of the people who loved it saw it multiple times in the theater.

I would definitely say it’s a bit of both. No film can make that much money if everyone who was planning on watching it only saw it once. And also, and no disrespect to the "haters", but I think a lot of them just feel the need to scream louder for some reason. So yeah, you’re probably right; they probably do make up a very vocal minority.

My main criticism with ROTF stems from the unintentionally confusing story. There is no doubt whatsoever the writer’s strike had a very big effect on the film as a whole. It’s a shame, because there’s so much in it that I love (the forest fight, Starscream and Megatron’s relationship, more scenes reserved just for the robots and Prime saving the day), but there’s more that I don’t like (pot brownie, although I skip that scene on the blu ray, Leo and the Twin's voices).

By reading the numerous interviews that have been released this past week conducted with Bay, I think he's somewhat on the same page as all who liked the first film but felt let down with the second one. I'm optimistic that DOTM will be a much better film than ROTF and may even surpass the first one.

[adol]

I'm happy to hear Shockwave is in the movie. But Shockwave as the main villian? It doesn't sound or feel right to me personally.

Wasn't Shockwave the Decepticon leader in the Marvel comic for a while? I kinda remember something like that, but it has been forever since I read any of those.