Dark of the Moon Teaser now online

[Dominic]

Well thank you sir. I would like to point out that the UK was not really trying during the Revolutionary war. The US colonies were an expensive bit of geo-political bling, and the Crown was only willing to expend so much effort and resources to hold onto said colonies.

From what I gather, Bay drives his people hard, but he also takes care of his crew. (I remember reading that he took a hit to keep jobs in the US. Kudos for that much at least.) His movies are crap, but that hardly makes him unique.

Dom

[Gomess]

the UK was not really trying

We prefer to call it "laissez-faire", old chap. Other things to think about, you know? Piffle poffle!

he took a hit to keep jobs in the US.

I did not know that. I guess his heart's in the right place, even if his creative juices aren't.

[andersonh1]

Saw the trailer, and I'm interested in what the storyline might be. It doesn't look as awesome as the trailer for TF2, but then on that movie the trailer was great, and the actual movie was not. Maybe we'll get the opposite this time... so-so trailer, great plot. Here's hoping. I do wonder who the Transformer with the much more human-looking face was.

I have met otherwise intelligent people who would put Michael Bay's Pearl Harbour on the same shelf as Ken Burns' The Civil War.

I was surprised by a clip from an interview with one of the surviving Pearl Harbor veterans this past December 7th. He said when Bay's "Pearl Harbor" premiered, he and some other veterans were taken to see it. He loved it... said it would help educate people about what happened.

Now I've never liked the movie, but if a veteran of that day likes it, I may have to reconsider, at least just a little. At least on the actual battle scenes. I'm not reconsidering the love triangle at all. Ugh.

[Gomess]

I'm not reconsidering the love triangle at all.

Or the portrayal of Japanese soldiers... or lack thereof. Tora! Tora! Tora! it ain't. But then, I'm one of those commie pinkos who thinks it's worthwhile getting both sides of the story, and wouldn't dream of telling a veteran they're wrong for enjoying a movie. Each to their own. My granddad was a veteran, and he wouldn't even let us watch GI Joe.

Here's hoping Bay doesn't just flush away a great opportunity to get to the ultraxenophobic sci-fi nitty-gritty of the Space Race, rather than just more Giant Robots in the USA GO PACKERS poop. I'm honestly looking forward to some small potential.

[Sparky Prime]

Here's hoping Bay doesn't just flush away a great opportunity to get to the ultraxenophobic sci-fi nitty-gritty of the Space Race, rather than just more Giant Robots in the USA GO PACKERS poop. I'm honestly looking forward to some small potential.

Speaking of... I was looking at some of the screenshots from the teaser last night and I noticed in one shot of the astronauts approaching the Transformer ship, there is a rounded object they pass by. It could just be some debris from the ship, but it kinda reminded me of how some early Russian space probes looked... It'd be a nice nod to the space race if that thing is supposed to be a Russian Lunar probe, showing their interest and determination to study the Transformers ship as well.

[Gomess]

Honestly? If Bay uses the Space Race as a framing device for a narrative involving two competing civil servants of different countries both investigating the TFs (who replace Sam and Girl as protagonists), I will be a happy bunny.

And THAT, my friends, is blind optimism. Optimism PRIME.

[Onslaught Six]

You're right about Bay not exacerbating an already problematic problem... But without that, I can't really criticise the guy. Oh, except for how he treats his actors. I really wished The Beef had refused to do this on the grounds of what happened to his co-star, because I love retcons that explain why new actors are suddenly playing the same characters.

Honestly, if Shia had walked out, I would think they would have legitimately written him out. I'd even argue that repeatedly bringing him back is harder to justify from a story perspective than if he was just forgotten entirely.

[Dominic]

And THAT, my friends, is blind optimism. Optimism PRIME.

Oh, yeah it is. But, hey, you never know. (We are gonna get kicked in the nads on this one.)

I'm not reconsidering the love triangle at all.

Or the portrayal of Japanese soldiers... or lack thereof. Tora! Tora! Tora! it ain't. But then, I'm one of those commie pinkos who thinks it's worthwhile getting both sides of the story,

I am assuming you are not a fan of GW then. Their old editorial mandates were strictly "human POV only". This still allowed for a broad range of characters. (One of the better stories I read, and that I still hold up as an example of excellently nuanced writing, made a hero of a xenophobic commissar.) Aliens were strictly "the other" on the basis that "the other" was too alien to be understood by humans.

My granddad was a veteran, and he wouldn't even let us watch GI Joe.

Was it a decorum thing? "Do not trivialize the great horrible of war."


Dom
-the WSJ called it "Snora! Snora! Snora!"

[Gomess]

I am assuming you are not a fan of GW then.

George Washington? Games Workshop?? Greg Watanabe?!?

Was it a decorum thing? "Do not trivialize the great horrible of war."

Nope, he just didn't like looking at or talking about anything at all to do with war, especially if it was casually racist in the way franchises like Joe were (are?). I MUST have mentioned that my granddad was the only British soldier awarded a ritual sword by the Japanese Navy after the Malaysia Campaign. He was a queer duck.

"Snora! Snora! Snora!"

I'll admit it's not the most engaging movie ever, but the simple fact that the US and Japan cooperated on a movie about Pearl Harbor so soon... well, dang. And yes, I'm spelling THAT harbour without a "u" because you guys named it!

And in case you're wondering, my answer to my guessed interpretations of your first questions are: Undecided, No, Yes (I really enjoy 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors).

[andersonh1]

Tora! Tora! Tora! it ain't.

I'm with you all the way on that. Tora Tora Tora is the definitive Pearl Harbor movie, in my view. Excellent film.