I also feel like saying something that I hope doesn't qualify me as a grinch:

Filmmakers will LIE about their movie. I'm not saying anything good or bad about the script (I've seen people get flamed for innocent comments), but let's think for a minute. (I'm not interested in spoiling half a dozen movies for people here, so bear with me if the following segment is a bit vague).

Superman Returns. A lot of people had a problem with a certain plot point, and Singer assured us that this was not the case. He lied. We were also assured to have a Lex Luthor closer to that of the comics. Lex was only marginally more comic-like, when he was mostly just Gene Hackman with superficial differences (the hair).

Batman Begins. A lot of people found out the twist of the movie, so the producers laughed it off and said that there's a "twist to the twist," so even if it got spoiled for you, it's not so bad. They lied.

On a completely different occasion, word came out that Liam Neeson was cast for a certain role. PR damage-control came out that VERY DAY and announced that he had nothing to do with that role. While this can be true (from a certain point of view), PR still lied.

(Note: I LOVED Batman Begins. I'm just using this bit of PR damage-control to make a point.)

X-Men 3. HOOOOOOOOOOO boy. Ratner, Arad, and Ian McKellan repeatedly shot down all rumors, and 9 out of 10 rumors were true.

Now let's talk about Transformers, and PR damage control. Remember when Michael Bay insisted that the script had a reason for Optimus Prime's flames? I couldn't find a reason...

Remember when Bay said he showed the designs to "the most religious Transformers fan," and those people thought they were spot-on?

If you've read movie scripts, you'll know that the first approved draft (EG, the draft we just read) is fairly close to the final thing. Sure, there might be superficial differences. Actors might improv. Scenes might be cut (this is mostly the case). Scenes might be re-arranged. But all in all, the scripts are usually 80% exactly the same, with only superficial differences.

I'm not saying that Orci and Kurtzman are liars, but just LOOK at the track record of movies. They might SAY that Megatron and Starscream's dynamic will be inserted into the movie, but come ON. How much CAN THERE BE? The movie, for better or worse, allows Spike/Sam and Lennox full-blown character arcs, and it's clear that the human element is important (see: Independence Day, War of the Worlds). Are people expecting a whole subplot of Starscream subverting Megatron? In a Screenwriting 101 lesson, that is what's known as a "subplot," while Lennox and Spike have the "central plots." If ANYTHING is going to be added, it'll be to the Lennox/Spike plots. Any additional scenes/dialogue with the Autobots and Decepticons will be minimal, at best.

When a script is approved, it is because a director and a producer found something that they like. Changes from the pitched script and final product are usually minimal.

If people are expecting this script to change significantly, which MIGHT happen, it's an expectation that will probably be met with poor odds.

Murphy himself has stated that "we haven't seen nothing yet" (paraphrased). Well. This goes both ways. If he wants us to wait to see the final movie before we make any complaints, then it's only fair to wait to see the final movie to see that certain elements have been fixed.

As is, we DO have a script in hand with FUNDAMENTAL problems. At best, people seem to...disagree...as to how good it is.

 

^

There are about 2 or 3 scenes from that script we KNOW they are currently shooting (Hoover Dam, BB vs Barricade, Spike on top of the building)

Like I said earlier, I thought I heard that most of the changes in the script were in the 3rd act - which likely means they won't have much more TF characterization - they will probably just add some more robot banter while they are fighting.

I'm still going to see the movie, I still think it's going to be fun, but as it stands (and I bet it will be the same once on screen) BB and Prime are the only "fleshed out" transformers.

 

^^^ I think you and I are on the same page, actually. The point of that post up there is that the majority of the script we read will likely be in the final movie. Those 3 scenes you named also happened to be in the script.

In case I was unclear, the summary of the above post is that people seem to be complaining about the script, and a different camp is taking Orci and Kurtzman at their word that all the problems will be fixed. Past movies have shown that movie PR likes to do "damage control" and lie about the movie in an effort to dispel fan disappointment.

 

OH nos!!!!

noobsnark!!!!

 

It's funny 'cause Ops is like an electrical engineer or something, and would easily own the ninjamonkey in a maths fight.

 

The majority of the third act changes came prior to this February draft. The initial leaked October draft (which had the last section missing) had a very different third act. The third act here? SO much better.

The script has changed since this February draft - we already know of a number of changes. Name changes - Blackout, Barricade, Brawl, Frenzy. The renamed Energon Cube. Decepticons fleshed out some and while it's probably not to the degree we'd hope from Bob and Alex's descriptions, there's apparently a good blend of onscreen and "inferred" character for the Decepticons.

 

I guess I need to start reading.

 

Well, I spoiled myself and read it, and I think it will be a decent popcorn/nacho munching flick that may induce sequels if successful enough. And, no, we fans will not make or break this flick... it's sci-fi enough that it will work on it's own even if someone has never even heard the word transformers.

I like most of the plot, although, some of the scenes like BB pissing on a human and alot of the Mikaela oriented scenes, need to either be removed or put in a better context.

The BB pissing doesn't bother me on any moral level so much as it just seems stupid.

Mikaela is massively immature for her implied age. All of the scenes that seem to put her in the spotlight make me shake my head. They're bad and cliche... and the sad thing is that I seriously doubt those things will change. I'll just have to bear with the "teenage angst" aka "teen movie" feel that they're trying to put into this movie.

Lennox's character is the one human element I'm totally happy with outside of Sam and it's good to see a human that can rock with the TFs.

Jazz's death actually didn't bother me since the script never gave me a reason to give a shit about him. He did nothing... well, he was stupid enough to walk into some powerlines and electrocute his ass early in the movie and he fought alongside Ironhide and Ratchet before dieing... and it didn't matter that he died becaue he wasn't protecting anything or anyone... Megs just showed up and killed him... which makes Megatron look badass I guess, but not really because we don't have a feel for how good a warrior Jazz is. Jazz needs more fleashing out if I'm supposed to care about his death.

On the other hand, Prime is excellent and very much like he should be. My only complaint is that the Megatron = brother angle needs to be dropped. It's silly. Period. It's not even a new take... it's just silly. And, yes, those lines seem to be written for Cullen.

My only other complaint is that Prime needs to take out Megatron and not Sam... seriously... that's just lame. It reminds me of some of the worst parts of the G1 Marvel Comic... like when Buster has the Matrix Energy and uses it to dissassemble Jetfire and than make him an Autobot... the similarities scream out and they aren't good.

The 'cons having a weakness to human artillery... I can dig it... to a point... we'll see how well it's executed.

All in all... I'll go see it and there's things that I think should be changed, but I'm not incharge. It still seems to be enjoyable none the less though... and hopefully the sequels will be better.

 

a maths fight eh?

i choose you pythagoras!!!

 

First off I'll keep this short, I started reading the script and as I got to the end I GOT REALLY PISSED, this movie is WACK.......For real look at it, read it again....matrixs 2 and 3 had better action and plots....they killed JAZZ, come on, he's like the only other resond to see the movie out side of meg and prime.......kill iron hide kill rachet...they sucked in the cartoon, and they suck in script......i mean really, LORD OF THE RING, CLASSIC, MATRIX ONE CLASSIC.....I even LIKED A.I, all of these movies had PLOT if not two or three and GREAT DIALOG .....Maybe I was reading the wrong script.....LETS BE REAL, A TRANSFORMING I POD......WOW
oh yah, and why are they calling them Transformers and not Cybertrionans????
that's like calling us AIR BREATHERS and not HUMANS.......SUCK FEST 2007

 

^^
You lost me on A.I.  

-airfox

 

Thanks for registering.

 

to read or not to read, aye there's the rub.

 

Script

So where can I view this script?

 

Try reading the entire thread. You just might find it. Don't be lazy.

 

While I'm not him, both links didn't work to download the script.

 

What's thrown me for a loop is that Murphy made a point about mass-shifting violating suspension of disbelief, limiting the alt forms available and triggering a lot of controversy over it, but then let Kurtzman and Orci write in a MacGuffin that magically bestows life on everyday objects. And which just happens let a human defeat Megatron. Unbelievable.

"They're aliens, their technology can do anything" was the main argument for mass-shifting but was poopooed by the powers that be, yet the same argument could be applied to the Energon Cube. Okay, so they had plenty of military advisors, but they skimped on the science advisors. The robot forms may be completely believable but the plot points are not. No matter what Murphy and Bay say, this script makes it apparent that they never had a coherent vision for the movie in the first place.

 

Pretty solid but not as good as it could be. Human weapons are far too effective against the Transformers. I don't mind tank shots knocking them over but having Transformers basically dieing because of human attacks is ******ed. Humans need the Autobots because they just can't do it alone against the Decepticons.
Megatron being killed by a human is total shit too, it makes no sense. The "Energon Cube" indiscriminatley brings life to anything mechanical yet for some reason it destroys Megatron?

 

Nearing the end of the script I realized that the reason I cared for it all, the Jazz thing, Starscream blowing the copter, etc. was because I "nostalgically", I say that in quotes because I'm 16 and I didn't grow up with G1, remember their G1 personalities.

But I miss the Transformers having personalities and attributes, and I certainly miss the Megatron/Starscream banter.

I mean is queezing in some insults and zings into that third act will be like trying to stuff a humpback whale into an airplane overhead storage compartment.

Done with inspiring effort but near-futile.

 

Once again, I ask if someone can provide a link or is willing to e-mail it to me?

I'd appreciate it, thank you.