Hi there!

So, I watched ROTF for a second time, after giving the first viewing some time to "digest" so I could see it again semi-fresh, after having formed my opinions from the 1st viewing.

The first thing that came to mind was the fact that there is so much going on in this movie that I really didn't take all of it in on the 1st viewing....I mean, seeing it the first time is akin to being hit in the face with a bat. Seeing it the second time allowed me to sit back, relax, and pay a little more attention to the details, many of which were lost in the maelstrom from the first view.

I think alot of people are coming away from this movie with various opinions, then they get online and mix those up with other people's opinions, many of which are jumbled up and distorted from only seeing it one time, and we ALL know this movie has stirred up some honest emotions with folks.

Here's some things I noticed, and some observations from my second showing.

-Skids and Mudflap really aren't in the film that much. Sure, they get more actual dialogue then many characters, but they aren't actually on-screen all that much.

-The Shanghai scene is mind-blowing. The way Prime drops from the plane, runs a couple of steps, and seamlessly tfs back into the truck is one of my ALL TIME favorite Transformers scenes. Sideswipe really IS that damn good. His scene is so graceful and awesome.

-Likewise for the Forest scene....it looks REAL.

-Ravage's movement is amazing...he really moves like a sentient jungle cat. Incredible to watch.

-Witwicky family stuff at home...hilarious. Witwicky parents at college...horrible.

-There's ALOT of protoforms that crash in this film...

-The Fallen is old, weak, and manipulating Megatron. He isn't anywhere NEAR as powerful as he claims to be, at least not without the sun's Energon.

-Simmons=awesome. I love Agent Simmons.

-Sam totally goes into the Matrix like S3.

-The movie isn't as chaotic as I remembered, but it is very busy.

-Lots of things people are complaining about are getting blown WAY out of proportion.

-They clearly address the situation on live TV.

-On the Nemesis, there's TONS of "hatchlings". I mean, they are EVERYWHERE, like wallpaper. They seem to be on every surface of the crashed ship.

-It looks like Blackout's face when the Witwickys are kidnapped, but I think it's just a protoform.

-Speaking of which, when 5 beacons are detected going down to Megatron, people seem to be complaining that they detect 6 coming back up, when one Constructicon is killed....but we clearly see a robot that looks exactly like Blackout. Yes, I know the toy is called Grindor, but that's clearly for sales. The shard let out an energy wave when it was used, like it did in the kitchen, when it awoke several robots with an energy wave. In my mind, it simply "woke up" Blackout. 6 beacons, and it explains the 'con in the woods.

-No vehicles that make up Devastator are shown with bot modes. They all just drive up and start combining. It makes the final battle scenes a little less confusing, because I went in with the idea that the Constructicons were 5-6 specific robots that made up Devastator, and when they were all fighting when Devs was combining, well, it was distracting to put it nicely. Seeing it the second time isn't bad at all. As far as the multiple constructicon models, it's clear to me that they wanted to form Devastator, so, have as many troops with the ability as possible. That way, when the 15 protoforms crash, as long as 6-7 of them get to the area then they can form Devastator, which is a huge part of the plan.

-The "say I love you" sub plot probably wouldn't bug me if I wasn't old, bitter and bothered by hot young people doing such things. If I was in high school or middle school again, I probably wouldn't have minded it.

-I love this movie, they really take the time to touch on some TF history and lore.

-There's isn't as much human schenanigans as I remember, it seems to be more balanced on the second viewing...there's ALOT of robot screen time in here.

-Alice, the Pretender.....most pointless, screen time eating scene in the movie. It's actually the only thing I would advise removing. Well, Alice and the parents at college. That it, though. Not too bad. Both of those things take up a good amount of time, yet serve no purpose at all.

-Many things are shown, and left for you to figure out yourself, instead of being explained to your face. People just seem to have little to no imagination these days and need to be hand-held and explained every little detail.

More thoughts as they come.

 

I thought Sam's parents were funny when they were at the college. (Although, It did seem to drag on a tad.)
"Hey professor, I'll do anything for an A."

I agree. The movie is certainly better a second time. Way more understanding.

 

Yeh, its always the second viewing that undoes or redeems a film for me - always. You may initially be blown away, but then you really watch it properly and you think - "That looked cool, but totally sucked otherwise", or vice versa, "that wasn't that good" and on second viewing at your own pace and comfort, "that was great!"

Films are best, IMO, seen on DVD at your own leisure. Thats only really when they sink in for me. The cinema is a great way to see the big films, but its an experience that only samples the film IMO. Hard to explain really.

 

I will not give my opninion until i can see it whenever i want in blue ray

 

I agree - the movie flowed much better on the second time around. And I also noticed that the Twins really aren't in the movie that much (yea, they're featured more than most, but still).

I haven't heard the theory on blackout coming up from the ocean - where was he seen during this part?

 

Have to agree with this statement. It's not explained to you in your face, but a little logic, and some basic Transformers history and it's easy to understand some of the things not clearly explained. Also agree with the second guy that a second viewing clears up alot of things. I noticed answering quite a few of my questions with the second viewing whihc were similar to some of the ones others on here ask.

 

He wasn't, but the navy says 5 beacons go down to Megatron.

One is killed.

Then the navy says 6 beacons are rising. If one died, then the number still should be 5. This isn't something I noticed, it's something the nitpickers brought up.

The other theory is the extra beacon is Scalpel, "the doctor", but I like my theory because it explains the helicopter bot in the woods with Blackout's body. Yes, I know the 'cons in the universe apparently share molds like the G1 'cons, but I like a little of that as possible, so I'm going with my theory.

 

Once was more than enough, thanks very much.

 

Don't knock it til you try it! I've heard many people on here say that the movie is better on the 2nd viewing.

Oh, I thought you said he was clearly seen during the ocean revival part.

 

A movie which clearly aimes to be a Classic Masterpiece, such as Citizen Kane.. yes.. such a movie would 'require/justify' multiple viewings to form a clear opinion.

A summer action flick doesn't even come close to that category, hence 1 viewing should suffice. If it doesn't, then there's something wrong with it.

 

I agree, no thanks. If I want to see a movie with decent humor, big explosions, and lame sunsets I'll put on Bad Boys. Now that is a movie I can watch a few times a year, even if it is edited for TV.

 

I do agree with a couple of people here that a lot of films leave things up to viewer interpretation, to figure out for themselves. Whilst I love that aspect of films, it can be overdone sometimes IMO.
ROTF had a lot of moments where things needed clarification, for the most part I just filled in the gaps. Like when Jetfire teleports to Egypt and its daylight, when it really shouldn't be - well, he's old and perhaps his teleport is a tad slow, by 12 hours. He does express surprise that they even managed to arrive on the same planet.
Other things you really do need the film to spell out for you, like TF names and their function, especially if you are a non-TF fan and aren't familiar with what Devastator is meant to be or who Ravage is, or what Blackout is doing back in action, etc.
In short, most 'holes' could be interpreted freely. Wether they were intended as such or not by the filmakers.
I always get into debates with friends or people on other forums that just can't see the 'explanations' and can't, or won't, take from a scene something that to me is fairly obvious. One such debate, for AVPR, went on for months.
I got so frustrated that I told them to lock themselves and their limited imaginations in a box and....erm...anyway, yes, a lot of people don't invest much time and imagination and do expect things to be spelled out. True point.

 

the topic of this thread is the equivalent of saying " Getting mugged the second time isn't as annoying as the first "

I don't have to put my hand on a hot stove eye to know I won't like it.

 

good point. you win.

 

Awesome.

Thanks for the insightful contributions to the original post.

Sheesh.

 

Its nothing personal against you.. and I don't feel I " Won " anything.

It is of course entirely subjective, but to me paying to watch it again would be the same as throwing money away. I watched it once, I didn't like it, I know I won't like it anymore if I watch it a second time.. It might make me like it even less infact. However if some one sort of liked it but wasn't sure.. Seeing it a second time may help clarify..

I still don't really support anyone spending more money on it.. I think they have made quite enough for a movie so undeserving.. Go spend your money on a movie thats good and still needs to make some cash.. like Moon.

 

No movie "deserves" to make money, and the people who worked on ROTF worked just as hard as the people who worked on Moon (which I have seen, FYI). And I would bet money that most people on this site would probably not enjoy Moon, and I can't think of very many people I personally know that would enjoy it either. I enjoyed it, but it is different and unique, and certainly not what most people expect out of a movie.

"Good" is 100% subjective.

Except Watchmen. That movie blew, and it's a fact.  

 

I just don't think I could endure it a second time.

While the film has some pretty good moments the bad moments for me are like nails on a chalk board. Knowing the really bad moments are coming would only make them worse. Plus I'm just not sure that any amount of viewing would be able to redeem the Decepticons from being totally ineffective except for the few moments when they had the element of surprise.

I think I'd just rather spend my money on some other movie in hopes that I would enjoy that movie better than I enjoyed Revenge of the Fallen. I'm just not sure at this point if Bay can pull off a film that I would ever want to watch more than once.

 

i absolutely agree, i was just not in the right mode to give a proper opinion when i saw it for the first time. It was information overload

2nd time was absolutely awesome!

 

Actually I think the production crew of ROTF worked harder than the people who worked on Moon

It doesn't make it a better film though

I just respect it when hard work is put on any project and it shows