Film: “Transformers – Revenge of the Fallen”; Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Ramon Rodriguez and John Turturro; Director: Michael Bay; Rating: ***
How much of metal can one bear in a 150-minute film? There are loads of metal elements clashing with each other on screen while the entire auditorium is resonating with metallic sounds of various proportions all around you.
So what you end up seeing and listening to is more of metal and less of human beings, hence turning “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” into yet another entertaining affair for those who swear by Hollywood fantasy flicks.
“The Aliens are coming” or one could rather say “The Aliens have already landed”! This time around they are back because ‘Fallen’ wants to have his revenge. A story that begins from 17000 BC (yes, in a quick prologue to the film, we are told that there was a world of Transformers even in that era) makes its presence felt even in the current date. The target this time around is the ‘Sun Harvester’ that has been hidden in the pyramids of Egypt.
Deceptions are back and the young man in question, Sam (Shia LaBeouf) has to fight out the battle with the Primes. Clues lead him to the ‘Matrix of Leadership’, which is a key that powers the Sun Harvester.
So what you end up seeing are battles of different kinds happening across the globe. China, Egypt, US – the story moves across continents and director Michael Bay continues to place all the action in such a manner that one doesn’t get any time whatsoever to think about the sequence gone by.
But there are flaws too. In a film that has been set at such a massive scale, there is not a single moment that shocks the audience. Never once does the film make you exclaim that ‘Okay, now I didn’t really see this coming’!
You know the manner in which the good versus bad battle would culminate. You know that the ‘hero’ will get not more than a scratch or two on his body even as the entire world is blown to pieces around him. And last but not the least, you know that the movie will have metals of all shapes and sizes taking shape of Transformers (or vice versa) and become a part of either good or bad.
The film appears to be dry when it comes to the humour factor. There is hardly a dialogue that brings in a chuckle as one sorely misses the tongue in cheek humour. Glamour quotient too is surprisingly kept at the middle even as Megan Fox plays a typical arm-in-arm and I-will-never-be-away-from-you heroine role.
Worse, Shia hardly has a role to sink his teeth in, unlike the first part of the film where he still had something substantial to offer.
All in all, the film is a quintessential summer flick, something which is reflected in the phenomenal collections that ‘Revenge of the Fallen’ has earned globally. It is one of those films that psyche audiences to get into the theatres and have one look at least.
It doesn’t really have a repeat value to it, but the science fiction element coupled with some extraordinary graphics ensure that the film does find its loyal set of audience at least.
rounak