Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
Bookmark this pageTransformers: Revenge Of The Fallen (2009)
Director: Michael Bay
Movie review
From Time Out London
With this cash-cow sequel to his widely derided, hugely succesful original, Michael Bay comes closer than any director in history to boiling the blockbuster down to its most basic components: PG-violence, safe sex and special effects. And while it would be hard to make a case for ‘Revenge of the Fallen’ as ‘good’ in any normal sense of the word, it possesses such brute force that the viewer is left with two options: surrender, or suffer in silence.The first hour is essentially ‘Maxim: the Movie’, a parade of sweaty denim, product placement and gadgets, punctuated with eardrum-rupturing action and increasingly tiresome gags. The story is largely absent, as Shia LaBeouf’s Sam Witwicky heads to college, only to find himself suffering spasmodic, brain-scrambling visions which seem to have some connection to the ongoing Transformer war.
Somehow, a total absence of narrative logic doesn’t feel like an insult to the viewers’ intelligence: it’s not that the writers believe their audience are too stupid to notice the gaping holes in the plot; it’s just that they know they don’t give a damn. And Bay’s direction offers sparks of genuine invention, including a stunning break-in involving a metallic cougar and a herd of smart ball bearings.
Then somewhere around the mid point, it begins to come together. A smash-and-plunder forest battle ups the action ante, and the return of John Turturro adds a lightness of tone which is totally lacking in LaBeouf and Megan Fox. Perhaps it’s just that the sheer volume and ferocity of the thing becomes impossible to resist, but by the climactic desert conflict, in which the entire Valley of the Kings is razed to the ground, the film has become so utterly lunatic, so breathtakingly, boneheadedly brazen, that it’s easier just to give in.
Author: Tom Huddleston
Time Out London issue 2026, June 18 - 24, 2008
User reviews of this film
-
- Mat said...
-
Posted on Jun 25 2009 09:24
There were so many points during this film where i literally hung my head in my hands thinking "how are they going to make this worse?" and sure enough, Michael Bay finds a way. I actually found the film boring. Just plain boring. The action scenes on the whole worked very well, and the CGI was improved, but most if not all of the characterisation seemed to just not work very well. Prime's nobility and honour got totaly lost sometime aroind the point where he took down the giant robot in SHanghai then shot him in the head when he was already crippled. The opening shot of Megan Fox was just shameful. The twins are right up there with Jar Jar Binks as characters who just shouldn't have ever been conceived. and am I the only one thinking "so why doesn't Sam just try using the spark fragment on Prime?"
... Very disappointed. - Report as inappropriate
-
- Joe DaRosa said...
- Posted on Jun 25 2009 06:38 The high velocity moving symbols are very similar to the iq dilation concept now found on youtube as a workout for the mind.
- Report as inappropriate
-
- mar-mar said...
- Posted on Jun 25 2009 06:25 at first i thought maybe 2 hours would be way long but it was soooo good you dont even notice 2 hours have gone by... hands down LOVED IT!!!!!!!!
- Report as inappropriate
-
- john besi said...
- Posted on Jun 25 2009 05:03 the movie is awesome!!2.5hr pure entertainment,but thats movies all about.so many people forgot that.dont believe those idiots who gives this movie a low rating.probably they favorite movie is broke back mountain and shit like that...!!!!if u like action movies this is it !!!!
- Report as inappropriate
-
- Loved It said...
- Posted on Jun 25 2009 04:33 I for one, loved it for what it is... a mindless action movie meant to entertain you for 2.5 hours. CGI was awesome, the whole Prime plot was good enough, and the sheer amount of robots made it worth my $10. If you want character development and a coherent plot, rent Citizen Kane. If you want to watch a bunch of big robots kicking butt, see this. I give it 5 stars all the way.
- Report as inappropriate
-
- oilizm said...
- Posted on Jun 25 2009 02:20 Outside of special efx this movie was bad. Storyline wasn't very good. Optimus Prime never pummeled megatron like that. I was upset, however my kids loved it. If your a tranformer "realist" this movie is a disappointment, if you don't know the story and enjoy spec efx you'll enjoy. I won't even purchase it on dvd. BAAAAAAD
- Report as inappropriate
-
- Christian said...
- Posted on Jun 24 2009 23:49 in the past Michael Bay has made some terrible movies yes, but this was one of the greatest of all time. the sexual inuendos and puns were intertaining in themselves. perhaps you should remember that this was a movie about giant robots and explosions and of course a little love.
- Report as inappropriate
-
- christian said...
- Posted on Jun 24 2009 19:32 This film was beyond Great!!! Michael Bay and cast did a phenomenal job in this movie. The four hour wait for the movie was well worth it. There was an applause and the beginning and even louder applause at the end of the movie. Megan Fox was, of course jaw dropping and her acting was very good as well. I hope they make a third. Ill be in line for that one. I'll be seeing this again in IMAX. 3 thumbs up! (Best fight scene…Optimus 3 on 1 fight!) IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THIS MOVIE OR ARE NOT PLANNING TO SEE IT, YOU MAY WANT TO CHANGE YOUR MIND. THIS IS EASILY THE BEST MOVIE I HAVE EVER SEEN IN TERMS OF ACTION AND EXPLOSIONS. VERY WELL PUT TOGETHER!
- Report as inappropriate
-
- christian said...
- Posted on Jun 24 2009 19:25 This film was beyond Great!!! Michael Bay and cast did a phenomenal job in this movie. The four hour wait for the movie was well worth it. There was an applause and the beginning and even louder applause at the end of the movie. Megan Fox was, of course jaw dropping and her acting was very good as well. I hope they make a third. Ill be in line for that one. I'll be seeing this again in IMAX. 3 thumbs up! (Best fight scene…Optimus 3 on 1 fight!)
- Report as inappropriate
-
- Matt said...
- Posted on Jun 24 2009 19:09 Where to start. Like so many, I demand that even high octain explosion movies deliver a story. The reason being that in the end, what is delivered is something along the line of Terminator Salvation, dull story with not enough great special effects or well edited wizardry to justify the waste of film, time money or the hyped up desires of us poor public. HOWEVER, then come along Transformers Revenge Of The Fallen. Lets be honest, the story should have been condenced into perhaps 2 hours max and was a bit all over the place. Also, unlike the first, I really could not have given a toss about any of the characters. But here it comes, what other films like Terminator Salvation got totally wrong, this film got totally right, on the money, hit the nail on the head and so on. Amazing special effects, wonderfully realized sequences and enough C4 to keep a small continent going for a milennia. The explosions and metalic crunching just did not let up for a minute and was amazing for it. I am visiting away from my hometown and managed to get to see this in a digital projection screen. I think I may have actually had an an o####m. I have never enjoyed the cinema so much. Crystal clear screen with no fuzz, no motion blurring and audio to die for. Not only that, I think they may have cranked the volume to fully. Awesome! I think I may have lost my hearing for a few hours after. GO SEE THIS MOVIE AND EVEN BETTER SEE IT AT A DIGITAL SCREEN< BUT TAKE SOME TISSUES AND SOME FOOD TOO< AS YOU WILL PROBABLY NEVER WANT TO LEAVE THE PLACE!!!!!!
- Report as inappropriate
-
- bunchajerksslagging said...
- Posted on Jun 24 2009 00:11 people are saying it's "awesome" 'cause it's awesome - seriously, 'though. go and see for yourself.
- Report as inappropriate
-
- Kolim said...
- Posted on Jun 23 2009 16:41 Right where to begin... The action scenes and visuals are simply quite remarkable. One of the best i have seen to date. This is what Terminator Salvation should have been like. Robots that actually look like they can do some real damage. And plenty of them unlike the 1 or 2 at cybernet headquarters... headquarters i say!!! If you're after a movie which will provoke your emotions/morals then this is not it. This is a adrenaline filled fun movie which should be taken lightly. Just sit back and enjoy it, and if you really want to watch a derpressing film that much then go rent schindler's list!
- Report as inappropriate
-
- jeremy Kyle said...
- Posted on Jun 22 2009 19:10 This is the best film ever made. It is the pinnacle of human creation. Everything henceforth shall be compared to it and will be dwarfed by its greatness. Nothing can ever surpass it. A master class in how to entertain. If a film is supposed to entertain its audience, then this is the best film ever. If you did not enjoy this film you are incapable of happiness and you should be euthanised and burried immediately.
- Report as inappropriate
-
- fml said...
- Posted on Jun 22 2009 19:05 Well skip your reply, I'm assuming you're meaning emotional intelligence. What does this have to do with this film? It delivers exactly what it promises; alien robots that transform. Go watch Marley & Me you hormonal mess. Don't be jealous just 'cause your bf (and every other bloke) likes Megan Fox more than you.
- Report as inappropriate
-
- fml said...
-
Posted on Jun 22 2009 18:29
What's an EQ mimi?
Fatty. - Report as inappropriate
Cast & crew
Director: Michael Bay
Cast: John Turturro, Megan Fox, Shia LaBeouf, Ramon Rodriguez, Matthew Marsden, Tyrese Gibson, Josh Duhamel, Kevin Dunn, Julie White, Isabel Lucas full cast
Genre(s): Action/Adventure
Rated: 12A
Duration: 147 mins
UK Release: Jun 19 2009
US Release: Jun 26 2009
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
Time Out's 101 Films of the Decade
Ten years, thousands of movies and millions of dollars in international box office, and it all boils down to this
Martin Provost discusses 'Séraphine'
Trevor Johnston talks to the director of 'Séraphine' about bringing a little known French painter back to life
Our verdict on Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones
Peter Jackson ends a triumphant decade with a sentimental misfire with this lush Alice Sebold adaptation
On the set of Ken Loach's 'Route Irish'
Dave Calhoun meets Ken Loach on the set of his forthcoming Iraq war movie
Stephen Poliakoff discusses 'Glorious 39'
Stephen Poliakoff’s ‘Glorious 39’ is his first film for cinema since ‘Food of Love’ in 1997. Dave Calhoun met him
Is 'Paranormal Activity' the new 'Blair Witch'?
How does a film go from DIY experiment to box-office smash? 'Paranormal Activity' director Oren Peli explains
Steven Soderbergh on 'The Informant!' and 'The Girlfriend Experience'
We talk to Steven Soderbergh about his two forthcoming films: one featuring a porn star, the other a chubby Matt Damon
A gateway to all things 'New Moon'
In anticipation of 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon', Time Out is offering the chance to pick up a limited edition pack with three exclusive magazines and a free poster.
The films that deserve a TV spin-off
With Roland Emmerich suggesting he'd like to make a '2012' TV spin-off, we propose some more movie-to-TV serialisations
Time Out's 50 greatest animated films with commentary by Terry Gilliam
In celebration of the release of Pixar's 'Up' and Wes Anderson's 'Fantastic Mr Fox', read our rundown of fifty classic feature length animations
What do you think?
Post your review now