"Transformers": A Swipe at Obama?

Variety ^ | June 24, 2009 | David Cohen

[Jewbacca]

Variety's David Cohen saw the latest "Transformers" movie --- "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" --- and filed this report on its reference to President Obama, but not, at least in his eyes, in a good way. Cohen writes, "So as usual in these movies, the federal bureaucrats are portrayed as annoying if not villainous. The President's man, "Galloway," is a bespectacled blowhard who becomes an obstacle to our brave fighting men and their alliance with the noble Autobots.

In this movie, exactly one real-life politician is named: "President Obama." They went out of their way to make sure they named the craven, obstructionist president as Obama."

[denydenydeny]

Meesa think some people have way too much time on their hands.

[birddog]

I’m seeing it tonight so I’ll let you boys know if it is worth it....

[Paige]

Amazing what computer enhance photo shop pictures can do...

[x]

Transformers Discuss Barack Obama

[rmlew]

Spoiler Alert!

Great movie. I will gladly pay another $12 to see it again. It definitely pushes the boundaries of PG with actual deaths and sexual innuendo. It is also funny.
Politically, this movie is stunning. It is a serious slap at the Obama administration. He is mentioned by name pursuing a policy of betraying our allies and American citizens for negotiated settlement with the Decepticons. There is actual torture of enemy combatants for information under exigent circumstances. And entire military units conduct a battle without presidential approval and against the orders of the National Security Advisor. This was the 1970's vigilante cop movies written for the War on Terror. Variety

[wastedyears]

There were some of us that cried tears of joy watching the first. I admit I was one of those people. I watched the show years ago when it was still on TV (before Beast Wars), and was hoping that Bay wouldn’t ruin something I loved, and he most certainly didn’t.

I also saw the first one 7 times in theaters.

[wastedyears]

Go see the movie!

[wastedyears]

I wouldn’t mind being an ex-husband, as long as I don’t owe her anything.

[wastedyears]

When the movie was beginning rendering at ILM, some of their machines were destroyed.

[birddog]

2 thumbs up!! Watch from the back if you can - so much stuff is constantly coming at you. I fee like I missed things sitting so close (full theater, we were running late and were in the 2nd row).

I think I need to see it again....

[rmlew]

I saw it at 9:20 last night. You really do have to see the full sreen.

[myknowledge]

And my cousin will like it.

[COBOL2Java]

The original movie was very politically incorrect, and this movie is probably also.

It is indeed. Saw it last night in "real" IMAX (Udvar-Hazy IMAX theatre). Everyone got a kick out of how part of the movie takes place right there.

Once again, the military are depicted as courageous, dedicated men and women who give 110%. Obama's administration are arrogant and stupid, and are only good for getting in the way. The best part of the movie, we all agreed, is when Major Lennox lets the idiot Obama appointee get blown out of the C17 (his parachute already opened).

[BushCountry]

Before makeup...

[PapaBear3625]

Once again, the military are depicted as courageous, dedicated men and women who give 110%. Obama's administration are arrogant and stupid, and are only good for getting in the way. The best part of the movie, we all agreed, is when Major Lennox lets the idiot Obama appointee get blown out of the C17 (his parachute already opened).

Saw it today with wife and kid. Everybody liked it!

Besides the points you mentioned, I think some people might night have liked the two ghetto-talking Transformers with the gold teeth.

[numberonepal]

I seem to be developing an urge to ride a bike.

I seem to be developing an urge to be a bike.

[Stonewall Jackson]

I saw it at a midnight showing early Wednesday morning and loved it.

The only problem was that by the time we got into the theater, the only place where we could find seats was in the second row. When I was watching something on one side of the screen, I was missing something on the other side. After the movie was over, I was talking with one of my friends and we both mentioned something that the other person missed. It wasn't until we said what part of the movie it was in (the fight in the library) that we realized that it was the same scene, just different sides of the screen.

We are going to go see it again this next week, this time at an IMAX theater up in Louisville.

[Steel Wolf]

I thought it was a slam against Rumsfeld, actually.

No way. They may as well have called that bureaucrat 'Rahm Emanuel'. He had nothing in common with Rummy, and everything in common with the 'negotiate at all costs' mentality of the Obama administration. The character in question is almost an anti-Rumsfeld.

This movie is a direct, center mass attack on the GWOT politics of the Obama administration.

[PapaBear3625]

Despite a bunch of scathingly bad reviews in Leftist papers, the movie seems poised to have an extremely good opening weekend. Then again, these days if a Leftist reviewer totally hates a movie, calling it racist, violent, and politically incorrect, I'm more likely to see it.

[COBOL2Java]

Another very critical swipe at Obama-style world politics is the scene where the arrogant, military-hating Obama appointee first shows up, interrupting a military teleconference between Optimus Prime and the Pentagon. They were discussing the ongoing battles with the Decepticons, and how to defend earth against the onslaught.

The idiot Obama appointee announces that he is shutting everything down, that it is the Autobots who are the problem, because they are "violent" and are "antagonizing" the Decepticons. It is the opinion of the Administration that the answer is for the Autobots to leave earth, and for the humans to negotiate with the Decepticons.

The Obama appointee then asks Optimus "If we tell you to leave, will you?" To which Optimus replies "If you ask us, we will leave. But you should ask your President THIS question: What happens if we leave, and YOU are wrong?"