As a filmmaker with considerable fame in this country, Jiang Xiaojun and Ge Guangtou hadn't even left the cinema before sharp-eyed reporters recognized them. A female reporter quickly stopped them.
"Gentlemen, I just watched Transformers…"
It was obvious this reporter knew Jiang Xiaojun and Ge Guangtou, and she directly asked, "Could you share your thoughts on this film?"
"The scale of the movie is magnificent." Ge Guangtou thought for a moment, then added, "Its visual effects are outstanding, and the technology used is groundbreaking — all of which domestic films cannot compare to… hmm, and the staggering production cost."
"What about you?" The reporter turned to Jiang Xiaojun.
Although Jiang Xiaojun had been banned from directing for many years, he was still a director at heart. From a director's perspective, he said, "Duke Rosenberg employed every visual tool at his disposal, leading us viewers like a strategic master to appreciate grand scenes and spectacular vistas. Although the story was too simple, the technical effects were simply flawless."
The reporter's attention wasn't only on celebrities but also ordinary movie fans.
Miss Lu, who works at China Merchants Bank, told the reporter she originally didn't like movies like this, especially ones with a bunch of robots fighting, but now her opinion changed. "I found it very shocking, mainly because of the special effects. Many ideas left me speechless I was amazed. This kind of movie can't be faulted visually."
Mr. Zhang, working at an advertising company, said, "Now that both domestic and imported blockbusters charge high prices, I think it's still worth spending money on movies like this."
This was the opinion of many movie fans.
After leaving the cinema, Wang Ziming quickly returned home. Although it was late, he had no sleepiness at all. His mind was filled with images of Autobots and Decepticons clashing those realistic scenes, as if happening right before his eyes, even made him wonder if Transformers actually existed in his world.
Suddenly, his phone rang. He glanced at the number it was a friend of his, a die-hard Transformers fan who hadn't watched the movie and wasn't very fond of Duke Rosenberg's film. The reason was simple: the movie changed too many of the Transformers' designs.
"How's the movie?" The familiar voice came through the receiver. "Pretty disappointing, right?"
"No, definitely not disappointing."
Holding the phone, Wang Ziming paced around his room, speaking with decisive tone, "The special effects in Transformers are incredible. If this movie is at the pinnacle of CGI effects, then the special effects in Pirates of the Caribbean 3 and Spider-Man 3 that we watched together are only circling on the sidelines. These are effects on completely different levels. Transformers made it hard for me to believe these giant robots were made by computers. They look like they actually exist in real life."
"R-Really? You're not lying to me?"
The voice on the other end hesitated, "But he changed the Transformers' designs. Weren't you unhappy about that before?"
"Stop obsessing over those childhood blocky designs. Those were our memories, sure. But I honestly can't imagine how those blocks would look in this movie. Don't shout 'junk' or 'scrap metal' just from a few stills. On the big screen, you feel the shock from this so-called junk. I guarantee you'll accept these 'scrap metals' in the film."
Not wanting his friend to miss such an amazing movie, Wang Ziming continued, "This film isn't about telling us life lessons or pretending to be deep. It has two goals: first, to take your money; second, to make you feel great after spending it. I just came out of the theater and saw that most people who came in were thrilled and, like me, wanted more. I'm planning to watch it a second time tomorrow."
He asked, "Li Ping, are you coming?"
"I…"
Li Ping hesitated, "I'll check the online reviews first."
After hanging up, Li Ping opened his computer and went to a professional movie website, Mtime.com. On the homepage, a giant image of Optimus Prime grabbed his attention. He clicked the link but didn't look further and scrolled straight to the bottom, to the reviews section.
Over a thousand movie fans had watched the premiere, and some reviews were already posted.
"It's over, lost all rationality again."
"Classic Transformers to death. Even if it was just a bunch of posters at the premiere, fans like me would still get excited and faint. I was pretending to be calm, but as soon as the movie started, I lost all reason."
"The film can only be described as stunningly brilliant. When the mechanical sounds of transformation rang out, the entire theater held its breath…"
"Just one sentence — I love Duke Rosenberg's Transformers to death."
Reading these, Li Ping felt transported back to the era when he hated being called Bumblebee and everyone wanted to be Megatron. Back then, Decepticons were much more popular than Autobots. Looking back, Autobots never won cleanly it was always because of help from directors and writers. Many peers around him even used Megatron's voice to say — "Enemy spotted, prepare to fire!"
Unconsciously, he grabbed his phone and dialed the number again. Once connected, he said directly, "Ziming, let's go together tomorrow!"
"If we're watching, let's watch the IMAX 3D version. I'll book tickets first."
After hanging up, Wang Ziming checked online and called one of the three IMAX cinemas in Shanghai, only to be disappointed no tickets for the IMAX 3D version tomorrow!
He tried the other two cinemas with IMAX halls, but the answer was the same — no tickets.
With no choice, Wang Ziming settled for the 3D version. Luckily, the 3D tickets were tight but still available if queued.
"Trying to book tickets, I found all the IMAX ones sold out. Finally got 3D tickets for tomorrow's midnight show," he said helplessly while notifying his friend.
As an emotional link connecting the generation born in the 70s and 80s, Transformers holds a special place. Therefore, even in China, there are still Transformers fan clubs, annual gatherings, and online fan communities, all providing a solid base audience for the live-action Transformers movie.
As time approached midnight, more screenings of Transformers began, and an increasing number of fans saw this commercial blockbuster. The internet was flooded with ordinary moviegoers' opinions.
On Tianya Forum, a user named Optimus Prime commented, "Saying this film will be a 'hit' is a massive understatement. Transformers is unbelievably good!"
"Back from watching Transformers, the special effects are absolutely top-notch, though the movie felt a bit long," an anonymous user wrote on Mtime, "but I really liked it!"
"OK, thoughts on Transformers? …Wow wow! Incredible… fantastic!" This was what someone told their friends on QQ.
Similar comments appeared everywhere online.
"Completely blown away by Transformers! Those 110-plus minutes, I felt like I was a kid again. Thank you, Duke Rosenberg! Also, the 3D effects are absolutely groundbreaking and shocking!"
"It was a spectacular experience, unlike anything seen before!"
"Really f***ing awesome! Transformers is simply unparalleled, overwhelmingly thrilling, and unbeatable!"
"Every second was packed with so much action. After the movie, you might be tempted to add another 100 yuan to the box office."
This was not the relatively mature North American film market. Both fans and the industry chain here were in an early stage of rapid development. Duke would not ignore the media's guidance on public opinion or the influence on audiences. Internet trolls were also extremely prevalent on this vast regional network.
Then there were the professional film critics in this market, who were just starting out. Their rates were nowhere near the exorbitant North American prices; just a few hundred dollars could buy their cheerleading.
Frankly, this industry was no different across the ocean.
However, not everyone bought into Transformers. Some liked this type of movie, some didn't.
On China's famous petit-bourgeois site Douban, Transformers was not very popular.
Though the Douban movie section had plenty of praise such as "wonderful, stunning, successful," there were also some "negative reviews."
Some straightforwardly suggested boycotting the film: "This noisy, crude movie will cause you more pain than joy."
Others questioned if the film was just a commercial advertisement, "a disgusting, aggressively forced commercial act to promote cars, toys, and war, disguised as a movie. This is not a movie, it's spoiled junk soda. I suggest you don't let your kids near it."
Undoubtedly, Duke's production style was not very popular among this site's mainstream users.
Someone else commented, "From the moment Duke Rosenberg—who only knows explosions—became the director of this movie, Transformers lost its last chance to be even a barely passable film. He has no plan, no style, doesn't tell stories, and can't control pacing. He only knows how to pile on special effects, chasing bigger and louder. Whether his stars are Nicholas Cage, Keanu Reeves, or those giant machines that turn into cars, he just endlessly shakes them in front of the camera."
However, this was destined to be a niche view. No matter what they said, it couldn't change the fact that long lines formed at theaters with audiences buying tickets to Transformers. Major cinemas were also confident in the box office.