Exceptional is the word which most appropriately describes Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen, the latest summer blockbuster from director Michael Bay in association with Dreamworks and Paramount studios. Everything about this movie is special — from the breathtaking CG effects, to the $60 plus million in gross revenue taken in on opening day.
The movie begins with the comforting and inviting purr of Optimus Prime’s voice, and immediately the theater rustles with sounds of approval. Soon the entire audience is on the edge of its seats.
Never before have I witnessed more articulately crafted effects and action sequences in a movie — or anywhere for that matter. When you add a childhood love of the Transformer toys to the seemingly never-ending possibilities brought to the film through CG animation and put them on a 60’ IMAX screen in Dolby Surround sound, you have a recipe guaranteed to please.
Sam, played by Shia LaBeouf, returns as a college freshman barely able to pack and leave home, let alone complete his first day of school, before he is attacked by robots and courted by the hottest Decepticon ever imagined. (Thank you computer nerds.)
Scene after scene, Transformers trades action for more action and only occasionally slows down for plot points. The storyline is easy to follow but not the strongest point of the film. Michael Bay allows his audience to run alongside yet another inter-galactic battle for the Earth between good and evil.
After the destruction of the Cube in the first installment of the film, the evil Decepticons return to earth searching for yet another energy source. This time the energy is needed to power an ancient machine, lost ages ago on Earth, that creates the lifeblood the robots need to survive. Ironically, this machine is fueled by Earth’s main energy source — the sun.
Sam and his entourage, including his girlfriend Mikaela, played by Megan Fox, and his roommate Leo, played by Ramon Rodriguez, tag along with a special branch of the military allied with the good-natured Autobots. They find themselves looking for the energy source known as the matrix. Sam needs the matrix in order to restore the only warrior who can prevent the Decepticons from destroying the planet.
The movie brings back all of your favorite characters from the first Transformers movie and adds a few new ones, who deliver a dose of comic relief to the film.
While many of the jokes are crude, the reaction of the audience was positive. Parents be warned, the script pushes the limit of the PG-13 rating.
Transformers 2 is a little long, running a full two and a half hours, but never boring. The special effects are the best I’ve ever
seen and will raise the bar of what is possible. This is a must see movie, especially if you are looking for a good reason to get out of the sweltering heat.
July 3rd 2009 - 11:54AM