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Movie review: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen 7.75 out of 10
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Shia LaBeouf in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, phot by Paramount Pictures
7.75 out of 10
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen rates a 7.75 out of 10. As usual, this review will be as spoiler-free as possible. Let’s look at the Good, the Bad, and the Bottom Line.
The Good
When this movie was good, it was very good. The film was another visual work of art just like the first one in the series. The fight scenes may have moved a tad too fast to pick up every movement, but slow motion was used for the ultra cool stuff. Plus, that gives more enjoyment the next time you watch it as you may pick up subtle things that you missed the first time around.
Shia LaBeouf was fantastic. Who would have ever thought that cute little kid from Disney’s “Even Steven” would turn out to be such a well-rounded talent? He had to show quite a range in this film and did so very well. Megan Fox was nice to look at as usual, and fortunately, didn’t have enough lines to hurt any of LaBeouf’s magic (she stuck to the slow motion running with a tight shirt that looked like it was having a tough time surviving the action). Newcomer Ramon Rodriguez, playing Sam Witwicky’s (LaBeouf) new college roommate Leo, did a fine job with his character, but he was mostly just a vehicle to explain transitions in the plot, and was good for a couple laughs. The supporting cast played their roles well also, which included John Turturro and Rainn Wilson.
The fight sequences and “transforming” scenes were all done incredibly well. The Transformers were fighting very much like humans would both when using weapons and when fighting hand to hand. Digital technology has come a long way and “Transformers 2” used it beautifully.
Most of the new Transformers to be added to the cast this time around were good. Probably the most impressive would have to be Devastator, an incredibly large multiple vehicle Decepticon. It’s a shame this character’s screen time was very short, but the role he played really did call for a short, climatic appearance.
The Bad
It’s a shame to have to get on the “critics criticizing Michael Bay” bandwagon because he has directed some great movies including the first Transformers, but he added a LOT of completely unnecessary and rather juvenile elements to the film.
There will be a couple very minor spoilers to follow, but nothing that has to do with the plot, but rather a couple descriptions of these unnecessary elements.
In a film packed full of awesome action and some great dialogue comedy, why do we have to see things like dogs dry-humping each other TWICE and even a small Transformer doing the same to Megan Fox’s leg? Michael, can I call you Michael? There is plenty of comedy in the film and have some faith in your boy Shia to carry that load. He did it very well. And let’s talk about the Transformer “twins” that got a huge amount of screen time (almost as much as Bumblebee, and probably more than Optimus Prime). These two characters were a couple of annoying, stereotypical, cliché driven knuckleheads. Really, a gold tooth on a Transformer…give us a break! And what about when Sam’s mom ate “weed brownies.” There was NO POINT to any part of that scene. The plot was not advanced, characters were not developed (we already knew his mom was a flake), and it was Sam’s mom…who cares! Are we such a juvenile audience that we can’t sit through a movie without these cheap laughs? And, don’t be mistaken, that’s exactly what they were. When these scenes came up, there were plenty of laughs, but these were unnecessary, childish gimmicks in an otherwise fantastic film. Oh yeah, and if those were the only scenes like this, it may have been more tolerable. But, there were more.
The movie was 2 hours and 24 minutes long. Here’s a simple solution to give yourselves a 10 out of 10: cut out about 24 minutes of these pointless, childish scenes and you have a truly amazing 2 hour film.
The Bottom Line
See this movie in theaters. A special effects heavy film like this is best appreciated on the big screen. It is still a very good movie, and fun to watch. It’s tough for a sequel to do better than an original, but this one dropped the ball a little. It could have easily built on the momentum of the first and taken it to another level, but settled for a solid action/comedy with some childish humor for some of the laughs.
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Here is some information about films coming out in 2010.
Check out some reviews:X-men Origins: Wolverine, Angels & Demons, Terminator Salvation, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, Star Trek, Land of the Lost, The Hangover, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 and Year One.
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