Michael Bay Gets the Last Laugh
After the one star reviews started piling up earlier this week, I wondered if “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” would be a box office bomb and another causality in a summer movie season that has been balancing precariously between the chasms of surprise and letdown. However, two things changed my mind: One, I caught a showing of “Revenge of the Fallen” and watched the audience ooh, ahh and laugh, like Michael Bay had left a trail of moldy bread crumbs and they were gobbling them up like starving children. Last, not only did “Transformers” win the weekend box office, but it completely obliterated every other movie in theaters. Not only did it gross $112 million over the weekend, but it’s grossed $201 million and has only been in theaters since June 24. That’s less than a week. To put that in perspective, “Up” and “Star Trek” have both been out for five and eight weeks respectively and “Revenge of the Fallen” is only $50 million behind them.
With “Public Enemies” as the only real competition for the July 4th weekend, I’m guessing you’ll see “Revenge of the Fallen” come close to the $300 million mark by July 5th. After that, it’s all up in the air. Aside from “Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince” there is nothing that would seem capable of knocking “Revenge of the Fallen” from a top two placement from here on out. That is, only Harry Potter and perhaps negative word of mouth. But that seems unlikely. Based on my observations at the theater, people loved the second installment of Bay’s robots-in-disguise saga.
The top five was rounded out by “The Proposal” ($18,466,000), “The Hangover” ($17,215,000), “Up” ($13,046,000) and “My Sister’s Keeper” ($12,030,000). “Land of the Lost” and “Terminator Salvation” dropped out of the top ten, barely grossing $1 million and I’m pretty sure we won’t hear from them until their respective DVD/Blu-ray releases.
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People that like this crap don’t read reviews. You should be less snobby or something. Not that I think you’re snobby, maybe an elitist. Actually I don’t know you at all, so disregard both statements.
Andy, Jenny may be right about people not reading reviews, but you’re not elitist, you’re just giving your opinion. I think it’s funny the critics didn’t like it. They rarely do like the movies ordinary people like. I personally loved it and am a well-rounded movie lover, meaning I like all types of movies. I like your reviews because you give honest reviews and look at “real” people’s views of what a movie should be to entertain people. (which is not always the best script or acting, because we want to have a little fantasy in our lives)
Yeah it was a cool movie. Most reviewers are indeed a little too snooty for my tastes.
I liked it.
There’s a lot to like, but it’s still a sloppy, excessive mess (kind of like a stupid dog. It craps on your floor, it humps your leg and jumps on you with muddy paws, but you still have a place in your heart for the stupid thing… Kind of). In that respect, TROTF fails as a film and becomes a YouTube explosion and joke vignette… which is definitely entertaining, but not necessarily a “good” movie. So I think there’s two standards, and the critiques tended to hone in on the latter.
Incidentally, calling people elitist for not having the same opinion as you is, ironically, elitist in and of itself. And liking dumb doesn’t make it not. I’ll hold appreciation for the sophomoric TV show Wipeout as a perfect example.
I definitely don’t see myself as a snooty reviewer. When I review a movie I look for one main qualifier: Was I entertained? And I was entertained in “Revenge of the Fallen,” but I was also confused, upset and disappointed. I also got a little sleepy at the end, which for me isn’t a good sign. The movie was fun, but just too much. And there was so much in that movie that young children need not see.
And Dan, if I had a dog that crapped on my floor and humped my leg with muddy paws, that dog would be dead.
You and me both, buddy. But you having knocked doors for two years, you know the power of the pooch and the fools who tolerate them.
As a geek, I was soooo disgusted in what the director did to the transformer sequel. He utterly ruined for me. They had a great sci-fi adventure with a decent plot, but (as was so transparent and obvious) hired somebody to come in and add some non-sense teen smut. What the?
Gees, are they that insecure in their plot that they have to add this low-life sick so-called humor? That garbage was not entertaining in the least bit, distracted from the plot, and was totally un-called for.
Dang it! :( Why, oh, why? What is wrong with him? If only clean-flicks wasn’t going out of business. :(
If only!
Although, I personally have a hard time faulting the guy for a gratuitous Daisy Dukes booty shot or two…