Chapter 680: Steel Fans

"Transformers is like a speeding train, and everyone is caught up in its momentum. Every audience member simply has to see Transformers at least once. Even people who don't normally go to the movies will hear about it and head to the theater, and many will watch it multiple times."

The words spoken by the China Film Group's spokesperson to reporters the following day were undoubtedly the perfect reflection of the film's presence in the Chinese market.

True Transformers fans were a minority, after all, and the post-80s generation could only guarantee the movie's baseline viewership. But plenty of people had heard the franchise's name. Combined with the box-office appeal Duke had built up in China over a dozen films and the movie's stunning special effects, it was bound to draw a massive audience into theaters.

The film's premise was refreshingly straightforward, the plot fast-paced and thrilling, and the entertainment value off the charts. Its lifelike 3D effects, in particular, operated on a level previous 3D movies simply could not touch.

The bandwagon effect was a crucial factor in promotion that could never be ignored; strong word-of-mouth drove a movie's box office far better than any review score.

Furthermore, because Transformers was produced in 3D, it held a distinct advantage at the box office: 3D movie tickets were generally twice as expensive as standard tickets.

Even though the movie shattered Chinese box-office records on its opening day, promotional efforts didn't relax in the slightest.

With Transformers setting a record on its very first day, China Film Group not only urgently added 100 more 3D screens, but also launched the slogan, "One movie you can watch four times"—Transformers was the first film in China to be simultaneously released in four formats: standard 35mm film, digital 2D, 3D, and the giant IMAX screen.

Many viewers who watched the film version would want to see the digital 2D, 3D, or even IMAX formats. The resulting overlapping audience provided a significant boost to the box office.

There were currently only a dozen or so IMAX theaters in China, primarily located in a few major cities. The vast majority of the audience was destined to miss out on the IMAX version, but cinemas without IMAX screens took advantage of the craze, rolling out all sorts of promotional banners to attract Transformers audiences.

For instance, Jinling Cinema brought in both the 3D and 2D versions of Transformers and deliberately remodeled their existing Hall 4 into a professional 3D digital screening room. They even launched a promotional campaign to draw crowds, boasting that the hall utilized the world's latest Dolby 3D system, an NEC projector, and a Dolby Laboratories amplification system. The NEC projector's xenon lamp reached a power of 4000W, paired with a high-gain screen for lifelike viewing effects and bright, clear images—made even better when wearing Dolby 3D glasses.

To experience a better version, a considerable number of viewers didn't mind paying a little extra money.

Driven by its brewing reputation and word of mouth, the Tuesday box office for Transformers didn't drop; instead, it rose, once again setting a new record for the highest single-day box office in the Chinese market, reaching over 37 million RMB.

The booming box office brought tremendous confidence. Warner Greater China Region and China Film Group spared no effort in promoting Transformers, and news and reviews of the movie could be seen across some of the most influential media outlets.

"Transformers is a super blockbuster that Duke Rosenberg poured countless hours and meticulous effort into creating... This is our first time coming into such close contact with a magical, brand-new world of Transformers, and it is an extraordinary, absolutely five-star viewing experience."

"The final battle lasts over 30 minutes and is incredibly stunning... unstoppable. You are completely drawn into the film, merging as one with the Transformers and the story itself."

"There were a lot of rumors beforehand... saying this 3D stereoscopic film would make people nauseous, and that these 110-plus minutes would be a disaster. Now, we can firmly dispel those two rumors for Transformers."

"Duke Rosenberg is truly a genius! I can't say too much. Wow, but I love this movie so much! Transformers is simply amazing—it completely blew me away!"

Time had flown by, and the children of the past had long since grown up, many even starting careers and families of their own. But in the hearts of many, there was still a place reserved for their childhood friends, the "Transformers."

Since the 1990s, as the fan base matured and new toy lines were successively released, the activities of Transformers enthusiasts across China had steadily heated up. As early as 2001, the first annual Transformers convention was held in Shanghai, eventually evolving into a yearly event.

This event was also the largest gathering of die-hard Transformers fans in all of China.

Their love for the Transformers franchise was evident, so once the live-action movie premiered, these people not only became the film's most fanatical moviegoers but also the most active group on the internet.

Their presence was felt on major websites like the Sina forums, where they used phrases like "unimaginable," "too shocking," "immersed in the world of Transformers and didn't want to wake up," and "after the movie finished in the theater, it sparked screams and thunderous applause" to describe their feelings after watching the film.

Countless others had already watched it two or three times. One person wrote, "...As someone who loves to sleep through movies, I watched this from beginning to end in complete earnest. The film shocked me, moved me, and left an unforgettable impression. Aren't such visuals simply exquisite?"

After catching a midnight premiere, a member of a certain film commune couldn't help but cry out, "That was badass! So good! It was completely worth staying up half the night!"

However, popularity was always accompanied by controversy, and Transformers was no exception.

The controversy surrounding the film mainly stemmed from two areas. The most prominent one came from disputes among Transformers fans themselves.

Through incredibly realistic design and cinematography, Duke had brought their favorite childhood toys and characters to the big screen. The on-screen performance of the two robotic factions practically pushed the limits of current cinematic technology. It was no exaggeration to say that Transformers showcased the most advanced special effects in Hollywood, and indeed, the entire world.

But this technology brought character designs and visual effects that were radically different from the animated series, inevitably ruining the fond childhood memories of some fans.

As a result, "You did a terrible job, but we still love you" became the most frequent comment this demographic directed at Duke.

Whether it was more love or more hate, most die-hard fans probably couldn't say for sure themselves. All they did was buy a ticket, walk into the theater, and watch their childhood companions transform before their eyes in the most realistic way possible...

Then, they bought more tickets and went into the theaters again. The steel fans watched the movie over and over, studying every slow-motion shot to figure out the transformation processes and combat details. They reveled in it, never tiring of the spectacle, enthusiastically discussing it and constantly telling the people around them, dragging their friends and family into the cinemas with them...

This was also one of the biggest reasons why the Transformers box office skyrocketed straight up after its release.

The other voice of contention was much quieter by comparison, simply because the dissenting side was a small minority.

From the day Transformers premiered, its reputation had been polarizing. Fans of arthouse films criticized the movie, saying it had "not a single memorable line of dialogue, and the characters are pale, weak, and soulless."

However, over ninety percent of the audience felt that the movie's action effects and 3D technology delivered a fantastic visual treat. They boldly declared, "The cinema isn't a classroom—who cares about deeper meaning and philosophy?" They lavishly praised the film as a "work of genius, where Duke used technology to create a brand-new sci-fi world for moviegoers."

In truth, a remark made by Hong Kong director Chen Kexin during an interview perfectly described Duke's Transformers: "I don't like this movie at all, but there is no denying its popularity. Transformers is a true moviegoer's film."

He wasn't the only industry insider to comment on Transformers.

As the film's theatrical run continued, many famous filmmakers in the domestic circle were influenced by the massive wave of viewership and went to the theater to see Transformers. Some, upon being cornered by reporters, offered their brief thoughts on the matter.

"My deepest impression after watching Transformers is the sheer visual impact. While the story of this film is a bit cliché, the technical execution is virtually flawless. The CGI, in particular, is something we can only look upon in despair."

This was Zhang Ermou's opinion, as published in a certain newspaper. "Yesterday, another reporter asked me what we should learn from Transformers. I thought about it, and it seems there isn't much we can learn, because our technological gap with Hollywood is simply too massive. Some people estimate it at 20 years; to me, it's closer to 100 years. However, we do use the same kind of cameras to shoot 3D films, so from a 3D perspective, what Transformers has achieved is something Chinese cinema can still learn."

Facing the interviewing reporters, another director, Lu Chuan, considered Transformers a total defeat for Chinese cinema.

"When I watched this movie, I felt as if I had returned to my childhood, turning back into a kid full of imagination. Duke Rosenberg showed me that what we lack isn't technology—technology can be acquired. Transformers suddenly made me realize just how far our films are from true passion and simple beauty; how far we are from what the audience actually wants to see; how far we are from burning dreams! We've been running wild in a twisted, dark, and nonsensical quagmire of vulgarity—how far are we from actual sincerity?! In the face of Transformers' massive success, we should be ashamed. This is a complete defeat that we Chinese filmmakers must collectively witness and collectively concede to."

The words spoken by the famous screenwriter Ning Caishen the day after he saw the film were, much like the TV dramas he wrote, laced with a bit of exaggeration.

"I was stunned senseless. I watched Transformers in the middle of the night yesterday with a few directors and producers. After the movie ended, the atmosphere was bizarrely silent and depressing. Almost no one talked about the film. We were all shocked senseless by Duke Rosenberg."

On its third day of release, the hype for Transformers in China continued to climb, easily breaking the previous day's record to close out with a figure approaching 39 million RMB.

In just three days, the film's Chinese box office surpassed 100 million RMB, setting a new record for the fastest film to break the 100-million mark in the Chinese movie market.

And it wasn't just China; in the North American Region, Transformers was just as explosive.