Transformers Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
Our rating:
3 out of 5
Rated:
PG13
reviewed by Charity Bishop
In the wake of the tremendous success of the first Transformers hit, a
second film in the franchise was released, this time pitting its autobot alien
invaders against a much more perilous threat -- the destruction of humanity with
the death of the sun. This time around the action and the content are
amped up a notch.
The legendary battle that tore apart Los Angeles is now nothing more
than a conspiracy theory rumor that appeals to science geeks. But
behind the scenes, the government is now working with Optimus Prime
and his band of "transformers," robotic aliens capable of concealing
themselves as automobiles, to ensure that the last few hostile
robots are found and contained. Unfortunately, what neither Optimus
nor the government knows is that his arch-nemesis, Megatron, is not
as safe at the bottom of the ocean floor as they thought. There is
an evil older and more dangerous bionic power that wants to take
over Earth and eradicate humanity. Once again, the key in this quest
for domination is found in Sam (Shia LaBeouf), a normal young man now
setting off for college. His parents warn him that this next
adventure will likely mean the end of his relationship with his
beautiful girlfriend, Mikaela (Meghan Fox), but he has high hopes for their
future.
But when he accidentally touches a sliver of the infamous box that led to
Megatron's destruction, Sam starts seeing unusual symbols and his learning
process accelerates. He knows too much, so much that Optimus gives his life to
protect the human, who is now on the run from both robot and mankind after the
new Big Bad makes it known to the public that he will not decimate the planet if
the kid is turned over to him. Transformers 2 is along the same lines as
the first film but doesn't fall into the trap of being a carbon copy. It
introduces some new characters and genuinely awesome robotic villains. But there
were a few things I didn't like about it. It looked as if some of the robot
characters had been re-designed for the second film, which makes it rather
inconsistent with the first (particularly Megatron). Bumblebee also doesn't talk
in this one (but he's still adorable, in a thousand-ton kind of way). And the
movie is too long. I enjoy a good explosion and air fight as much as the next
person but it seemed as if several times it was heading for a conclusion only to
veer off into more plot twists and chances to show off the fabulous CGI.
I've noticed that is becoming a pattern in the genre, which is unfortunate
because you don't need a complicated plot if you have a good story to begin
with. This film falls into the same trap that drags down the latest installments
of Batman and Spiderman -- it feels the need to introduce another
villain in the last hour, and thus extend the movie by forty-five minutes. I
know some fans might disagree with me, but when I'm checking my watch means that
they went a little overboard in their excitement. I was also disappointed that
so much sensuality was introduced. The first film kept that to a reasonable
minimum, but in this one there are more innuendos, more glimpses of female skin
(even up under one girl's skirt as she tries to seduce Sam; her behavior is more
than foreword on several occasions). We see one guy's bare backside when he
shows up wearing a thong. Sam's roommate has covered the place in posters
scantily-clad women. He propositions girls and makes tons of sexual references.
People sometimes pass out in compromising positions. A man is shown with his
pants around his ankles begging for toilet paper as a ruse to knock a guard out.
We also get to see dogs humping each other several times, and one robot is
rather, um, well endowed. Language is much more invasive this time around, with
a dozen or more abuses of God's name, variations on the f-word, and crude
anatomical references. There are some flatulence jokes (robots expel
parachutes).
The violence is about on par with last time: huge explosions, hundreds of
soldiers dying, and fierce hand-to-hand combat that sometimes results in robotic
fatalities (some of them are literally torn apart).
On the positive side, there were some fun
additions to the script -- one little robot changes sides and
becomes something of a pet to
Mikaela, and we also meet up with the irritating former FBI agent
that was such a pain in the first movie. Only this time around he
gets to be one of the good guys. Plus, then there are the cars. I
don't mind telling you that I like a pretty Corvette now and again,
and the return of various favorite cars and trucks from the original
combined with some new sets of wheels brought a smile to my face.
It's unfortunate then that this film isn't as friendly toward family
viewing as the first one was, and doesn't speak well for future
installments. (I suspect they will continue to get racier, as the
films cater to an adult audience.) It's a great concept that could
use a bit of restraint. I don't need to hear masturbation jokes or
see dogs humping to be entertained. Just tell me a good story in a
timely manner. That's all I ask.
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