Review: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

This entire site is about the common man, the every day moviegoer. As noted many, many times, I don’t have any qualifications to review movies at all – none! But it really gets to me sometimes, in this case in particular, when I read what the “critics” have to say about a film. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen isn’t a perfect movie, oh lord no. However, did we expect it to be? Did I? Hell no. Nevertheless, the critics have once again proven to me that they couldn’t recognize pure fun and adrenaline if it laid in their lap. With that short rant aside, the second installment in the toy-based series is a whole lot like the first – kick and ass. It’s big, it’s loud, it’s a friggin’ spectacle, Megan Fox oh man, and the most impressive thing – it kept my complete interest the entire running time of roughly 2:30 hours. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen tries to do a lot, and it succeeds a lot more than it fails. When I wrote my review for the first movie a long time ago, I said people should step back and recognize the pure fun and adrenaline Michael Bay delivered. Well, he went and did it again. Maybe better.

Oh yes, the action is absolutely fantastic, but it doesn't need to carry the entire film. Still amazing though. (Dreamworks/aceshowbiz.com)

One of the biggest knocks on this movie is that it’s just 2:30 hours of special effects, with robots smashing other robots into oblivion causing you as the audience to go into a state of complete and utter boredom after a little while. Now, I watched the entire movie and I was glued to the story the entire time. Yes, the story, there is one, a pretty cool one at that – like the first movie. It seems like a weird disconnect that the critics gave an OK to the first where they could have said there was little story there, but two thumbs down to this where it’s almost the same formula. I don’t get it. Bay and his writers did however up the ante, and the cash flow, for the action. One thing to sum it up is this: Transformers isn’t trying to be Saving Private Ryan, ok? Is it trying to be epic as hell? Absolutely, but it’s not reaching for something that it can’t grab, at least for the most part. There won’t be any best picture Oscars for this is my guess, and I feel like the filmmakers are OK with that – this is about a non-stop thrill ride. They succeeded mightily at achieving that.

Perhaps the singular thing that set the first movie apart from a lot of the other blockbusters that summer and previous summers too, was the humor. Shia LaBeouf nailed his neurotic kid role, the music in Bumble Bee, the quips between the government agents, etc etc. This is the area, the humor, where it did fail perhaps more than it should have. Let’s look at the good stuff first, and it starts with Shia. The movie takes place two years after the last one ended, and he’s entering college (but as you can guess, not for long). I don’t know what it is about this young actor, but he pretty much kills whatever role he’s asked to play (see: Disturbia, Eagle Eye, The Greatest Game Ever Played). His skitzed out, freaky, and downright bizarre antics, coupled with his oh so natural teen awkwardness brings the audience into his character a lot. And to really enjoy a character and care for that person in a movie that cost upwards of $200 million to make, is impressive, and says a lot about him. The other key to the many laughs in this movie was the returning John Turturro, as the former Agent Simmons. If you’ve seen Mr. Deeds or Anger Management, you already know what he can bring to the table. I actually think he’s capable of carrying a comedy by himself, but that discussion is for another time. But when it comes down to it, and perhaps a few people groaned during the movie’s last hour or so ending in Egypt, waiting for it to wind down, Turturro busts one-liner after one-liner that worked every, single, time.

LaBeouf and Turturro are the big guns when it comes to humor. LaBeouf is outstanding in general. (Dreamworks/aceshowbiz.com)

Now, for every good joke, it seemed like there was an equally weird or bad or drawn out joke, especially from the two, uh, gangster cars. I’m not entirely aware what the writers were thinking or even what Michael Bay was thinking to let these characters have so much screen-time. There have actually been quite a few articles written about how the movie is racist, and you can certainly pinpoint that argument to these characters. If people say the movie is loud or annoying, I’d blame it on these two. The biggest problem isn’t necessarily the God-awful “jokes” and voices they spewed out throughout the entire running time, but rather…why have them at all? I’m still scratching my head at the reason for placing them in the film. This was a swing and a miss effort. But as a whole, when you tie in the humor and the laughs I’ve talked about, and combine it with the sheer cleverness and unique look and feel to this movie, you forget the bad in place of all that good. Again, what made the first one special was how it sort of took itself seriously, but was still really different looking and funny. Revenge of the Fallen is just like the first installment – unique, different, and not a disappointing run-of-the-mill action flick that we’ve seen too often this summer so far.

What they call "acting." (Dreamworks/aceshowbiz.com)

I would be very saddened at myself if I didn’t briefly talk about Megan Fox. Oh yes, Ms. Megan Fox. Now, I am not one of those weird guys that thinks she’s the second coming, the absolute most beautiful and sexiest being on the planet. Frankly, I find Rashida Jones immensely more beautiful. I’ve had conversations with friends about this topic, but let’s just say this – the obsessive Megan Fox fans have won this battle over my judgement, at least while watching her in Revenge of the Fallen. My lord. Michael Bay has assets to work with, and he used them quite well – in a very low cut shirt and tight jeans (in Egypt too!). There have been recent quips between Fox and Bay about her “acting time” in the movie, but honestly, is there anything beyond her looks? C’mon. To awkwardly revert back to another point I made though and at the same time wrapping up my Megan Fox discussion, Shia LaBeouf is the key to this movie, hands down. He turned 23 years old a few weeks ago and already has shown the acting chops, in this movie and others, to be a staple in Hollywood for years to come. He was awesome.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen tries to be a very epic movie. Will it go down as this epic tale that will go down as one of the greatest ever? Yea, right. But at the very same time, it gives off a feel to the audience of “this movie is going to kick your ass with action, make you laugh, and if you like it, good, if not, whatever.” And for the most part, I’ve heard people are liking this movie, as they should. The action is absolutely unreal, but it doesn’t carry the movie, despite the unreal climax battle in Egypt. The humor is there, despite a few slip ups, and adds a huge element to this film that can separate it from a Terminator Salvation or something dry like that. It’s well acted, as weird as that sounds, and uses beautiful scenery as its’ backdrop. You don’t have to love Michael Bay, but you can’t deny his ability to make you have fun while watching a movie. This was a hell of a lot a fun in a number of different ways, and to put it quite straightforward – I don’t understand the critics. It’s not running for an Oscar, it’s a loaded action film that keeps your attention for two and a half hours…what more do you want? Oh well.

Does it try to be too epic? Maybe, but it still works somehow, and I'm ready for the third. (Dreamworks/aceshowbiz.com)

Lastly, I will say this: Revenge of the Fallen is a movie you have to see in theaters. I had the unique pleasure if seeing it in IMAX which was mind-blowing, but I’ve heard good things from regular theaters as well. I don’t necessarily say you have to pay the money to see it in theaters because it’s some 4-star masterpiece, but rather because of what it is and what it looks like. This movie just won’t be the same on a TV at your home, even if it’s an HD big screen thing.

The soundtrack to the movie is great too, and Linkin Park’s song is a great ending coupled with the true epic feeling that the final speech gives off. That concludes my review/entirely too long essay.

TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN: (out of 4)