Transformers Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Us critics, we don't hate Michael Bay. Well, not all of us, and not all the time. I wasn't a fan of his Transformers, nor Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, and I haven't watched The Rock or Armageddon in their entirety in years, but I distinctly enjoyed 2005's The Island during its ill-fated theatrical run (gross: $35 million, cost: between three and four times that), and I still do as a decent sci-fi/action matinee outing.

But how?, I've been asked. It does after all bear every other trademark of a Michael Bay outing: explosions, rampant product placement, blatant racial stereotypes, explosions, perpetual dusk lighting, explosions, and a female lead constantly flattered by her wardrobe (yeah, a real woe-is-us scenario).

As a high-school graduation present to myself in 1993, I stayed up all night watching the original Star Wars trilogy on video. When the Extended Edition of The Return of the King arrived on DVD, I camped out on my couch and sat through all three Lord of the Rings films in their longest versions, one after the other. And for two separate retrospective assignments in anticipation of their recent big-screen rebirths, I endured all ten Star Trek movies and all eleven Friday the 13ths. But I can honestly say that as a film critic and lifelong cinephile, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen may be the most movie I have ever experienced.

Michael Bay, condensing the cumulative total of the spectacle from all of his seven previous films into one unwieldy, gargantuan opus, has exceeded even the possibilities of sequel-driven "moreness," combining his own muscular, high-gloss sensibility with the conventions of blockbusters past, present, and probably future to create a monolithic action masterpiece that feels destined to be the biggest movie of all time.

To be completely honest with you, I kinda hit my viral campaign limit with The Dark Knight's amazing marketing blitz and haven't really rebounded since. Maybe it's because there hasn't been a campaign quite as genius as the one for that film or maybe it's just not that interesting to me anymore -- either way, I'd rather leave the extreme viral hunting (and reporting) to other sites and just mention the little bits of coolness I happen to come across while surfing the web.

Like these new viral ads for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, which look to be a part of something larger and more complex, but I'll just settle for the "Hmm, that's kinda cool" factor. The viral ads (featured after the jump) are done with a Cloverfield-style, man-on-the-street vibe where normal citizens videotaping mundane activities find themselves capturing actual transforming robots in the shot. Some videos are more in your face (like the guy whose motorcycle literally transforms and runs away), and others you have to look hard to spot the transformer in the background. All these videos seem to be linked to this site and this site, for those who'd like to viral hunt around for awhile.

Check them out after the jump. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen hits theaters on June 24, and we'll be posting our advanced review real soon ... so stay tuned.

This summer we're getting two giant films based on toys we grew up with in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra. But what about all those other toy movies in the works? What will they look like, and which directors will take on the tough task of adapting those properties that just don't lend themselves to big-budgeted feature films? Well, cartoonist Dan Meth, better known as the dude behind The Trilogy Meter and the Futuristic Timeline (which we just featured yesterday), has created another winner in this little animated short called Toy Movies from our good friends at Atom.com. Essentially, Meth imagines what some of the more famous old school toys would look like if they were adapted for the big screen by some of today's more interesting directors.

Featured in the video after the jump we have:

• Care Bears vs. My Little Pony: The Wreckoning
• John Lithgow in David Cronenberg's Cabbage Patch Kids
• Wes Anderson's Teddy Ruxpin
• Peter Jackson's The Smurfs
• David Lynch's Koosh Ball
• Ron Howard's Play-Doh Fun Factory
• John Carpenter's ALF

Check out the video after the jump and let us know which film you'd most like to see. Me? No question -- I'd watch John Carpenter's ALF in a heartbeat.

We sincerely hope you're enjoying Memorial Day -- eating BBQ, attending a parade, watching some movie marathon on network television and cursing every time a commercial comes on. After all, that's what long holiday weekends are all about! But if for some reason you're spending the day cruising around online, then here's a funny little video for you to watch. IGN cut up their own trailer mash-up for a film they're calling The Transforminators, which is part Terminator, part Transformers and part hilarious randomness. Watch as John Connor fights machines, then fights even more machines while Shia LaBeouf turns into a machine, and, um, yeah -- it's all over the place. Pretty funny stuff; the Connor voiceover is solid ("It was bad enough when we were fighting the Terminators. But then the Transformers came. Now we just call them the Transforminators.") and I dug the way they worked in Christian Bale's crazy on-set tirade. Good on you IGN! Check it out below.

Not long ago we were one of the first to report that Terminator Salvation director McG had officially challenged Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen director Michael Bay to a no-holds-barred, winner-takes-everything (well, maybe not everything) d*ck measuring contest. When asked about the robot-director's rivalry in an interview with Details magazine, McG said the following: "Michael Bay has a big c*ck. But I'd like to believe mine is bigger. If he's up for it, we can both reveal ourselves on the Spartacus steps at Universal and put the question to rest."

Great. Wonderful. Bring it on! This epic d*ck measuring contest could be shot with IMAX cameras in 3D and serve as a bridge between the two films, which open in theaters roughly a month apart. Sadly, though, before Bay could even respond, it would appear as if McG is bailing on the idea. Why? Well, he tells E! Online, "That was lost immediately and people gravitated to two spoiled brat directors [who] think they have big cocks. Nothing could be further from the truth. The funny thing is, I have an Irish curse and I think we're all familiar with exactly how [I'm endowed]."

Um ... did McG just publicly admit that he has a hard time getting an ... yeah ... but anyway, it doesn't look like fans will get the chance to see these two blokes break out their swords for a duel anytime soon. Let's get creative, though -- what could we have them do instead?

I know you're probably sick of reading about Megan Fox, but the darn girl just fascinates me. Her acting fascinates me, her stardom fascinates me and my our addiction to her fascinates me. As of today she's only starred in like three films, and yet every magazine is itching to throw her on the cover; to feature some eight-page Megan Fox no-holds-barred interview/photo spread and then slowly release bits and pieces as if we're a pack of wolves fighting for just enough fuel to stay alive. And she must love every single minute of it. In fact, I'm not sure a better interview exists right now if you're looking for the classless, sexed-up raunch factor -- this girl doesn't care what she says or who she says it to ... and she ain't apologizing for any of it. Perhaps that's why I like her; she's like an anti-role model (and for all I know, she may be the anti-christ!).

Oh, and here's another reason why I dig this chick: As part of her recent interview in Esquire magazine, the gal says this about High School Musical (how or why they were on this topic is beyond me): "Let me tell you what it's really about. High School Musical is about this group of boys who are all being molested by the basketball coach, who is Zac Efron's dad. It's about them struggling to cope with this molestation. And they have these little girlfriends, who are their beards. Oh, and somehow there's music involved. You have to get stoned and watch it." I don't know what she's talking about, and I don't think she knows what she's talking about, but it's all kinda surreal and awesome and who cares. One day I will interview Megan Fox, and that interview will be epic. Until then ...







[via Vulture]

Few genre properties bring out someone's inner geek – much less in actual fans of the show itself - more easily than Star Trek. Whether you love it or loathe it, everyone seems to have an opinion or a perspective, and almost everyone has an emotional entry point for the long-running series: a parent's welcoming knee or cold shoulder, the dingy carpet of a rec room or the negligent boyfriend next to you, a shelf full of spinoff novels or their indecipherable prose, an unwieldy stack of VHS tapes or the interminable hours suffering through commercials. It seems that no one could possibly be unfamiliar with Trek, no matter how they tried; but it was the unenviable task of writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci to digest some 40 years of characters, stories and mythologies, and tell a story that behaved as if no one but them had ever seen all that material.

The result of their labor is Star Trek, a spectacular opus, space opera, mythmaking science fiction story that condenses the sum total of its source of inspiration and reintroduces the series' mythology to viewers both old and new. Cinematical sat down with the duo at the recent Los Angeles press day for the film to discuss the process of reviving and reinventing the franchise for a completely new generation of moviegoers, much less potential Trek fans. In addition to indulging this critic's own passion for Kirk and company, Orci and Kurtzman talked about their ongoing creative collaboration with director-producer J.J. Abrams, discussed their own directorial ambitions, and dished a few details about their forthcoming follow-up to 2007's Transformers, Revenge of the Fallen.

Growing up in Los Angeles as an admittedly shallow, callow youth in the 70s, I always wanted a stylish hot rod so I could attract the girls who liked guys in fast cars. Alas, I had to be content with puttering around in very practical, somewhat beat-up used cars (1964 Chevy Corvair, graduating to a 1965 Ford Falcon), but dreams die hard. Even though I'm still driving a very practical, somewhat beat-up used car, I still yearn for a sizzling hot motor vehicle and an attractive lady passenger urging me to go faster, faster.

These thoughts are prompted by the imminent release of the hot rod-loving Fast & Furious, due in theaters tomorrow, which features the return of the gorgeous Jordana Brewster and the equally lovely Michelle Rodriguez, two talented ladies who have a definite need for speed. (Oh, yeah, Paul Walker and Vin Diesel are back, too, and so is director Justin Lin.) In their honor, we present our seven favorite, fabulous hot rod girls.

1. Tracie Thoms, Death Proof

Tracie Thoms packs an unbeatable combination of brains, beauty, and bravado as Kim, a stunt woman in Quentin Tarantino's twisted ode to 70s car chase movies and 80s slasher flicks. Kim is rowdy and rambunctious with her girlfriends, but her hot rod heart starts beating fast when she revs up the engine of a borrowed 1970 Dodge Challenger, with Zoe Bell precariously perched on the hood. Smashing!