Movie Review: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" stars scorching beauty Megan Fox and the newest everyman, Shia LaBeouf. Director Michael Bay returns to helm the sequel to the 2007 blockbuster hit movie "Transformers".

After the success of "Transformers" in 2007, director Michael Bay knew he had found a hit. Now in summer 2009, Bay has returned the Autobots and Decepticons to the movie theaters and the franchise takes off where 2007's "Transformers" last left audiences.

Sam Witwicky (LaBeouf) is off to college thinking that he has left the war between the Autobots and the Decepticons in the past. However, the past is about to catch up with Sam and the entire world, and it is that past history of the Transformers that lays the basis for this film.

Much to the dismay of men and women everywhere, LaBeouf's character Sam is now in a relationship with the character Mikaela (Megan Fox), after the two survived the action in the 2007 "Transformers". Now in "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen", the two young lovers are somehow sucked back into the battle for dominance over Earth and must once again fight alongside the Autobots to help save Earth from the Decepticons and their leaders, Megatron and The Fallen.

At the end of "Transformers" in 2007, audiences were left to believe that all was well on Earth. Megatron had been defeated and Sam, Mikaela, the Autobots and Optimus Prime would all live happily ever after.

Not so fast my friends.

Now Megatron has been awakened and released and there is a new terror aiding the Decepticons, named The Fallen. Sam is once again caught in the middle by a result of his own family history and the language of the Transformers, as well as the fact that he still has a piece of the cube left over from the first adventure. It is the history of this new enemy, The Fallen, and the danger it possesses to Earth that forms the basis of the plot in "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen".

The stars of this film are not LaBeouf and Fox, however, but the Transformers themselves. The special effects in this movie may be the best of the summer, and really make the absurd idea of a mack truck morphing into a warrior named Optimus Prime seem almost realistic. Director Bay once again has a film that is not only engaging with its story line, but it draws an audience of all age ranges into the action of the movie with its amazing visual displays, action sequences and if seen in a surround sound theater, its sounds as well.

Fox is visually stunning, as usual, and other characters from the first film return, such as Autobot Bumble Bee, Sam's car and best friend. Optimus Prime and the rest of the Autobots, Megatron, Starscream and the rest of the Decepticons as well as the U.S. soldiers played by Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson. John Turturro returns also, and is the funniest character in the movie.

One of the great parts of "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" is that it is fun for the whole family. While there may be some language that is not suitable for very young children, it is not easily noticed and is sporadic at best in the movie. The violence is contained to battles between the Autobots and Decepticons mostly, and other than seeing Sam Witwicky escape death time after time, there is not a tremendous amount of blood or gore that would cause some parents to want their child to skip the movie. It is a little long at about 2 and a half hours, however.

Bay's Transformers franchise proves that is can produce not only winning films, but toys, merchandise and all the rest that goes with blockbuster movies these days. In a summer that has been looking for a hit to compete with the surprise success of "Star Trek" "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" looks to be the best sci-fi competition for top summer blockbuster hit.

Jack's Rating: $$$.5 out of $$$$$.