Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen definitely shows that Michael Bay put a lot of time, effort, and money into the visual effects of the movie. However, several essential aspects of a great film were sadly missing in this sorry attempt at a movie. This includes, but certainly is not limited to script, directing, acting, and pacing. The movie was an excruciatingly painful 2 hours and 30 minutes long, but feels so much longer. The plot never develops and what little plot that is there feels like it could have been settled in about 80 minutes.


The movie goes a little like this...Sam Witwicky goes off to college and has to leave his girlfriend Mikaela Banes. This leads to lots of chemistry-less scenes and extremely agrivating cameras spinning around them as they embrace one another and try to convince the audience that they are a believable couple and that the audience should have an interest in them. While at college Sam gets seduced by a blonde girl and his car follows him and this leads to Sam and the Autobots fighting against the Decepticons. This leads to the longest Transformers battle, which gets tiring unbelievably quickly. Interest gets lost in the movie about half way through when you look at your watch and realize that its just barely half over.


It's really should be no surprise to anyone that in 2 weeks it has become the highest grossing movie of 2009. After all it has an attractive cast and plenty of special effects driven action. And apparently that what the masses want.


The two stars of the latest "Transformers", Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox give highly forgettable performances. It seems like LaBeouf has just gone from a typecasted Disney kid to a typecasted action star. He shows absolutely no depth to the character and there is simply no reason to care about him and his new college life and several transformers battles. Any young actor could have played Sam Witwicky. Megan Fox, who plays Sam's girlfriend, Mikaela, fared even worse. It is obvious that she was cast solely on looks. It appears that she should be modeling somewhere instead of trying to be an actress because the result is just embarassing. All of her line deliveries just feel unnatural and contrived. Actorwise the only performance that gets anywhere near good is John Turturro, who played Agent Simmons. He managed to take mediocre lines and make them seem not that bad.


Some good special effects, a few relatively amusing lines, intense action, and Megan Fox do not make "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" worth the money or time to go and see it. Almost no plot, tiring action sequences, and no character development or believability makes this one of the worst movies to have such impressive ticket sales. I suggest avoiding the movie at all cost...or just watch the trailer 100 times...since thats the movie...just condensced. And knowing Hollywood a third installment is probably in talks as I am typing this.  0 stars.

-Joseph Sbrilli

Alternate Review: ROBOT HEAVEN?!?!?!?! REALLY?!?! REALLY MICHAEL BAY?!?! REALLY?!?! Grade: D

-Christopher O'Connell