The Rough Cut
Written by Kevin Terpstra
Review of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
The new film from Michael Bay contained everything a cliché Michael Bay film needs: amazing CGI, non-stop action, and beautiful cinematography. Opening on a revelation (turns out the robots have been on Earth for thousands of years), the film cuts right into the action and there are few scenes in which the high-octane intensity is not present. Since the first film, Starscream has [temporarily] usurped the mantle of leader of the Decepticons. Now, there are more Autobots living among the humans, acting to defeat the remaining Decepticons, who are searching for something big. The enemy this time around is The Fallen, an ex-Prime bent on attaining massive power (hm, this is a new concept). Unfortunately for Mr. Bay, a good film goes beyond awesome FX and ever present action. The overall story was relatively shallow and the presentation seemed forced, made even more subpar by less than stellar performances. In case you were wondering; no, Megan Fox still cannot act and yes, Shia LaBeouf still overacts. After the first film, Michael Bay promised more robots in the second one, and he doesn’t fail to deliver. The only problem is that none of the new bots are memorable from the original TV show. No one cares about Arcee, nor do I expect anyone to even remember Mudflap or Skids. Now, don’t get me wrong. Just because I’m ripping this film a new anal cavity doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it. I greatly enjoyed myself and found this film to be a satisfying viewing experience. Bay does play up the comedy (mostly through Mudflap and Skids) a little too much, but the laughs are well worth the redundancy. Based on a five star scale, I am awarding Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen three stars.
Official Rough Cut Review
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – 3/5 stars
