Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen – Reviewed!

Wow what an evening! I’ve just returned from the UK Premiere of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen in London’s trendy Leicester Square. The event was sponsored by my friends at Sky Movies in aid of The Starlight Children’s Foundation. In attendance were Megan Fox, Shia LaBeouf, Josh Duhamel and the rest of the cast and of course the man of the hour – director Michael Bay. A full write up of the event will be posted at a later date, meanwhile check out my early review below, and be warned that there may be a spoiler or two along the way:

In the explosive follow up to 2007’s “Transformers”, “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” picks up two years after Megatron’s defeat at the hands of the Autobots and the destruction of the life-giving Allspark. Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) heads off to college leaving girlfriend Mikaela Banes (Megan Fox) behind in his hometown. Optimus Prime and the Autobots have made a pact with the US military to hunt down the remaining Decepticons, and it’s on one such mission that Optimus Prime and Captain Lennox (Josh Duhamel) learn that the worst is yet to come.

An ancient despot known as “The Fallen” is creating a Decepticon army to invade the Earth and find the vital “Matrix” with which he plans to wipe out Earth’s Sun and rule supreme once more. Now with Optimus Prime dead and Megatron resurrected, his evil plan is close to fruition – all that stands in his way is Sam, and the information he holds that could change the world forever.

I have no doubt in my mind that Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen WILL be one of the highest grossing movies of 2009, but is it the best? Sadly not. Don’t get me wrong because the film was very entertaining, although unfortunately it falls short of the 2007 original.

That said; Michael Bay has outdone himself in the cinematography category, the director makes full use of the lush landscapes in the film, seemingly taking every opportunity to create wide, sweeping shots of beautiful landscape that leave you in jaw-dropping awe. The CGI in most shots is meticulously done, with my only complaint being about The Fallen’s “look” on screen. We’ve seen Trucks, Tanks, Planes and more transform before our very eyes on screen, and somehow that all seems far more believable than The Fallen’s bland and generic look.

The score is spot on, replicating the rock/emo style of the original; the soundtrack features Linkin Park and Green Day among others and certainly works with the film rather than against it – definitely a soundtrack worth downloading on release!

Still, this film is about a lot more than landscapes and music. I recently quoted LaBeouf as saying “The biggest explosions ever put into film, ever in the history of cinema,” and all in all he’s pretty spot on with such a remark. If bigger is better then you have no worries with Transformers 2, with over 40 robots and many, MANY more explosions and fight scenes than it’s predecessor, this film ups the ante in every way shape and form. One of the best examples has to be the showdown between Megatron and Optimus Prime in the forest. The two really do pummel the proverbial out of each other in true death-match style, and it’s very refreshing to watch a one-on-one fight in a film that is largely a robot royal rumble. I won’t tell you how that fight ends, suffice to say it’s early on in the movie and is a major factor in the film’s journey.

While we’re on the subject of performances I would like to go out on a limb and say that both Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox did a stellar job in this film. With the characters both introduced and developed in the previous instalment it should have been easier to come on board for the sequel and just play the role and it certainly looks like it was, the chemistry between the two young actors is clearly visible and despite the fact that both have graciously said that this movie belongs to the robots make no mistake – this movie belongs to Shia and Megan without a doubt.

So, a lot of positives and a few gripes so far. So why don’t I see this as one of this year’s best? As previously mentioned this film has definitely upped the ante in every regard and for the most part it works, except for the comedy. Don’t get me wrong, there are some genuinely funny moments in this film that feel like they fit right into the story, but then there are others that don’t just seem unnecessary, but actually cringe worthy at best. Optimus Prime has seemingly undergone a personality transplant since the first film, even using phrases like “Decepticon Punk” because, you know, he’s down with the kids.

The simple fact is that this is a very entertaining movie that tried far too hard to be funny when it never really needed to try in the first place. Yes comedy has its place in the action genre, but the comedy should aid the story, not hinder it, and I got the distinct feeling that the majority of “funny bits” in this film were both strained and out of place in what should be a very straight forward sci-fi action flick.

And there we have it, a bit of a mixed bag really but when you consider the levels of hype this movie was given it was always going to be a tough order to deliver. But then why do we go to the movies in the first place? To be entertained right? Well it’s certainly not Shakespeare but I was damn well entertained to say the least! Go and see this movie, the action is fast paced, the effects are certainly a match for this year’s other big blockbuster (“Star Trek”) and of course it stars two of Hollywood’s hottest properties of the moment. This film delivered on almost every aspect of the ideal, but then if you ever do find a perfect movie please let me know, meanwhile this is a pretty good second, make no mistake.

Rating:  

Tags: revenge of the fallen, review, transformers 2