Sunday, April 04, 2010

Shia Hated Revenge of the Fallen

In an interview in the new issue of FHM Magazine, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen admitted he was "confused" by the movie and "hated it." I just didn't enjoy it."
He said: "There are a lot of people that liked the second one, but I hated it. I just didn't enjoy it. "I thought we missed the mark. I got confused, I couldn't see what the f**k was going on, you know with certain robots... I couldn't decipher what was happening. There were storyline paths that I just wouldn't have gone down."

He added to FHM magazine: "I know that directors Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg are dedicated to making the best movie we possibly can, and we're not going to miss next time."

He said: "We were making our second movie in the middle of the writers' strike. We had no script. We had to work with nothing. We literally had like 40 pages. And everything was sort of made on the fly. But I think this time we will be more concise, and in a definite direction where we want to take it."
I really like the blunt and honest way Shia and Megan express their opinions. They don't sugar coat it. I really can't disagree with his blunt analysis. While I enjoyed many of the action beats, the film suffered in writing, plot and humor that can be attributed to the rushed writing process due to the writers’ strike. Normally a script gets multiple drafts with plenty of time to polish it but Revenge simply didn't have that kind of time. Transformers 3 will hopefully benefit from the nearly year long time frame in creating a solid script.

16 comments:

  1. Blunt is correct.

    He nearly got killed to make a blockbuster he couldn't make sense of...

    Even I, a hardcore fan, felt it rushed and had too little time devoted to certain aspects (NEST being shut down, Decepticons' arrival). I also feel that the film's average plot was due to having three writers and a strike that compromised all three of them.

    Maybe this time, with only one writer and no strike, they can work towards making TFilm3 work just as well as the first one. We can only wait, and hope...

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  2. There can be no doubt that ROTF was written in a rush and I'm certain the script could have been greatly improved by simple changes and cutting;
    * replace Sideways with Barricade so at least one of the characters killed in the opneing moments of the film mattered
    * eliminate the twins and add a character like Kup or Hound for some bits of levity or simply use Jolt more
    * eliminate Sam's cube splinter and kitchen bots
    * eliminate all potty humor(no testicle jokes, no testicles on Devastator, no pot brownies, no Agent Simmons ass shots
    * make Jetfire respectable (no farts, falls and etc.)
    * eliminate whacky location editing (see Jetfire sequence where the front of the museum is in DC, the back of the museum is in the desert)
    * eliminate first scene in Egypyt and instead set that scene in Jordan (makes more linear sense)
    * No constructicons in individual form after devastator is formed
    * eliminate "heaven of the primes"
    These are simple things that someone like me could see were wrong, does anyone really believe the writers didn't see the problems ahead of time? This kind of excess (juvenile humor, too many characters who add nothing to the story arc,inclusion of pointless action)is the hallmark of a Micheal Bay movie. The bigger issue is Bay being given complete autonomy to do whatever he wanted with ROTF after the success of Transformers(2007). Bay's two best films The Rock and Transformers(2007) were notable for the amount of restraint Bay showed in not going over the top. Hopefully, Hasbro, Paramount and Spielberg will shorten Bay's leash for Transformers 3.

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  3. So true....i hated it too while i loved the first one! Of course there were some nice action scenes, but all in all it was a bad movie compared to the first one. And the reason for that was the terrible script! Hopefully they make it up to us with the third one:D

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  4. reply to Ray 4/04/2010 11:00 AM
    about * eliminate "heaven of the primes"

    I am starting to wonder if it wasn't a "heaven of the primes" as you call it ...

    and instead the meeting of "Primes" and "Sam" took place inside the Matrix of Leadership itself like in the G1 Cartoon (if i remember it correctly) when "Optimus Prime" talks to "Alpha Trion"

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  5. Transformers2 is not a bad movie. It's unfinished business, Michael Bay himself said it and told viewers that he was sorry that he couldn't complete the movie like he wanted to (there is a short hidden clip on the Blu-Ray disc with his interview).
    The official novel by Alan Dean Foster features many more little linking scenes that we don't see in the movie and some other things done differently that would have worked way better, it's unknown how many of those were actually filmed but couldn't get completed on time and if we will ever be able to see an extended edition/director's cut of the movie with those completed and integrated back in the movie. There should be no less than 20-30minutes missing from the movie. I hope that before Transformers3 gets released on DVD/Blu-Ray they will finalize the missing scenes and good deleted scenes of both first and second movie by releasing an extended/director's cut for a longer runtime with non-English dubbing done for other countries of the new footage instead of just using subtitles.

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  6. What he said about the movie is exactly right.

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  7. Ray, the only point I see that can be argued is the constructicons. The compenents that formed Devestator were never shown to have individual robot modes. All you see is a bunch of constuction equipment combine to form this massive beast. Sure you see there are other Decepticons that are construction equipment in their alt modes, but couldn't they simply have the same, or similar alt modes? This is one point that everyone complains about, but noone stretches their mind to think that you can have multiple robots using the same alt modes.

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  8. Martinus Prime4/05/2010 9:53 AM

    I loved ROTF.

    But I also agree on the separate Constructicons and Devastator, they shouldn't have done that, the only plusside was the Bumblebee-Rampage fight!

    Also Sideways was a wasted character, they should indeed have used Barricade for that. And make a awesome Sideswipe/Barricade fight!
    Sideswipe, Jolt and Soundwave should have had a lot more screentime.
    Sideswipe and Jolt were only a Chevy advertisement. When Jolt fused Jetfire and Prime together, that was awesome!
    Also Wheelie and those Decepticons in the desert that were still in protoform sould have been eliminated, a waste of time and money

    I thought the kitchenbots were the best humorbits/scene in the movie.

    Nonetheless, I loved ROTF.
    I just bought the IMAX edition blu-ray on ebay, cause I'm from Holland and we only got the normal blu-ray. After watching the blu-ray I thought: were the f are the imax shots/scenes?
    So I can't wait to watch it when it drops in my mailbox

    I have highehopes for TF3.

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  9. @Anonymous 4/05/2010 7:53 AM: you are wrong, the Constructicons robot modes can be seen on the cargo ship when they awake to then dive in the ocean to recover Megatron...

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  10. deluxe ironhide review:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gFnji40gMU&feature=channel

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  11. Don't worry shia, Michael Bay is a jackass.

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  12. @ Martinus Prime

    Dont get to excited. Its only like 20 seconds of extra footage, but those 20 seconds are fucking awesome :D

    Or i wouldnt even call it "extra" its basicly small parts missing from the forest fight scene. But still awesome ^^

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  13. Martinus Prime4/07/2010 5:32 PM

    @anon 4/07 4:42
    Yeah, but what I meant was: the 4(?)scenes are in Imax full screen 1.78:1, and that's awesome!!!

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  14. After seeing that discombobulated debacle that is TFROTF, and feeling like I was stomped in the sac with needle-tipped soccer cleats, I have NO desire whatsoever to see TF3, or any other TF content created by Michael Bay. If they KILL OFF Skids and Mudflap brutally in the first few minutes of TF3, and replace them with FAITHFUL renditions of SUNSTREAKER, SIDESWIPE, and HOUND, and if they get rid of all the lame-ass sexual innuendos and one-dimensional cardboard-cutout characterizations, then MAYBE, (and even that's a stretch at this point) I'll wait to see TF3 on video. Bay, and Ehren Kreuger left a BAD, BAD, BAD taste in my mouth with that cinematic drivel known as TFROTF. . . (b.k.a. Sablebot)

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  15. Counterpunch4/13/2010 12:37 AM

    I agree with what Ray's main points. Im gonna add a few more...

    1) Having multiple Deceptions as the Constructicons was a major, major FUBAR. Way too confusing...

    2) Never understood why the Decepticon Pretender and Frenzy have blue eyes instead of red.... Confusing once more.

    3) True, should have been Barricade that dies by Sideswipe's blade.

    4) Another stupid Decepticon who has almost same alt mode as Blackout. Confusing again.

    5) Jetfire should have initiate or help bring to life the Aerialbots instead of him sacrificing himself so Prime can fly. Lame.

    6) More screentime for Sideswipe and Jolt instead of the twins.

    7) The twins should have died along with that annoying kid being sucked in by Devastator's vortex.

    8) Prime should have at least stayed "dead" till TF 3 for dramatic effect or come back to life in a cool manner.

    9) Decepticon characters are starting to look more and more insect like, especially the mini-bots.

    10)Enough with the US Military having to save the day. Might as well have new Autobots with military alt-modes like Broadside ( aircraft carrier), Aerialbots (jet fighters), Powerglide (A-10 Warthog), Springer (Sikorsky army heli), Hound (military jeep) etc.

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  16. There's obvious problem with this movie. Less screentime of the transformers. Sideswipe only said a few line, and not memorable, also came from other Ironhide, Rachet, Arcee. They are to focus on Bumblebee and Optimus, all of the voice actor are for nothing, even Optimus spoke a few line. Of course like all people said, to much adult humor. This film suppose to amuse young viewer. The first was more touching and dramatic even thought the battle is no very long. Also the setting place of Egypt doesn't fit the theme of Transformers, i mean how can any autobot using can transform with drive freely in the middle of the dessert. Characters also terrible Sidways is the worst he didn't talk, attack, and onlys transform once and most robot appear without being introduce, and this my personal feeling, i want Jazz back. Hope this message get through to every crew of transformers film.

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