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Transformers Revenge of the Fallen is Longer in IMAX
The title of this post might sound like a subject line in a spam ad, but you know that Michael Bay is awesome, and wants to bring you the awesome… in IMAX.
Did you think that Michael Bay’s Transformers had too much humans, but not enough giant robots kicking the crap out of each other? Well then you might want to get in line for the IMAX release of the film, because not only do we already know there will be a lot more bots, but the action scenes will be a tiny bit longer on the IMAX version.
Worst Previews quotes Michael Bay’s Official production forum:
The way to see this movie is on IMAX. Never before has there been 4k rendered character animation shot on full IMAX 70 mm film. This is a first and the results are stunning. You will see Optimus Prime in a few shots where he is actually perfectly to scale on the IMAX 50 foot tall screens.For IMAX, I created a slightly longer cut with more robot fighting. Four scenes were shot on IMAX cameras so the screen will fill the full IMAX screen for these scenes.”
I really like this idea. IMAX simply offers a bigger and more impressive presentation, so some feel it is worth it to drop the bones for the massive screens. But they are still watching the same movie, but just getting a more detailed immerse experience.
This way, Bay promises to give those IMAX viewers a little more with some extended cuts, but not adding anything to the movie that will be missed by those suckers who don’t go to the IMAX Experience. Its just a couple extended combat scenes.
People who don’t go to IMAX will still get to see the whole movie, and you know those extended scenes will be available on DVD and Blu. This is just a nicer perk for those catching the movie in the bigger format.


Pretty bad, since Imax format just isn’t for cinema… If the extra scenes would be shown in standard cinemascope.. Great… But suddenly format change to ugly 4:3 (or 1:1 or whatever Imax is)??? Pretty awful… not for the masses though.
I hope this is sarcasm.
IMAX was made specifically for movies, and is not “ugly 4:3″ as IMAX has always been Widescreen 16:9.
Cinemascope is a lense system that has not been used for decades.
Sorry just a quick correction Rodney, Most Imax is formatted at 1.44:1. This was actually an issue with the Dark Knight (Imax was framed at 1.8, 35 mm framed at 2.4, and original Imax on Blu-Ray was shown in 1.44)
Also I believe that Lars was referring to Cinemascope ratio which is 2.35:1, which is related to the fairly common ratio to display films (2.4:1 is anamorphic widescreen). So he wasn’t too off-base, just using bad terms.
Dsmmit why wont they build an IMAX in the south of England, or re-open the Bristol one? Real size Optimus would be incredible
I NEED to see this in IMAX!!!!!!!!!! Longer, yes please! I’ll camp out over night if I have to (i’m not joking), 2 years wait is long enoguh
To me that is hokey. There is not a viable IMAX option within 75 miles of where I live. It is one thing to put extras like that on a DVD and charge more like they did last time, but to put extra scenes in a movie for IMAX viewing only is not cool since it is not the viewer’s choice if there is no IMAX near him/her unlike it is their choice to buy the more expensive DVD to see the extra scenes or get the bonus material
Its not like they are offering a completely different movie ONLY to those who can get to an IMAX theater. Its a little extended scene.
You are over reacting.
I am not upset, I just feel it is hokey to make such an offer of “extended scenes” to IMAX viewers to start since it is more a location issue than “Well, do I want to spend $15 or $25 on a DVD to get the extra stuff”
How is it hokey to offer a little extra for those who are paying more for their ticket to begin with?
And the DVD will have these extended clips. This is what they do with DVD releases to encourage casual viewers to buy the disk. Offer a little more than they would have seen the first time.
I think you are just upset you can’t see it.
I would not call it upset, since I AM willing to pay the price of an IMAX ticket, if there was one within a decent drive’s time (75 miles into Baltimore is not decent). To me, this is like offering UP in normal D and 3D. I can not see 3D properly, so I choose not to go to the 3D version, but my local theaters have both to choose from. Offering perks based on location is what is hokey, not the prices. Prices is something the consumer can justify on their own, location isn’t.
Again, you are just griping about location.
In order to offer an IMAX experience, the theater has to be capable. If no one builds one near you, it is not “hokey” its just business.
There are small towns that don’t even HAVE a movie theater and LOTS of cities that dont have an IMAX.
You dont HAVE to go to the IMAX one, but if you really want to its just a short drive away. Complaining that its “not worth it” but whining that you can’t see it is contradictory.
They are not restricting anyone from this experience. You are.
If you feel this strongly that you MUST see the movie, you would drive there to see it. Closest IMAX to me is an hour away. Im not crying.
Silly gripe.
People who have access to an Imax theater will get a slightly different version…so the hell what?
“And the DVD will have these extended clips. This is what they do with DVD releases to encourage casual viewers to buy the disk. Offer a little more than they would have seen the first time.”
This is not something you can be all too certain of, Rodney. There were extra scenes in the IMAX version of the first Transformers movie and those scenes did not get released on any of the DVD versions of the movie. There is no basis to claim that the extra scenes in the sequel will get released on DVD.
It isn’t an absolute that they will be on there, but studios very often add deleted scenes to the movie for DVD release.
It sounds like they are more of an extra treat for the IMAX crowd. Nothing that is going to change the film.
I can definitely understand a fan’s frustration if they can’t see the extended sequences because they don’t have a nearby IMAX theater, regardless of how significant the additions are. A movie like this is all about the action, but I wouldn’t loose any sleep over it. But Rodney, don’t you think your being a bit aggressive? Perhaps you can word your disagreements in a more constructive/friendly manner. I mean Bill does have a legitimate point…
His only point is that he is upset that he doesn’t live closer to an IMAX theater to make it worth going to see this extra content. A previous poster expressed the SAME issue by stating “Dammit why wont they build an IMAX in the south of England”. What that commenter wasn’t doing however was establishing blame on the studio for choosing to reward those who paid the extra to go to IMAX with the little extra footage. Instead of viewing it as a reward for the effort, Bill is making it sound like the studio is being unfair.
If it was worth it, he would go. I live an hour away from an IMAX theater, but its not worth it to me. So I won’t go. If he really wanted this content, he would make the trip. He is the only restriction here, and his beef with this is easily resolved.
I pay more to go to a local theater that has Colosseum style seating, guaranteeing that I will not have someone sit in my line of sight. You get what you pay for. (hopefully)
I agree with Bill here and feel a little excluded. They basically offer a good incentive for attending an IMAX theare but arent making it a viable option for us. The fact that they closed my most local IMAX is even worse to me than if there never was one. Nothing contradictory there, its annoying that as a paying patron you dont get to see these extra scenes, theres a difference between paying the extra cost of IMAX, and investing time and money into a 75 mile journey. The former is easily doable, the latter is excessive.
PartyMarty, you do realize that you can’t just show an IMAX film in just any theater. It takes a special projector and screen to do that.
The studios are not the ones who are not “making it a viable option for us” In reality for your situation it was the movie patrons themselves. They don’t close down theaters that people are making financially viable.
If more people near you would go to an IMAX theater, you would still have one near you.
This isn’t exclusion. IMAX theaters are not the standard, and no one is stopping you from going to one.
There are films that are shown ONLY in IMAX so is that also unfair? Or just a service that the studios are offering where the appropriate venues are available?
I understand the disappointment to some who wish to see the extended version of the film (to what extent we are not even sure if its worth it) but to blame the studio by calling it exclusion is a bit harsh.
Of course I know that its a seperate theatre, thats why I mentioned that my local one closed. There are several normal cinemas nearby. I cant help feeling a little excluded by it, not saying that I deserve any recompense or anything, just a little old fashioned jealousy that I wanted to express in this blog’s comments section. Our IMAX was partly government funded as it was piece of an educational science centre, and it lost funding. Good ol government.
I’m kinda with Bill here. I’m in P.E.I. Canada here. The closest imax is over four hours away.
I would love to see the extends scenes but i can’t afford a extra 100.00 for the trip, let alone the price of the ticket.
.
Haters beware
BUYER BEWARE
They pulled this same stunt when they released Transformers 1 in IMAX. They claimed there were an additional ten minutes in the movie, and that was around when John gave out the free IMAX Transformers passes here on the site, so I went to check it out. Turned out to be a few more lines here and there, and one quick scene between Sam and his blond guy friend that had no bearing whatsoever on the plot. So, if you watch this in IMAX just to see more shit, just know that whatever “extra” scenes might not be worth paying extra to see.
They didn’t claim it would be LOTS more. Just slightly extended combat scenes.
They are not misleading anything at all.
I have to agree with Kristina. Just because they are being technically accurate with their wording does not mean they aren’t misleading. It not hard to word things so they sound more exciting than they would be than if you actually knew the minutia.
Last time we were told there was extra dialog. That SOUNDS awesome. But the extra dialog amounted to a cop acting tough for an extra minute and Simmons telling us that criminals are hot. Whoopdydoo.
Similarly, they can say that there are extended fight scenes between robots, but if the specifics of that could be anything as awesome has Megatron, Optimus and the Fallen going at it for an extra five minutes, or the “Twins” bickering for 30 seconds, it’s a pretty misleading statement. While the “Twins” arguing for 30 seconds would be “more robot fighting”, it’s not what I am trying to pay for.
what rodney said about an extra few extended fight scenes i remember on the extended edition on the lord of the rings movies all they had was a few more kill shots that you wouldnt even notice unlesws u paid close attention
it was more then worth the extra coin i forked over to see TDK in IMAX last summer(multiple times).
i thought those 4 sequences shot in IMAX for TDK only added to the scope and feel of an already epic movie….
i also saw it on regular screens, and still loved the movie for what it was, just didnt have that WOW moment like the opening scene and the truck/batpod chase in TDK….
dont worry Bill.you will still get to enjoy the awesomeness that is michael bay. just on a smaller scale, that you should be accustomed to.(being as it is a far drive to your nearest IMAX)
im kinda rambling,so anyways, this news just made me all the more geeked for this release…
now if only we had PRE-arranged seating at our IMAX here in Tampa…ahh well, guess were never fully satisfied ehh?
While I don’t really like the thought of “different” versions of movies in theaters based on this example (location specific), I would love it if we had a choice between an R & PG-13 version of movies that should be R but the studio demands a PG-13 release. It would be interesting to see which rating would perform better.
LOL, great. I wasn’t planning to see it in IMAX, I saw the first Transformers in IMAX, but wasn’t too impressed, other then the amazing sound system and bigger screen. Just didn’t quite impress me enough for an $11 ticket price, nor to pay that again for the 2nd movie.
But since part 2 seems to have more emphasis on using IMAX technology and added content this time around, guess I can’t help but to totally be seeing this one in IMAX as well. ;P
Has IMAX technology changed in recent years? I saw Star Wars episode 2 in IMAX and they had to cut parts of it out so it would fit. I actually liked the shorter edit better. Are they no longer restricted by film length since they are now making the IMAX versions longer instead of shorter?
$11, that’s about what we’ll be paying to see trhe film in a normal ‘non-super’ cinema.
Enjoy your, relatively, cheap viewing whilst our little island (UK) gets stung (I’m only jealous btw)
Wow…this is bullshit.
I am paying probably 9.50 for an overpriced movie ticket. I should get everything. I know its minor extended scenes, but I am here to see THE MOVIE, so show me all of it. Don’t use some cheap ploy to jack up my ticket another $5 so I can see a couple minutes of awesome robot action, which is the whole reason I wanted to see the movie in the first place.
Industry tricks like this get me steaming. It’s just like the video game consoles and their hard drives or pre-ordered video games with extra pre order content.
So working business is bullshit?
Sorry I can’t feel sympathy for your situation. Getting extras while making the EFFORT to pay for it (either in advance or paying more) is just logical.
They offer these things to encourage sales or attendance, and they give you something for your extra effort. You think that you should be entitled to more while paying less than those attending an IMAX theater, or that you should get the bonus extras when you didn’t preorder?
You ARE getting everything.
For crying out loud.
Just pretend the IMAX theaters don’t exist if it bothers you that much.
isnt the IMAX experience extra enough without extra footage? The Dark Knight didnt have to do this.
Indeed it is.
The studios dont “have” to do this, they chose to. Giving that little extra for your buck never hurts.
If Mike Bay knew what he was doing he’d promise everyone a shorter movie.
It’s just another cheap marketing scheme that’s all the rage, like the two different “alternate endings” for Wolverine, neither of which carried any meaning or wait.
He also promised that there were a whole bunch of ’splosins that arent in the trailer. But that’s what he said last time and it was a total lie.
Cheap?
Its genius
Thats how you make money.
I dont exactly love actors getting richer but theres an universal rule: the rich get richer…
and thats because the rich are good decision makers and the poor arent, this is a good decision and a great idea…it might suck for some people but its fucking smart
Even though i think actors are overpaid…but still.
if you say so
Oh wow
This is great marketing
And as much as i love Michael Bay i doubt this shit was his idea
I have midnight IMAX showing in l.a. tix = Better then sex with Eva Mendes……….maybe
Superherohype says its only 30 seconds longer
Im more interested in extended robot battles than national geographic ‘the life of the chameleon’ or whatever these IMAX exclusives are.
“If he really wanted this content, he would make the trip.”
Not really. Some people have to pay for a plane ticket over 1000 bucks if they want to go see an Imax movie. I REALLY want the content, but fuck paying THAT much for it.
Then you can hope for the content to be on the DVD. Either way I doubt it will make or break the film.
Well then might as well get upset at all the movies that all the IMAX theaters play day in and day out, 365. You’re not getting that content either.