Results tagged “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” from Modern Mythology

Megan Fox wants to play the Xbox 'Transformers' game with you

By
Robert Meeks
on August 27, 2009 4:25 PM |
http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site204/2009/0827/20090827_052552_Megan_Fox2.jpgOn Saturday Megan Fox (Mikaela Banes in the "Transformers" film series) will log onto Xbox LIVE to play "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen The Game."

Fox should be on the scene around 3 p.m. Pacific.  Don't get too excited yet, Xbox fans.  You have to be (don't laugh) an Xbox LIVE Gold Member and those who are not would have to upgrade their accounts.  After all that you have to send a friend request 30 minutes before the gaming begins.

More details on how to do that are available at the Xbox Web site.

Game time, once again, is Saturday Aug. 29 at 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.


Photo By Jason Merritt/Getty Images

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No early 'G.I. Joe' review screenings for 'traditional' news outlets

By
Robert Meeks
on August 5, 2009 1:54 PM |
FILM G_Meek.jpgThis photo released by Paramount Pictures shows the G.I. Joe team.The team from left- the members of the elite G.I. JOE team include team leader, DUKE (Channing Tatum), team commander GENERAL HAWK (Dennis Quaid), BREAKER (Saïd Taghmaoui), a specialist in deciphering covert electronics and technology, SCARLETT (Rachel Nichols), a martial arts master and skilled in the use of the Crossbow Pistol, and RIPCORD (Marlon Wayans), an expert marksman and weapons specialist, in "G.I. JOE: The Rise of Cobra."(AP Photo/Paramount Pictures,Frank Masi)

The message from Paramount Pictures to many movie critics looking to review "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra?": "You're on your own, homie."

Not in those words exactly, but they do expect certain critics to catch the show with general audiences when it opens Friday Aug. 7.

Ben Fritz, who contributes to Company Town at the LA Times, reports on Paramount not showing Joe to "traditional" media outlets for review.

It's not unusual for smaller films to skip screenings for the press, but for a movie that represents an estimated $300 million in budget and marketing to do it?

This move by the studio may be part of the overall marketing strategy, writes the LA Times' Claudia Eller: 

Launching the film to a military audience is just one part of a highly atypical marketing and publicity campaign for "G.I. Joe," which opens nationwide and in most foreign markets this Friday. Paramount is sidestepping the traditional Hollywood showcase and courting of the national print media in favor of taking the picture directly to America's heartland. 

It didn't hurt "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" to get nailed by critics worldwide -- of course, it had the benefit of being the sequel to a hit movie.

"G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" opens Friday.


Note: This post has been edited for Robert's tacky grammar.

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'Transformers' toy maker Hasbro beats 2nd-quarter profit expectations

By
Robert Meeks
on July 21, 2009 5:09 PM |
Earns Hasbro_Meek.jpgFILE - In this Oct. 2, 2007 file photo, Hasbro's Transformers Arm Blaster is shown at the Toy Wishes Holiday Preview in New York. Toy maker Hasbro Inc. said Monday, July 20, 2009, its second-quarter profit rose 5 percent, beating expectations, as robust sales of Transformers and G.I. Joe toys _ both tied to summer movies _ helped offset international sales hurt by the stronger dollar. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, file)

MAE ANDERSON
AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Transformers aren't just titans at the box office, they're flying off toy shelves, too. Toy maker Hasbro Inc. said Monday strong sales of the morphing robots helped its second-quarter profit rise past analyst expectations.

Summer movie tie-in toys have been one bright spot for toy makers during the consumer-spending slowdown. Hasbro has been buoyed in recent years by toys tied to movies, including this summer's hit "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" and the upcoming "G.I. Joe: "The Rise of the Cobra."

"We couldn't be more pleased with the performance both at the box office and at retail," said CEO Brian Goldner. "Retailers around the world recognize that certain brands like Transformers bring to life the entire store for consumers, which translates into premium placement and representation across multiple departments for those brands."

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'Transformers' wins weekend box office with $42.3M

By
Robert Meeks
on July 6, 2009 9:57 PM |

Transformers Revenge _Meek(2).jpg

Henry Tsai of Los Angeles, third from left, wears an Optimus Prime costume as he waits in line with fellow "Transformers" fans for a first-look midnight screening of "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" at Universal Citywalk AMC Cinemas in Los Angeles, Tuesday, June 23, 2009. The film won the box office by a narrow margin in its second week of release. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)


LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Giant robots defeated dinosaurs and woolly mammoths at the weekend box office.

"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" finished the Fourth of July weekend in first place again with $42.3 million, according to distributor Paramount.

That put the "Transformers" sequel narrowly ahead of 20th Century Fox's "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs," which took in $41.7 million over the weekend.

Based on estimated revenues Sunday, the two movies had been in a tie for the No. 1 spot with $42.5 million each. "Transformers" pulled ahead once final receipts were counted Monday.

The blockbuster sequel about the shape-shifting robots has climbed to $293.4 million domestically in just 12 days. Worldwide, the movie has taken in $593.8 million.

The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by Hollywood.com:

1. "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," Paramount, $42,320,877, 4,234 locations, $9,995 average, $293,355,885, two weeks.

2. "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs," Fox, $41,690,382, 4,099 locations, $10,171 average, $66,732,868, one week.

3. "Public Enemies," Universal, $25,271,675, 3,334 locations, $7,580 average, $40,141,080, one week.

4. "The Proposal," Disney, $12,857,482, 3,099 locations, $4,149 average, $94,335,111, three weeks.

5. "The Hangover," Warner Bros., $11,268,413, 3,070 locations, $3,670 average, $205,038,233, five weeks.

6. "Up," Disney, $6,521,389, 2,656 locations, $2,455 average, $264,816,694, six weeks.

7. "My Sister's Keeper," Warner Bros., $5,788,327, 2,606 locations, $2,221 average, $26,518,582, two weeks.

8. "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3," Sony, $2,534,228, 1,908 locations, $1,328 average, $58,508,070, four weeks.

9. "Year One," Sony, $2,323,843, 2,240 locations, $1,037 average, $38,304,392, three weeks.

10. "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian," Fox, $2,043,288, 1,419 locations, $1,440 average, $167,706,959, seven weeks.

11. "Star Trek," Paramount, $1,769,967, 1,148 locations, $1,542 average, $249,838,139, nine weeks.

12. "Away We Go," Focus, $1,098,212, 506 locations, $2,170 average, $6,077,303, five weeks.

13. "Whatever Works," Sony Pictures Classics, $960,061, 353 locations, $2,720 average, $1,911,011, three weeks.

14. "Kambakkht Ishq," Eros, $768,542, 100 locations, $7,685 average, $768,542, one week.

15. "Cheri," Miramax, $388,994, 140 locations, $2,779 average, $1,023,909, two weeks.

16. "Land of the Lost," Universal, $306,025, 385 locations, $795 average, $47,622,470, five weeks.

17. "Terminator Salvation," Warner Bros., $296,372, 311 locations, $953 average, $122,678,310, seven weeks.

18. "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," Fox, $296,352, 303 locations, $978 average, $178,341,745, 10 weeks.

19. "Imagine That," Paramount, $278,244, 409 locations, $680 average, $14,780,593, four weeks.

20. "Under the Sea," Warner Bros., $266,728, 38 locations, $7,019 average, $11,632,367, 21 weeks.

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'Transformers' takes to sky with $112M weekend

By
Robert Meeks
on June 28, 2009 6:29 PM |
Transformers Revenge _Meek.jpgJohnathan English of Oxnard, Calif., the first customer in line for a first-look midnight screening of "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," dons an Optimus Prime mask as he waits with fellow "Transformers" fans at Universal Citywalk AMC Cinemas in Los Angeles, Tuesday, June 23, 2009. The film opens nationwide on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

DAVID GERMAIN,
AP Movie Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Alien robots have transformed into box-office superstars with $200 million in domestic ticket sales in just five days.

"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" took in $112 million in the sequel's first weekend and $201.2 million since opening Wednesday, according to Sunday estimates from Paramount, which is distributing the DreamWorks movie.

It was well on the way to becoming the year's top-grossing movie.

That was a few million dollars higher than other studios were expecting for the movie, and the figures could change a bit when final numbers are released Monday.

Still, it was a colossal start for the "Transformers" sequel, whose opening five days amounted to nearly two-thirds of the $319 million domestic total the franchise's first movie did over its entire run in 2007.

Now playing in almost every other country except India, the movie added $185.8 million overseas, for a worldwide total of $387 million. That's well over half the $708 million global total for the first "Transformers."

That first movie began with a $70.5 million weekend. Based on how well the sequel has done, "Revenge of the Fallen" could join the handful of movies that have topped the $400 million mark domestically.

"I'd say given the momentum it has, it's got a real shot," said Rob Moore, vice chairman at Paramount.

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'Transformers,' 'Potter' aim to revive box office

By
Robert Meeks
on June 26, 2009 3:48 AM |
transrevive.jpgA visitor aims a "nerf dart" gun at a Transformer figure at BotCon 2009, the official Transformers convention, marking the 25th anniversary of the Transformer phenomenon in Pasadena, Calif., Friday, May 29, 2009. The show precedes the opening next week of the Transformers movie, "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen." BotCon runs through Sunday, May 31, at the Pasadena Convention Center. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)


Note: "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" broke the Wednesday opening box office record earning $60.6 million beating former record holder "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" which earned more than $44 million when it opened in 2007 (via Box Office Mojo).

DAVID GERMAIN
AP Movie Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," opening Wednesday, and "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," coming in mid-July, are this year's surefire Hollywood blockbusters.

Last year's smash hit, "The Dark Knight," was the biggest box-office behemoth in more than a decade.

If history holds true, the combination of "Transformers" and "Harry Potter" should more than match the whopping $533.3 million haul of last year's "The Dark Knight" and keep the movie business on track to beat last year's summer record revenue of $4.2 billion.

While ticket sales have been brisk this season, Hollywood fell into a bit of a slump this month, when receipts three weekends in a row fell short of business over the same periods last year.


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Review: 'Transformers' shape-shifts into noise, nonsense

By
Robert Meeks
on June 24, 2009 12:39 AM |
transformfilm1.jpgUS film director and executive producer Michael Bay, right, US actress Megan Fox, center, and US actor Shia Labeouf, left, arrive for the German premiere of their movie 'Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen', in Berlin, Germany, on Sunday, June 14, 2009. (AP Photo/Maya Hitij)

CHRISTY LEMIRE
AP Movie Critic

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A joyless cacophony, an insistent and seemingly endless onslaught, "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," director Michael Bay's follow-up to the 2007 smash "Transformers" plays more like a parody of a Bay movie.

You name it, it gets shot up, blown up or otherwise obliterated in a massive fiery ball, from suburban homes and cars to aircraft carriers and even an Egyptian pyramid. Along the way, our sense of sanity and humanity also get destroyed, as we feel as if we are being held captive by these walking, talking, shape-shifting robots -- both the good guys and the bad.

The Autobots and Decepticons aren't the only ones assaulting us in their epic battle: Regular people are just as obnoxious -- probably more so -- with their nonstop yelling and yammering. Everyone is overcaffeinated, everyone screams their lines, perhaps so they can hear each other over the explosions and the thunderous score.

Who knows, and more importantly, who cares? It is impossible to become emotionally invested in the Transformers, cool-looking as they may be when the movie settles down for a rare moment (the work of the venerable Industrial Light & Magic), because it's impossible to tell who's doing what to whom. It's all one messy amalgamation of twisted steel and shattered glass, accompanied by generic crunching and shrieking sounds. The only robots with any discernible personality traits, aside from bravery or antagonism, are the Autobot twins, Mudflap and Skids. These are shockingly crass and unfortunate black stereotypes, jive-talking fools who can't read and bumble their way from one mishap to the next. They are Jar Jar Binks in car form.

After only an hour, it all feels boring and numbingly repetitive, and one glance and the watch tells you you've got another solid hour and a half to go.

What's that, you say? You want to know what the "Transformers" sequel is about? How quaint. Basically, it follows the further adventures of plucky, young Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf, seriously straining his likability), who is yet again stuck in the middle of the eternal fight between the noble Autobots and the evil Decepticons.

The mythology is much more dense than that, though, as we learn from several self-serious, expository speeches delivered by Autobot leader Optimus Prime (voiced as always by Peter Cullen), Decepticon leader Megatron (Hugo Weaving) -- oh yes, he's back -- and the elderly Brit, Jetfire (Mark Ryan). Something about millennia of history and oppression, and capturing the energy of the sun. (Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman returned to write the script, along with Ehren Kruger, inspired by the Hasbro Transformer toys and the animated '80s TV show.)

Megan Fox is also back as Sam's impossibly hot girlfriend, Mikaela, with whom he hopes to maintain a long-distance relationship as he heads off to college. (The first time we see her, it's from behind in a pair a Daisy Duke shorts as she's bent over a motorcycle seat; this, and running across the desert while maintaining perfect lip gloss, are all she's asked to do.) Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson also provide eye candy as commanders of a secret team that works alongside the Autobots to hunt down any remaining Decepticons; this requires them to look hot in camouflage as they squint pensively into the sunset.

Laughs are unusual in this brawny endeavor, but if anyone gets them, it's John Turturro as a former secret agent who gets hauled back into the fray. You'll feel as if you've been dragged in, too.

"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," a DreamWorks and Paramount Pictures release, is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action violence, language, some crude and sexual material, and brief drug material. Running time: 150 minutes. One and a half stars out of four.

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Video preview: Megan Fox vs. the 'Decepticons'

By
Robert Meeks
on June 23, 2009 1:14 AM |


Megan Fox may not be wowing fans with her recent interview comments or recent (unintentional) snub of a young fan with a flower, but we all need to remember it's us against the Decepticons and she's on our side.

"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" opens Wednesday. 

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Video: MTV & Shia LaBeouf unveils 'Transformers' villain - 'The Fallen'

By
Robert Meeks
on May 30, 2009 3:06 PM |
Movie Trailers - Movies Blog
What's tough enough and bad enough to merit an estimated $200 million movie budget and kick Autobot tail?

"The Fallen," of course. Shia LaBeouf and MTV News gives us a sneak peek in this video about the upcoming "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen."

The movie opens June 20.

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Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: Trailer

By
James Rasmussen
on May 6, 2009 11:34 AM |




The new Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: trailer is out and is action packed to say the least. Looks like next month we'll be getting bigger bots, a revived Megatron, and more Megan Fox. Sounds like everything is in place for a sequel that should be better than the original.

The film comes out June 24th, and will battle Terminator for best bot flick of the summer.

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Summer heroes: Wolverine, Kirk & Spock, Potter

By
Robert Meeks
on April 21, 2009 9:55 PM |
Film Summer Action_Meek.jpgIn this film publicity image released by 20th Century Fox, Hugh Jackman stars as Logan, left, and Liev Schreiber stars as Victor Creed in a scene from "Wolverine." (AP Photo/20th Century Fox, James Fisher)

DAVID GERMAIN
AP Movie Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- What a who's who list Hollywood has lined up for its summer action spectacles: Wolverine. Transformers. Harry Potter. James Kirk. G.I. Joe. Terminator.

If there's one word to sum up it all up, it's this: Relentless.

Starting May 1, barely a weekend will pass without another brawny special-effects extravaganza landing in theaters.

Appropriately, summer starts with a couple of prequels.

After co-starring in three "X-Men" adventures about the Marvel Comics mutants, Hugh Jackman steps out from the pack for "X-Men Origins: Wolverine." The film spins the back story of Jackman's metal-clawed loner, a military experiment gone rogue amid a government conspiracy to control his super-freak kinfolk.

Next, the starship Enterprise is relaunched in "Star Trek," with a new cast taking on the characters originated in the 1960s TV show. Chris Pine inherits William Shatner's role as dashing James Kirk, while Zachary Quinto plays Vulcan egghead Spock (Leonard Nimoy, who created the role, pops up as the older Spock).

Like "Star Trek" director J.J. Abrams, Pine grew up more a "Star Wars" kid than a "Star Trek" kid. After snagging the role, Pine started watching the original series but stopped halfway through the first season.

"It was kind of nice to familiarize myself with the world, but it didn't help me much at all to delve any deeper," Pine said. "If anything, it was a hindrance to kind of watch what Mr. Shatner had done, because he'd done it so well, and he was so specific.

"There were certain mannerisms that I think are definitely Kirk-ian things that I wanted to use in my portrayal, but for the most part, I wanted to free myself up to create something new."

The director of the final four "Harry Potter" movies, David Yates, is still giving thanks for the young cast he inherited, led by Daniel Radcliffe as boy wizard Harry and Emma Watson and Rupert Grint as his school pals.

"There was something very, very, very clever in their choices. Not a day goes by I'm not grateful for this bunch they put together," Yates said. "It's a remarkable bunch of kids."

In "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," Harry is charged with uncovering a forgotten memory from a new Hogwarts teacher (Jim Broadbent), information the young sorcerer needs for his final showdown against dark wizard Voldemort.

While Yates marvels over how his youthful cast has blossomed, "Transformers" director Michael Bay was thrilled over the improved acting chops of his computer-animated robots for the sequel.

"We were just touching the surface last time in what they're capable of doing," Bay said. "This time, they really emote."

"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" reunites puny but plucky human Shia LaBeouf with his giant, shape-shifting Autobot buddies in a rematch against the evil Decepticon robot clan.

Also in a rematch are Tom Hanks and Ron Howard with "Angels & Demons," their follow-up to "The Da Vinci Code." This installment hurls Hanks' symbologist into an ancient feud between the Vatican and a secret brotherhood that has kidnapped the cardinals in line to become the next pope.

Howard felt less pressure this time adapting Dan Brown's best-seller than he had with "The Da Vinci Code," a literary phenomenon whose did-Christ-have-kids premise put the movie under a severe microscope by fans and detractors alike.

"Documentaries are being made about 'Da Vinci Code.' Theologians develop symposiums around it. Ministers were using it as a way to, frankly, entice people to church," Howard said, adding that the new film "remains provocative, yes, but it doesn't hold that same place at the center of the zeitgeist. So it's really full-on escapism.

Other action highlights:

-- "Terminator: Salvation": Christian Bale leads the last shreds of humanity against machine enemies as the franchise reboots without Arnold Schwarzenegger.

-- "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra": The action figures get their own movie as the G.I. Joe guys take on an arms dealer and a militant secret organization.

-- "Inglourious Basterds": Brad Pitt and Quentin Tarantino resurrect "Dirty Dozen"-style action as Jewish soldiers dish out chaos among the Nazis.

-- "Public Enemies": Johnny Depp is gangster John Dillinger and Christian Bale is G-Man Melvin Purvis in Michael Mann's Depression-era crime saga.

-- "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3" -- The remake casts Denzel Washington as a subway dispatcher and John Travolta as a bad guy ransoming a trainload of passengers.

-- "Drag Me to Hell": "Spider-Man" director Sam Raimi returns to his "Evil Dead" roots with a horror tale about a bank employee (Alison Lohman) tormented by a vengeful customer's supernatural curse.

-- "District 9": "Lord of the Rings" overlord Peter Jackson produces a sci-fi tale about a human who becomes an unlikely ally for aliens held in a South African ghetto.


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'Transformers 2' Bumblebee Camaro makes an appearance in Chicago

By
Robert Meeks
on February 11, 2009 4:52 PM |


The MTV Movies Blog has brief piece on the unveiling of the new Bumblebee Camaro and its appearance at the Chicago Auto Show.

Check out the link to the Chicago show gallery, and if you are so inclined, see some of these cars in action again from when "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" was shooting here in Long Beach last summer in the video above.

Anyone know the names of all of the Transformer characters for these vehicles?


Related:
Why Megan Fox is a cool geek
Even more from the 'Transformers 2' set
GM responds to unveiling of Chevy Volt in 'Transformers 2'


Editor's note: If the link to the gallery doesn't work it should only be temporary.

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Comics news in brief: 'Coraline' and a 'Heroes' preview

By
Robert Meeks
on September 26, 2008 5:40 PM |
coralineposter.jpgDakota in "Coraline"

The very talented Dakota Fanning is doing the lead voice duties in the animated film adaptation of Neil Gaiman's "Coraline." She said she had not read this work prior to doing this gig or many other graphic novels except one... "300" by Frank Miller for a summer reading assignment. She, uh, loved it.

"Watchmen" Sequel?

There's a poll over at Comic Book Resources asking readers whether they would want a sequel to the unreleased "Watchmen" movie or not. I like CBR and I know they're doing this poll in response to a fired up fan base. But shouldn't we see if the film is going to be any good before we obsess about this?

So far, 52 Percent of those polled chose "Absolutely Not!" ... Darn right.

"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" lead car revealed

Remember this video that I shot and embedded here a month back? The silvery Chevy Corvette Centennial concept car in the front is supposed to be the autobot "Sideswipe."

More info from Movie Chronicles in the rumors section.

On "Heroes" Noah meets his new partner

A preview of sixty or so seconds from next week's episode was put up by CBR. "Heroes" has taken a bit of a beating by some fans I know, but I think we should watch this little plot twist play out. It gives SYLAR something to do and puts NOAH front and center.


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