Seeing this title, I can understand if it's tricky to figure out my meaning here. I'm not referring to huge complaints people might have about the movies, like there was no "coherent story," "easy-to-follow transformations," or anything like that. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but this is not meant to be the thread for those comments. What I mean, is that there are some pretty common little things throughout the first and/or second movies that - while I do enjoy Dark of the Moon very much - weren't featured in that film, and therefore might have taken away tiny bits of enjoyment that kept it from being even nicer. A big example I notice is that DotM didn't feature any Cybertronian-to-(human language) subtitles. The first movie obviously introduced it with many lines from Frenzy and then Starscream giving the mobilization command to the other Decepticons on Earth at the time. And while it was diminished a bit in Revenge of the Fallen, there was still a line from Wheelie to Soundwave, and then a few simple reports from Starscream later on in Egypt. In Dark of the Moon, there was a Cybertronian line from Crowbar during the "Mexican stand-off" in Washington, D.C., possiby one from Starscream right before he flies down to blast away the Xantium, and at least two from Shockwave in Chicago (one as he commands the Driller to take down the glass-covered skyscraper, and another right after Optimus kills the Driller). I kind of feel that showing what Shockwave said in those two lines, even if they were simple and obvious things, would've added some character to him, y'know? And even outside of that issue, I think that continuing the occasional subtitling would've given all three movies that specific bit of continuity, as well as keep a little extra "alien-ness" to the Transformers. So how about it, people? What other little story details, visual or audio cues, or whatever did you enjoy from at least one of the previous two movies do you wish they had continued into Dark of the Moon?
Yeah, the subtitled-Cybertronian was one of the first things that leapt to mind for me, too. I can see why they cut it out (lame audiences, broader appeal), but the sound work on the voices and the cool way it popped up in Cybertronian before being translated for us fleshlings was just AWESOME. It's interesting that they seem to have instead focused on the Cybertronian dialogue actually being just barely distinguishable English-language dialogue disguised as Cybertronian to compensate for that...but, yeah, I pretty much agree on all the points you raised about it. The next big thing that leaps to mind immediately for me is a few BIG musical cues from the first two movies that are totally absent. A couple epic, rousing numbers as well as even the light, jaunty bit that popped-up all over the place before were distinctly missing and made it feel a bit disconnected from the rest of the trilogy at times. :-\
Yeah, the first thing that comes to my mind is Cybertronian subtitles. I'm not saying that everything that those random protoforms said had to be translated, but going from dozens of lines translated from Cybertronian in the first movie, to maybe a dozen in RotF to none in DotM was quite noticeable. Just a few times would've been cool. The subtitles makes them feel more alien, and the translating makes it seem a little bit more like competent soldiers discussing things rather than generic movie monsters growling at each other. But also, these things: -A slightly more epic/drawn out intro transformation for Optimus, a la the alleyway and Shanghai drop. -The latter part of the typical Optimus speech: "...I am Optimus Prime, and I send this message...". -And to go along with the above line, the wide-shot of Optimus silhouetted, standing against the sunset. I think they missed a cool visual opportunity given that he only had one arm at the time.
Yeah, that would've been nice. I guess it's understandable that it couldn't occur when he hit the Driller at the Chernobyl site, but maybe a 360-degree transformation alongside Sentinel when they went to that desert would've worked. I think the novelization and/or comic adaptation have that - something like "I am Optimus Prime, and I send this message to the Universe - We are here, we are home." That would've been great to have in the movie, though. Even with the time continuity errors throughout the movies, it seemed that the battle in Chicago ended sometime around noon at the latest (the Decepticons' beginning attacks occurred throughout the night or early in the morning, and Sam and Epps' NEST team arrived outside the city a while after sunrise). So a peaceful post-battle sunset wouldn't have worked in that case.
They had none of those cool shots where they rotate the camera around the character as he transforms. I also agree about the Cybertronian. I wish some of the scenes where Transformers were speaking amongst each other were just spoken entirely in Cybertronian with subtitles actually.
In ROTF and DOTM, they seemed to not have that filter over their voices that made their voices sound robotic. I can understand letting the voice actor's true talent shining through, but they could just put some kinda filter on the voice so it sounds like, oh, a ROBOT is talking. I said it in another thread, but there's a clear robotic resonance to Darth Vader's voice, but you can still tell it's James Earl Jones. Simple as that.
Yeah, but it wouldn't have really had the same "EPIC FIRST OPTIMUS TRANSFORMATION 360 DEGREE EPIC "-feel to it that the others did. Don't get me wrong, the Chernobyl transformation and Optimus' angry transformation in front of Mearing were fine, but it's just a little visual thing that I wish they carried over more visibly. Yeah, both the novelization and the comic have an extended speech. I just wish it made it into the movie. It's a Bay film. No one would've questioned having a sunset at that moment. But seriously, that's right. Okay, take out the sunset. You're still missing the lengthy wide-shot showing Optimus standing there in all of his glory. I mean, it would've been so cool: him missing an arm, with the destroyed Chicago in the background, the bridge surrounding him. Mmm... perfect.
I missed the Scorponok theme and I still wish that Optimus's speech was longer and that it had just a few more scenes for more closure. One person on YouTube had a great idea for the ending. He basically said that he would have the same speech as the novelization, but that last few parts play over a scene where Sam leaves work to find Carly and Bumblebee waiting for him outside. I thought that it would be a great ending considering that Sam's story basically began when he bought Bumblebee and now it ends with a ride in Bumblebee.
This, especially on Starscream. He sounded epic and terrifying in TF1, compared to his old lady voice in ROTF and DOTM. Same goes for Megs, though the change isn't near as dramatic as Screamer's.
I agree on the Cybertronian completely, It was nice having them to further distinguish the fact that they are not from this planet... What I mean by that is, that in RoTF it just seems like, oh look they've been here before and on this planet for quite a long time, therefore, they really aren't aliens. It's just the fact that Cybertronians have been on Earth and was hiding among us just doesn't make them seem so alien to me. As well as it's mentioned in DoTM how some of the originals were hunted down and destroyed or what not, again it just makes them seem more like monsters than actual visitors. So yes the Cybertronian would have done them much better and to characterize them much more. I would have loved to have seen more Combiners instead of that damn worm. I think Bay got a little too lazy by adding a giant worm into it to cause destruction, after introducing us to the concept of Combiners in the previous movie. I would have loved to see some Autobot Combiners this time around. Bruticus would have been nice too. I also would have very much liked them to have bring the bikes back. The lack of females in all of the movies, let alone DoTM, just doesn't feel right. Why introduce them in Revenge, if you're not gonna bring them back? Lastly, and this was kinda mentioned in the previous two, but why do you introduce new characters that get killed off, instead of bringing some of the others back that we've met before? I mean Barricade for one was just, lazy. Yes he was techinically in DoTM. but he had such a big role in the first film, why the hell didn't he get some more screen time? The Twins would have been nice as well, I kinda liked them. Chromia survived, so where was she?
"The Twins" was the first thing I thought of when I read the topic title. I mean, they were SUCH big characters in the 2nd film, to not have them in this one at all was kind of lame. I mean, I understand Michael Bay for not giving them a big part in this one just because of all the butthurt idiots who cried "Racist!!! " when Revenge of the Fallen first came out, but to not have them at all in Dark of the Moon? Such a shame.
Two other things I just thought of: - An appearance by Sam's parents later on in the movie (perhaps in a post-credits scene). They still had some annoying moments, but I think DotM could've used an appearance after the Chicago battle or something. The epilogue of the first film showed that they were safe and had learned of the Transformers' existence, and in RotF, they peacefully reunited with Sam after the battle in Giza was won. - At least a quick mention of the AllSpark - with the two known shards used up, the Cube no longer exists, but maybe Lennox could've noted to Mearing that the Matrix is the new vessel for its power. Yeah, it would've been nice for them to have appeared in DotM (outside of the few frames in which they're seen in the back of the Autobot convoy arriving in NEST HQ). The adaptations say their only actual story involvement was to be killed by Sentinel Prime's cosmic rust gun after Ironhide fell, but even so, I think that would've given even more emotional quality to Sentinel's betrayal - he didn't kill one Autobot, but three(!). I think the movie's ending is great as it is, but that would've been AMAZING. That full-circle aspect would've really been something.
