Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen *** (2009, Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Kevin Dunn, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Julie White, John Turturro) – Classic Movie Review 3291

Shia LaBeouf is back for a third time as geeky Sam Witwicky, who has just enrolled in college, in returning director Michael Bay’s 2009 sci-fi action adventure sequel.

Sam just wants to be a normal kid of course, but soon he finds that he has to engage in a second epic battle between good and evil alien robots after he keeps a shard from the cube that brings mechanical objects to life. So Sam sets out with Optimus Prime (voice of Peter Cullen) and his good Autobots to battle The Fallen (voice of Tony Todd) and his Decepticons, who are out to destroy Earth.

With only a situation and not much of an actual plot – and hardly any funny lines either – this blockbusting sequel has to rely entirely on its gung-ho action and spectacular visual effects for its impact. This makes for a flashy, exciting, sometimes thrilling movie, delivering its action full on and non-stop throughout.

But the script by Ehren Kruger and Roberto Orci often leaves the first-rate actors stranded and struggling. It is particularly disappointing that the appealing LaBeouf (who had witty dialogue in part one) and the gorgeous Megan Fox, as his girlfriend Mikaela Banes, really have so little to do this time except run around, fall over, shout and dodge falling stuff.

The few truly funny moments come from Kevin Dunn and Julie White as Sam’s parents, who inexplicably, keep popping up all over the place, and from John Turturro, overacting to perfection as Agent Simmons.

Over-wrought – with the nervously thumping music and soundtrack constantly killing any possible subtle moments – and underwritten, it’s entertaining while it lasts  – even if, to be nitpicky, at two and a half hours, it’s way overlong. But Revenge of the Fallen leaves no delicious after-taste. You’re quite glad you’ve seen it but would you ever really want to see it again?

They unceremoniously dumped the whole cast and rebooted the franchise in 2014 with Transformers: Age of Extinction. That included Josh Duhamel as Lennox, but he is to make a surprising return for the fifth film Transformers: The Last Knight.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 3291

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