Comments on: Less Than Meets the Eye http://www.showbits.net/2007/07/25/transformers/ A blog of news, reviews, commentary, and quirks from Hollywood and Broadway, with a focus on quirky, geeky stuff like Star Wars, Star Trek, and superheroes. Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:35:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Ken Gagne http://www.showbits.net/2007/07/25/transformers/#comment-5784 Ken Gagne Tue, 31 Jul 2007 14:06:48 +0000 http://www.showbits.net/2007/07/25/transformers/#comment-5784 <blockquote><em>I'm supposed to take your </em>Transformers<em> review seriously again because...??</em></blockquote> You never took it seriously in the first place. And given that you have an agenda of attacking my credibility, I'm not very vested in your opinion of my review, since you are apparently focused on proving one of us right and the other wrong. These are opinions you're debating, not facts. Enjoy your films, and let me enjoy mine.

I'm supposed to take your Transformers review seriously again because…??

You never took it seriously in the first place. And given that you have an agenda of attacking my credibility, I'm not very vested in your opinion of my review, since you are apparently focused on proving one of us right and the other wrong.

These are opinions you're debating, not facts. Enjoy your films, and let me enjoy mine.

]]> By: Brian F. http://www.showbits.net/2007/07/25/transformers/#comment-5783 Brian F. Tue, 31 Jul 2007 13:45:59 +0000 http://www.showbits.net/2007/07/25/transformers/#comment-5783 Let me see if I understand this. You've never seen <em>Citizen Kane</em>, commonly considered the best film EVER made... You didn't like <em>Blade Runner</em>, commonly considered one of the best Sci-Fi movies ever made... And it seems you still hold a special fondness for <em>Masters of the Universe</em>, commonly considered one of the cheesiest and hokey Sci-Fi/Cartoon adaption movies ever made... Roll all those together, and I'm supposed to take your <em>Transformers</em> review seriously again because...?? Let me see if I understand this.

You've never seen Citizen Kane, commonly considered the best film EVER made…

You didn't like Blade Runner, commonly considered one of the best Sci-Fi movies ever made…

And it seems you still hold a special fondness for Masters of the Universe, commonly considered one of the cheesiest and hokey Sci-Fi/Cartoon adaption movies ever made…

Roll all those together, and I'm supposed to take your Transformers review seriously again because…??

]]> By: Ken Gagne http://www.showbits.net/2007/07/25/transformers/#comment-5735 Ken Gagne Sat, 28 Jul 2007 21:33:04 +0000 http://www.showbits.net/2007/07/25/transformers/#comment-5735 Of course the kids are flooding this movie; as I said, I would be too if I were a kid. But box office receipts do not a good movie make. As I also wrote, I was expecting neither <em>Citizen Kane</em> (never seen it) nor <em>Blade Runner</em> (didn't like it). No, I was hoping "this modern day remake [would] live up to its animated predecessor"; I was expecting, in your own words, "an 80s cartoon brought to life." I didn't get it. Of course the kids are flooding this movie; as I said, I would be too if I were a kid. But box office receipts do not a good movie make.

As I also wrote, I was expecting neither Citizen Kane (never seen it) nor Blade Runner (didn't like it). No, I was hoping "this modern day remake [would] live up to its animated predecessor"; I was expecting, in your own words, "an 80s cartoon brought to life." I didn't get it.

]]> By: Brian F. http://www.showbits.net/2007/07/25/transformers/#comment-5713 Brian F. Fri, 27 Jul 2007 16:48:43 +0000 http://www.showbits.net/2007/07/25/transformers/#comment-5713 Pure entertainment value from someone who enjoyed the original series in my early teen years: solid B+. Was it <em>Blade Runner</em>, <em>Alien</em> or <em>Terminator</em> (keeping on your robotic theme?) Uh, no. But was it supposed to be? Hell no! Bay (nor the movie studio) didn't create this film with a high-brow audience in mind. Take a gander at the box office receipts and it will give you a good inkling of why the kiddies have been flooding the movie houses. I didn't go into the theater expecting <em>Citizen Kane</em> or some seminal adaptation of what was basically an 80s cartoon brought to life. Low expectations and I came away pleasantly surprised. Pure entertainment value from someone who enjoyed the original series in my early teen years: solid B+.

Was it Blade Runner, Alien or Terminator (keeping on your robotic theme?) Uh, no. But was it supposed to be? Hell no!

Bay (nor the movie studio) didn't create this film with a high-brow audience in mind. Take a gander at the box office receipts and it will give you a good inkling of why the kiddies have been flooding the movie houses.

I didn't go into the theater expecting Citizen Kane or some seminal adaptation of what was basically an 80s cartoon brought to life.

Low expectations and I came away pleasantly surprised.

]]> By: peterw http://www.showbits.net/2007/07/25/transformers/#comment-5688 peterw Thu, 26 Jul 2007 15:28:47 +0000 http://www.showbits.net/2007/07/25/transformers/#comment-5688 Once more I've gained by not having more than passing acquaintance with the original series. So apart from the basic premise and a few names, it was all new for me. On that basis, I was able to sit back and enjoy the movie as a big "cartoon". (In other words, don't analyse the plot too carefully, just enjoy the ride!) And what's more, my wife is no big fan of action (and "boys' toys") movies, but she enjoyed this one as well! Once more I've gained by not having more than passing acquaintance with the original series. So apart from the basic premise and a few names, it was all new for me.

On that basis, I was able to sit back and enjoy the movie as a big "cartoon". (In other words, don't analyse the plot too carefully, just enjoy the ride!)

And what's more, my wife is no big fan of action (and "boys' toys") movies, but she enjoyed this one as well!

]]> By: Ken Gagne http://www.showbits.net/2007/07/25/transformers/#comment-5689 Ken Gagne Thu, 26 Jul 2007 14:34:32 +0000 http://www.showbits.net/2007/07/25/transformers/#comment-5689 <em>WarGames</em> and its <a HREF = "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phreaking" TITLE="Phreaking">phreaking</a> and <a HREF = "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_dialing" TITLE="War dialing">war dialing</a> occur in the era of dial-up modems, so it makes sense that audio signals were used. But I don't remember signal analysis being used to identify or trace any hacking in that movie. I don't think we need to resort to an episodic installment in order to get to know our stars. For example, LeBeouf, Fox, and Turturro all had more characterization than the robots did. Why couldn't they have flip-flopped that focus? Yes, there were humans in the original cartoon (and they gave LaBeouf the same surname, Witwicky), but they were of equal or lesser importance than the Autobots -- not the stars. This is <em>Transformers</em>, not <em>Biologicals</em>. And yes, there will be (yet another) TV series. See the <a HREF = "http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1055335/" TITLE="Transformers Animated on IMDb">IMDb</a>. WarGames and its phreaking and war dialing occur in the era of dial-up modems, so it makes sense that audio signals were used. But I don't remember signal analysis being used to identify or trace any hacking in that movie.

I don't think we need to resort to an episodic installment in order to get to know our stars. For example, LeBeouf, Fox, and Turturro all had more characterization than the robots did. Why couldn't they have flip-flopped that focus? Yes, there were humans in the original cartoon (and they gave LaBeouf the same surname, Witwicky), but they were of equal or lesser importance than the Autobots — not the stars. This is Transformers, not Biologicals.

And yes, there will be (yet another) TV series. See the IMDb.

]]> By: Philip Davidson http://www.showbits.net/2007/07/25/transformers/#comment-5676 Philip Davidson Wed, 25 Jul 2007 22:51:58 +0000 http://www.showbits.net/2007/07/25/transformers/#comment-5676 Well, for one computer hacking was originally done by sounds in the movie <em>WarGames</em> (from the early 80's), so that part was plausible to me, I guess. I thought this was actually a nice retake on the "children's property." I found it amusing and cool, if lacking in plot as many claim (not me). On a purely entertainment value I thought this movie scored at least an A. This show was never specifically robot oriented -- there has always been the boy and the girl (and a few other people too!) and the plots of the TV show usually involved those human characters as much if not more than their robotic counterparts. A lot of it having to do with the human-computer interaction (back in the days of the show you couldn't just write off that Megatron learned about the glasses from the Internet...) The only way they could get in to the character development you are looking for is through a series of episodic expositions -- i.e. what they did in the cartoon. If it didn't cost so much, I think a <em>Transformers</em> mini-series or TV show would have excellent success -- I know I'd watch it. Well, for one computer hacking was originally done by sounds in the movie WarGames (from the early 80's), so that part was plausible to me, I guess. I thought this was actually a nice retake on the "children's property." I found it amusing and cool, if lacking in plot as many claim (not me). On a purely entertainment value I thought this movie scored at least an A. This show was never specifically robot oriented — there has always been the boy and the girl (and a few other people too!) and the plots of the TV show usually involved those human characters as much if not more than their robotic counterparts. A lot of it having to do with the human-computer interaction (back in the days of the show you couldn't just write off that Megatron learned about the glasses from the Internet…) The only way they could get in to the character development you are looking for is through a series of episodic expositions — i.e. what they did in the cartoon. If it didn't cost so much, I think a Transformers mini-series or TV show would have excellent success — I know I'd watch it.

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