Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Taking place two years after the first movie, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, simply put - is a bigger and louder version than its predecessor. The Autobots and humans have joined forces to create a secret military group called NEST whose sole purpose is to destroy any remaining Decepticons on Earth (A task that has been going on since the conclusion of the first movie). By the time we join our heroes in the movie, there are still more questions then answers concerning the Decepticon sightings and tensions are beginning to build between the human leaders and NEST. We also find Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) heading of to his first year in college leaving behind his girlfriend Mikaela Banes (Megan Fox) as they start the beginning stages of a long distance relationship.
To start, I don’t care what any critic out there is saying. This movie ROCKED!!! That’s not to say that they didn’t have a good argument, or even that their accusations are false, but I feel that critics these days have seriously forgotten the point of movies: TO BE ENTERTAINED!!! Heck, why do you think the Academy Awards aren’t being watched anymore? Because no one but the critics care about the movies being nominated. Now, that’s not to say they aren’t good and they don’t have a story to say, but let’s face it…on a scale of 1 to 10, honestly…how entertained are you when you watch them?
I loved every minute of this movie! And I can say that for all three times I’ve seen it so far (2 on IMAX and 1 regular)! Now, I’m obviously a bit bias because I’m a huge Transformers fan, and I’ll be the first to say that this movie was nowhere near perfect, but it was sure as hell fun and entertaining to watch. Were there plot issues? A few. Did some characters come and go with no reason? Yes. Could they have done a better job with The Fallen and Devastator? Absolutely. Did Megan Fox’s character, Mikaela, even need to be in the movie? Sadly, no (though that’s more the writer’s fault than anyone else). Did any of this really take away from the story or the entertainment value of the movie? No. These issues, though they are undeniably there, do not affect this movies like they might others because this movie is about entertaining the audience. It’s not out there to make awards (at least by the Academy’s standards). It’s goal is to transport you into an alternate reality with talking, transforming, alien robots. And if you believe it, then people behind the movie succeeded.
Bottomline, if you enjoyed the first movie, you’ll enjoy Revenge of the Fallen. In addition, the same can be said in reverse; if you hated the first, you’ll hate the sequel. It’s more of the same, just amplified. My issues with the first movie were resolved, however, more were created. Trust me, this movie - from a plot standpoint - had such amazing potential. The mythology of the Transformers is awesome and there’s so much to work with. I’ll be the first to say that it is a shame that the movie didn’t deliver on that front. They were really cheap when discussing the original Primes and the Fallen’s relationship with the Decepticons. It’s an unfortunate missed opportunity to really expand on the Transformers movie universe. They short changed it. Now, I’m sure the writer’s strike had something to do with it, but I still feel that the strike cannot take full blame for the movie’s shortcomings.
On the action side however, props to Bay and ILM for delivering some amazing stuff!! Optimus Prime and Bumblebee really had a chance to shine and it was GLORIOUS!!! I’m sorry, but the scenes they are in alone - for me at least - are worth the price of admission (however many times I see the movie). They are truly awe-inspiring to me.
Take this look at the movie as you will. I think perhaps some new blood from a writing standpoint would do the series some good, but Michael Bay is the director of this franchise. He was made for these movies, and no one else can truly bring the Transformers to life on the proper scale like Bay. If you liked the first film, go and see Revenge of the Fallen. You won’t be disappointed.