Transformers 3

[Kane Knight]

Originally Posted by Jeritron Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars, Jaws, The Dark Knight, and to a lesser extent movies like Iron Man are great blockbusters. I don't know where this whole notion of a movie being a blockbuster meaning it doesn't have to be very good came from. It seems like lowered expectations, or flat out brainwashing. I can't count the times I hear the term "mindless fun" thrown around. True, it doesn't have to be profound, but it also doesn't mean it can't be a respectable film. I think it's a bit of a lame excuse. With that being said, I enjoyed the first. It was a fun movie, while not abandoning some semblance of focus on character and coherent story.

Yeah, but those aren't the rule. I see what you're saying, but it's usually several seasons between blockbuster franchises. Even if you're lucky enough to get a string of them (Star Wars, Raiders, most likely Batman), they're not the norm and it's likely to be a while before the next quality blockbuster comes out.

But, I mean, honestly, I got what I wanted out of Transformers. I understand Becker's gripe, and it's his right to bitch if he wants, but this was a movie where I expected "blockbuster" in a more pejorative sense, and still lined up to see it opening weekend. Transformers was rarely a deep franchise, and while this was probably a shallower experience than even the cartoon and such, it was still a fun experience. Mindless fun should never be an excuse to call a bad movie good, but it can certainly justify an enjoyable experience.

That being said, I dislike the idea of people with little or no love for a franchise being put in charge of it and then starts dicking around. Transformers is kind of a fringe example, but it is an example.

Still, I'm not watching Transformers for elaborate stories. I'm watching it to see giant robots wreck shit. One can enjoy movies that are mindless fun and still enjoy good plots and characterisation elsewhere.