Transformers Revenge of the Fallen – What Did I Think?

By Kevin Coll • July 1, 2009 • 8 Comments

So this review is late and that pains me but I thought everyone should know what I have to say about the movie.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is wonderful and exciting follow-up to the successful 2007 film which exploded onto the big screen Shia LeBeouf and Megan Fox. 2 years later they continue to bring phenomenal action scenes using the classic Hasbro toys. Rendering itself with a new story this film took a lot of risks with its character development but also its use of the Transformers mythology while seemingly trying to expand its gallery of robots much like Pirates of the Caribbean did with…well…supernatural pirates.  Ultimately the script, though weak in areas of comedy like we saw in the first film and flaws introducing perhaps too many new characters, still had the quintessential elements that a Transformers film should have thus making it very successful in my eyes as a sequel. No Empire Strikes Back but still good.

Defense Against the “Other” Critics

Let’s start by disagreeing with all the critics that bashed and raped the movie as a horrible and silly epic that lacks in any kind of human interest. Or as Rotten Tomatoes puts it:

“a noisy, underplotted, and overlong special effects extravaganza that lacks a human touch.”

“Noisy” it was only because the sound was so epically driven combining the explosions, gunfire, robotic transformation, robots walking, the thrilling pace of the film, I mean surround sound is a part of the movie going experience  – get over it. I am sure that is not what they meant by noisy but I had nothing else to rebuttle. I mean the movie was just as loud and expansive as the first.

“Underplotted” is a complete misunderstanding by critics and people who do not know anything about the Transformers or what they are about. The story for the sequel was unusual in terms of a sequel but cleverly worked if you chose to listen and comprehend everything as well as read in-between the lines, also if you were a fan of the original series then everything in the plot is central to something bigger to come in a presumed follow-up.

Let me explain in greater detail. First off, I loved the idea that the Autobots were coexisting on Earth as part of a team (Nest) that seeks and destroys Decepticons – a great interlude – from the last film’s events. Secondly, I like the idea of bringing in a new back-story. It doesn’t eliminate the first film’s back-story but builds on it. The Autobots and Decepticons only know the Allspark as the primary thing that gives them power and life like other cultures that are unaware of previous history – they are unaware of what was before the Allspark. That’s where our new back-story comes into place just like it did on the cartoon series. Early decedents of Transformers called Primes are introduced which in lies our villain – The Fallen. I thought that was very nicely introduced and definitely not “underplotted” by any means. Lets move onto other areas of the plot that made sense if you cared to think about it.

The use of Optimus Prime was very well done. Something I complained about in the first film was that he disappears after killing Bonecrusher and then magically appears to fight Megatron at the end. Presumably that was to save budget and build for the end climax, it just wasn’t executed correctly. In the second film they strategically used Prime as part of the back-story which fit into the plot of the film making it necessary for his character to end up the way he did (something I will not reveal).

The uses of LeBeouf and the rest of the human characters was great as well. The first film was your atypical “in over your head” situation where LeBeouf was finding out something spectacular about his car being his protector and the existence of cybernetic robots bent on destroying humanity. The second film expands on that with no introduction necessary. Sam wants to be normal and do the normal 18 year old things but can’t because of his entanglement and that he is the most trusted human by the Autobots.

There is a lot of humanity in that if you think about it. “Fate rarely calls on us at a moment of our choosing,” was a great line spoken by Optimus Prime and really speaks to Sam even though he doesn’t realize it until the end of the film. Sam is still caught in the middle of something he can’t understand but soon does when he is telling his parents to run and be safe while he goes to save Optimus and the rest of the human soldiers. I enjoyed the use of Megan Fox and Shia’s relationship and how it mirror’s most people’s relationships at that age. It was completely believable and that speaks to humanity in my opinion. Leo, was cool but underused and a little forced sometimes, but not annoying, he is evidently a character that will grow in the franchise. I enjoyed John Torturro’s reprisal of Agent Simmons and the Witwicky Parents actually knowing about the Transformers was brilliant because at the end of the first film it was funny to think they were naive to believe that the government would tell us if robotic aliens were in existence on the planet.

Now I wanted to bring up the Matrix of Leadership, funny sounding isn’t it? However it is something derived straight from Transformers canon. The Matrix also fits right into the back-story being revealed throughout the film. We the audience like the Autobots are learning the robots history woven through the action and other subplots of the film. The Matrix an oval-shaped container, holding a glowing crystal. To open the Matrix is to release an unpredictable wave of power from the crystal. The Matrix seems to have an intelligence of its own, able to determine when and how it will be used. This is something that resonates with LeBeouf and essentially debunks any critics argument that the film has no “Humanity” in the story.

So there you go critics – all your gripes we

re mere evidence that you were judging this second film much harder than the first not realizing most of the things you griped about were evident in the first film. Now you consistent critics who hated both movies I give you the applause for making the same arguments for hating the franchise, twice. That being said I think you are just people who do not understand Transformers.

My Dislikes in the Movie

The length was somewhat tolling but nothing compared to the length of The Dark Knight and its taxing time keeping me in a movie theater chair.

I also disliked Skids and Mudflaps, say what you will about their obv

ious stereotypes, people need to know the difference between being racist and stereotypical – its a fine line between both – but I didn’t see anything racist, after all Eminem should be offended by them too. That being said they were useless and a way for GM to sell cars, here is an idea -  why don’t you take some bailout money and suck it!

Not enough Bumblebee. He sort of got the shaft this time around. Other than a cool fight scene at the end and racing around Earth with the humans, and trying to control Skids and Mudflaps, he didn’t have as much to do like he did in the first film.

There was nothing new in the special effects, visual effects department and that was disappointing. This isn’t a dislike as much as it is a complaint. The effects extravaganza was evident, bigger and twice as much as the first film. However, it wasn’t as mind blowing as it was in the first film and the argument is that since none of it was new like it was in the first film the awe inspiring effect was not there anymore.

Lastly, the comedic moments in the film weren’t as good as the previous. I am not sure where that stems from but the humorous situations weren’t there as much. The parents were funny at times but then Mamma Witwicky got a little annoying at college. I laughed anyway though because the parents are exactly mine.

To conclude the likes of the film far outweigh the dislikes of the movie and they are seeded into my deep love for Transformers and my ability to understand what a Transformers film should be like. Those who hated have their opinion and that is fine but they should be made aware that they are ignorant when it comes to understanding the style and the actual substance in this film because it is there if you pay attention. Mainly in terms if humanity and human interest, which is rifled throughout the context of the plot.

I mean Wall*E was a robot who was more human than the actual humans in the film. He showed humanity how to love. Optimus Prime did the same thing to Sam, but nobody talks about that. Optimus Prime showed more humanity in sacrifice and that was a defining moment for Sam as well as the audience. The cheesy relationship between Sam and Mikaela was cheesy because teenage relationships are. It took an Autobot to make the Obama Administration in the film realize their aversion to National Security and the denouncement of the protection of Autobots was stupid idea on their part. That resonates to us doesn’t it? Obama has made his policies on national security very clear, which this script poked fun at. Nobody noticed that did they? The plot is complex but equally simple, the ideas of a group of people meandering around the world on a quest to save it is entertaining as it is adventurous. How was that any different than a National Treasure or a Pirates of the Caribbean or even an X-Men movie or comic book? How was the quest any different from a Goonies film? Point is it worked.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is misunderstood and my thoughts, long-winded will hopefully sway some in maybe seeing the film again and enjoying it perhaps seeing it through my eyes.

Total Score: 8 out of 10