Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen

I waited a couple of weeks to see Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen. I wasn’t a big fan of the first film and I don’t like it when CGI is the star of a movie. I prefer a film with a good story, first, and good acting, second. Good acting can elevate a mediocre script, but a good story can be told with sock puppets and still be a good story. It’s best when all the elements come together.

After watching Transformers, I have to say, that for the most part, I really liked it. I didn’t care about the robots fighting; I’ll leave that stuff for the boys. But I really enjoyed the human counterparts. I found Shia LaBeouf hysterical. His manic performance was so well done that part of the time you were concerned for his well being, and the other time you were laughing at his comic reactions. I felt that his timing was impeccable. He gave a well-crafted, finely nuanced, performance and I was really impressed.

Another favorite performance of mine was Julie White, as Shia LaBeouf’s mom. She took a clichéd character, the over-protective mom, and made it all her own. She was hilarious from the very first moment and every time she appeared on the screen, I sat up and paid attention. I couldn’t wait to see what ridiculous thing she would do. Kevin Dunn was also funny as the father, but he, all to often, had to play the straight man. What an excellent team they made.

Megan Fox was pretty much relegated to posing for pin-up posters. I’m not kidding! Her opening shot had her sprawled over a motorcycle with a wrench in her hand. It looked like the calendar in my mechanic’s garage. I swear! I’ve seen that picture before. When she wasn’t posing, she was running, or driving a car. Talk about a guy film. Megan did show some acting ability though, when she got a chance. It’s not her fault she’s gorgeous. Give the girl a break.

As far as the Transformers go, I found them to be overdone and too much. According to the butt-o-meter, this film was too long. A 7-year-old boy may be thrilled to see all the different bots, but I could care less. They dragged the story down. The back-story and exposition was just too lengthy. We didn’t need so many characters.

Other than being too long and having too many Transformers, I really enjoyed the film. I am however, going to recommend that you go to a matinee. If you go to a later show, you may fall asleep in-between action scenes. It is that long.

Rating: Bargain Matinee Don’t eat a heavy lunch beforehand, this movie is fun, but long