films we just saw

Bearded Avenger · Post by **Bearded Avenger** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 12:13 pm

The Strange Vice of Mrs Wardh - quite simply, I liked it. An interesting array of twists at the end. Thought I'd guessed who the killer was and then was proven wrong, only for another twist which showed my suspicions were 50% correct. And I'm now affter some more Edwige Fenech films, which will in fact form part of my post pay day splurge on random crap I don't need.

streetrw · Post by **streetrw** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 12:34 pm

Sarah of the Dead wrote:And no way could Shia LeBeouf's character have ever, EVER got with Megan Fox's character. She was way too kickass for him.

I think that's the point, and I think that's the trouble as well. The idea that Shia LeBeouf (and what the hell kind of a name is that?) can get with a kickass hottie (I believe that's the technical term

) like Megan Fox if the circumstances are right - that the beautiful and divine are not beyond the reach of the dweeby and socially gauche. Or, more accurately, that the likes of LeBeouf can become the kind of guy worthy of a kickass hottie. Which is a nice aspiration for the dweeby and socially gauche. However, in this case the circumstances necessary to effect this, erm, transformation require vast amounts of chaos and destruction caused by giant alien robots smashing hell out of each other in civilian areas.

Matt · Post by **Matt** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 1:16 pm

I think between Transformers and Indy 4 Shia LeBeouf can afford to have any girl he f.ucking wants.

Sarah of the Dead · Post by **Sarah of the Dead** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 1:33 pm

streetrw wrote:
Sarah of the Dead wrote:And no way could Shia LeBeouf's character have ever, EVER got with Megan Fox's character. She was way too kickass for him.
I think that's the point, and I think that's the trouble as well. The idea that Shia LeBeouf (and what the hell kind of a name is that?) can get with a kickass hottie (I believe that's the technical term ) like Megan Fox if the circumstances are right - that the beautiful and divine are not beyond the reach of the dweeby and socially gauche. Or, more accurately, that the likes of LeBeouf can become the kind of guy worthy of a kickass hottie. Which is a nice aspiration for the dweeby and socially gauche.

The thing is, I get that. I get that it's geek fantasy fulfillment. But usually in these movies, the geeky hero actually does something, goes on some sort of journey through the course of the film, that makes him worthy of the girl. But Sam didn't.

Also, usually the love interests are woefully underdeveloped, so at least there was that. She wasn't just Generic Hot Girl, she was awesome. I enjoyed her. I just didn't see what Sam did, aside from being born into the right family, that would persuade her to stick around. She even has that line about how he hasn't sacrificed anything in his perfect little life... and at the end of the movie, he STILL hasn't.

There aren't a whole lot of characters in Transformers. They're just people saying words. And obviously I get that it's not a character driven movie, it's an action movie, but as stunning as the SFX were, they weren't enough to fill the two and a half hour runtime. Two and a half hours for fuck's sake! If it'd been 90 minutes, I'd have been quite happy. It just went on forever.

ghouldrool · Post by **ghouldrool** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 1:44 pm

to be fair Sam did put his life at risk in keeping the Allspark from Megatron, all on his own at one point too. If Prime hadnt been there to catch him when he fell would have been dead. willingness to sacrifice his life kind of trumps whatever Mikela unwillingly sacrificed

I reckon that should at least earn him a snog.

Edit: though im largely in agreement with Sarah here as i felt this whole subplot needed a much lighter touch. it should have felt a little sweeter like a Hughes movie or something but no we get full on sweaty bodies, references to wanting to mate... all lust/se.x/stalking rather than longing/romance and the acceptable kind of stalking that leads to Cusak blasting Peter Gabriel at a girl in a moment that really should have earned him a restraining order...

Sarah of the Dead · Post by **Sarah of the Dead** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 1:53 pm

If the All Spark plot had made a bit more sense, that would've been okay.

Like, um, okay, here's the bit that loses me. If Sam had shoved it into Optimus Prime's chest, it would have destroyed the All Spark and also killed Optimus, right? So that's good, it keeps it out of the hands of the Decepticons. But Megatron and co would still have been at large, running rampant, destroying cities, killing people, etc, and there would be no-one left to stop them. So wasn't that a bit of stupidity on Optimus Prime's part? Or... what? I don't get what was so important about the All Spark.

Except that it made little evil robots, I guess.

ghouldrool · Post by **ghouldrool** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 2:00 pm

the Allspark -or Lame Plot Device No 1768- could bring life to all mechanical things on earth. If Megatron used it he could create a planet full of Decepticons rather than the handful there was.

Allegedly the reason all the machines were evil straight away has to do with the tosh that all modern tech was derived from NBE1.

Yes Megatron would still be around to cause havok if Prime sacrificed himself but he trusted and believed in his comrades (unlike Megatron who never showed any love to Starscream) and also knew the humans had the firepower to take down a Transformer.

basically Bay should have made GI Joe and Speilberg should have made this.

Sarah of the Dead · Post by **Sarah of the Dead** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 2:05 pm

Sam's way made much more logical sense, though, if they knew the All Spark would kill a Transformer!

I wanted there to be an iPod monster. And I didn't see one.

Sarah of the Dead · Post by **Sarah of the Dead** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 2:06 pm

Also, as much fun as the Sector 7 guys were, they were a bit inept to be special secret forces, weren't they? I thought they were going to turn out to be the baddies, but instead they were just kind of rubbish.

I did get a bit overexcited every time I saw Zack Ward onscreen, though. Bless him.

ghouldrool · Post by **ghouldrool** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 2:14 pm

yes sams way made more sense but Optimus was never about murdering Megatron out right. its handled a little better in the comic adaptation or one of the kiddy story books as it shows Sam actually fling it into Megs chest with some kind of "u want it u got it" line (i assume there must have been a chopped thing making out Sam actually could throw ball just not take being knocked down)

Re Zack Ward its a shame the most interesting soldiers got killed off.. (am counting Sucre from Prison Break among the dead) in Qatar. the lead soldier was so bland i didnt care if he saw his baby or not (the most vomitous sub plot)

And the annoying thing is why didnt Bumblebee destroy the All Spark straight away?

See its the perfect summer block buster. its fun while it lasts then you can have just as much fun pulling it apart

Sarah of the Dead · Post by **Sarah of the Dead** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 2:19 pm

If they'd chopped about 45 minutes off, maybe. :P

There was loads of nonsense going on. What was the point in the subplot with the hackers, for example? They didn't add anything at all.

xLeft For Deadx · Post by **xLeft For Deadx** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 5:49 pm

Hackers are this years cool. C'mon now, didn't you see Die Hard 4.0?

Sarah of the Dead · Post by **Sarah of the Dead** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 8:10 am

Nooooo. It had Len Wiseman's name on it.

ghouldrool · Post by **ghouldrool** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 9:05 am

Len Wiseman needs to learn that theres more than two colours in the world.

already savaged the pointlessness of the hackers subplot..weak as crap and makes it feel like a 90s movie. then again Bay movies are full of bloat (the action scenes in The Island, the car chase in The Rock).

Re watched The Howling last night after finally suffering the whole of Howling 2 at last. Right ..Howling 2 is awful but it IS saved by the sight of Sybil Danning's slobbersome mammaries. or more specfiically when said mammary reveal is repeated no less than 17 times in the end credits and edited along side various reaction shots from the preceeding turd.. i mean movie.

each time i see The Howling i notice some thing new in the transformations or find a new appreciation for that creepy - and varied- score. and what an introduction to the female form for a young boy (first saw this when it was premiered on tv) Elisabeth Brooks was!!!! oooooowwwwoooo indeed!

i so wish Joe Dante or some other 80s great had directed Transformers (see also Chris Colombus, bob zemeckis)

scrobble · Post by **scrobble** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 8:51 pm

I really enjoyed the Simpsons Movie, felt like an extended episode (i.e. exactly what it should have been) - and would go and see it again in a heartbeat.