Movie Review: ‘Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen’ brings incredible visual effects plus comic relief

Sam Witwicky (played by Shia LaBeouf) is off to college and just wants to lead a normal life. That includes leaving behind his Chevrolet Camaro, better known as the little brother of the Autobots—Bumblebee.

Sam Witwicky (played by Shia LaBeouf) is off to college and just wants to lead a normal life. That includes leaving behind his Chevrolet Camaro, better known as the little brother of the Autobots—Bumblebee. Bumblebee is hurt that he can’t go with Sam regardless of freshmen not being allowed to have cars, Sam’s girlfriend Mikaela Banes (played by Megan Fox) can’t get Sam to say he loves her after two years in a relationship and his mother Judy Witwicky (played by Julie White) is having a fit about her child leaving home.

While Sam is trying to calm everyone down when he leaves and lead an ordinary life, he finds more wackiness in his new roommate Leo Spitz (played by Ramon Rodriguez).

In the meantime, the Autobots never left Earth due to the destruction of Allspark to their homeland, Cybertron. They are now working with the military in a top secret organization called NEST with field commanders Major Lennox (played by Josh Duhamel) and USAF Master Sergeant Epps (played by actor and R&B artist Tyrese Gibson) and are getting rid of the Decepticons, the enemies of the Autobots. But National Security Advisor Theodore Galloway (played by John Benjamin Hickey) thinks the Autobots are more trouble than they are help, and he believes that if the Autobots left, then the Decepticons would leave too. Optimus Prime, the leader of the Autobots, hesitantly agrees to leave if the human race really wants the Autobots too, but he warns them that if humans are left defenseless against the Decepticons, they may be in danger. And as one Autobot said: “This fool is terribly misinformed.”

And although Sam knows the Autobots are still on Earth, he’s determined to disassociate himself with the knowledge of them since they are now being regarded as an urban myth.

However, when Bumblebee shows up to a college party unexpectedly, Sam meets up with Optimus Prime who tries to make Sam rethink his decision. When Sam still refuses to cooperate, Optimus Prime leaves him with this response: “Fate rarely calls upon us at a moment of our choosing.” With that remark and Sam’s inability to concentrate in class because visions of unique symbols are overpowering his memory, Sam finally gives.

An ancient world of Transformers lived thousands of years before the Autobots came to Earth, and they were called the Dynasty of Primes. Using energy from stars with a weapon called the Sun Harvester, the energy was converted to Energon to empower the Allspark. While the Primes were previously content to leave Earth alone, one Prime brother called “the Fallen” created a Sun Harvester on Earth in 17,000 B.C.E. Sam soon learns (along with the Autobots and the Decepticons) that Sam holds the secret to the location of the key, the Matrix of Leadership, to empower this Sun Harvester, and the Fallen wants it back. There goes college life for Sam.

Considering “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” is a sequel to the science fiction movie “Transformers,” based on the Marvel Comics comic books and the animated television series, viewers who are familiar with the Transformers’ history may understand the two films a bit more. There are obviously going to be some far-fetched moments coming to life and, as with any action movie, scenes where characters should’ve died long ago.

But the visual effects, animation and the music make audience members sit on the edges of their seats. And if that doesn’t get them, the comic relief will. Frontrunner Bumblee’s musical communication is always a treat, especially with his feelings about the aggressive female student Alice (played by Isabel Lucas) pursuing Sam. The quirky Autobot twins Skids and Mudflap tearing up Egypt with sibling rivalry get a few chuckles too. And with memorable lines like: “What you’re about to see is top secret. Do not tell my mother,” how could you not like this film?

I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

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Copyright 2009 Chicago Defender. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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