Quick Review: Transformers Revenge of the Fallen

I'd be lying if I said I didn't understand why Transformers is showing at an abysmal 22% on Rotten Tomatoes right now. It isn't exactly a mainstream movie per se. It's more of an experience, especially in IMAX. It is an experiment in sensory overload. There is so much to take in on each frame that at times it borders on the incomprehensible. 

What I don't understand is the complaints about the plot. The overall story is actually pretty simple: The bad guys want to 'kill all humans' for their energy needs (humans are just in the way), while Optimus Prime and the good guys want humans to live. That's really all you need to know. The mistake people make is trying to make sense of the plot. Sure, it can be done, but enough happens in the movie were it would take another movie's worth of material to explain the logic behind the progression of events.

In fact, it reminds me of the storytelling I would use as a kid when playing with my action figures. The important story beats were there: bad guys want to do some bad stuff, good guys interfere, and my favorites always lived to fight another day. Sure there were details, and I had them all worked out, but even my other playmates didn't really know what the hell was going on (I apologize, especially to my brother, for all the times I uttered the phrase "You're playing wrong."). Like I said here, Transformers: Revenge usually e of the Fallen can only be properly understood by people who know what it's like to be a 12 year old boy with a nice box of action figures.

The film is visually stunning, and I actually found the action sequences easier to follow than the first movie, as I could tell the robots apart better. The sound is also superb, and overall, the IMAX experience was fantastic. The movie is an achievement in this department, so hats off to the ILM folks. 

I think the worst part of this movie was the comic relief. I found the characters created for this purpose annoying, and the humor was pretty base, even if it was funny. And too much of Shia's parents.  

Basically, it's this year's Speed Racer, and that may not be such a bad thing. 

Grade: B+ (The plus is for Megan Fox and the wardrobe department)