SMT Weekly Flick by Paul Krismantis
Toy Wars
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Rated PG-13) 150 mins.
As I’m sure everyone has realized, there is only one movie that has mattered for the last 10 days or so, and that is Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. A sequel to its $300 million grossing predecessor, people of every age have been eagerly awaiting this film and the $200 million it made in its first 5 days prove it. Of course, box-office receipts don’t always mean a quality movie, and while the first Transformers made my Top Ten List of 2007, Revenge of the Fallen will have a hard time doing so.
Now that doesn’t mean the movie is bad, especially not if all you need for a good time at the theater is some awesome special effects and a lot of explosions. And while some complain that the storyline is not passable, I disagree. I watched Transformers the show for years as I was growing up, and as far as Transformer storylines go, this one is mild in its lack of believability (besides, if you can accept the fact that there are giant talking robots that transform, the rest should be easy). As far as I’m concerned, director Michael Bay knows exactly what he’s dealing with here and, as a longtime fan of all things Transformer, I am thankful for that. The franchise has always been cheesy, it has always been unbelievable, and it has always been shameless about both facts. So credit Bay for recognizing that.
All those who saw the first Transformers will remember that the vile Megatron ended the film dead and at the bottom of the ocean while Optimus Prime and the Autobots (the good guys, for all you new people) stayed behind with their human friend Sam Witwicky (Shia Lebouf) to continue protecting the earth. Well this time Sam is off to college, although he has left his girlfriend Mikaela (Megan Fox) and best Bot bud Bumblebee behind. He and the other Autobots are busy working things out with the U.S. government while Sam’s gone, and while they are keeping busy the Decepticons are stealthily mounting a comeback. Their comeback includes the revival of their leader Megatron, who is more than ready to take out his revenge on Prime and the rest of the world. This culminates in an all out robot-war that spans the globe and includes many new bots on both sides of the good (Autobots) and evil (Decepticons) line. Overall it’s a blast for those who love the toys and the old cartoons, and it’s a nightmare to anyone who would rather watch Jane Austen.
As with the first Transformers, the human elements of the film are very sitcom-like. Lebouf’s return as the fast-talking Sam is filled with one-liners and silly situations, especially those with his parents, who act as if they are straight out of a Nickelodeon kiddy sitcom. Megan Fox is back as the sultry Mikaela, and her role consists mainly of looking good and making Sam sweat. She succeeds. The rest of the cast includes John Turturro, Josh Duhamel, and Tyrese Gibson, who all return from the first film, and who all leave a little bit desired here. But who cares right? This film is about watching awesome scenes of otherworldly robots of gargantuan size and ability beat the ever-living daylights out of each other, and transform into all sorts of cool things. If you’re expecting more, Transformers was not made for you.
Revenge of the Fallen doesn’t quite live up to the surprisingly good quality of the first film, but for fans of the genre it won’t disappoint. Although, with a running time of two-and-a-half hours you’ll probably want to make sure you are really in the mood first. As for myself, 150 minutes of my favorite childhood cartoons come to life is a pretty good time.
SCORE: 3.5/5
