TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN (2009)

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"Spielberg says: "Awesome". Some say: "Disappointing." I say: "Bad ass." Or close to it..."

***SPOILER WARNING THROUGHOUT***

Okay, I ended up writing a review for this. Everyone and their mom has, and I usually do my best not to write one when so many people have, but I figured with all the bashing I could at least speak my mind.

All right, as you all know this is Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, the sequel to the huge blockbuster of 07 and turning out to be a huge cash cow as well.

Okay so the plot picks up about 2 years after Transformers 1. The movie opens in the year I think it was, 17,000 B.C. We see a bunch of hunters chasing a tiger or lion, and they stumble across a shitload of transformers headed by "The Fallen". He kills and crushes them, and we appear in Japan. We now focus on present day, where a group of Soldiers of America and England, combined with the Autobots, now form the classified Decepticon hunting team: N.E.S.T. They are hunting two hiding Decepticons. I have to say this opening fight/chase scene is awesome. Great although short intro into the N.E.S.T. team, and we get the feeling that they have been fighting together for a while.

They manage to take down both robot's, with the big huge one, saying with his dying breath that, "The Fallen will rise again..." Optimus continues to blast his head off.

We switch over to the main character, or at least the main human character; Sam Witwicky. It turns out Sam is off to college so of course it's a while since the first movie, at least a year or two. While talking to his girlfriend and seaching though his old clothes (from the battle in the last flick), he stumbles across a splinter of the All Spark, (the all powerful creating cube that was destroyed in the first film). He gets affected by it, and it ends up burning hot, and falls to the kitchen and turns all the kitchen electronics into deadly mini machines. Bumblebee quickly puts an end to them. Meanwhile Sam's parents Ron (Kevin Dunn), and Judy (Julie White) are getting more and more frantic with these weird robots and all that shit. It's bad enough their son is going to College. So Sam pleads with Bumblebee to go and join the other Autobots, saying "the guardian thing is over". Mickaela (The ever foxy Megan Fox), Sam's ever there Girlfriend, shows up at the house. He gives he the remaining All spark piece, and heads off to college but not before a short talk about not saying I love you.

The Autobots and N.E.S.T. team are in the meantime in trouble. It turns out a government agent Snob, Galloway (John Benjamin Hickey) shows up to assess the situation that isn't there. He claims that the Autobots are the reason the Decepticons continue to stay on Earth. And Optimus say's they will leave if ordered, but ends with the question, "What if you're wrong?"

After having an embarrassing drop off at college, by his parents, who thankfully left to take a vacation to Paris, Sam's left to his run of the mill college life. Or so he thought. It turns out his roommate, Leo Spitz (Ramon Rodriguez) is not just a huge Alien/conspiracy/paranoid guy, but he's a leader of a club of Transformers or bizarre watchings. Not to mention the ever flirty and somewhat weird, but hot, Alice (played by Isabel Lucas).

The "map bearer" in the first movie, has now become the map, when he starts seeing symbols everywhere and has a mental breakdown in his class.

Seeking Optimus for answers, or was it Optimus seeking him for help??? either way, they meet, and talk about Sam's cookoo drawings and Prime' larger than life possible problem. It ends with Sam denying Optimus help, and he will wish he had. Now that's just the fist half hour or so. It goes on to show that The Fallen, one of the first original Transformers and a former Prime himself, has returned. Or is at least at a nearby moon or something, and how he plots to take over the Earth and raise a Decepticon army, by destroying the Sun. Why do this you ask? Because the Primes gain "Energon", their eternal blood, by destroying Sun's. And for him to raise his army, he needs Energon. Theirs a whole lot more, but other reviews have covered them, and the reason I made this is to critique it, because I am tired of people picking a decent fun movie apart like it's some paper meche doll.

The plot: Good. Not great, not outstanding, but good. A bunch of humans and robots tying to stop another apocalypse, end of the world plot headed by a evil Robot. Simple enough, yet full of adventure, jokes, twists (although predictable), and of course action packed. That's all I wanted it to be. Sometimes people don't want to think in a movie, and it's good to let your brain go off, and enjoy something close to pointless.

The acting: This was a key thing for me. the acting is almost the same from the last movie. Shia is able to do better, I know that. He was great in the Greatest Game ever played, and in Disturbia and Eagle Eye. Then again, he is talking to air, that with CGI help will turn into giant bashing robots. Megan Fox's acting seems to of improved a bit, and it is of course bearable and every now and then, I felt bad for her. But as people say, she is best when not talking, or saying short lines. Josh Duhammel seems to have improved although he was already a good actor. I can tell that he feels the pain and loss of a Autobot. Tyrese Gibson and John Turturro are great and return as well. Rounding off the previous cast is Julie White and Kevin Dunn as Sam's parents. They are full of humor, and I can do without them though. Especially in the last battle. that was just sad... and not the emotional way. The newbies are Isable Lucas, (a fine robot, plays it well), John Benjamin Heckley ( a S.O.B. without a clue.), and Ramon Rodriguez as Leo, Sam's constantly dumb and wanna be funny guy. The only funny parts he has is when he's getting verbally owned, or tased. I do not count Mathew Madson as a main character due to having just short of a small paragraph in the whole movie, which isn't bad, because I personally don't like his acting. Sorry. Overall the acting was just fine.

The Robots: The robots were kick ass, and hugely disappointing at the same time. I mean, when you spend more time on funny but not fully necessary "Twins" moire than most of robots combined it is sad. They didn't even give Arcee more than 2 or 3 lines. I was pissed! I love Arcee and she could have been such a bad ass. I liked the few scenes of Sidesweep. He was awesome. And I am glad for the attention of Optimus, but a bit too much on bringing him back to life, and not enough on how the other robots reacted to his death. Ironhide and Ratchet were robbed of their screen time as well. I understand the whole thing about Decepticons not having as much back story because there wee just so many of them. Still... tsk tsk.

The story: This is my big problem. Roberto Orci, and Alex Kurtzman have written better stuff. By far. They wrote MI3, Transformers 1, and of course Star Trek. And this isn't them. Or at least not all of it. I blame new comer Ehren Kruger. A lot of these lines are him, and I am pissed at it. I don't think the previous two would have let this pass, but they were involved so it's partially their fault, but this is not their writing. I mean, it had a lot of plot holes. Like why the hell did Optimus need Jetfires parts just to be able to stand, but after shedding them at the end, walking tall? And why the hell was the robot chick introduced? I know that it would make sense to show how advanced and cunning the Decepticons can be. But she looked so close to the evil chick in Terminator: Rise of the Machines. I just enjoyed the fact she was hot. And another thing is with their love for Bumblebee in the first film I don't think they would just forget about him like they did. I think they were so busy on other projects they couldn't contribute to this film as much. But it was still decent.

The directing: It's Michael Bay. Hot girls, explosions, mind popping action, and some love story. Nothing less than I was expecting. He was devoted and did his best. Could have been better, as he was in the first. I think there was just too much to do and so little time to do it in. I don't blame him. I think it was good.

The effects: Last but not least. I loved the effects. God Bless ILM on this one, and Digital Domain. They did their best and although at times some things would look like they were in a pixar movie in a fake background, but very rarely. It was just the fact that with all the robots, explosions, lighting and etc they had to put in this film it was hard to get everything perfect, but they did a damn good job. This will most likely get best effects, unless Avatar breaks through, which it might, having the awesome WETA on its side. We'll see.

Overall: Overall this film was good. Not as good as the first. I am sorry for that. But the box office continues to grow strong and I can only hope and pray they learn from their mistakes. This is my 3rd fave film of this year. And ya know what? That fight scene in thew woods was the definition of pure movie entertainment. That was the sickest thing I ever saw, and this is The Fallen, sending this message out to all remaining Moviewebers awaiting the third installment. I am here, and I am waiting. :)