Seen on: June 24, 2009

The players: Director: Michael Bay, Writers: Ehren Kruger, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Tyrese Gibson, John Turturro

Facts of interest: None, really.

The plot: Decepticons try to seek revenge and destroy mankind, but Sam Witwicky and the Autobots try everything they can to stop the bad robots and restore peace.

Our thoughts: Michael Bay’s “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” is by far one of the most ridiculous action flicks I’ve ever seen. Here’s a sequel so explosive, so loud and so totally chaotic, I found myself completely unable to focus on what the heck was actually going down on the big screen. In the end, it was quite an exhausting experience.

If “Fallen” succeeds at one thing, it’s beating its predecessor in pretty much everything except quality. The film just wants to be so much bigger than any other action film out there, and it does whatever it takes to reach this goal. In short, get ready for an overload of brainless robot battles, tons of pointless explosions, and countless close-up shots of Megan Fox’s lips.

The most terrifying thing about “Revenge of the Fallen” is its lack of a decent story line. Whereas the first film did a fairly solid job at introducing audiences to the lead characters and following them on a rather intriguing adventure, the sequel doesn’t have anything to offer story-wise. I mean, all you get to see for 150 minutes are confusing CGI duels between good and evil.

As the movie opens, the Decepticons are gearing up for a destructive revenge against the Autobots and their human allies. Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) is obviously the center of attention, primarily because he’s the only one who possesses the information the Decepticons need to obtain ultimate power and destroy Earth.

And so the repetitive cat-and-mouse game begins, with Optimus Prime and his gang of good robots trying everything to protect Sam from the claws of the Fallen and Megatron. Sam, however, doesn’t get in on much of the action this time. On the contrary, he spends the majority of the film running and hiding from danger.

Over-the-top blockbusters can of course be enjoyable to experience, but the trouble with Bay’s sequel is that most of the action sequences are highly monotonous and not at all suspenseful. Autobots finish off Decepticons, and Decepticons trash Autobots, and while it’s easy to guess who will be the ultimate winner, it’s mostly impossible to even distinguish good guys from bad guys during the battles.

Despite the shallow plot and lack of innovation, “Revenge of the Fallen” is not entirely boring. The film’s action sequences are obviously fast-paced, and all the noise accompanying these scenes should keep most cinemagoers awake. And to Bay’s credit, he’s a dab hand at creating films that at least look awesome and boast superb visuals.

Freaky quote: "Bumblebee, just hear me out okay. You know freshmen aren't allowed to have cars, that's all it is. It is best for both of us." – Shia LaBeouf

The final word: “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” is an unemotional, overblown and simplistic sequel that failed to impress me. That said, the monstrous explosions and hectic robot battles will certainly satisfy many cinemagoers, and I’m sure the film will crush the box office and maybe even outperform its predecessor.

Article by Franck Tabouring