Michael Ovitz managed to stop Mel Gibson before he could act violently. If Mel had hit someone in public, Gilbert would've likely taken him to court again.
Not being able to provoke Mel left Gilbert a little disappointed, but he didn't really care much.
"Michael, starting from the promotion, Transformers has made such a huge scene. Aren't you afraid the film might fail?" Gilbert asked casually.
Perhaps because they had briefly worked together at Disney—when Michael handled Gilbert's Saving Private Ryan—Ovitz didn't hold as bad an impression of him as David Ellison or Mel Gibson did.
He smiled and said, "I'm quite satisfied with how the final film turned out. I don't think it'll let you down."
"Is that so? Then I'll be watching closely," Gilbert replied.
Afterward, Ovitz went to greet other guests, and Scarlett scanned the crowd, spotting something interesting.
"Gilbert, look over there— isn't that the female lead from Transformers? She's got quite the figure."
"Robots, a sexy heroine, and Michael Bay's trademark action—looks like it might do well this summer. We'll see soon enough."
Gilbert didn't go to chat with Michael Bay, probably because Bay didn't want to see him either. The two of them quietly watched the entire movie. It wasn't much different from the Transformers he remembered from his previous life.
Andrew Garfield's youthful energy was far stronger than Shia LaBeouf's in the original, and he seemed to have better chemistry with Megan Fox on screen.
The reactions from the fans in the theater were even more enthusiastic. Many had seen the so-called leaked version before, but it hadn't satisfied them—it was like scratching an itch through a boot.
Now, watching the full theatrical release, they were finally content.
One excited fan shouted during the Q&A, "That was incredible! It felt amazing—I'm definitely recommending this to my friends so we can watch it again together!"
David Ellison seemed to do it on purpose when he called out the names of Gilbert and Scarlett Johansson.
Scarlett couldn't badmouth the film in such a public setting, so she just gave polite compliments like, "It was impressive," and "really spectacular."
Gilbert, on the other hand, was far more relaxed. If a movie was good, he'd say so—no need for pretense.
"It was truly stunning, especially the scene where Bumblebee transforms for the first time. That part blew me away. In terms of production quality, this Transformers easily ranks among Hollywood's finest."
Hearing that, Michael Bay was thrilled. He'd finally made a film that even Gilbert thought was good.
David Ellison was even happier. He had wrestled this project away from DreamWorks and Gilbert himself. Now, getting his rival's praise proved just how well he had done.
The premiere of Transformers wrapped up perfectly. When Gilbert and Scarlett walked out, Bumblebee and Optimus Prime were still standing by the entrance.
David Ellison personally escorted them out. Noticing Gilbert's eyes on the robot figures, he said, "I'll have these sent to your house later—I hope you won't refuse."
Thinking of how much the kids would love them, Gilbert didn't object. "Then thank you, David."
"You're welcome. I should be thanking you for showing up."
Ellison looked quite pleased with himself, which annoyed Scarlett. "Be careful your box office doesn't fall short of expectations," she snapped.
"Hahaha," Ellison laughed as if she had told a joke. "Miss Johansson, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. Our market research says otherwise."
"Hmph, it better be that way!" Scarlett huffed, deciding not to speak to him again.
On the way back, she asked Gilbert, "What do you think Transformers' opening weekend will be like?"
"Hard to say, but I'd estimate seventy to eighty million at least," Gilbert guessed. "You saw the movie yourself—it's a solid commercial blockbuster. With such an impressive promotional campaign, it'll be hard for it to fail."
"Hmph!" Scarlett pouted. "If we had made it ourselves, the results would've been even better."
"There's no point talking about that now. Let's just see how it performs," Gilbert said with a smile. "If you ask me, the one who's really in trouble now is The Da Vinci Code."
Indeed, facing the overwhelming buzz around Transformers, even with Tom Hanks starring, The Da Vinci Code was under immense pressure.
Sure enough, not long after the premiere, the midnight screenings drew plenty of fans—many of whom had been curious after watching the leaked version.
Michael Bay might not have the box-office pull of directors like Gilbert, but over the years, he had built a solid audience base. Many people would still watch his movies just because his name was on them.
This time, with all the hype surrounding Transformers, plenty of casual viewers were drawn in as well.
As a result, Transformers raked in an impressive $13.35 million from its midnight screenings. In comparison, The Da Vinci Code managed only $6.53 million, far behind Transformers.
The reviews for the two films also differed. Transformers received generally positive praise.
"Transformers is a childhood memory for audiences born in the 1980s. You could say that this live-action adaptation brought them back to their younger days.
Seeing Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, and Megatron transform on screen within seconds left audiences too excited to even blink.
Some viewers said that hearing lines like 'Autobots, transform!' gave them goosebumps, just like when they were kids. The movie didn't ruin their memories—on the contrary, it made them feel even more real and spectacular.
Michael Bay is a master of blockbusters, and large-scale, effects-driven films like this are exactly his specialty. The film embodies every hallmark of a Hollywood blockbuster—explosive action and nonstop battles, with a major set piece nearly every five minutes.
Thanks to the new 3D technology, the Transformers' designs have undergone huge changes. Without their introductions or their colors to distinguish them, you'd hardly be able to tell them apart."
— Film
"For male viewers, watching this kind of movie is like reliving childhood memories. Even though the Transformers' appearances have changed a lot over the past twenty years, many fans can still name them all at a glance. When the film ended, most men still felt unsatisfied, wanting more."
— The Hollywood Reporter
Of course, not all reviews were positive. For example, The Los Angeles Business Journal criticized the movie's editing for being overly chaotic—saying the transformations happened so fast that audiences could barely see what was going on.
The paper also noted that the good guys and bad guys looked too similar, and during the fight scenes, it was hard to tell who was hitting whom.
Some female viewers also complained that the film was too boring. If they hadn't come with their boyfriends or husbands, they said they wouldn't have chosen to watch it at all.
"The only part that caught my attention was the male lead, Sam. He's pretty good-looking, I'll admit but the rest of it was so dull that I actually fell asleep in the theater for two hours," one female audience member said in an interview.
Those criticisms became the very points The Da Vinci Code tried to capitalize on. Sony Columbia Pictures targeted Transformers' weaknesses by mobilizing online commenters to stir up negative sentiment and influence the film's reputation.
However, The Da Vinci Code was far from perfect itself. In some ways, the controversy surrounding that film was even greater than Transformers.
...
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