The Soapbox XIII: Necessary Evils

[Sky Shadow]

I can't remember who I was talking to at the Parra fair, but someone mentioned that ROTF was officially the most critically panned film to ever make as much money as it has. That is, no movie has made as much money ($826,889,137) with such bad reviews (about a two-star average, I think.) I don't know where that idea originated, but I think they're great statistics if they're accurate.

As a Transformers franchise, the 200X movies save me a lot of money. I don't buy a year's worth of toys, DVDs, merchandise, comics - heck, for ROTF I didn't even have to pay to see the film or for my popcorn or drink. The entire movie universe is a triviality to me - unlike Beast Wars or Generation 2 it's not a part of the G1 universe I love (basically the Marvel Comics and Anglophile toy Tech Specs profiles), and unlike Animated or Masterforce or Shattered Glass it's not even an 'alternate' universe in which I enjoy the stories. I don't appreciate the aesthetics or the laborious transformations and have-bits-fall-off-in-your-hands nature of the toys. No sir, I don't like it.

For me, ROTF is not even an evil, let alone a necessary one. I think evils are things that cannot be ignored and if it were truly evil I'd actually care about it enough to fight against it. As it is, the movies mean nothing to me.

Although I do like Alice.

[GoktimusPrime]

Yeah, I wouldn't classify ROTF as "evil" at all - I like it! Sure, it's not the best movie ever, but I'm heavily biased, so that's okay. And yeah, the movie pretty much lived up to what I was expecting from it!

And like it or not, you can't deny the incredible strength it has bolstered for the Transformers franchise. Compare the social profile Transformers had before and after the movies. I've been a TF fan/collector since 1984 and I can _not_ remember TFs ever being so mainstream before (not saying that it's completely mainstream, but it's the closest I remember seeing).

[STL]

I don't think it's "evil" either. I just wanted a catchy name for my title and that's what it was.

(Cos after all my contention is that it does bring good to the TF franchise)

[Hereticpoo]

As much as I was disappointed by it I'm glad we even got it. Seeing Ninja Prime in the forest was Ousome! Like Skyshadow said, ROTF and TF 2007 is a novelty to me and not a real part of the TF universe. Epic it would have been if Peter Jackson had to make three TF movies. Maybe Live action TF will go the way of Batman? 4 shitty movies (Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever, Batman and Robin) before someone comes along and puts it right.
The only way from here is up!

[kup]

[d*r*j*]

To me it's no big deal. There was a writers strike on so they just used the brainstorm sheet as the script.

I have one ROTF toy... the ice cream twins... and its a cool novelty but a really crappy toy. I didn't buy it either...

[Gutsman Heavy]

Maybe Live action TF will go the way of Batman? 4 shitty movies (Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever, Batman and Robin) D

SACRILEGE!

[roller]

ROTF is crap as my dogs behind!!

[Tober]

It's a kid's movie, that their dad who liked TFs as a kid, takes them along to see... So the US military* can recruit them when they flunk school.

I also believe that one fo the main factors for it's success is that it's riding in on the successs of the first movie. All of my friends liked the first, none liked the second, "especially the twins".

Mr. Bay may be crass but he's not stupid. Transformers has become a huge franchise again and he knows how to milk it, as do Hasbro.

I have Sideways (cos I enjoyed playing as him in the Revenge of the Sideways PC game... many Autobot's died at the end of his scope), Ravage (cos it's Ravage) and Buster Prime (cos it's a good toy) on order - the Human Alliance line may also be bought.

I enjoyed Animated alot but I only have Activators Bumblebee from that line, I don't equate toy collecting with storylines - but then I also take a strange sense of achievement in NOT having a huge collection.


* At least he's prepared them for the tea-bagging...

[Sky Shadow]

* At least he's prepared them for the tea-bagging...

Tober! I was trying to drink as I read that!

(Fortunately I wasn't trying to drink tea, but still...)