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[G-Fex]

The Transformers franchise is like the cinematic equivalent to the Trump presidential campaign.

perfect

 

[CecilRousso]

I really enjoyed Bayformers 1. It wasn't really what I had hoped for when they announced they were doing it, but it was good fun. Entertaining scenes, a new kind of CGI that I thought I hadn't seen before, and I thought Jon Voight and John Turturro were pretty good at Hoover Dam. As far as as dumb blockbuster movies goes, this is one my favorites.

But despite enjoying that movie, as silly as it is, I find all of the sequels to be offensively stupid, to the point where I almost get angry watching them. I remember watching the whole second movie and and "What the f'ck?" being the first thought when the credits start rolling.

That said I can somewhat understand their success. Michael Bay is actually good at what his doing, and I don't think that he's actually even trying to make movies that will be considered good by reviews. He just knows the formula for a blockbuster.

 

[sindbadthesailor]

Such and awful and disappointing franchise. When I think Transformers, I think Beast Wars did it best, followed by giant robots fighting. Not useless and irritating human characters getting in the way of that sweet robot on robot action. And of course, when the robots finally do get it on, you can't even see what's happening. Such a waste.

Now Pacific Rim, that's a movie that does robotic violence right.

 

[Pyramid head]

I don't agree with the opinion that Bayformers 1 was good. I watched it in the theaters on opening weekend, and left the theater feeling disgusted. I watched the next three out of morbid curiosity (and didn't pay a dime to do it), and regretted all of them.

Roger Ebert gave Bayformers 1 a positive review, but he had complaints. He said it was stupid and badly written, it was sexist and racist, the character designs were a pile of metal-shrapnel trash, the choreography was a shaky-cam mess, and it was too long, but... he laughed, and he thinks the movie is a self-aware parody, and it's something different from the same old output from cookie-cutter Hollywood. So, thumbs up!

IIRC, Ebert said that the reason he went all-in guns-blazing against Bayformers 2 ("Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" is a horrible experience of unbearable length, briefly punctuated by three or four amusing moments) is because it was the exact same movie as Bayformers 1, but slightly worse. All of the things he railed against in his Bayformers 2 review were already present in his Bayformers 1 review. If the two movies were watched in reverse order, Bayformers 1 would not have his endorsement. This franchise is not a self-aware parody, because if it was, Bayformers 2 would be the better joke.

I would say that Bayformers 1 is probably the best (least worst) of the Bayformers movies, although that's not saying a lot. These movies are all generally in the same range. The best thing about these movies is the fan-analysis that flipped the entire idea of the movies on their head (posted earlier in this thread), although I don't believe the theory holds up and it gives too much credit to incompetent hacks.

I really have no explanation for the popularity of these movies, except that they destroy my faith in humanity. Moviegoers are nothing but tasteless popcorn-eating sheep.

The only reason the first movie seems better than the others is because, by virtue of it being the first in the series, it needs to take a little time set the scene and establish the characters (for all they're worth), and that means less of the hot mess which make the sequels unbearable to endure.

 

[HP_Wuvcraft]

Am I the only one that didn't realise the two annoying robots in 2 were supposed to be black?

I assumed they were rednecks, what with the teeth and accents.

But then, I am British,

The series had racial stereotypes, too, so in a weird way, they are simply trying to emulate something that was shitty in the first place.

 

[Kickz]

Transformers 1 was legitimately good, RT fucked up on that score.

The rest are a dumpster fire of the highest order

 

[Setsuna]

Transformers 1 was legitimately good, RT fucked up on that score.

The rest are a dumpster fire of the highest order

They all have their good parts. even Revenge of the Fallen

 

[Cabbagehead]

JW learned from the best and worse. I see.

That movie used Transformers formula perfectly. Being a good movie, with mentally functional characters, a sensible narrative is secondary to big shit on screen and carnage. Plus a popular brand name.

BVS is in that farm house but pushed it to far and landed out of that square hole. All the boxes checked; pretty pictures, with big shit on screen and carnage.

 

[goldenpp72]

For some reason I enjoyed the first a good bit, when I left the theater for 2 I felt incredibly offended, a huge piece of shit. The following ones were barely watchable, which is a shame.