Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, 2009 Review

Starring Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, and Tyrese Gibson

Jun 27, 2009

If moviegoers don't expect much from Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, they won't be disappointed.

Normally a critic worth their salt will discuss the plot of the film they’re reviewing. In this case, it barely seems necessary. Basically, two alien races of giant robot, the good Autobots and bad Decepticons, wage war over the fate of the planet. Shia LaBeouf returns as reluctant hero Sam Witwicky, along with Megan Fox as his highly decorative girlfriend, whose entire performance looks like the outtakes from a Maxim shoot. That’s pretty much it. But it’s all meaningless anyway. There’s really no need for dialogue or character development in a movie like this. This one’s about the ‘splosions.

This film is an action piece from start to finish. It’s the quintessential event movie with wild special effects, an explosive soundtrack and kick-ass action sequences. Michael Bay has perfected the art of this style, and in this respect, he makes an alright movie, but this film has problems.

First of all, it’s way too long. A film of this genre should never go beyond the two-hour mark, and even that’s pushing it. Cutting out about 45 minutes worth of needless battle scenes would have been a good start. Not surprisingly, there were a few plot holes and script problems, and more than a few eye-roll inducing moments. Also, audience members visibly cringed at the obnoxious and insensitively written twin robots. There’s no need to reiterate what has already been discussed ad nauseum, but it’s hard to believe that filmmakers let that get into the finished picture.

Despite the problems, a lot of people will probably like Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. It’s an almost perfect replica of the original – just bigger. The transformers are bigger, the explosions are louder, the music is more intrusive, and so on. There’s action, adventure, and some wicked effects. Director Michael Bay is a master at blowing stuff up, and he continues to do so on a grand scale here. It’s a movie made for teenage boys, and they’ll likely appreciate it. How nice for them. For the rest of us, it’ll be a little hard to ignore the lack of an intelligent storyline and interesting characters, but whatevs. It’s still kind of mesmerizing. Just remember to bring a bottle of aspirin…and maybe some earplugs.

The copyright of the article Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, 2009 Review in Action Films is owned by Lauren Flanagan. Permission to republish Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, 2009 Review in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.