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Jul. 7th, 2007 09:49 pmI'm watching the Al Gore Live - Climate in Crisis Concert and have come to the conclusion that I would have been happier if we spent most of our time watching the Shanghai musicians, who are quite lovely. Also, as much as I try, I really don't like rap - it gives me a headache. Kidbro adores it. I find it grating. [Flipped from NBC to Sundance - learned it doesn't have commericials or annoying phone numbers. But Flipped back, because I like Floyd better than Madonna. Then back at the commericial. Apparently they aren't showing the same thing.]
Saw the flick Transformers today. Don't laugh. Yes, I know it is film made for and by little boys. And I guess there's a little boy somewhere deep down inside me who gets a thrill from special effects and cool robots fighting one another. Hence the reason I went to it. And to my credit was by no means the only women in the audience. Saw it in a crowded mixed audience - which is the only way to see this film. Half of the enjoyment is listening to the audience clap, scream, laugh during a film like this. Even when you're bored, like I was, you can be entertained by the people around you in the dark.
I do not recommend this film. Was bored during most of it and checked my watch halfway through. The dang thing is two hours and thirty minutes long, but feels like three. It has amazing special effects, but you can figure that out just from previews and trailers. No character development outside of maybe the Shia Le Beof character - named Sam (he's the only one whose name I remember outside of the Autobots). But hey what do you expect from a flick based on a cartoon based on a children's toy? Hasbro the developer of the toy and credited in the film - is one of my company's clients - so we have two Optimus Prime helmuts in the IT department. They wore them at a recent company birthday celebration.
And the Transformers has been the topic of conversation at work for the last two months.
One of the gal accountants, a little woman from Indonesia, loved the Transformers - liked it much better than Spiderman 3. (Having seen both, I have no idea why. Transformer's makes Spiderman 3 look like well, Citizen Kane or Casablanca or well Shakespeare. Heck it makes Independence Day and the Die Hard films look like Citizan Kane.)
What works? The robots. The robots are wickedly cool. And watching them change into helicopters, cell phones, and a boom box is fun. Apparently they took even cooler shapes in the cartoon. Megatron is a jet in this film, while he was a pistol in the cartoon - which would have been more interesting from a metaphorical perspective in my opinion. Demonstrating that the cartoon was probably better written than the film.
There are two female characters in the movie. Both are there as male eye candy. They are given strong occupations and a little bits of action, but mostly they are just there to look pretty. Watching this film made feel like a second class citizen or a minority. The feeling was NOT helped by the four previews preceeding it - all male centric comedies, where women are little more than sticks with boobs and great asses for their geeky amusement. Not sure which preview was worse: Superbad or Hot Rod. Then there was a really bizarre preview by JJ Abrahms for a film that appears to be a monster or disaster pic taking place in NYC but doesn't tell us what it is called.
Also saw Ratatouille this week - which I do recommend. The film is witty, well written, has great character development and actually tells an interesting and different story. It's slow in a few places. But overall quite fun. My only caveat? If you can't handle rats you might want to skip, because the animation is that good. They look like real rats. I don't mind rats. So didn't bug me. Also it is not for kids below the age of eight, they'll be bored or scared. The film is more for adults than children, actually. Made me want to figure out how to make the dish Ratatouille - which isn't a pasta dish like I'd thought.
Transformers- C-
Ratatouille - A-
[As an aside, I've realized while watching this Save the Climate program that I am actually doing my part. They have little bits on what you can do during the breaks.
1. I don't own a car, don't drive, and take the non-polluting public transit aka the subway. I also save close to 13,000 a year doing this. Since subway only costs 912 a year.
2. I use compact flourescent light bulbs in apartment and hallway. They last forever.
3. Energy saver a/c on low.
4. Recycle
I wonder how much cleaner the air in the world would be if everyone living in Manhattan and in the surrounding boroughs did not drive or own a car? If everyone in urban areas used mass transit?
Okay Roger Waters is playing now from Pink Floyd. I'm a huge fan of Brit Rock bands such as Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones, The Smiths, The Clash, and The Who.]
Saw the flick Transformers today. Don't laugh. Yes, I know it is film made for and by little boys. And I guess there's a little boy somewhere deep down inside me who gets a thrill from special effects and cool robots fighting one another. Hence the reason I went to it. And to my credit was by no means the only women in the audience. Saw it in a crowded mixed audience - which is the only way to see this film. Half of the enjoyment is listening to the audience clap, scream, laugh during a film like this. Even when you're bored, like I was, you can be entertained by the people around you in the dark.
I do not recommend this film. Was bored during most of it and checked my watch halfway through. The dang thing is two hours and thirty minutes long, but feels like three. It has amazing special effects, but you can figure that out just from previews and trailers. No character development outside of maybe the Shia Le Beof character - named Sam (he's the only one whose name I remember outside of the Autobots). But hey what do you expect from a flick based on a cartoon based on a children's toy? Hasbro the developer of the toy and credited in the film - is one of my company's clients - so we have two Optimus Prime helmuts in the IT department. They wore them at a recent company birthday celebration.
And the Transformers has been the topic of conversation at work for the last two months.
One of the gal accountants, a little woman from Indonesia, loved the Transformers - liked it much better than Spiderman 3. (Having seen both, I have no idea why. Transformer's makes Spiderman 3 look like well, Citizen Kane or Casablanca or well Shakespeare. Heck it makes Independence Day and the Die Hard films look like Citizan Kane.)
What works? The robots. The robots are wickedly cool. And watching them change into helicopters, cell phones, and a boom box is fun. Apparently they took even cooler shapes in the cartoon. Megatron is a jet in this film, while he was a pistol in the cartoon - which would have been more interesting from a metaphorical perspective in my opinion. Demonstrating that the cartoon was probably better written than the film.
There are two female characters in the movie. Both are there as male eye candy. They are given strong occupations and a little bits of action, but mostly they are just there to look pretty. Watching this film made feel like a second class citizen or a minority. The feeling was NOT helped by the four previews preceeding it - all male centric comedies, where women are little more than sticks with boobs and great asses for their geeky amusement. Not sure which preview was worse: Superbad or Hot Rod. Then there was a really bizarre preview by JJ Abrahms for a film that appears to be a monster or disaster pic taking place in NYC but doesn't tell us what it is called.
Also saw Ratatouille this week - which I do recommend. The film is witty, well written, has great character development and actually tells an interesting and different story. It's slow in a few places. But overall quite fun. My only caveat? If you can't handle rats you might want to skip, because the animation is that good. They look like real rats. I don't mind rats. So didn't bug me. Also it is not for kids below the age of eight, they'll be bored or scared. The film is more for adults than children, actually. Made me want to figure out how to make the dish Ratatouille - which isn't a pasta dish like I'd thought.
Transformers- C-
Ratatouille - A-
[As an aside, I've realized while watching this Save the Climate program that I am actually doing my part. They have little bits on what you can do during the breaks.
1. I don't own a car, don't drive, and take the non-polluting public transit aka the subway. I also save close to 13,000 a year doing this. Since subway only costs 912 a year.
2. I use compact flourescent light bulbs in apartment and hallway. They last forever.
3. Energy saver a/c on low.
4. Recycle
I wonder how much cleaner the air in the world would be if everyone living in Manhattan and in the surrounding boroughs did not drive or own a car? If everyone in urban areas used mass transit?
Okay Roger Waters is playing now from Pink Floyd. I'm a huge fan of Brit Rock bands such as Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones, The Smiths, The Clash, and The Who.]
