The more I watch the film, I see a good story underneath.

I think the main two issues were the strike and Bay's influence. The puerile humor used as padding and the too-long action sequences.

There's a cat named Reave who did a fan edit of the original film called "ReSparked." It's quite awesome, removing some of the same problems ROTF had and making the first movie leaner, meaner, and much more effective.

I liked the first movie more than ROTF, but I think it can be saved by a talented fan editor. Remove a lot (if not all) of the scenes with the Twins, remove much of the idiotic humor, do some heavy editing of the stuff with Simmons and the useless roomate, and heavily edit the final sequence.

Underneath the dung, there's a movie on par with the first flick. It's just not the version we're seeing in theaters.

-Prime

 

I think it's a combination of the writer's strike rushing things and Bay getting a little carried away. He had just as much control with RotF as he did with TF1, but I think he took some elements that worked in the first one (the humor, particularly) and incorrectly assumed that "more = better". A writer's strike shouldn't be a problem for TF3, but they could stand to have someone to reign Bay in a little.

 

considering all the crap like time-management, Shia's hand injury and the writers strike the movie turned out pretty good.
BUt if all this was out of the way I'm sure they would have skipped most of the humor.

 

Meh, I blame it on the Writer's Strike (who are now probably sitting happy until the 20-28 years to complain about being underpaided again). That whole, dumb, past event screwed up pretty much the only tv show I watch (Medium), regulating it back to 16 Episodes, with some shaky writing in some aspects of its episodes, and I wouldn't be surprised if its influence was what caused whatever problems ROTF had.

I honestly don't think Michael Bay had any more control over this film than he did with the first. Not to mention, besides being a few minutes longer, the action sequences or the non-action scenes didn't run any longer than they did in the first film.

 

Bay needs reigning in, period. He needs a stronger Producer to give him a smack round the head every so often. Bruckheimer was quoted somewhere saying he did so in the 90s....

 

It's more the fact that there are already dozens if not hundreds of "here's what's wrong with the movie" threads. Even if someone is making a good point or asking a good question, there's only so much of this that can go on in this forum before people get sick of it--and we past that point ages ago, I think.

 

Were there any other movies that made it through the writer's strike okay? I can't imagine that even when on strike any writer would stop thinking completely about the story they were drafting and maybe even jotting down the odd good idea note so they didn't forget it for when the strike was over.
I suppose though the writer's strike could be to blame somewhat since it left Michael Bay alone with the script to add whatever he wanted to it and the actual scriptwriters were then left with the mess to try and make movie sense out of when they returned, with Bay probably not too willing to drop any of his amazing ideas he'd added.

 

it's the editing which didn't work.

 

I think Bay was just "too" in control. If the script and the characters had remained true to what Orci and Kurtzman originally planned, things would have been better.

I would have much preferred Sideswipe and Sunstreaker get the twin treatment, instead of the two ******s we got. Also, while I like the centennial Corvette, for me, it just doesn't even come close to a Lambo. I am a car enthusiast as well as a transformer fan, and one of the reasons Sideswipe and Sunstreaker always remained my two favorite autobots was because they were Lamborghinis.

Ever since the first movie, I had invisioned Sunstreaker as a yellow Murcielago, and Sideswipe as a Red Gallardo. I think that would have been much cooler than what we got. Although, I would have just liked t osee the Sideswipe we got a little more, instead of the ******-a-twins.

However, I enjoyed this movie for what it was, and will continue to do so. My biggest complaints are due only to my own personal preferences and hopes for the movie-verse.

 

For me it was the fact that lots of things were glossed over and the individual bots didn't get much screentime or a chance to show any character (unless of course they were deliberately 'humourous' chracter i.e. the twins, wheelie and the doctor with his hilarious accent. which i didn't mind actually). I mean they must have spent months designing and refining these robots and then there's not much opportunity to appreciate them, mainly because when you do see them they're rushing around in a blur.

The other thing is the forced humour. A little bit thrown in here and there where appropriate to a situation etc. is fine. I didn't expect something 100% serious. But with all the unneccesary humping and the high on pot mum and all the gonad references, I was actually embarassed at having taken my non-tf mates to see it. I thought I must've got the wrong film and was watching 'Dude, Where's My Robot?'.

 

I think both... I think they rushed around at the end, and since they did... they ended up with a few holes. Minor still and some unnoticeable but non the less they are there. Didn't spoil the movie for me though.

I also think Bay happened. I think his added touch with humping legs, golden teeth (which were not in the original script according to the writers), and things like that could have been left out.

Other than that... personally... I loved it.

I got the characters I wanted to see, all the robot fighting I could want, amazing sepcial effects, funny humor (although cheesy it was fine), it was darker and longer than the first, and the robots were more the characters rather than the humans  So all in all... I think both happened. Still loved it!

 

Its a combination of things, horrid script, bad editing, cheesy slow motion moments and being way too long. You can tell it was rushed when you watch the movie as the script and story are severely lacking. And even though the CGI was awesome the fact that it went on for so long made even that boring as you wanted to get out of the theater and walk around!

Next time I think they won't rush it as badly and hopefully they can make an solid new story that will work better. heck decepticon invasion is the next step - make Megatron, Starscream and Soundwave return with a new army with added Shockwave!

 

No, sorry.

How is that Bay's doing? Isn't that a studio decision?

LOL. Why would I use my resources to prove your point?

Now, that's just a silly argument to make. Just because projects go over target doesn't mean that they should, or that the sponsors accept it. That's why there is an entire, ever developing, industry aimed at improving risk, time and schedule management so projects will accomplish what the charter puts forth, when it states and at the cost budgeted.

How do you know this?

Not always.

Not exactly.

And here's where you lost me. What?

I had to read this a few times to interpret, but I think I get the gist of what you said. At the end of the day, a Director is a glorified project manager. Accountable to the stakeholders and ultimately to the sponsors. The sponsors have the final yea or nay, since it's their money.

 

So Bay is then responsible for the success ROTF made then?

People had a problem with every preview saying "A Michael Bay film."

What movie preview have you seen, where it DIDN'T say "A [director's name] film?

 

Does it really matter....new subject~