So begins the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen review over at Latino Review. In fact, by and large, across the web, Transformers 2 has been getting lambasted, raked over the coals, and generally abused by critics and movie fans alike. Funny thing is, none of this has dampened my own enthusiasm to see the film in Imax glory tomorrow night, but it does bring up some questions in my mind, especially considering the box office numbers that Revenge of the Fallen has already tallied.
In spite of a veritable rampage of negative reviews, according to Box Office Mojo, Transformers 2 has already grossed over $120 million dollars internationally, and this is before the first domestic weekend. So, by all accounts, Revenge of the Fallen can’t be considered a good film (of course depending on everyone’s personal opinion of that term), but there is absolutely no doubt that it will be a successful film.
Which, of course, raises the question… what is more important? Would you rather have a good film or a big money maker? Of course in a perfect world, we could have The Dark Knight, which gave us both…but this is my website, dammit, so I’m calling the shots. If you could only have one… big money, or good quality, what would it be?
I continue to bounce back and forth.
On the one hand, I’d be foolish if I didn’t want a great film. A good film can instantly give a brand credibility and gives a great foundation to build our own little G.I. Joe universes. However, when it all comes down to it, a great film can give you 2 solid hours of entertainment, while a financial success could potentially mean greatness in the toy aisles for years. So I guess ultimately it comes down to your preference…are you more of a movie person or a toy person? From my own perspective, I’m definitely a toy person first and foremost…a great toy can supercede questionable media (I mean, I am a Sigma 6 fan, after all). So, with that in mind, I suppose I’d almost rather have a successful film rather than a great film. Sure, I might not have those two hours of entertainment on August 7th, but with a great financial result, a future film franchise is ensured, and years of toy releases are guaranteed. Not only that, but even with a questionable film, a solid money maker also gives the brand credibility and lasting power. I mean, I don’t know anyone who really thinks the Star Wars prequels are great films, but the outrageous money they made assured that toys would continue for years to come. It also immediately made Star Wars a viable brand for all kinds of different licensing and merchandise.
A great film that makes no money may keep fans entertained for 2 hours, but a film that makes money while sacrificing some quality or some things that would appeal to the core fanbase will ensure a successful brand for years to come, which could potentially spawn great toys, great cartoons, and great merchandise. It could totally revitalize the brand.
Believe me, if the film can somehow accomplish both, I’ll be on cloud nine. But if there’s some things that don’t appeal to me as a diehard fan, yet the film makes 400 million dollars, I think I’m willing to live with what I don’t like for the long term success of G.I. Joe. Regardless, I don’t remember being this excited about the rest of the year for a long, long time, and it’s a damn fun ride. For that reason alone I hope this movie makes some cash, because I’d love to feel like this every couple of years…
I have a bit to say on this matter. I’m a story guy first…in all things. It’s why I read more novels then watch TV or Movie. Summer blockbuster flicks never impress me. That said…I’d rather TF2 and Joe make money and appeal to the Lowest Common Denominator for the sake of the toys. If the movies fail, the powers that be won’t blame Michael Bay or Stephen Sommers. They’ll blame the bands longevity and claim that they need to be shelved for some un-determined amount of time. None of us Toy Guys want that.
So…yeah…I’d rather have a fantastic, thought-provoking, well directed story that happens to be on film. But with these two directors, I doubt we’ll get that. But I do think they’ll make some serious bank. That’s what matters here (kind of unfortunately). I’ll wait for NetFlix for both…but I suspect they’ll do just fine in the theatre.
Come on BIG MONEY! 😀
Well, I’m one of five people out there that actually DIDN’T like Dark Knight. (Sorry- but if you stop to think about the plot the holes in that movie are ridiculous.) However, I think it’s possible to have a good and successful movie. Look at the first Transformers– which not PERFECT it was certainly a GOOD movie that both entertained audiences and made a metric ton of cash. Another example is the last good movie Stephen Sommers made– The Mummy (1999). That was a solid action flick that was the second highest-grossing movie of that year following The Phantom Menace. (The fact that Sommers hasn’t done anything worthwhile SINCE then is what should have Joe fans worried. Plus, he’s got a five year gap in his resume in recent years– seemingly confirming rumors that he’d been put out to pasture for a while after the debacle that was Van Helsing.)
Films can be both GOOD and PROFITABLE – it just takes a careful hand to produce such a film.
I’m about half way through the movie adaption and I have no doubt in my mind that GIJoe will be a good movie at least in this fans eyes. True I don’t know how the actors will actually portray their characters on screen, but there is nothing bad about the story that I can see. The locations, battles, and vehicles will bring a lot to the movie. I have a feeling Zartan will be the character kids will love most. The interaction of the Joe team on and off duty reminds me of Hama’s early Marvel run. And most importantly Ripcord isn’t nearly as eyerolling as he was in the prequel book.
I enjoyed all the trailors I have seen for gijoe. I just hope it lives up to all the gijoe fans expectations and not let down fans. To me I was let down once already this summer by the new terminator movie. So i hope the expectations I have for this movie don’t let me down
I enjoyed Transformers. The bad jokes take up about 10 minutes of the movie and are easy to forget. That being said I think it is doing well because it is a fun movie to watch. I personally feel the bad reviews may have more to do with the jabs they take at Obama by name on national defense.
Given the awesome baskstory available with GIJoe and really they could of just picked any number of a dozen stories to use, this movie should of been a milestone movie. Something that made non-believers sit up and take notice (like Lord of the Rings did for non-fantasy fans) but we’ll see.
All this being said, I do have to admit that I watch the “cool and fun” movies more than the really good ones. Like I will always buy a film like Gran Torino because it is an amazing film. But how often will I then watch it? Maybe once a year? And if company comes over and we want to do a movie night? Well, it’ll be Starship Troopers or Transporter or some such type of film. Good films in their own right, but no great story-tellers.
If GIJoe can be cool and fun like The Mummy was….even like the Mummy Returns was I’ll be happy, even if it will never be a real GIJoe movie to me with all the changes they’ve made. But right now it looks more like a Street Fighter quality type film and it just looks lame.
Why should the amount of money a movie makes even matter? None of use is getting a cut of the profits. I want to be entertained when I sit down to watch a movie, watch TV, play a video game, etc. I’m fortunate that I get to see movies for free so if I see a stinker I don’t feel bad for wasting my loot, but I can still be angry that I wasted my time, like in the case of Transformers 2 and Terminator: Salvation.
I’m not expecting much out of GIJoe with the people involved in making it, but suck or not suck, I’m still going to buy the toys.
“Why should the amount of money a movie makes even matter? None of use is getting a cut of the profits.”
Well, because if the movie makes money, then Hasbro keeps making the toys for you to buy. If the movie doesn’t make money, sequels don’t get greenlit, the brand gets a bad name, and G.I. Joe goes away, which is bad for all of us.
And I agree with Fred Meyer about The Dark Knight, it doesn’t hold up well after multiple viewings. If not for Ledger’s awesome performance, I don’t think I’d even own the movie. Iron Man was better.
Win lose or draw for the movie, GIJoe is not going away. Hasbro is in the business to make money, and GIJoe makes money. It’s nearly impossible for a movie to outright bomb anyways. DVD sales and overseas ticket sales are where you make your profit, domestic release to earn your production budget back.
“Win lose or draw for the movie, GIJoe is not going away. ”
I disagree 100%. If the movie bombs I can see GI Joe going away in a New York minute. The Anniversary line pretty much died on the vine right as the movie talk was ramping up, and I honestly think the only reason we’re seeing toys at all this year is because of the film. G.I. Joe has been reinstated and canceled so many times in the past 9 years, I’m not sure how much confidence I have in the brand’s strength without a dominant media presence pushing it along. Perhaps the Anniversary rush could help move things along, but considering the Anniversary line essentially “died”, I have no confidence in that either.
I dunno. Some brands are bigger than their terrible media showings. GI Joe is one: Cobra La didn’t end the brand. Star Wars is another: We’ve got more Star Wars on the shelf now than we know what to do with, and the last few movies were considered “tripe” by a large portion of the fandom. The companies readjust and move forward.
I’d rather have a “good movie” than a cash cow, but I don’t think the two are mutually exclusive. In fact, I think GI Joe will have to have some redeeming qualities to make it work at the box-office, because unlike TF, the brand doesn’t have the same resonance with general audiences. Transformers are iconic simply because of what they are: Transforming robots. GI Joe has rich icons to the fans, but to the uninitiated, it’s simply a fantasy-military brand with patriotic undertones which may not appeal in today’s more liberal market.
So yeah, I want a “good movie”, whatever that means. Something to “make” fans, not necessarily cater to the existing ones. And it’ll have to be something special, or at least very fun, to generate the word of mouth needed to get people to take the risk.
Oh Justin, stop being so doom and gloom :)A year from now I’ll be reading one of your reviews about the 42nd Snake Eyes figure made and how it’s amazing that the property is still kicking butt.
Ha! Never thought I’d be accused of being “doom and gloom”. 😀
I’m actually very optimistic, just trying to keep things in perspective. 😉
Well, despite all the bad humor-relief, I liked Transformers 2 and from what I’ve seen of the previews of G.I. Joe I think I’m going to enjoy that movie too. I think it may have more of an appeal story wise for the fan base, but given a choice I’d still rather it be a big money maker then be a perfectly crafted film.
I honestly don’t think these days financial sucess guarantees longevity of the line. By all accounts I’ve read, the 25th Anniversary line was a success, yet Hasbro changed directions anyways. And look how short lived the Resolute series was. I think the toy world moves on to the “new thing” so quickly now that even a successful brand won’t be around for long.
As excited I am for the GI Joe movie, I’m not expecting a great movie like Dark Knight or the first Transformers film. I would like to look forward to a sequel or two, so I do hope it doesn’t bomb. But, then again, if the sequel to GI Joe ends up being an inferior version like Transformers 2, maybe one-and-done isn’t such a bad fate after all.
” Craig M Stowell said:
. I personally feel the bad reviews may have more to do with the jabs they take at Obama by name on national defense.”
Are you kidding that was the movies saving grace!!!!
It’s about time someone from Hollywood wakes up and stops with the love fest
i seen tf2 last night and i honestly regret taking my 9 year old son. i also felt sorry for the little kid 2 rows down who cried at one point. the crude sexual humor and overly sexual decepticon has absolutely no place in a movie geared towards kids. that is evidenced by the fact that 90% of the toys are geared to little kids. i hope that the gi joe movie doesnt make the same mistake.
“i seen tf2 last night and i honestly regret taking my 9 year old son. i also felt sorry for the little kid 2 rows down who cried at one point. the crude sexual humor and overly sexual decepticon has absolutely no place in a movie geared towards kids. that is evidenced by the fact that 90% of the toys are geared to little kids. i hope that the gi joe movie doesnt make the same mistake.”
I don’t even think the first Transformers is really young children’s fare either. Both Transformers movies are rated PG-13, though I think the first may have been on the lighter side of that rating.
Regarding a grown up movie with toys marketed for kids, I agree, however that’s pretty common these days. I don’t think Terminator Salvation is a good kids movie, yet there are plenty of toys out there.
As a parent, you have to be the grown up and protect your children. My 7 year old is begging to see Transformers 2, but I’ve been telling him “No” from the start. I’m also going to watch the GI Joe movie before deciding if it is appropriate for my son as well.
Deadpool said:
Craig M Stowell said:
. I personally feel the bad reviews may have more to do with the jabs they take at Obama by name on national defense.”
Are you kidding that was the movies saving grace!!!!
It’s about time someone from Hollywood wakes up and stops with the love fest
Deadpool I agree, I thought it was great. I was saying that I felt that was the ‘real’ reason behind the bad reviews. As a Marine I couldn’t have had a bigger smile when they attached Obamas name to the Tranformers Czar
Okay, dingbats, time to set some things straight. First of all, Obama isn’t a prick, Galloway is a prick. He’s been given some degree of authority by the president and is mad with power. It’s a common trope in films. If they really wanted to take a jab at Obama they would’ve done so much more blatantly.
Especially taking in consideration that Obama personally appeared for some Viral Marketing bits:
http://www.therealeffingdeal.com/blog/obamania-but-will-he-elect-to-take-the-search-seriously/#more-109
and Bay himself saying he’s cool with Obama:
http://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a160272/michael-bay-obama-likes-my-movies.html
So yeah, take your “OBAMA IS EVIL” conspiracies up your tailpipe and smoke em.
As for Latino Review, Harry “Fat Sack Of Crap” Knowles and all those other movie critics… they’re making Mount Everest out of a goddamn anthill. The “offensive” parts they’re all up in arms about take up a grand total of FIVE MINUTES on the screen. Out of two and a half hours. Two and a half hours of GIANT ROBOTS FIGHTING.
It is freaking ridiculous.