Second ‘Transformers’ narrowly tops first
By JEFFREY WESTHOFF sidetracks@nwherald.com
How many committees did it take to come up with the subtitle for the “Transformers” sequel?
As a phrase, “Revenge of the Fallen” lacks urgency. If they are “fallen,” how threatening can their vengeance be? The title conjures the notion that the sequel’s first 10 minutes will feature all the robots defeated in the first movie saying, “Hey, buddy, could you help me up so I can have my revenge?”
As it turns out, “fallen” is a bit more than an adjective. It is the name of a new character, the Transformers’ version of Lucifer, the ancient, all-powerful ruler of the Decepticons who, for hastily explained reasons, wasn’t quite all-powerful enough to appear in the first movie.
The Decepticons, you may recall, are the bad race of robots that can disguise themselves as cars, trucks, construction equipment and what have you (construction equipment is a favorite in the sequel).
The good robots are the Autobots, led by sometimes Peterbilt cab Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen, reprising his role from the 1980s cartoon).
In the two years since the first film, the Autobots and an elite military unit called the NEST have joined forces to hunt down stray Decepticons. Man and truck, fighting side-by-side, ridding the world of robot evil.
Meanwhile, the first film’s young hero, Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf), wants nothing more to do with giant robots, not even his devoted yellow Camaro, Bumblebee (who still communicates through song snippets coming from his stereo). Sam just wants to head to the East Coast, become a normal college freshman and carry on a long-distance relationship with hot girlfriend Mikaela (Megan Fox).
While packing, though, Sam discovers he still has a sliver from that magical cube called the Allspark.
When he touches it, mysterious symbols appear in his head and he feels compelled to paint them on walls like the guy in “A Beautiful Mind.” In most scripts it wouldn’t be long until the Decepticons are after the information in Sam’s head, but in “Revenge of the Fallen” it is long. More than an hour passes before anyone remembers Sam might be an important part of the plot. A load of pointless filler, mostly dumb jokes, intervenes.
It’s hard to believe two of this script’s authors, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, also were responsible for the streamlined narrative of “Star Trek,” certainly the sharpest and most fun special effects bonanza of the summer. But that film was directed by J.J. Abrams and “Revenge of the Fallen” is directed by Michael Bay. Both love visual stimuli: Vibrant colors, quick cuts and an ever-moving camera. But Abrams has a zeal for a good story, and Bay has a zeal for overkill.
Like a lot of sequels, Bay’s follow-up to his first film is the original turned up a notch. It is longer and louder, with more explosions, more robots and more exotic locations. However, with the origin story out of the way, the sequel is more coherent than the original. The action sequences aren’t just special effects shots jumbled together any more, and the movie has flashes of genuine wit. In the few times LeBeouf and Fox are allowed to banter, they enjoy playing off each other. There’s also one very funny joke about a Transformer who visited Earth during the Stone Age.
Overall, though, Bay’s sense of humor is callow, and he spoils this sequel’s potential by letting his frat-boy sensibilities loose. He sees minor characters as targets for cheap, cruel jokes. We get too many gags about Sam’s ultra-square parents (Kevin Dunn and Julie White), including a circa 1978 sequence where Mom accidentally eats a hash brownie. Bay also stumps for laughs three times with footage of dogs having sex. Four if you count the little robot that humps Fox’s leg.
All this is Bay being Bay, but you have to question the motives of Hasbro. The company is marketing its toys through a film that contains language and humor inappropriate for children 13 and younger.
As often as the characters run and scream and jump into speeding cars and throw themselves from exploding buildings, they seldom advance the plot. When a new Transformer (disguised a SR-71 Blackbird) is introduced at the 90-minute mark to deliver five minutes of exposition, you know the closing credits are a long way off. Eventually the characters converge in the Middle East for a geographically confused showdown in which the pyramids and the Sphinx have moved to Jordan.
As with the first film, the oddest thing about the sequel is how the Transformers play such minor roles in their own movies. Good guys and bad guys are difficult to tell apart, and most of the “characters” are simply General Motors product placements.
The Transformers introduced in this film either have no personality or too much of it. Bickering twin Autobots named Mudflap and Skids are the obnoxious new comic relief. It’s supposed to be funny that they talk like gangstas from the hood (“pop a cap,” etc.) but they sound like Robin Williams doing a Snoop Dogg routine (both are voiced by SpongeBob SquarePants himself, Tom Kenny).
Sadly, Jar Jar Binks has set a precedent. Racial stereotypes are still permissible as long as they’re played by computer-generated aliens.
“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”
2 stars
Rated PG-13 for brief drug material, intense sequences of science-fiction violence, intense sequences of science-fiction action, language and crude and sexual material
Running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Written by Ehren Kruger, Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman
Directed by Michael Bay
Starring Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, John Turturro, Josh Duhamel
