How will you be planning to watch the TF5 Movie for the first time?

[Bladestorm]

I've got free tickets to see it in 3D as part of the Hasbro/Toys'R'Us event here, so I will be going to that even though the more I see trailers for this the more I am dreading what the final movie will be like. Guess I can't complain when I have free tickets though right?

However, I'll also have to take the kids so we will probably splurge on IMAX (we've got 3 IMAX cinemas in HK). As much as Age of Extinction was a pretty awful film, visually in IMAX the imagery was incredible ... and the IMAX cinemas here give out different goodies than the regular cinemas as part of their movie specific snack deals.

[philby]

Hmm I think non-TF reviewers will largely say the same thing as previous ones. If TF fans say good things about stuff like lore, characterisation, world-building etc I may ge convinced.

I got hyped up by seeing the Dinobots in previews and advertising but was annoyed they had no lines or even names mentioned or explanations as to why they were there etc. So again there is potential for interest with stuff like Quintessons etc but I am very wary!

In that case I recommend that you read reviews from non-fans, because as fans we all have predisposed biases (myself included). Non TF-fans who are less emotionally invested in Transformers may be more likely to give a more honest or unbiased opinion.

Because a good movie should be one where a person who has very little (if any) knowledge or interest in the source material should be able to view the film and still enjoy it (and fans would enjoy it on a whole 'nuther level). The first live action Transformers film was pretty much like this - I know a lot of non-TF people who went to watch the movie and enjoyed it. The sequels not so much - the best I've heard from non-TF people was praise for the visuals, but nothing beyond that. Although with AoE I haven't even heard that - as that movie had some pretty damn lazy visual effects.

Revenge of the Fallen gave us that visually spectacular transformation sequence where the Constructicons merged for form Devastator. A scene so massive that it literally crashed ILM's computers in animating it! Age of Extinction on the other hand gave us that really bland looking "flying white blocks" transformation for the Decepticons and the "half the vehicle disappearing into sub-space" transformation for the Autobots. Even when you look at the first movie there was some really nice animation done, like Optimus Prime transforming in front of Sam and Mikaela for the first time. It's so cool seeing all those parts moving and sliding into position. Same with Bumblebee etc., but Age of Extinction was just so lazy. If you watch AoE Optimus Prime transforming frame by frame you can see the entire rear section of the truck literally being sucked into his lower back. It's little wonder that the toys end up with unsightly backpack kibble because the screen model literally leaves them with nowhere else to put it!

[BigTransformerTrev]

I've seen the last 4 in gold class in Melbourne. Also saw ROTF again in IMAX. Depends where I'm living and what my funds are like as to where I see it this time

Ironically I have sick leave up until the day before the movie comes out

[GoktimusPrime]

So again there is potential for interest with stuff like Quintessons etc but I am very wary!

And for good reason. The previous sequels have given us characters that got fans excited, only to turn out to be massive let downs.
e.g.

* ROTF: The Fallen. No where near as cool as his original namesake and he never even transformed.
* ROTF: Devastator. While visually very spectacular and a triumph in digital effects, the 'character' (such as they were) weren't terribly interesting. That and enemy scrotum.
* ROTF: Soundwave. About as interesting as Sky-Spy. Didn't even transform.
* ROTF: Jetfire. From air guardian to a cantankerous codger who even Kup would get sick of listening to. Plus he farts during expositions. And his "combination" with Optimus Prime was more of a cannibalised parts upgrade.
* DOTM: Shockwave. Oh boy did I have hopes for this character. Especially considering the IDW comic prequels which portrayed him like the G1 Marvel character (cold intelligent logic fiend), only to end up with an oversized Rancor Keeper. Transformation? What's that?
* DOTM: The Wreckers. No longer black ops commandos, Bay's Wreckers were obnoxious redneck grease-monkeys.
* DOTM: Sentinel Prime. Okay, granted that G1 Sentinel Prime was only ever mentioned in passing or flashbacks and was never a character, there's not a real "metric" to compare him with. And the character of DOTM's Sentinel Prime wasn't inherently bad... but the continuity-contradicting plotline behind his entire premise sucked.
* AOE: Dinobots. In the G1 comics the Dinobots were actually reasonably intelligent, with Grimlock experiencing a character arc and growing as an individual and leader. The G1 cartoon Dinobots weren't as fleshed out, but they were physically incredibly powerful and the pre-TFTM Dinobots were lovable goofballs (they became more Jar-Jar-like in Season 3). So the G1 comic Dinobots were characters and the G1 cartoon Dinobots were caricatures... the AOE Dinobots weren't either, they were nothing more than set pieces. No names, no dialogue... pretty much mindless transforming beasts.

I know that the Bayverse isn't G1, but I think it's also a drawcard to use familiar names and character concepts, especially when it's used as a main part of that movie's marketing. And it's not unreasonable for fans to expect film adaptations to have a reasonable degree of faithfulness to the source material - just look at what happened to Deadpool. The first appearance was hated by fans because it strayed so far away from the source material while the more recent incarnation has been loved by fans because it's far more faithful. Of course movie incarnations won't ever be completely identical to the source material, and that's often a good thing. But there should be SOME reasonable level of similarity. All too often the only thing that the live action movie TFs share with their original counterparts is just their names, as can be seen on the Movieverse TF quiz.

[mikeyc7m]

i'm keen for imax, i saw some previews thingy where bay talked about the emphasis on imax quality footage. sure the plot will be nonsense, to the point of disgust, but i think he wants to make this a visual masterpiece. the previews looked incredible!

[mikeyc7m]

ah crap, only just realised the imax is under reconstruction. guess it's gonna be vmax somewhere.

[DELTAprime]

For me to see it in the cinema it would have to get better than GotG kinda metacritic ratings before I'd even consider it. So since that's not going to happen I'll wait for the UHD Blu-ray.

[BigTransformerTrev]

Was planning to see it in Gold Class in Bendigo with a mate on the 22nd.

However since they can't even tell me if it will even be in Gold Class until 2 days beforehand I've decided to go to the advance screening in Melb on the 20th with a half dozen mates.

Not Gold Class but at least recliner seating and one other Ozformer to watch with