There is a lot to hate about Transformers 2. There is also much to love about it. If you read or watched my review of Transformers 2 you know all the problems I had with the movie and why I didn’t think it was anywhere near as good as the first one. Still, the action was grand, the visual effects were jaw dropping and it certainly had its moments.
But in reflecting on Transformers 2 and the future of the franchise in the hands of Michael Bay, I was hit by a thought that gives me a lot of hope for the next installment. The main reason is this:
Michael Bay appears to listen to the fans.
Follow me here. Some of the biggest complaints about the first Transformers film (legitimate complains) seemed to most revolve around:
– The lack of screen time for the Transformers themselves
– Too much shaky cam in the action
– No decepticon interaction
There were certainly others, but most of them seem to revolve around these issues. And to his credit, Michael Bay seemed to listen… because in Transformers 2 we got:
– MUCH more screen times for the Transformers
– Much less shaky cam in the action (still too much, but it was an improvement)
– More decepticon interaction, including a highly demanded one between Starscream and Megatron
Yes, there were a lot of NEW problems in Transformers 2 and several weaknesses that were not addressed… but in retrospect it does seem to me like Bay and company were listening to the gripes most of us had about the first one and addressed them. Kudos to them for doing that.
If Bay and his Bayonittes continue to do that, then perhaps Transformers 3 could be a lot better (get rid of the Jar Jar Twins, the leg humping mini robot, anyone that Megatron bows to… because we all know Megatron bows to NO ONE, the useless and annoying side human characters like Sam’s pathetic roommate, Transformers that turn into human college girls and other various items of sheer stupidity that were in Transformers 2).
I’m not saying that Transformers 3 WILL be better than 2… I’m just suggesting that Bay does seem to listen… and if he is listening… there could be improvements. Let’s hope so.
