Posts Tagged ‘Megan Fox’
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Watching the live-action adaptation of Transformers, one sits and wonders if Michael Bay will deliver on the franchise’s famous promise of being “more than meets the eye.” In many ways, the film delivers. But in others, it feels like it’s all been done before.
Even though it feels like you’re a third of the way through the movie before you get a chance to get a good look at one of them, the three-story robotic monstrosities known as the Transformers are a marvel of visual effects work. Hats off to Industrial Light and Magic for their innovations in kinematics that allow for the explosive unfolding and reassembling of complicated machinery into the heroes and villians we’ve grown up with.
No detail is spared in the transformations. Several close-up shots demonstrate the complex but true-to-form physics of displaced joints and appendages. You literally see the gears turning. And, of course, they sell it by adding the infamous “chh-chh-chh-chh!” noise that countless little boys made themselves when playing with the toys growing up. Good call.
Bonus points as well go to giving the role of Optimus Prime to Peter Cullen (who originated the character in the cartoons). Hearing his rich baritone deliver Optimus Prime’s lines just feels right – like an old pair of slippers (even if Cullen had to audition twice (!!!) to get the role).
As a side-note, there was some fan outrage when the role of Megatron was turned over to Hugo Weaving, but it’s a non-issue. Weaving does some interesting things with the tight-lipped Aussie snarl he perfected as Agent Smith in The Matrix Trilogy. You won’t even recognize him until he’s on screen for a good 10 or 15 minutes. No disrespect to Earl Hammond (who originated the role of Megatron in the cartoons), but his addition probably would have put the film over the top in terms of cartoonishness.
Not that Bay doesn’t do a good job of that on his own. Carrying his signature style (sweaty and grimy heroes walking in slow-motion against back-lit scenery) the action sequences deliver full-throttle excitement. There is always something awe inspiring to look at. If you would have flipped on the lights during the Optimus Prime/Bonecrusher fight over the Los Angeles freeway, I’m sure you would have seen a sea of slack-jawed amazement. Sometimes it’s almost impossible to soak it all in as Bay brings the battle in close for a robot-on-robot death match. Speed, fluidity, and explosive force are all hallmarks of his trade and there isn’t a movie better than Transformers for Bay to use his entire bag of tricks.
However, for everything that the movie does right, there are areas that come up short. Specifically, the screenplay. Five writers had their hands in this thing and it shows. Anytime a character speaks, they really shouldn’t because most of what they say are melodramatic cliches.
As far as the performances are concerned, Shia LaBeouf as the lead knows his role is to act as our witness – to allow the story of the Transformers be told through his eyes. At times his delivery comes off like a spastic Vaudeville routine. A lot of fast talking and stumbling over his words. But he holds his own.
Megan Fox as his romantic interest offers little than a sweaty midriff to look at. She looks half-asleep through most of the movie. Her background as the daughter of a grease monkey felon is inconsequential and only inserted to mask the fact that she’s only along for the ride as arm candy.
Josh Duhamel is serviceable as an Army Ranger who’s squad first encounters the Transformers in the desert of Quatar (ooo, topical!), but he’s no Timothy Olyphant. Tyrese Gibson as his war-buddy is pretty much there to taunt the evil Transformers after calling in an air strike with the summer’s newest non-catchphrase “Bring the rain!”
There’s a curious amount of military involvement in the film, which felt odd at first for a science-fiction movie about giant robots. But considering this is an alien invasion of sorts, the response is appropriate. Maybe it just feels odd since the original cartoons never really addressed the human response to Transformers being on Earth. They carried out their war in our backyards pretty much undisturbed. But if you’re applying real-world logic to the film, the government would be on this pretty quick.
Seeing all of the tanks, jets and helicopters made available to Bay by The Department of Defense, it’s easy to see why Bay has a strong following among the NASCAR set. He makes the soldiers out to be more quick-witted, heroic and ass-kicking than Rambo. I’m not saying we couldn’t use a little positive representation of our men in uniform, but I was surprised at the level of American gung-ho spirit in a movie whose source material comes from Japanese robots.
That said, there’s almost too much military action. There’s so much at the beginning, we’re not introduced to Shia’s character until almost 40 minutes in. By the third act of the movie when John Tuturro and his secret government agency that smells like a Men In Black rip-off shows up, the film veers dangerously close to plagiarizing Independence Day when it’s revealed how much the government knew and when they knew it.
If I could express any other complaint about the movie, it would have to be the amount of product placement that Bay can’t seem to divorce himself from in his films. From eBay to Burger King to each of the good-guy Transformers depicted as GMC vehicles, the stamp of marketing executives are all over this film. At one point, there is a convoy of all the vehicles that looks like a commercial I’d see while watching The Office. Lens flares, close-ups of the GMC logo, swooping overhead shots from a helicopter. I leaned over to Cami and whispered “The all-new 2008 Bumblebee with 0% financing and factory rebate!” Hell, even a Nokia phone and a Mountain Dew vending machine transform into robots! Of course, the movie itself is a gigantic commercial to sell toys. It pretty much tells you as much in the opening credits when it reads “In partnership with Hasbro.”
Ultimately, Transformers is a big, dumb Hollywood action movie that brings the fireworks for the Fourth of July holiday. It doesn’t disservice the characters I grew up with and loved as a child, but it really doesn’t bring anything new to them other than the amazing photo-realistic transformations in the effects work. If you like Bay’s other action movies, you’ll love this one. If you’re not already a fan, there’s nothing here that will convert you. Take Transformers with a grain of salt and you’ll have a rollicking good time at the movies.
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Watching the Transformers two-disc special edition on DVD feels like an unfairly muted experience. A spectacle of this proportion is better served on the big screen. I reviewed the film during it’s theatrical release and found most of the problems I experienced in that initial viewing remained intact. The plot is spread too thin over too many characters. There are logic and pacing problems and there is still too much signature “Michael Bay-ness” in the film to endear itself to me.
One thing I became more forgiving of was the designs of the robots. Engulfing your entire field of vision on the big screen, the bodies of twisting, twitching metal were tough to identify. Confined to your TV, Optimus Prime and the rest of the Autobots become more manageable and recognizable.
As the movie progresses to it’s big downtown battle sequence, I found myself even more impressed with the complexity of their design and the fluidity of their movements. Once you get past the knee-jerk “But Ironhide doesn’t look like that!” reaction from your childhood, these modern updates makes more and more sense.
That aside, the two-disc edition includes an excellent set of extras on the second disc. Two hour-long documentaries broken into different chapters detail brilliantly the filming of the movie from concept to completion.
ILM comes off looking the best explaining the Transformers look and feel – how they developed the complex programming that gave every last nut and bolt a place to fold and lock into shape between vehicle and robot transformation. The detailing given to each character down to every last nick and scratch is the hallmark of this film.
The writers of the film – Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman – do a good job of explaining why some robots made it into the film and others didn’t. They also made a good case for fan favorite transforming into an “alien jet” and not a more terrestrial vehicle – more glaringly, why he doesn’t transform into his signature form, a Walther P-38 handgun.
“We decided there would be no mass-displacement in the movie. Megatron can turn into a gun in the cartoon and you don’t think twice. But we found in the movie that Megatron turning into a gun was the equivalent of Darth Vader turning into his lightsaber and having someone else swing him around.”
Although they make no explanation about the mass-displacement of the condensed Allspark, they make a good point about Megatron.
Between the writers and the animators, there is clear affinity for the characters and an understanding of their histories. But not everyone comes off so well. In their interviews, Michael Bay, Shia LaBeouf executive producer Steven Spielberg and representatives from Hasbro all look like money hungry opportunists trying to revive a 20 year-old franchise. It’s really not worth going into detail, but more often than not, you get the sense that these parties are looking down their nose at the geek culture that spawned this level of success for their film.
Despite the general unpleasantness Bay exhibits on a regular basis (yelling his direction through a megaphone is one of his more “charming” traits) you have to give credit to him as someone who knows how to deliver a visceral thrill and for insisting on doing it with practical effects. Watching the behind-the-scenes on how many of these complicated shots were achieved makes the film a much richer experience and makes the two-disc edition well worth the money.
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Jennifer’s Body comes out today and it is Diablo Cody’s follow up to 2007’s indie sensation Juno.
Everything I’ve read about the movie insists that it’s some kind of horror/comedy. But the advertisements for this film leave me with the impression that it’s not very effective in either genre.
It doesn’t help that Diablo Cody’s “too clever by half” reputation as a screenwriter kind of labeled her a one-hit wonder after Juno. Personally, I’m kind of on the fence in regard to how she writes dialogue.
For as many things as Juno gets right, there is no teenager on Earth that would use the phrase “Honest to blog.” That kind of ridiculous phrasing sounds like something an ad executive would come up with for a McDonald’s commercial in an effort to sound hip.
Limp-noodle catchphrases aside, the biggest strike against this film for me is Megan Fox. I’ve never liked her. I didn’t like her in either of the Transformers movies and she has an incredible knack for saying some of the most stupid things in public. She comes off as shallow and self-centered in interviews, she cakes on more makeup than Charro and she does that parting of the mouth thing that makes her look like a porn star.
I know if you’re a 15 year-old boy, you don’t care about any of these things because she’s hot, right? But take it from me – she’s not attractive. I’m talking about more than the superficial exterior.
I just get a bad vibe from her. All she has going for her are her looks – which I find harsh to begin with. Once those fade (along with the most ridiculous tattoos I’ve ever seen), what’s left? Where’s her substance? She seems completely humorless and – worst of all – lacking in intellectual curiosity. She has nothing of value to say. Nothing artistic to contribute. In other words, she’s boring.
So go ahead, Megan. Vamp it up in Jennifer’s Body. Because by the time you turn 25, it’s all going to be over.
QUICK REMINDER: The Theater Hopper Fire Sale is still going on in the store and I’ve posted a little reminder at the top of the page so you don’t forget that prices go back to normal at midnight, Sunday, September 18.
If you want to buy a shirt for $7.99, now is the time to do it. And if you want to pre-order Theater Hopper: Year Three, this is the last time you’re ever going to see a deal like this.
Sales have been good, but I would like to finish strong. So be sure to tell everyone you know about the big sale. Talk about it on Twitter or Facebook. Help me spread the word. Funds raised from this sale will go toward the production of pre-order Theater Hopper: Year Three and I need every dime I can scrape together.
Many thanks to those of you who have lent your support and taken advantage of these great deals. I sincerely appreciate it!
In the meantime, are you planning on seeing Jennifer’s Body this weekend? What’s your motivation? Diablo Cody’s script? Megan Fox’s assets? Are you some kind of horror junkie? What’s the appeal?
If you’re not going, why are you staying away? Is there something else coming out this weekend that looks better to you or are you a contentious Megan Fox objector like myself?
Leave your comments below and have a great weekend!
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I have to admit I was kind of surprised by the response that Friday’s comic got in the comic field. A lot of people were on my side as far as the disdain for Megan Fox went. Some people were outright thanking me as if this was no a complaint already prevalent on the internet.
Then again, Fox seems to have a lot of people in the mainstream media snowed. Take Ken Tucker from Entertainment Weekly. Although he acknowledges the box office shortcomings of Jennifer’s Body, Tucker seems to think that her “smart, funny, and self-aware” interviews on television this week promoting her movie indicate a move to the small screen.
If you put all of the adjectives known to man and asked me to put them in order of terms that best describe Megan Fox, “smart, funny, and self-aware” would be at the very bottom of the list.
Of course, keep in mind that this is Entertainment Weekly we’re talking about. So take everything they say with a boulder of salt.
Push comes to shove and I was looking for a way to once again strike while the iron was hot and serve up another comic about Megan Fox to get your feedback. In that way, I suppose she has me snowed as well. But Jennifer’s Body dismal fifth place bow at the box office this weekend all but confirms that Fox doesn’t have the star power to launch a movie on her own.
I mean, this movie earned $2 million less than Love Happens. It earned $4 million less than Tyler Perry’s I Can Do Bad By Myself – which was in it’s second week and lost 50% of it’s business!
Obviously there are multiple factors that contribute to the success or failure of a film. I’ve read some comments that have said the movie was not advertised very well. Perhaps some of the blame should fall on Diablo Cody’s script, which hasn’t been popular in reviews. Some are going so far as to point the finger at director Karyn Kusama – who started her career with the excellent Girlfight and followed it up with the dismal Æon Flux.
But at the end of the day, people don’t usually see movies because they’re fans of the screenwriter or the director. They usually go to see their favorite actors and actresses. And Fox simply doesn’t have an audience large enough to support her in a headlining role this soon in her career.
I’ll leave it at that. For now, I need to crash. It’s been a long, stressful day and I need to get some sleep if I’m going to be any good watching Henry when we’re home on Monday.
Come back to the site this afternoon, though. I plan on writing a blog while Henry’s napping that shares some very important information that you’re not going to want to miss. It’s a game-changer, I can say that much.
In the meantime, did anyone here see Jennifer’s Body? What were your thoughts? Leave them in the comments below!
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Apr09
Incidentally, the quote Cami is talking about came from an interview Tina Fey did with Esquire Magazine. But I guess she was on Oprah earlier this week with Steve Carell, too, and repeated it there.
I guess I just like the idea of Cami sitting around reading Esquire, for some reason.
For those of you that think I’m making up that story about a Korean man marrying a body pillow, that actually happened and it seems to be somewhat of an emerging trend in Eastern cultures. 2D Love, is what they’re starting to call it. Men falling in love with anime characters beyond what’s appropriate or… normal.
Interestingly enough, the phenomenon was referenced recently on an episode of 30 Rock where James Franco tried to arrange a shame marriage with Jane Krakowski’s character Jenna to keep the press from learning about his infatuation with a Japanese body pillow.
I mention that, I guess, because it also involves Tina Fey. I feel like I’m playing Six Degrees of Separation with body pillows, or something.
Back to the matter at hand, let’s talk about Date Night for a little bit. Certainly the film looks great on paper. Tina Fey and Steve Carell in the same movie? It would seem like they would have a very compatible sense of humor and a natural chemistry and I think that’s what Fox is counting on when (or if) you buy a ticket this weekend.
But if you scratch the surface, there is cause for concern. The first red flag is that it was directed by Shawn Levy who is one of the worst paycheck directors currently in Hollywood. He is to comedy what Chris Columbus is to children’s movies. Everything about Levy’s approach takes things that are otherwise funny and squeezes the life out of them. His work is safe and predictable and you only have to look at his directing credits for the proof. Just Married, Cheaper By The Dozen, the remake of The Pink Panther and BOTH Night at the Museum movies.
The second red flag is the script written by Josh Klausner – whose IMDB profile does not inspire confidence. Klausner only has 4 writing credits to his name and TWO of them are Shrek movies.
In other words, proceed with caution.
Fey and Carell have been all over the place doing press for Date Night. It seems either one or both of them have been on television every night this week. While that’s good for television – since they’re both always fun to watch in an interview context – it doesn’t exactly communicate quality in Date Night. They’re basically promoting the heck out of it now to drum up interest because (I’m willing to be) word of mouth won’t be very good afterwords. I hate to be a pessimist, but I’ve seen these kind of maneuvers before.
What do you guys think? Have I unfairly passed judgment on Date Night? Do you still want to see it? Leave your comments along with your thoughts and reflections about Japanese body pillows below!
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You may have heard by now that our favorite scruffy weasel Shia LaBeouf gave an interview to Details Magazine where he essentially bragged about banging Megan Fox on set while working with her on the first two Transformers movies.
If you missed it, here’s the key information:
Asked if he hooked up with Fox, LaBeouf nods affirmatively. “Look, you’re on the set for six months, with someone who’s rooting to be attracted to you, and you’re rooting to be attracted to them,” he explains. “I never understood the separation of work and life in that situation. But the time I spent with Megan was our own thing, and I think you can see the chemistry onscreen.”
When I inquire about Fox’s status at the time with her longtime boyfriend, Brian Austin Green, LaBeouf replies, “I don’t know, man. I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. . . .”—repeating the phrase exactly 12 times with various intonations, as if trying to get it just right. Finally, he says, “It was what it was.”
Now, if you know me, you know that I am not a fan of Shia LaBeouf. Basically, I am of the mind that he has been parading around Hollywood for the last few years in his Big Boy pants trying to prove to anyone and everyone what a badass he is. Bragging that you nailed Megan Fox in a trailer somewhere on Paramount back lot basically lines up with this.
If that doesn’t jive with your interpretation of Shia LaBeouf, then sample this quote from the same article:
…there’s an upside to posing for the occasional mug shot. “I’ve noticed that since this ‘wild child’ s— has been posted on my head,” he says, “people seem a little more respectful.”
Mmm-hmm. We’re all fawning over how dangerous you are, you little imp!
Here’s the thing: I never really bought LaBeouf’s tough guy act and I’m certainly not buying it now. But I think I’m starting to understand it a little bit more. Especially his pathological need to “tell it like it is” in interviews.
Think about this guy’s career in the last 5 years. Between Transformers, Indiana Jones and Wall Street, he’s basically acting in movies where he’s the least interesting thing in them. He’s a cipher. No one wants to talk to him about his performance. People want to ask him what it’s like working with Harrison Ford, Oliver Stone, Michael Douglas or Michael Bay.
So what do you do? You start talkin’ smack. Why? Because it gets you headlines. People start talking about you again. You can the crazy nonsense you’re spouting. Watch cable news. Politicans pull this move ALL THE TIME.
Some people like to give LaBeouf credit for being honest. I like to call these people “self-hating movie fans.” They’re basically mad that they got duped into putting down good money for a lousy movie and cheer up only when someone behind the scenes pulls the curtain back to agree with them about how awful it was. It makes them feel validated. Meanwhile, the guy doing the “truth telling” gets to look like a hero.
But here’s the thing: It doesn’t take a lot of intestinal fortitude to say Transformers 2 sucked or Indiana Jones 4 sucked or Wall Street 2 sucked TWO YEARS AFTER THE FACT. You know, after your promotional obligations are over, after the critical and fan response has been factored in or after your paycheck has cleared.
My question is, “Would LaBeouf still be doing all this ‘truth-telling’ if fan reaction to those movies had been positive?” My guess is “probably not.”
Someone with integrity might look at the final cut of a bad movie they starred in and say “You know, this isn’t very good. I’m not comfortable promoting it.” Someone with discerning taste might look at a script and say “This is not for me. I should be doing movies with more substance.”
LaBeouf is not that guy. In the Details article he talks about how he passed on recent Oscar winners like The Social Network and 127 Hours.
He does talk about how he’s trying to be more choosy and is looking for roles that are “Warren Beatty—type game changers.” He also says he’s done with action movies. Apparently it creates “animosity from men.”
“They feel like they want to challenge me,” Labeouf shares. “‘I just f—ed up Shia LaBeouf!’ It’s a story you can tell, and I guess you’re cool for it.”
Which I guess kind of explains the Megan Fox bragging. Like that’s suddenly going to make him look cool to men he feels animosity from. Meanwhile, he’s shooting himself in the foot by alienating the only fanbase I’ve ever seen stick up for him – young women. I can’t imagine bragging about the women you’ve slept with will endear you to… y’know… women.
Shia LaBeouf is basically the Mark Hamill of Generation Y. A smarmy kid who stumbled upward into a giant franchise and got into a car accident at the apex of his appeal. Except, unlike Hamill, LaBeouf wreck just mashed up his hand and not his face. So that bought him a few more years.
He’s still got a heaping spoonful of humility coming his way. I’m looking forward to the next 20 years of his obscurity.
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