Movie Review

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Is this the must-see movie event of the summer? Yeah, you know it is. Despite critics (myself included) complaining about almost everything except how cool the special effects were, the first one was a huge hit so Michael Bay brings all of his toy cars back to the big screen in "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen." This newer model comes with some of the same problems the first film had, a few improvements, and an altogether more cohesive and entertaining experience, albeit slightly longer than one would really like out of such a popcorn movie. This one picks up two years after the events of the first film.

With Megatron (Hugo Weaving) buried beneath the ocean and the allspark in a secured location, Earth is safe for the time being. The autobots, led by Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen), now fight alongside the American military (Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson included) combating remaining Decepticons hiding out on Earth. While cleaning up in Shanghai, Optimus is told by a dying Decpticon that the Fallen will rise again. It doesn't mean a whole lot, but it's enough to put everyone on alert. Meanwhile, Sam (Shia LeBeouf) is heading to college, his hero status an annoyance to him now, as is his guardian Bumblebee. Then again his girlfriend is Mikaela (Megan Fox) so life ain't all bad. But as Optimus so nobley says, "fate rarely calls upon us at a moment of our choosing." Sam begins to see cyber code to the point where he has a mental breakdown. Mikaela comes to Sam's aid but what they don't know is that Megatron has been brought back to life and he is now reunited with his master, the Fallen (Tony Todd). They invade Earth, demanding that Sam surrender to them, for the code he sees will lead the Fallen to a machine that blows up the sun while renewing life on the Decepticon planet. Of course Sam, Mikaela, and the rest have to stop that from happening.

Ehren Kruger joins screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman but I'd be hard pressed to tell you what he brings to the writing, the plotting being essentially the same, just swapping the allspark energy source for the machine. I doubt fans will mind. More to the point, the action is wall to wall, all-out mayhem and this time it's not so hyperactive to the point where you can barely make out what's going on. Optimus and Bumblebee each get their moment to kick some major ass, lots of destruction (cities, fleet ships, pyramids, etc), and the guns blaze and robots rock'em-and-sock'em-each other with major intensity. While all this is good, I still contend that Bay could go bigger though, especially with these special effects at his disposal. A really well planned action set-piece (ala the car chase in "The Matrix Reloaded" for example) could really elevate this series from good to grand. This hurts the finale especially, which is hectic and all-over-the place but offers nothing incredibly cool. The finale also suffers from battle overload, at this point the guns-blazing and robot fighting going on way too long. Cutting a half hour wouldn't have hurt this movie.

What helps this time around though is more Megatron. He's a ferocious villain who rightfully deserves more screen time. However, one wonders why so little screen time for most of the other autobots. Other than Optimus and Bumblebee, the rest only have brief moments in battle scenes, except for the Twins, Mudflap and Skids, who sound like Katt Williams and are probably the most annoying comic relief since Jar Jar Binks. Most other robots are mainly used for exposition, a long-winded detailing of the machine is just one of many overly talky scenes. Just show us the special effects, which stand as some of the most technically superior I've ever seen. Slicker, bigger, and badder, just looking at these magnificent robots brings out the kid in me. It's here that the movie is really inspired, as different types of robots fill the screen. Cougars, sattelites, preying mantis, and one that looks very similar to the alien in "Species." From a design stand-point, this is awesome.

Acting isn't a major priority here but the cast does its job well enough. Shia is the new sorta nerdy, sorta brave techno hero. He also has good comic timing and gets some very good laughs. Megan Fox, introduced in a sexy pose leaning over a motorcycle, is probably the most incredible looking non-robot in the movie and there are even occasions where she comes through as a decent actress. Kevin Dunn and Julie White, as Sam's cheapskate father and naïve mother, get the bulk of the hilarious laughs, as does a loopy John Turturro reprising his role as the quirky Agent Simmons, this time working with Sam. The characters played by Jon Voight, Anthony Anderson, and Rachel Taylor have wisely been deleted and things move along a lot better now that it's not so top heavy with extra characters who serve no purpose. The voice acting for the robots is well matched, especially from Hugo Weaving and Tony Todd, adding more dread to Megatron and the Fallen, and Peter Cullen giving authority to Optimus. There is also a nice ode to Joe Pesci in "Goodfellas" that's pretty funny. "Revenge of the Fallen" is not without its flaws, but the good outweighs the bad and this is by far right behind "Star Trek" as the blockbuster of the summer.

Craig's Grade: B

A	10.9%
B	41.8%
C	31.8%
D	15.3%
F	0.3%