Product Description

One of the most popular, thrill-packed, franchises of all time is back with even more action and more Autobots and Decepticons! In the highly anticipated Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Decepticon forces return to Earth on a mission to take Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) prisoner, after the young hero learns the truth about the ancient origins of the Transformers. Joining the mission to product humankind is Optimus Prime, who forms an alliance with international armies for a second epic battle.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #133 in DVD
• Brand: Paramount
• Released on: 2009-10-20
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, French, Spanish
• Dubbed in: French, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: 1.20 pounds
• Running time: 149 minutes

Amazon.com
Pure. Popcorn. Entertainment. That's an exact classification of director Michael Bay's Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Think of Transformers 1 on crack. In other words, this sequel took all of the extreme elements that made fans love the first movie and increased them exponentially. The action is nonstop, with battles and explosions from start to finish. The camera (without any subtlety) exploits Megan Fox's hotness to the max. As if she weren't enough, a new sex kitten (Isabel Lucas) is thrown into the equation. Shia LaBeouf is as charismatic as ever, and fills the starring role with ease. And then there's the humor. Sam's parents (Kevin Dunn and Julie White)provided some semi-raunchy laugh-out-loud moments in the first movie, but now they take it to the next level. Sometimes it seems like they are trying a little too hard, but it is still hilarious.

As far as the “plot” goes, the writers didn't waste much time--it's really just a context for the giant-robot death matches and dramatic slow-mo sequences. The movie kicks off two years later where the Autobots have formed an alliance with the U.S. government, creating an elite team led by Major Lennox (Josh Duhamel), in an effort to snuff out any remaining Decepticons that show up. The bad guys keep coming, and it turns out that a much more menacing force than Megatron is out there--and it is looking for something on Earth that is tied to the very origin of the Transformers race. Fans of the franchise will be delighted by the addition of many new robot characters (there are well over 40 in the sequel, versus only 13 in the first). The second Transformers has shaped up to be one of the worst reviewed and most successful movies of all time. This strange pairing is really just an indication that this movie has one purpose: to entertain. The creators didn't want to waste time bogging down the action and drama with substance--which was arguably a good decision. --Jordan Thompson

Customer Reviews

As bad as I expected
Yes, I thought the first Michael Bay Transformers was bad. I wasn't expecting the sequel to be much better, but in the back of my mind I was hoping. Michael Bay apparently decided there wasn't enough crass humor, overt sexuality, poor character development, useless moving parts, explosions, and nameless robots transforming into formless metallic amoebas in the first movie. So now there is more of all that in this one. Of course, it doesn't make the movie better, just longer.

Negatives:
1) The twins. I don't think I need to explain this.
2) Sam's parents, excessive comic relief, no importance to the story.
3) Mikaela and the Decepticon fem-bot. Ok, I'm a male, yes I think Meghan Fox is hot. I personally, do not mind seeing her wearing skimpy revealing clothes. But come on, give her some depth. First of all, this movie is being used to sell toys to 6-year-olds. There is no need for such overt female objectification in this movie. Seriously, she spends most of the movie with that pouty expression and posing seductively, instead of acting. Same complaint with the "fem-bot", I felt it was completely unnecessary to the story.
4) Everyone is comic relief. Ok, I'm all for comic relief in action movies. But seriously, you can't build an action movie around an entire cast of comedians. More than 3 comic relief characters, and you should call it "Giant Robot Movie" (ie. Scary Movie series).
5) Visual effects. Sometimes less is more. The robots are too complex, too many moving parts. It is very hard to follow the action trying to follow these overly detailed monochromatic machines as they fly through cities causing random destruction everywhere. In the original cartoon, the simpler designs were easier to identify and they were distinctively color-coded. Most of the Decepticons look the same.
6) There are no rules. Basically, Michael Bay is telling us that alien robots can do whatever they please. They can change their alt-forms at will or become giant robo-amoebas. If you hack them to pieces, each part can become a completely new Transformer. Robots can transform into people. Mechanical devices can turn into dust, communicate telepathically with humans, then reform themselves from said dust and resurrect dead Transformers. And other mechanical devices or even a tiny piece of them can turn earth machines into robots (complete with machine-guns) or resurrect Transformers.
7) Questionable motivations on both sides. So at the end of episode 1, this autobot declared he would stay with Sam forever and ever. Ah, how touching. Now Sam decides to go to college and he won't take Bumblebee with him. What a jerk. He saved the world once, but now Optimus Prime asks for his help to do it again, and college is more important. Why does Sam give the All-Spark sliver to his unrealistically hot girlfriend for safe-keeping, instead of Bumblebee, Optimus or any of those government guys? Why do the Decepticons want to destroy the sun? I mean really, Cybertron is supposedly destroyed, do they have another planet to inhabit once this solar system is wiped out?

Positives:
1) Peter Cullen and Frank Welker
2) Explosions

Neutral:
1) The battle with Optimus Prime in the woods was really cool, but it didn't have nearly the emotional impact of the animated movie from the 80's because it was decided early on that they could just resurrect him before the end of the movie. And with no "Hot Rod" character, Sam's episode of feeling guilty seemed pretty shallow.

All in all, a terrible movie from a critical point of view. People will like the movie if they are a big fan of loud booms and not optional things like story. I feel guilty spending money on this disaster, though.

Extremely Flawed!
First and foremost I really enjoyed the first transformers. Even tho that film was also flawed it still wound up being an excellent summer popcorn action flick. Unfortunately I cannot say the same thing for the sequel. The biggest problem I have with this film is its running time. Michael Bay just doesn't seem to understand that out of all of the films that end up running over 2 hours, VERY FEW are summer action films. Thats because it takes a great story with exceptional performances to keep people interested that long and I am sorry to say Transformers is not one of those films. There is absolutely NO reason why this film couldn't have been made in under 2 hours. In fact if you were to get rid of a lot of the scenes that don't need to be there and shorten a few of the battle scenes, this film could easily have come in around the 1 hour 40 minute mark.

This shortening of the film would have had a positive ripple effect throughout the entire film as your not only making the film a better length, your also getting rid of a lot of the scenes that hurt the quality of this film. Some of the scenes that immediately come to mind are the one involving the parents. I actually enjoyed the role they played in the first film but they were just annoying in the sequel. For example, the entire eating of the pot brownies scene on campus. It does absolutely NOTHING to further the plot and was obnoxious. Again I enjoyed them in the first film but they were nothing short of annoying in this film.

Another problem with this film is it had some action scenes that went on WAY to long. For example at the end of the film when Shia LaBeouf is trying to get to Optimus with the dust. I swear it took him at least 30 minutes to get there. That entire sequence just dragged on and on and on. Yes it had some very cool action scenes in it and they could have kept all of them and still shortened it DRAMATICALLY. This problem of having too long of a running time is not a new problem for Michael Bay. Almost every film this guy makes is too long. I am not sure what the problem is, if he is just a terrible editor or he has such an ego that he doesn't want to leave anything on the cutting room floor. Whatever the reason this is hands down one of his biggest problems as a director. The bottom line, these kinds of action films should never run above an 1:40. It just kills the pacing of the film and ultimately hurts the overall quality of the film and this film is a perfect example of just that.

On a positive note we were given some fantastic action scenes that weren't just a mess of close ups like we had in the first film.. This time we get some wide angle shots that clearly show the action taking place in the shots. In particular the fight in the forest that ultimately saw Optimus taken down was amazing. I also think the story as whole was fairly interesting. I liked the entire back story of how the Decepticons had been here before and how they left behind the ancients that were looking for the key. I really didn't have a problem with anything regarding the overall story and this is why I ultimately gave this a 3 star rating. I think this film had a lot potential, it was unfortunately just squandered by Bay.

Now I perfectly understand the argument that most fans are throwing out there. This is a summer popcorn film. We shouldn't expect Oscar worthy performances or Oscar worthy writing. Well in all honesty I wasn't and my biggest problems with this film arent even connected to those aspects of the film. Again my biggest problems deal with length, pacing, and leaving in scenes that should have been cut not only due to length but also due to quality. Because of these problems this wound up being an average action film and that really is a shame as it could have been so much more. At this point the studio should give Michael Bay an ultimatum, Bring the next film in under 1:50 or we are getting a new director. Again I don't know what it is about Bay that makes him incapable of making films under 2 hours and to be honest I really don't care anymore. This series still has a lot of potential and as long as Bay continues to make these into epic length films, that potential will never be reached.

I will admit that I think a lot of people are being a bit harsh in regards to scoring this film as there is no way this film deserves a 1 star rating. I honestly believe that most of the people that have given it a 1 star rating did so not because they actually think it deserves a 1 star rating, they did it because they are upset with Bay for blowing this film and the best way to show that is by giving it a 1 star rating. While I don't agree with such methods, I can at least understand the frustration. This could have been a much better film. All he had to do was cut the film differently, bring down the running time to 1:40 or 1:50 and I honestly believe it could have been a much better film. As is its just a mediocre film that goes on way too long.

3 Stars (I would probably have given it a 2.5 if Amazon allowed scoring in .5 increments)

I want my two & 1/2 hours back!
This film is simply God awful. Yes, the effects are cutting edge fantastic, however persons who require substance, a cohesive story, reasonably intelligent dialogue and believable acting would do well to mute the TV while watching. You'll enjoy it a lot more.