"Sparks Flying" ("Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen")
It's a crime I myself am guilty of from time to time: comparing properties based on things from my childhood with their present-day 'revisions'. Yeah, I understand how things have to be changed for a new generation to make them feel 'fresh' and 'cutting edge.' And what I've liked in the past more often than not shows its age so change is not only inevitable but necessary. The old clique of "This is not your father's (fill in the blank)" may be overused, but it certainly doesn't make it any less false. So for something to last, it really does need to constantly evolve and adapt with the times.
But that doesn't stop me from shouting "Bull$h!t" every once in awhile.
Case in point, the live-action Transformers movies. I can understand it must be extremely difficult to conjure up robots onto a theatre screen that not only look convincing, but seems to blend well with the actors and the background. If you can take a semi truck and trick an audience into believing it can shift into a robot that talks, then you're a CGI genius. I also agree certain liberties would need to be changed from the cartoon. After all, there's no logical way a 7-foot wide cybernetic bird could transform into a 3 and a half inch cassette tape.
But they could at least put in an effort.
Among many faults I have with both movies, perhaps the most frustrating is except for Optimus Prime and Bumblebee, all the robots look alike. Granted the main robots who draw the majority of the focus in these films seem to have unmistakable characteristics. But once you get into the supporting cast, it's as if the big heads of the studio decided to finance only one prototype model for filming and the artist made hardly noticeable changes to each robot.
As for the silhouettes of the theater goers, I actually spent a few hours drawing and coloring that entire row. However it blended into the 'movie' so much that nothing could be made out. Sometimes the best ideas are the most simplest. - Jake