?Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen?
D: Michael Bay
S: Shia Labeouf, Megan Fox
MANILA, Philippines?Director Michael Bay told us at the world premiere of ?Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen? in Tokyo last week that his follow-up to 2007?s vastly entertaining duel-of-the-alien-robots blockbuster is bigger and more action-packed?and, trust us, Bay wasn?t just pulling our leg. On June 24, the long wait for the much-speculated-about sequel will be over:
Two years after helping Optimus Prime and the Autobots foil the diabolical plan of Megatron and the devious Decepticons to vanquish humanity with the cube-shaped, power-generating talisman, Allspark, Sam Witwicky (Shia Labeouf) is contentedly university-bound, looking forward to a normal, robot-free life. Unfortunately, a hero?s work is never done!
It doesn?t take long before Optimus Prime and his displaced Cybertronian colleagues ask for Sam?s help again. They are now working with Sergeants Lennox and Epps (Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson, respectively) at NEST, the covert Decepticon-detecting government agency.
Visions
The college freshman?s troubles don?t end there, however?especially after Sam starts seeing trance-inducing visions that draw his attention away from schoolwork, his webcam dates with girlfriend, Mikaela (Megan Fox), or the ego-boosting advances of the lovely Alice (Isabel Lucas), the campus beauty who turns out to be?well, find out for yourself.
Worse, a small piece of the banished Allspark resurfaces, giving the revived Megatron, Starscream and the Fallen?an apocalyptic, god-like Transformer with a score to settle?good reason to hope for a rematch against the Autobots!
The Transformers? extensive 25-year-old mythology can be confoundingly daunting, but viewers don?t really need an encyclopedic knowledge of the 2,000-plus robots in their universe to enjoy the movie. But, if you?re familiar with the popular ones (notably Soundwave and the Constructicons), you?ll have a grand time ?sight-seeing? and gawking at the state-of-the-art technology that brings the metallic shape-shifters to almost-organic cinematic life.
42 robot characters
The movie features 42 robot characters?25 of them new ones. Our top choices: The amusingly naughty WALL-E-like Decepticon, Wheelie; the probing Insecticons; the AutoboTwins, Skids and Mudflap; the hilariously senile Jetfire; the human-shifting Pretenders; the ?female? robot, Arcee, with the Combiners; the 120-foot, gorilla-like Devastator, and Bumblebee.
The stories of Bay?s adrenaline-fueled features may not be all that plausible or original, but the guy knows how to entertain. He specializes in deafening explosions staged with high-tech savvy and eye-blink efficiency, and utilizes good-looking, charismatic actors (Labeouf, Fox), striking visual gags, as well as bigger-than-usual physical comedy to soften the film?s action sequences.
Our quibbles: The movie is half an hour longer than it should be (the Japan version clocked in at two hours and 27 minutes), and, toward the end, its actors take the back seat to the robots and the production?s special effects.
However, if it?s eye-popping, edge-of-your-seat action you want, ?Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen? is one roller-coaster ride you don?t want to miss!
