ROTTEN TOMATOES: Put Some Words in the Mouth of Optimus Prime!

Put Some Words in the Mouth of Optimus Prime!

by Scott Weinberg | October 02, 2006

Fancy yourself a screenwriter? Got some dialogue that you think would be just perfect for Optimus Prime? Well, get ready for your big break, because Paramount is apparently holding a contest in which YOU can pen some banter for the giant robot to speak.

Thanks to ComingSoon.net for the tip: "Paramount Pictures has updated the official website for the live-action "Transformers" movie with a contest which you can enter for a chance to have your line of dialogue spoken by Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen).

Ten winners will have their winning line voiced and recorded by Cullen, with first place becoming a line in the movie. You can enter now here!

Opening July 4, 2007, "Transformers" is directed by Michael Bay and stars Cullen, Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Jon Voight, Bernie Mac, Tyrese Gibson, Rachael Taylor, Amaury Nolasco, Kevin Dunn, Ronnie Sperling and Dane Cook."

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(1-20 of 23 posts) | Reply

Conehead2187 writes:
on Oct 02 2006 01:48 PM

Translation...."Our writing is so bad, we need to grab lines from anybody just to finish the script."

(Reply to this)

Scott Weinberg writes:
on Oct 02 2006 02:06 PM

In reply to this comment (#845518)
Hehee. The screenwriters have to be THRILLED with this promotional idea.

(Reply to this)

Jbourne37 writes:
on Oct 02 2006 02:19 PM

How about this? After a fight scene, Optimus Prime lifts up his foot and says "Oops, I accidently stepped on Dane Cook." I'm just not a big fan of Dane Cook, and I'd love to see him get stepped on.

(Reply to this)

rgallitan writes:
on Oct 02 2006 04:34 PM

Wow. This is the most idiotic entertainment stunt since Raging Boll. Which is great - since Raging Boll is winding down, we need a new idiotic entertainment stunt.

How about... "Let's roll!" (get it??)

Or... No, you're right, there isn't even any competition. It has to be...

"I've had it with these motherf*ckin Decepticons on this motherf*ckin planet!"

(Reply to this)

mrdanny writes:
on Oct 02 2006 06:30 PM

[b]wow[/b]
You guys arent going to give this movie a break at all are you.....

(Reply to this)

Ashron writes:
on Oct 02 2006 06:42 PM

In reply to this comment (#845521)
What is it with people that just because they don't like somebody they want to see them hurt. I'm not a big fan of Rob Schneider but I don't want to see anything bad happen to him. I just don't get it.

(Reply to this)

Jbourne37 writes:
on Oct 02 2006 07:54 PM

In reply to this comment (#845524)
I'm not saying I want to see him get hurt in real life. I dislike him so much that I probably won't go to see this movie, unless I find out that his character dies or it's just a small role.

(Reply to this)

elziard writes:
on Oct 02 2006 09:12 PM

Prime: "I've got prostate cancer."

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blorenze writes:
on Oct 02 2006 10:02 PM

".... and then her vagina transformed into a penis. Give me a break fellas, we've all been there... I know bumblebee has."

Man I'm clever.

(Reply to this)

rgallitan writes:
on Oct 02 2006 10:46 PM

And why should it be given a break? I think it's earned its lumps so far. Just think about the idea of this contest - think of a great line of dialogue, [i]without any idea of what scene it goes in, or even what any of the scenes are at all[/i].

Only a studio executive would come up with an idea like that. That is exactly the Hollywood mentality that people always ridicule. Like that guy Kevin Smith ragged on because he wanted to put a giant spider in Smith's Superman script... just because he thought it would be cool. That's how they think. Come up with a cool name, or a cool gag, or a cool line, and build the movie around it. Assembly from the outside in.

How could I possibly come up with a great line without knowing the story - the context? All good lines depend on context.

"You can't fight in here, this is the War Room!" -- famous because of the irony of the situation, not because it was especially appropriate to the person who said it.

"Here's looking at you, kid." -- famous, not because of what is said, but when - first in scenes of courtship, and then the payoff when it is used as a goodbye.

"I'll be back." -- again, the words themselves are inconsequential - the effect is in contrasting his emotionless tone with the incredible violence he is about to commit.

A good line isn't just something that character would say, but something they would say [i]in that moment[/i]. That's why all the suggestions you see here or at the AICN talkback are either catchphases (which execs love because they have little context, which is exactly why they feel so fake), or they have to invent a context (like the Dane Cook suggestion - very funny, btw).

If this contest reflects the mentality of the people making this film, then it is among the best evidence yet that the final product won't be worth $10 and two hours of my life.

(Reply to this)

jeremyd4 writes:
on Oct 03 2006 01:36 AM

When you think of the whole marketing machine that was "Transformers" of the 80s... this stunt doesn't seem so unusual. "Transformers" was never some profound, thought-provoking show full of amazing lines of dialogue which forever changed people's lives! I mean... c'mon... wake up people! The show was made to sell millions of toys to little kids!!!!!!

(Reply to this)

do_u_art writes:
on Oct 03 2006 06:15 AM

In reply to this comment (#845526)
[b]absolutely perfect[/b]
i'm gonna go see the movie expecting to see Prime say "I've got prostate cancer." i will base my opinion of the entire movie on that one line. it he doesn't say it, i'll sue.

(Reply to this)

cbaines2 writes:
on Oct 03 2006 10:00 AM

"I'm Optimus Prime and I approve this message."

(Reply to this)

RocketPunch writes:
on Oct 03 2006 12:49 PM

"Opto "shizzle" el PR1M0, YALL! Handz off the DUBS~ Peace out~"

(Reply to this)

A_Voice_of_Reason writes:
on Oct 03 2006 12:55 PM

If, "I've had it with these mother f@#$ing Decepticons on this mother f@#$ing planet" isn't in the movie, it is a travesty.

Maybe the studio will agree to only use fan-submitted lines for Optimus Prime. They would actually have to be pretty clever to fit it all in. That, or OP would be the most unintentionally funny character in movie history.

(Reply to this)

frogleg writes:
on Oct 04 2006 06:04 AM

I know! I was all excited to come in here and type up "Enough is enough, I've had it with these mother#$%@ing Decepticons on this mother#$%@ing planet", but somebody beat me to the punch!
What are the odds?

Well, I guess beating me to a SoaP reference on the rotten tomatoes boards are pretty good odds, actually...

(Reply to this)

do_u_art writes:
on Oct 04 2006 04:04 PM

In reply to this comment (#845534)
[b]sure SoaP reference is good[/b]
but it's no prostate cancer!

my sincerest apologies to all those who have been diagnosed, i wish you all the best and i do hope that you are able to recover and enjoy life to the fullest.

HahAHAha! prostate cancer... whoo.

(Reply to this)

Jbourne37 writes:
on Oct 05 2006 12:44 AM

In reply to this comment (#845526)
I'd like to see the entire movie done in the style of Robot Chicken, with the original Transformers action figures.

(Reply to this)

Moviecollector17 writes:
on Oct 06 2006 11:16 AM

Here's one for Optimus "My god they canned the movie after this sh!tty idea".

(Reply to this)

lrm8 writes:
on Oct 06 2006 02:02 PM

how about "fools! i am not optimus prime! im his evil looking sharp twisty twin brother"

(Reply to this)

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