Summer Movie Posse on 'Transformers': Five thumbs down

In case you haven't been following along, it's Summer Movie Posse week at the Big Picture blog, when we get the straight dope on the summer movies from a bunch of highly opinionated teenagers who watch the summer movie trailers with me -- and then spout off about their likes and dislikes. (If you want to learn more about this year's Posse, start here.) 

The biggest surprise about this year's Posse is how much they've enjoyed the summer action films. Usually, the most popular trailers are comedies. But many of this summer's most popular trailers have been action films, notably "Terminator: Salvation" and "Star Trek." 

But one action film got the bum's rush: Michael Bay's "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen." It bombed with the kids, who gave it one of the lowest scores of all 14 movie trailers they watched -- a 29 out of a possible 60. Even these teens, who grew up in a visually oriented world, were starved for a little more information from the trailer, which was crammed with explosions, but offered only two short lines of dialogue, one of them being the immortal "We're all going together!"

Even worse, the kids viewed the film as being something only of interest to their little brothers, which as any studio marketer will tell you, is the worst insult of all, since once the little brother hears that a movie plays too young for his big brother or sister, he won't want to see it either. 

Some excerpts from their critique:

Ben Sassoon, 17: "I can't say this got my hopes up. It's just a lot of explosions."

Molly Philbin, 15: "And they only said five words in the whole trailer. I'm sure all those special effects were hard to do, but if you haven't seen the first movie, I'm not sure you'd even understand what was going on. And most of what was going on sure didn't look that good."

Jasmine Jafari, 15: "I wasn't sure I even knew what the movie was about until halfway through the trailer, and I probably know more than most people, since I have a little brother who's into Transformers. I think he'd be a lot more interested in the movie than me. It just felt pretty senseless."

Ben: "This reminds me of why I'm not a big fan of Michael Bay. He keeps making the same movie, over and over again, as if he hopes someday he'll get it right."

Coming next: What do a bunch of high schoolers think about a movie that's actually set in high school? Hint: They expected a lot more believability than they got.

The "Transformers" trailer:

RELATED:

Summer Movie Posse on 'Terminator': 'A robot's anguish guarantees my attendance'

Ho! Ho! Ho! Is Michael Bay the Santa Claus of summer movies?

Summer Movie Posse on 'Star Trek': Bring it on!

Photo: Bumblee in "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen." Credit: Paramount.

Comments

[Greg]

I am a young adult male and consider myself a pretty savvy moviegoer (I watch a lot of TCM, go the arthouse cinema more than the Pacific Theatre, etc.) but I also enjoy big summer films, especially when they're well made (Iron Man, Dark Knight, Wedding Crashers, Die Hard 4). I find the idea of Michael Bay and his movies repellent. I hated Transformers. I've hated all of Michael Bay's films since Bad Boys and The Rock (and LOATHED Pearl Harbor). I can say with near certainty that I will at the very least strong dislike Transformers 2. If I had to rate it's trailer and my interest in it, I would also score it low (am much more looking forward to Star Trek, Up, and Public Enemies). But I guarantee you that I will see this in theatres. Why? I have no idea. Perhaps the thought that something like this HAS to be seen on the big screen, and if there's even a 1% chance that I would see this at some point, then it had better be on the biggest screen possible. I am a sucker. I will regret it. But it will be done. And, I suspect, all these kids will see it too. And Michael Bay wins again.

[Andrea Rose]

This is such a bummer to read since the trailer for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen you've embedded on this page and must have shown your audiences is simply the teaser and by far the weakest one of the three. (Even the Super-Bowl short edit of the above content played better!)

The latest *full-length* trailer can viewed at http://michaelbay.com/

[Daniel]

As if I really give a crap about what a bunch of pretencious teenagers (my peers) think. Transformers 2 is going to be the best summer blockbuster in the last 5 years, hands down.

The point of the trailer was to showcase action scenes in order to make you want to come see the film in its entirety, not give away the plot.

And I hardly consider Bad Boys, Pearl Harbor, and Transformers as "the same movie". But, I suppose such senseless generalizations are to be expected from a bunch of "know-it-all" adolescents.

[razerGT]

Because a movie is only as good as its trailer....

[Kris]

I agree with Andrea and Daniel, nearly every trailer that comes out now with all the 'dialogue' in that this 'posse' moans about usually gives away the whole movie before seeing it.
I work in a cinema and to be honest the amount of times i've heard people come out of a big movie and say 'there was nothing extra in that, then the trailer'.
This trailer is indeed the poorest of the 3. The newest one is totally out on it own, its brilliant. Personally I can not wait for Revenge of the Fallen to come out.

Oh and usually you have to watch the first in a series of movies to understand the next bit, other wise it would not be a sequel , it would be a stand alone film.

[Daniel]

@ Greg:
Whether you're a "savvy movie-goer" or not is completely irrelevent.
To me, it sounds like the only reason you hated the movies that you listed was because Michael Bay's name was attached to them, not because they were legitimately bad. In fact, I'm willing to wager that if the EXACT same trailer of this movie had been released, but instead said that STEVEN SPIELBERG was the director, you would think that it was great.

Also, if Michael Bay has a track record of making you "LOATHE" every single movie that he's made, why go see it? And for that matter, why read and comment on an article about a movie that you've already prematurely written off as being "bad"? Sure, everyone's entitled to their own opinions, but thus far, it seems like your logic is kinda backwards.

[Scott C]

where did they find these little brats to review this? I hate trailers that give away the whole movie and show every money shot in the movie, can anyone say Spiderman 3? I love the new transformers trailer and I think it's perfect, If you don't understand it then I think you're doing too many whippets you silly teens, do these reviewers have their pubes yet? then I take whatever they say with a grain of salt, Revenge of the Fallen will be by far the biggest box office draw of the summer, It will beat Harry potter again and might beat titantic's record.

[Person]

The Posse seems inconsistent. Despite the fact that I remember the social pressures to hate on things 'cause it was cool to hate on things, I recognize that this sample could be representative of the market.
...that said, I find it surprising that they gave Terminator (the FULL length trailer, by the way, which as mentioned you did not grant the same privilege for Transformers) a 53/60 but this a 39/60. The trailers are essentially similar; the only difference in "plot" is that in Terminator they show that robots are reproducing human tissue... yes, and? Other than that all the dialogue and narrating is just as vague and helpful as if there were none, just like this Transformers Teaser (which is just what it is, a teaser). It just feels like there is more because it is longer.

If the kids watch the full length Transformers trailer and still think this way, then fine, but I would definitely be surprised.

[A Real Man]

What a bunch of nancy boys. Seriously leave the awesome giant robot explody movies to real men you sissies. Boo hoo they didn't put enough dialogue, man up and stop listening to My Chemical Romance and embrace awesome.

[relena]

Who cares about the opinions of a bunch of kids who aren't even old enough to vote? The freakin' "Hannah Montana" tween/teen "Twilight"-loving generation wouldn't know a good movie even if it ran up and bit them on the butt.
"Transformers" is about giant alien robots from space. It's not rocket science, but a fun escape from all the crap going on in the world. And oh, let's not forget the explosions! Explosions are good.
Good grief. I'm seeing the movie because I'm a fan, liked the first one and not to mention it's another chance to hear Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime. Doesn't get much better than that.