Sidewalks On The Corner

Optimus Prime and his noble Autobots engage in the deadliest battle Earth has ever seen. “Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen” explodes on the screen in this eye popping follow up.

Follow up:

TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN
Paramount Pictures
Opening Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2009
MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action violence, language, some crude and sexual material, and brief drug material.

Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson and John Turturro

Studio Synopsis:
In the highly-anticipated “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” debuting June 24, 2009, Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) again joins with the Autobots® against their sworn enemies, the Decepticons®. Michael Bay directs from a screenplay written by Ehren Kruger & Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman.

Mikaela Banes (Megan Fox, left) and Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf, right) are once again caught up in a battle between the Autobots® and the Decepticons® in “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.”
Photo Credit: Jaimie Trueblood

What I Didn't Like:
Let me start by saying that I've been huge fan of the Transformers cartoon series since its inception. So, as I write about the flaws of “Transformers 2,” I still have love for the originals.

“Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen” is a case where the amazing visuals over shadow the story, while the machines upstaged their human counter parts. What I liked about the first 2007 film is that it focused more on the discovery of these alien machines and their purpose here on Earth. You became engaged in the story through the characters, whether they were human or mechanical. It was a slightly understated, smaller action movie. Yeah sure, the visuals were very impressive; however, that element didn't take away from the story. In the end you cared more about the characters and their journey through out the movie. I wish I could say the same for “Revenge of The Fallen.” The pressures of trying to top the first movie is apparent as the filmmakers dazzle the audience by throwing every thing … plus the kitchen sink at you. The film has an in your face attitude. The huge problem with the follow up is, it's painfully over done. Director Michael Bay and executive producer Steven Spielberg filled every square inch of the screen with robotic attack after robotic attack. This is the very reason why the story suffers, because it ends up taking a backseat to more spectacular effects.

Some of the plot points gave ridiculous, vaguely descriptive explanations. One example is when Sam (LaBeouf), Agent Simmons (Turturro), Mikaela (Fox) and Leo (Ramon Rodriguez) go looking for something called the matrix key. They need to get to Egypt in order to find it. So they all take a trip to the Smithsonian museum of Air and Space, where they resurrect a relic of a Transformer named Jetfire. He supposedly has the power to transport people or objects anywhere. The filmmakers have this attitude as if we are supposed to automatically draw our own conclusion. They treated the audience as if we knew Jetfire’s ability and telling us to just go along with it. Why wasn't this sub-plot explained before hand? Or how about the way they gain access to this key? They somehow stumble upon it after a fight breaks out between the twin robots Mudflap and Skids, which partially cracks open a wall inside an Egyptian temple. These are supposed to be the most advanced robots in the universe. Don't they have the technology to see through walls? The writers settled for the clumsiest way to explain how they were going to gain access to a key.

Some minor distasteful stereotypical issues also caught my attention concerning some particular robots. I didn't care for Mudflap and Skids with their so-called street savy attitude. One had a gold tooth and both sounded ignorant and uneducated. I guess they were supposed to represent the urban demographic: young, hip, street wise. Instead they became caricatures of themselves. Some people may find them somewhat offensive and not really necessary.

The lukewarm introductions for the new robots didn't quite hit their target either. Characters like Arcee, Mudflap and Skids are from the original series. However, unfortunately, Arcee became a disposable character. Why put Arcee in the movie at all if you're just going to kill her off. This didn't help the audience get to know the robots any better, plus they almost had no purpose.

Again, I can't say this enough, why is a film like this so dang long? If you're going to tell a story that's 144 minutes long, it better be cohesive with the plot. Instead, I felt it wondered from plot line to plot line in certain areas. As for the atmosphere, it was totally testosterone driven. For a PG-13 movie, the focus of some of the dialogue had to do with sex.

Mikaela Banes (Megan Fox) is once again caught up in a battle between the Autobots® and the Decepticons® in “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.”
Photo credit: Jaimie Trueblood

What I Did Like:
Now that I've gotten all the bad vibes off my chest, I can now talk about some good points. I liked the development of the story about the first Transformers ever to visit Earth. As in the cartoon series, the Autobots spoke of their ancestors as humans would. I found it interesting to learn that robots have a lineage. Once again, I'm highly impressed with the advanced technology used to create these machines. They are even more life like than in the first film. Their movements were much more articulate and human like. I also loved the fact that their roles were more interactive with the human characters. One of the major problems with the first “Transformers” was the shaky camera work. I'm glad to see that technique didn't spill over into this film. It's considered a staple of Michael Bay's work to make you feel as if you were experiencing the action as the characters did. I'm a quirky person, so the silly, quirky comedy and dialogue was pretty funny; especially scenes with Sam's parents are involved.

Although I enjoyed watching “Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen,” I have to say for the first time, I'm slightly dissatisfied with the second effort. I usually look forward to movies of this magnitude. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed it for its unique approach at creating a different kind of sci-fi / action movie. As I usually praise the filmmakers for job well done, not this time, as I regret to say that I'm disappointed in “Transformers 2.”

I truly thought it was going to be just as good as the first, but instead, it turned out to be a ridiculous, over blown, box office mess. With ticket prices set pretty high these days, I'm afraid I’m going to have to pass on this sequel. If I had to give this movie a grade, it would be a solid C.

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J.P. Langston is a member of "Sidewalks Entertainment" team primarily as a videographer. He loves movies, especially sci-fi horror and action comedies. Some of his favorite films include "Blade Runner" "The Matrix Trilogy," The (original) "Star Wars," "Equilibrium," "Serenity," "Kill Bill Vols 1 and 2," "Appleseed," "Unbreakable" and "Sin City." He has a large DVD collection, which is still growing. Since reviewing films for "Sidewalks," he has been expanding his palette for all types of films.