Transformers 2


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The UK's Leading fantasy & horror film festival.

The Empire Cinema, Leicester Square, London 27th to 31st August 2009

It's so good it's scary - The Guardian

The premiere event of the year for horror fans - Time Out

Directed by Michael Bay. Starring Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Rainn Wilson, Tyrese, Josh Duhamel, Isabel Lucas. Action/Adventure, USA, 140 min. Web Site.

The most innovative blockbuster of 2007 was mega-maestro Michael Bay’s TRANSFORMERS that redefined the words loud, massive and product placement.

Now it’s Toys R Bust! Virtually more of the same as before, just nowhere near as impressive or seminally ground-breaking in feeling, the latest in Bay’s over-long CGI ostentatious offerings piles on the heavy metal noise, the mind-numbing spectacle and epic explosions. REVENGE OF THE FALLEN is unquestionably a super-slick sequel yet it’s a completely soulless fantasy demolition derby. Before it didn’t matter the (rip-off ET template) story was painted in the purest of cartoon broad-strokes, or that the Hasbro franchise Autobot mythology was all over the place, or that you could hardly hear the dialogue for the deafening soundtrack. Now that initial ‘wow’ factor has subsided in terms of the consummate animation strides made by the first film those basics do matter. A lot. This time Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) uncovers the secret 17,000 BC history of the Transformers presence on Earth to save mankind from an ancient threat: the first ever Decepticon, named The Fallen, buried in Egypt. So all the returning cast, girlfriend Mikaela Barnes (Megan Fox), Sector 7 agent Simmons (John Turturro), army honchos (Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson) and even mom and dad (Kevin Dunn and Julie White) head to the pyramids for one of the longest and most enervating sustained climaxes in movie history. But neither the silly fragmented plot, nor the highly proficient acting matter; still the point is dueling giant robots auto-chaotically turning into cars, planes, anything, for hardcore action havoc. And such food-mixer-in-the-face images still provide some recycled excitement factor. Isabel Lucas playing the new co-ed in Decepticon disguise being one, another is the walking scrap yard behemoth. Yes, the seamless integration of shiny CGI into live-action, the sheer scope of it, is amazing, however it’s diminishing returns time in every area. Certainly not as amusing, or as robot character engaging (a bit of SHORT CIRCUIT annoyance has crept in) as Bay’s last mechanical outing, the ooh-ah novelty has most definitely worn off.

Despite being visually impressive on all counts, the hugely mounted mayhem feels tiresomely synthetic, while the barrage of battle showstoppers really does extend the ending to confusing and patience-testing limits.

Alan Jones

TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN 2009