June 2009
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Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (12a)
Posted 15th June 2009

Inevitably a sequel must go bigger. Doesn’t necessarily result in better. Unfortunately that is the case with Revenge of the Fallen.

After the impact of the five-star first film, a follow-up to Transformers was always going to have it hard trying to recreate the sheer unadulterated, no-shame, big screen blockbuster brilliance. The original arrived with lots of fanfare but little expectation: a film, based on an 80s kids cartoon series, based on a toy line, something of an unknown proposition. Part two, however, has the weight of an approving world of cinemagoers and an anticipation-building publicity campaign before it (those trailers rocked out with their cogs out).

What has happened could be termed The Pirates of the Caribbean effect: the stakes have been upped with everything pushed just one step beyond. Bigger budget, better effects. Returning characters (some unnecessarily shoehorned – stand up John Turturro’s Agent Simmons and Josh Duhamel & Tyrese’s soldier characters), new characters (some not used enough or well enough – prime, yup I’ve gone there, suspect Devastator. Wasted). Universe-expanding themes, threads for future films. Overly convoluted plot, open-ended ending. Basically, there’s more of everything that results in an entertaining but patchy film that doesn’t come close to its nigh-on perfect predecessor.

The story picks up two years after the events of ‘Formers 1. Optimus and the Autobots have formed an elite peace-keeping unit alongside Special Ops soldiers (Duhamel & Tyrese) under the command of the US Government, tracking down and destroying any rogue Deception threat to Earth. Meanwhile, Sam (Shia LaBeouf) has finished school and is about to head off to College, leaving Bumblebee and Mikaela (Megan Fox) behind to their individual chagrins. But when Sam finds a fragment of the Allspark, all their best laid plans will be thrown into chaos.

For what none of them realise is that a new and more dangerous threat looms large under the leadership of new foe The Fallen, the original Decepticon. Searching for another long-lost power source on Earth (that old chestnut), Sam’s shard may just prove to be the key, once again putting our reluctant hero in the Deception’s firing line and threatening the fragile peace between the two alien races and the very existence of us all.

Sound familiar? That’s because unfortunately this sequel’s storyline is essentially a retread of the first with some National Treasure-style plot gubbins thrown in. Whether this is down to the rush to release a follow-up as quickly as possible to the surprisingly sublime and successful original or a symptom of the writer’s strike affecting the screenplay process or simply a lack of interesting and involving stories available to the live-action Transformers world is open for debate. What isn’t is that Revenge of the Fallen falls short purely because of this lapse in narrative control, because the visuals are as good if not better.

The action is unbelievable, the opening showdown in Shanghai a stimulating adrenaline-whetter for the sheer brilliance that is to come: Prime’s rescue of Sam and the preceeding three Decepticons-on-Optimus fight midway through the film and the the multi-robot war movie-style smackdown at the movie’s climax. Of course to realise all this spectacle the special-effects have progressed exponentientially from the industry-best they already were, meaning we actually get to not only see the transformations in even more detail (which will never get old by the way, but we need more of the old-skool transforming sound to accompany please) but all the beautifully-rendered bot-on-bot action-smaction through a steady camera this time. What a difference a couple of years of technological advancements makes. Nothing will come close to the likes of it this summer, this calendar year or possibly even the next, so good are these set-pieces on display.

But despite this retina-scorching, heart attack-inducing level of dynamic and energising action, Revenge is always brought crashing back down to Earth by the problems unaddressed in its script. It is too ambitious, trying to add too many characters, most of which are superfluous sidekicks (Ramon Rodriguez’ squealing Leo/the Mater-based Autobot twins Mudflap and Skids), to proceedings that push the more interesting ones into the background so that they are almost totally squandered (Bumblebee, especially), as well as trying to integrate too many silly plot ideas and theories for what should really be a simple A-to-B man & good robots versus evil robots story. We don’t need prophecies and ancient origins and college hi-jinks and MacGuffin’s galore thank you, just big machines hitting other big machines with some identifiable humans involved in there somewhere.

There is also not enough character progression, criminal considering that the strength of the first film was the balance of the human side that off-set the Bayhem, The Beef’s Sam running through the exact same issues and range of emotions as before as he goes from reluctance to acceptance, whilst Megan Fox fares even worse as her once resourceful and ballsy Mikaela is reduced to a token thankless girlfriend character. Yes, she still looks all kinds of stellar hotness, but where’s the brains and bravery gone that augmented that beauty to make her a big budget, big screen role model for girls quite unlike any other? Of course, this underwriting in their characters impacts upon their performances. They might not quite stoop so low as to phone it in, but they’re also not asked to try that hard neither.

The mixture of comedy to action and drama has also got all skewed. Before there were plenty of well-judged laughs to increase the human aspect of the story. Now we get pantomime versions of Sam’s parents and OTT kiddie-aimed ‘toon ‘bots that aim for the lowest common denominator laughs. Perhaps a touch of the latter Lucas-disease creeping into Bay’s usually more adult-aimed filmmaking? This may be a franchise based on a toy line but you still have to consider the big geeks kids that are going to bring in at least as much revenue surely?

So that’s seven negatively-focused paragraphs to one solitary positive. In a three-and-a-half star reviewed film. The balance of that is almost as off as Revenge of the Fallen itself. But its all about context. This is a perfectly-fine summer blockbuster and viewed solely in that way is something to consume and enjoy. But as a follow-up to one of the best blockbusters of all-time (no hyperbole, at least from my perspective), it has to go down as something of a disappointment. It’s nowhere near as pure as a product and is unquestionably a victim of its own excesses.

But my Prime, when its good, its really good and still well worth seeing on the big screen for the flawless ILM-effects and Bayhemous battle scenes (in fact go IMAX if you can. That. Will. Be. MASSIVE). Just don’t go expecting anything on par with the original or you’ll only end up disappointed. And next time, because there will be a next time, can we have a little more thought, a bit more focus and a lot more Bumblebee, Starscream. Megatron, Optimus and the originals please Mr. Bay and then you might just get your five-stars back in return?

*** (and a half)