Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, John Turturro, Ramon Rodriguez, Isabel Lucas, Rainn Wilson, Hugo Weaving (voice)
Directed by: Michael Bay
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, Adventure, Science Fiction
2009

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: Sam (Shia LaBeouf) leaves his family and girlfriend (Megan Fox) to go to college. However, he soon finds himself drawn back into the battle between the Autobots and the Decepticons, this time, the fate of both races- ad of all of humanity- hangs in the balance.

Review:

Tim: I really don't know what to think about Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. On the one hand, Michael Bay has created a beautiful movie, full of some of the most jaw-dropping special effects action sequences ever created. The scale of these is massively epic, and I loved them. On the other hand, Michael Bay give us some of the most brain damaging, juvenile, stupid humor and awful gags that you could ever expect to see. So, how do I reconcile these two extremes in my mind? It is very frustrating, because these movies could have been among my all-time favorites- if Bay didn't ruin them with unnecessary stupidity.

Let's talk about the good things first. As I mentioned, this movie is designed as pure entertainment- the special effects are mind-blowing, the action sequences are intense, and the battles are superb. Michael Bay knows how to create good action scenes, and the ones here were nothing less than epic. I absolutely loved the Optimus Prime-outnumbered-in-the-forest battle. The climactic pyramid/desert battle is truly amazing. The explosions, robot battles, and fight sequences are unforgettable. I loved soaking up every moment of this. I also loved Shia LaBeouf in this movie. He is so charismatic, hilarious, and likeable. I am amazed at his continued development as an actor. This is truly his franchise, and he makes it better with his presence. His performance was one of the highlights of this film for me.

Unfortunately, the weaknesses pile up as well. As I mentioned, Bay crams in so much stupidness that it is impossible to ignore. You have dogs humping (why?), robots humping (why??), the two most racist transformers imaginable (my god, Bay, why?), some of the most awful dialogue of all time, and a plot that is sadly full of holes. Bay tried to do too much here, instead of just letting the movie be. Without his tinkering, this could have been an amazing move.

The rest of the cast besides LaBeouf are less good. Megan Fox isn't superb- she knows her job is to look at hot as possible and try not to muck up the movie. Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson are good, but they don't have enough to do to make much of an impact on this movie. John Turturro is slightly less annoying in this film (he single-handedly ruined the last movie), but he still sucks. I wish he would have died in this film. The rest of the cast isn't too great.

On one hand, I truly loved Transformrs: Revenge of the Fallen. It set out to entertain audiences, and I was thoroughly entertained by the Transformers battles, the action sequences, and the special effects. Sadly, I hated nearly all the other scenes- especially the lame attempts to infuse humor into the film. Bay really needed to let someone give him some feedback, because he ruined this movie. It pains me to admit, but this movie isn't even as good as the slightly disappointing original. Because there are flashes of genius in this film, I wish Bay would get out of his own way, and allow this franchise to become what it always should have been.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Transformers, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls, Constantine, I, Robot; Disturbia