AVOID "Transformers IV" !!!

[LiamKerrington]

Hi.

I keep it short:

This movie is even worse then Transformers III, which was a pain in the arse from the first through the last minute of the movie.

Why is T IV even worse?

SPOILER WARNING!

SPOILER 

a) Story: After T III the CIA becomes an uncontrollable entity and establishes a special ops team, which is out and about to hunt down ALL alien robots - the remaining Decepticons as well as and especially the Autobots. They cooperate with one Super-Robot from space, which himself searches for all those major robots, who were sent through space in order to make whatever the Creator wanted; and Optimus Prime (leader of the Autobots) is one major target. This Super Robot cooperates with the CIA, and the CIA in return cooperates with the company KSI, which deconstructs destroyed transformers in order to get a patent on their own roboters and in order to procude a robot-army for the USA. (If any of this makes sense to you, you are blessed; for me this story already makes no sense at all.)
The major protagonists are a father, his daughter, and the daughter's boyfriend. The father is a unlucky inventor and grease-monkey. One day he buys an old truck, which is Optimus Prime, who is nearly dead. The father starts repairing this robot, and all of a sudden the CIA special ops shows up, because the one employee from the father has called them in order to get 25 thousand bucks. Then all hell breaks loose, but Optimus Prime, the father, daughter, and friend get away and reunite with the last four Autobots on US soil (or the world, as it seems).
They try to find out, what's going on, and the father was able to capture a small drone from the KSI; he has analyzed the device and was able to learn enough that he, his daughter, and her friend would be able to sneak into the high security R&D facility of KSI. So they do.
There they learn that KSI was able to "analyze" the DNA of the transformers and that they have started building prototypes, which they wanted to remote-control any time they wished to. Then father, daughter, and friend are recognized, and all hell breaks loose. Optimus Prime and his Autobots break into the facility in order to save their new friends. They get out of the place, but are being chased by the CIA special ops, the new protopy Galvatron (which is the re-born Megathron from the other movies, which is funny, 'cause Megathron survived T III), as well as this Super Robot. The chase ends with Optimus Prime captured and brought into the spaceship of the Super Robot.
In exchange for the support the Super Robot gives the CIA agents a special device - a life-destroying bomb which transforms living matter into transformium, the metal, which is the basis of any Transformer -, which again is supposed to be brought to KSI for further development. Meanwhile the Autobots and the three protagonists sneak into the spaceship in order to save Optimus Prime. And they are successfull about it. Besides that they "rescue" a whole bunch of other Transformers from other places, which are nastier, more evil etc than anything else.
They learn that KSI is on its way to China, in order to display Galvatron and the other prototypes, because they want to start mass-production with the help of the Chinese economy. Here the father calls the lead designer and inventor from KSI and warns him, that Galvatron is not remote controlled, but instead a huge danger; and the father appeals to the heart of the lead designer that he as an inventer himself knows about the dangers, just because. And the father is able to convince him.
All of a sudden Galvatron breaks free. The Super Robot in his space ship realizes that Optimus Prime is gone. And then everyones starting to hunt everyone in this huge Chinese city - Michael Bay-ish, what else to say, because somewhat everyone wants this special bomb. During this series of explosions and CGI Optimus Prime battles the other freed transformers and convinces them to join him - the Dinobots are born. And know things just happen ...
In the end Galvatron was able to flee the place, the Super Robot is dead, the Dinobots walk away, the remaining Autobots are meant to protect father, daughter, friend, and Optimus Prime leaves Earth to visit the Creators in order to tell them that Earth is to be spared.

Ok. Sounds like a funny story?
Maybe. I see a lot of potential in it, but Michael Bay and the authors of the script did a bad job. Because this "summary" is not only the essence of it; I left out very few details. There is not a lot more to it. And that's bad.

b) Dialogue:
Each and everyone were better off, if not a single word was spoken. The dialoges want to make sense, but they don't. They have no spirit and no soul, they are lifeless and often even pointless. In some scenes you wonder why anyone is talking anyway. And very often there are meant to be cool quotes, but they are from that. It's plain stupid, and it hurts.

c) CGI
When I watch a movie with robots transforming in whatever piece of device, I would like to see and somewhat "understand" the transformation; the transformation is meant to make sense. In T IV the CGI did only show blurs of moving things, and all of a sudden there was a car, a helicopter, a gun, or a robot. The transformation made no sense at all. Most of the combat- or action-CGI was blurry, mindless, just so much over the top, that I felt like: "What am I supposed to look at". Madness drove the guys who developed those CGI.
Combined with Michael Bay explosions - and there were many in this movie - the nearly 3 hours of this movie were nothing more than a huge and long series of mind-shattering, colorful, pointless picture-noise.

I never would have thought that it was possible to create an even worse movie than Terminator IV; Transformers IV did it.

Best wishes!
Liam

[YetAnotherBloodyCheek]

Here is another "ravishing" review:

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/67790

[LiamKerrington]

Here is another "ravishing" review:

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/67790

Yes, I fully understand the fury in his words ...

[yarri]

But my seven year old loved it....

[Litmaster]

The series has never been the same without Megan Fox's fine acting...








Yes, that was a joke.

[turbo]

Have to disagree. Mainly, because I don't go into movies with the same expectations if it has a II, III, or IV after it. I go in purely for entertainment. And if you look at it that way, it was good. The cast was great, way better than Megan Fox and Shia LeBlow(sp?). Mark Wahlberg is fantastic, and Nicola Peltz was a great replacement for Fox. Stanley Tucci adds an awesome aura to any movie he is in as well.

I go into this movie, as a kid. Because I grew up with it.

[LiamKerrington]

Have to disagree. Mainly, because I don't go into movies with the same expectations if it has a II, III, or IV after it. I go in purely for entertainment. And if you look at it that way, it was good. The cast was great, way better than Megan Fox and Shia LeBlow(sp?). Mark Wahlberg is fantastic, and Nicola Peltz was a great replacement for Fox. Stanley Tucci adds an awesome aura to any movie he is in as well.

I go into this movie, as a kid. Because I grew up with it.

After T III I thought I would not have any expectations at all. And yes, Transformers was a major pillar of my childhood and youth. But this time it did not work to watch the movie like being a child.

As for the cast: Yes - all good choices. But if the director is not skilled in creating fathomable characters, and if the script does not provide "meaningful" dialogues (i.e. dialogues suitable for the story and background and theme and topic), it really is bad. Movies like "Pacific Rim" or "Sucker Punch" were much better in it - and these movies, too, are far from being good.

As for the effect and joy for the pictures: The CGI-spree missed one major aspect: a choreography you could follow, understand, and fall in love with - neither the transformation of the robots (except for the old-truck to Optimus Prime and vice versa) nor most action sequences were "nicely done"; typically they were just blurry, way too quick, and especially chaotic ...

Again: You were being warned. And if you - in contrary to me - are able to push the switch and spectate as well as enjoy the movie, then I won't deny you my congratulations. Again: you were warned, though!



Best wishes!
Liam

[Gooer]

I watched it the other day, and some things i didn't understand was

SPOILER 

1) How the government didn't know the CIA were killing autobots. 2) How the dinobots fitted into the story. 3) Why the dinobots were in the same lock up as optimus was.

I mean, it's a fine film for those that don't really care, but it still wasn't great.....

edit: I also find it funny that

SPOILER 

they think they'll make a 5th film with just Optimus prime.......

[Hellbringer]

But I really want to see Marky Mark on the big screen. He gives off such "Good Vibrations."

To this day, the cartoon movie is favorite Transformers movie. Michael Bay's first foray was basically a human plot with visually unrecognizable robots added as FX. The second one had a weaker plot that I cannot tell you what happened other than some monstrosity who stole the name Devastator sucked up desert sand and an old SR-71 broke himself up to give Optimus body armor... or something. The third live action one was probably the most forgiving to my eyes, but even then, the plot had me scratching my head.

Just give me blocky looking transformations, some F-15s and 1970s sports cars, and I'll be good. And Marky Mark.

[LiamKerrington]

I watched it the other day, and some things i didn't understand was

SPOILER 

1) How the government didn't know the CIA were killing autobots. 2) How the dinobots fitted into the story. 3) Why the dinobots were in the same lock up as optimus was.

I mean, it's a fine film for those that don't really care, but it still wasn't great.....

SPOILER 

1) Me, too.
2) Just because they are Dinobots. And they are cool. BUT: Why did Grimlock NOT SPEAK??? - ME, GRIMLOCK, SAY, WE gonna destroy the false BREAD!
3) The Dinobots as well as Optimus Prime - as I understand it - were sent out in order to find new places in the universe, where the creators would find new resources for the creation of theior people. I think and assume that the Dinobots were in a different planet, became kind of rogue and ignored the plans of the Creators, so they sent out this super-villain-robot to catch them. Optimus Prime did something imilar: he lead the Autobots away from the original plan of the Creators, and so this super-villain-robot was out to hunt down Optimus Prime.

edit: I also find it funny that

SPOILER 

they think they'll make a 5th film with just Optimus prime.......

SPOILER 

One of two things will happen:
a) Optimus Prime arrives at the Creators and battles everything until he reaches the Creators; there he will die. But on his way there he will find new allies who will continue his path and eventually make Optimus Prime rise again as RODIMUS PRIME.
b) As with a), but condensed; meanwhile on Earth: Galvatron and his remaining Decepticons will do anything to kill the remaining Autobots and to take over Earth.
Maybe something else will happen.

Regardless of the aforementioned: T VI will be the conclusion, where Galvatron and Rodimus Prime will have their final deathmatch of ultra-awesome. That is: IF Michael Bay and his crew stick with the basic concepts of the Transformers background. But we must not forget that there is Unicron as well, who/which might play a role as well ...

But I really want to see Marky Mark on the big screen. He gives off such "Good Vibrations."

To this day, the cartoon movie is favorite Transformers movie. Michael Bay's first foray was basically a human plot with visually unrecognizable robots added as FX. The second one had a weaker plot that I cannot tell you what happened other than some monstrosity who stole the name Devastator sucked up desert sand and an old SR-71 broke himself up to give Optimus body armor... or something. The third live action one was probably the most forgiving to my eyes, but even then, the plot had me scratching my head.

Just give me blocky looking transformations, some F-15s and 1970s sports cars, and I'll be good. And Marky Mark.

Marky Mark did a good job for as long as you simply and fully ignore his father-role ... That was a pain in the arse ...
Blocky Transformations ... That somehowish worked in T I and even T II, but not anymore in T III and T IV; in the latter movies it was jus a collision of pixels ...

Best wishes!
Liam