Come on critics… it’s not THAT bad
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
Rating: 
You are either going to really enjoy this movie, or you are going to hate it. If you liked the first Transformers movie, then I simply don’t see how you are going to hate this one. However, there are several things that continue to annoy me about it.
First, there is the constant profanity all movie long. Actors and bots use words I haven’t heard in a PG-13 movie for a long time. It’s like they looked at the list of profanity allowed under that rating and used every single word at least once. This is NOT a movie to take children to! Wake up parents and actually check out a movie before you decide to take your 5 or 6-year-olds (like I witnessed).
Second, there is the Decepticon (bad robot) that looks like a human. Why? The plot point related to that robot: (a) did not require a suddenly new type of robot that completely changes “the game” (and by the way, ended up pointless anyway), (b) didn’t need to exist in the first place.
Third, there were so many bajillion plot threads that ultimately one has to realize there really is no point other than setting up more cool battle scenes.
This is where my internal rating struggle comes in. The special effects attain a new level of astounding compared with anything remotely recent. Sadly, with the trashing the movie took from critics, I expect it won’t win an Oscar for special effects. It should. Unbelievable… the effects don’t stop for two hours until what one critic called the final pause at the end to setup the next sequel. I wanted to give this movie a 4 or 5-star rating for the pure eye candy (the effects… not the girls ;), but there are simply too many other problems.
Like the crazy mom… or the ridiculously stupid idea for a roommate… or the two Autobots made out to be complete idiots (which are ALMOST as annoying as Jar Jar Binks)… or the needless setup just so they could use the word “scrotum.” I don’t remember a movie employing that word since Short Circuit.
Anyway, here are a couple of my favorite quotes from critics that sum it up pretty well.
…there’s no time to digest anything going on or in anyway connect with it because (Michael) Bay just HAS to show you something else… right now. -Kevin A Ranson (MovieCrypt.com)
Works perfectly for a guy with an undiagnosed case of ADD, like me. ;)
It is as if Michael Bay was saying “You think I’ve blown stuff up before? Ha-ha. Wait till you see this. -Ben Mankiewicz (At the Movies)
And that right there is why Jake needs to go see the movie NOW. :)
Ok, one final note. I grew up with Transformers. I had tons of these around the house. It was a sad day in adulthood when I found out (or maybe was just reminded) that we sold them years ago in garage sales. Michael Bay has really brought that old TV show to life. I remember the first time my brother and I saw the Constructicons combine into a single massive robot. To relive that again in the epic depiction in this movie was a very fun moment. This movie is for those of us still not quite grown up from those years. So what if the plot changes every few seconds during the movie? That’s exactly what the TV show was like… they reinvented the back story practically every episode, lol. Why not do it several times in a single movie? ;)
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