FILM FREAK: 3 and a half buckets
MOVIE GEEK'S REVIEW:
All right, I'm not going to try to convince you that this sequel to "Transformers" is any good. Before you even see it, you already know whether or not you're going to enjoy the experience.
Remember that we're talking about a movie based on Japanese toys, for crying out loud, so you're not going to experience anything on a Shakespearian level. I can't believe that some critics are mortified because this movie lacks any story structure.
Let's face it, all these movies are, and need to be, are scenes of big freaking robots smashing each other to piles of junk metal. I don't care that there really isn't a cohesive narrative to go along with this film. That's not what I'm in the theater to see.
All I care about seeing is Optimus Prime beating the excrement out of all the bad Transformers. And Michael Bay certainly delivers that -- big time.
I could go over the plot, but why bother? Shia LaBeuof reprises his role as Sam Witwicki, and he gets entangled once again in the ongoing battle between the Autobots and Decepticons. That's really all you need to know.
Director Michael Bay films this movie with such distinct focus on action that it's painfully obvious he doesn't want viewers to linger and/or dwell on anything that has happened. If a viewer does pause to reflect, they'll start scratching their head, saying "Hey wait a minute, that didn't make any sense!"
Although I'm sure I lost some brain cells while watching this spectacular fireworks show, it's perfect. The only thing that could've made this film better was if there were no humans at all, just robots.
Look, this movie was made for geeks like me, and you will know straight up from the trailers if it was made for a person like yourself.
4 buckets.
FILM FREAK'S REVIEW:
You're probably thinking the same thing I was before seeing "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen." Didn't Megatron die in the first movie? How does he come back to life for this one and why?
Some critics probably have issue with that. However, I say that you would have to be a fan to understand how all that works.
The Transformers franchise is fun and entertaining. Period!
I do wish they had kept more of the main formula that worked so well in the first film. Although Shia Labeuof (Sam Witwicky) is still awesome for this role, his part is less comical and more mission-related.
Surprisingly, his parents, played by Kevin Dunn and Julie White, gained a bit more face time, and in some cases, White's characterization of Judy Witwicky steals the show.
The fight sequences are bigger and better, but my only real problem was with the little things that weren't necessary.
There are Twin Autobots that were given stereotypical attributes that were funny for the most part, but a bit over the top in others. There were also other characters that seemed rather annoying or just made me think "are you kidding me?"
As long as you understand what Transformers is, this blockbuster is well worth seeing.
3.5 buckets
