Transformers 2: Revenge Of The Fallen Movie Review

There is a single shot that sums up the film better than any expansive review could. In the films climax, a Decepticons to rival Godzilla attempts to climb a pyramid, the camera swoops behind the monstrosity to reveal a giant steel pair of robot testicles. This is Transformers 2 in a nut case (no pun intended). It's stupid, ridiculous, massive, loud, hard and at times hilarious.

This film it's a Michael Bay film in every sense of the phrase. It's an action film made by an action guy for other action guys and as such this review pretty much serves as an all purpose Michael Bay review. If in a couple of years time, I am reviewing Transformers 3: Return of Stupidity then I'll kindly return you back to this review as this is very similar to the original and very similar to every Michael Bay film ever made.

The story so far: Autobots and the US military have united to form NEST, an elite unit dedicated to wiping out Decepticons. But when they catch a rogue ‘bot in Shanghai, it warns that something very bad is heading for Earth: a diabolical entity known as ‘The Fallen’. The previous Macguffin (look it up) The All Spark is back as well as a completely new one to drive the story with that extra bit more pace. Overall, the less said about the story the better, it's as baffling as a story based on a toy brand should be and looking for dickensian depth is definatly not advised.

But cutting to the mechanical, over confident, chase here the main reason you are going to see Transformers is the action. You are here to see Special FX, at the top of their genre, recreate gargantuan monsters to duke it out in an over glorified robot wars match, minus the Craig Charles, and while this certainly is present is occupies the same space as a very clichéd love romance and a directorial fascination with the American Army so unnatural that Bay is often found in danger of chocking on the American Flag.

The action is superb in places, but you may often find it difficult to view what is happening as the camera flies around so schizophrenically you'll wonder whether it's being operated by a hyperactive on a sherbet IV drip. Onto the film's other major flaw, America. This film is absolutely dripping in Americanisms right from the outset when a Decepticons knocks over an American flag and is relentless from then on. In fact Bay often cuts away from the Transformers so he can ogle the camera at another fancy American military montage. What with the other bug draw of the mandatory clichéd romance the Transformers don’t get as big a look-in as they deserve

However with the flaws out of the way, the film does have it's moments chiefly with it's leading man, the ever watchable Shia La Boeuf who, like in the original, saves the film from being completely without human connectivity. He'll make you laugh and root for him, which is something Optimus Prime seems to think beneath him, and then there's the other human in it, Megan Fox. Short review: Wowzers. Long review: Woooowzers.