Nerds Not Excited About "Transformers 2"
Moviegoers across the country are anxiously awaiting the release of "Transformers." But why can't a film about alien robots attract more buzz among hardcore geeks?
By MARIE C. BACA
Updated 4:52 AM EDT, Sat, Jun 20, 2009
A brainy college kid and his beautiful girlfriend battle evil alien robots in order to save humankind.
On the surface, the plot of "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" sounds like the perfect match for the sci-fi-crazy, gadget-obsessed, Megan Fox-loving technophiles. And yet, the film, which is scheduled to open this Wednesday, has so far failed to attract the level of geek buzz garnered by May releases like "Star Trek" and "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" -- even in the geek heartland.
"There's just not a lot of genuine excitement for the movie around here," said Brian Hibbs, owner of comic book store Comix Experience in San Francisco. "The first one wasn't that good, so it doesn't surprise me that people aren't really saying much about this next one."
Evan de la Torre, a San Francisco-based travel advisor who saw the "Lord of the Rings" movies a total of 20 times, said he is in no rush to see the film.
"It's so easy these days to lose track of a good story and replace it with pretty faces and big names," said de la Torre. "They screwed up the last 'Transformers,' so I doubt they'll make good with this one."
While die-hard fans may not have embraced the first installment of the series, the movie was a box-office success, grossing over $700 million worldwide.
The second installment could follow a similar path. Even if the film isn't a hit among the demographic for which the original "Transformers" franchise was intended, it could still be a commercial success thanks to interest from a younger crowd.
Century 16 Cinemas in Mountain View has already sold about 20 advance tickets for the film. Arantxa Astudill, a customer service representative for the theater, said that many of the people buying the tickets have been young families.
Rob Gill, an employee at Century 12 in San Mateo, said that around 40 people had bought advance tickets for the midnight screening of the movie, nearly eight times what had been purchased in the lead-up to either "Star Trek" or "X-Men."
"People have been asking about it a lot," said Gill.
As of this morning, MovieTickets.com reported 350 sold-out showings of "Transformers" across the country. Regional data on ticket sales is not yet available.
Do you think "Transformers" will be a hit where you live? Leave your prediction in the comments below.
First Published: Jun 19, 2009 1:30 PM EDT on NBC Bay Area
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