TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN (USA 2009) **
Directed by Michael Bey

Action blockbuster expert Michael Bey’s second instalment to his highly successful first live action TRANSFORMERS provides most of what is expected from a sequel.  More, more and more!  There are more explosions, more action scenes and more of everything.  But unfortunately, REVENGE OF THE FALLEN provides nothing more in terms of originality.

The plot can be summarized in one line.  Teen hero Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) makes off for college but is distracted from his studies in having to save the world with the battle between Autobots and Decepticons.

Bey’s film can be dissected to consists of 3 parts – the battle scenes; the interactions between the humans and the autobots and the humans interacting among themselves (LaBeouf and co-star Megan Fox; LaBeouf and his parents).  Trouble is that these three parts are hastily put together – like a cop directing traffic.

Bey is an action director who knows how to pump up the adrenaline of his audience.  The battle sequences are loud and aptly executed with lots of special effects and pyrotechnics. With director Bey caring so little of the story, the sequences could be inserted anywhere during the film with hardly any difference.  With speaker volume up several notches, hearts of the audience are pumping no matter one understands what is going on or not or whether there is any continuity in the fights.

The humour and one-liners are present as well, mostly regenerated banter between parents and son from the first movie.  Girlfriend Mikaela (Fox) has developed into quite the foxy lady.  The script includes a sidekick, Leo (Ramon Rodriguez), annoying at best and an adult advisor, Agent Simmons (John Turturro) who provides little laughter because of unfunny dialogue. 

A major hurdle to the film’s completion was the 2007-2008 Writers Guild of America strike.  But writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kutzman were brought on board – though it is hard to see any effective contribution.  The most anticipated movie of the year TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN has evolved into the most disappointing blockbuster of the summer.