Optimus Prime: "Freedom is the right of all sentient beings."
Posted on 06/24/2009 10:29:23 AM PDT by Maelstorm
A couple of years ago the television show “South Park” put out a 3-part episode entitled, “Imaginationland” that went on to win an Emmy. In the episode, terrorists have taken over our imaginations in Imaginationland and the US government enlists the help of some Hollywood filmmakers to help come up with ideas to help stop the terrorist. One of the directors they enlist to try to help them was Michael Bay.
Michael Bay offers some great actions sequences which anger a general to say, “Those aren’t ideas. Those are special effects!” A confused Michael Bay replies, “I don’t understand the difference.” “I know you don’t”, says the general.
Whether Michael Bay has a “Schinlder’s List” or a “Saving Private Ryan” in him the way executive producer Steven Spielberg did, is yet to be seen, but despite the “South Park” joke, Michael Bay knows how to deliver a summer, special-effect extravaganza. Mr. Bay outdoes himself with “Transformers: Rise of the Fallen”.
The film takes place two years after the events of the first film. Other Autobots have received Optimus Prime’s message at the end of the last film and have come to Earth. Together with a select group of American soldiers, they fight against the Decepticons who are still hiding on our planet.
Meanwhile, Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) is getting ready to start college. Since his college does not allow freshmen to have cars, Sam must leave Bumblebee, his Autobot guardian behind. This is fine with Sam who just wants to have a normal life. Sam is still dating Mikaela (Megan Fox), and is fully committed to having a long distance relationship with her.
While Sam is packing, a small sliver of the allspark, which gives life to machines, imprints ancient symbols into his brain, symbols that can lead to a new power source for the Decepticons. The film then revolves around the plot of the decepticons trying to catch Sam to get the coded symbols from him.
Michael Bay takes the audience on an even better ride than he did the first time around. The film never seems to fall short on battle scenes between the great robots. Whether it’s a gun fight in the desert or even hand-to hand combat in the forest, the film continues to deliver. In addition, the film brings loads of laughs too. So, if the film is not blowing the audience away with its action sequences, it is bringing some great laughs. Fans of the original Hasbro toy line and the old cartoon series will be pleased too. The hate-hate relationship between Megatron and Starscream is brought forth in this film, which was barely touched upon in the first one. Many new Autobots and Decepticons are present too, one worth mention is Devastator. Devastator, for those who are unfamiliar with the toys, is a bunch of Constructicons (Decepticons who become construction vehicles) who come together to become one gigantic Decepticon!
The film had many midnight showings on opening day. One will always find a packed movie house for these shows with the biggest fans. The audience was cheering and laughing throughout and even gave the film a round of applause as the end credits began to roll. One person commented, “This is the kind of movie you have GOT to see on the big screen.” Truer words could not be spoken, even more so because the film is being shown in IMAX format as well.
The movie is rated PG-13 for intense action sequences and some language. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is the kind of film summer movies were meant to be.
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Variety's David Cohen saw the latest "Transformers" movie --- "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" --- and filed this report on its reference to President Obama, but not, at least in his eyes, in a good way.Cohen writes, "So as usual in these movies, the federal bureaucrats are portrayed as annoying if not villainous. The President's man, "Galloway," is a bespectacled blowhard who becomes an obstacle to our brave fighting men and their alliance with the noble Autobots. Operating specifically under presidential authority, he makes all kinds of mischief. He says the President wants to try "diplomacy" against the evil Decepticons and hints the President would consider handing over Shia LaBouf's character to be killed by them. He eventually is ditched by the fighting men (tricked into parachuting out the back of a transport). All this is par for the course in this kind of movie. In the first, there was a Rumsfeldian secretary of defense (played by Jon Voight) and a bit of dialogue from "the President" clearly meant to be Bush, with an obvious Bush impression on the dialogue.
"However, if memory serves, no real politicians were named in the first movie. The SecDef isn't Rumsfeld. The president is not called by name.
"In this movie, exactly one real-life politician is named: "President Obama." They went out of their way to make sure they named the craven, obstructionist president as Obama."
Well, I hope it’s better than the last one. Maybe they got Megan Fox to keep her mouth shut. And that vanilla guy who’s the lead. What’s his name? The one with no charisma.
Yeah I noticed this morning a big lib who gave glowing reviews to the piece of crap film “Milk” going out of his way to rip this new movie. Libs are so shallow.
On a side note, Trey Parker and Matt Stone have had it in for Bay for a long time. Their "Pearl Harbor sucked" song in Team America was flippin' hysterical.
My grandson saw it yesterday, he texted me right after the movie - disappointing. Said to wait till its on dvd, not worth the money.
I was thinking the same thing!! Great line from the first movie.
With that kind of action you have to see it on the big screen.
I like the first one and believe this one will be just as good.....I’ll watch any and all they make for pure relaxation and enjoyment........
Not everyone likes every movie that comes out...if someone doesn’t like these, then that is fine.....move along and let the rest of us enjoy.........or tell me the movies you like so I can bash them........
A top selling novel may only sell 100,000 copies......millions could care less about it....it can still be a great book to those 100,000........
Too much pointless action and loud noise in current movies hypnotizes me. I snap out of it once the sound drops for a moment to find my popcorn is all gone.
It’s like driving your car and suddenly you’re home but you don’t remember driving there.
So... can they make it all the way through the sequel without any masturbation jokes?
I believe that line is from the original TV show / toys. Sometimes, they felt a little forced in the movie — like when he said, “At the end of this day, one shall stand and one shall fall” — that came from the original animated movie.
I feel really sad that I cannot take my 4 year old to see this movie, he’s such a HUGE transformers fan (like his dad before him!) and it’s a shame that the profanity and overt sexuality overwhelm the point of the movie:
Big robots who transform into cool vehicles duking it out!
I sure hope so that was one thing I felt was unnecessary.
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Why does Michael Bay get to keep on making movies?
I guess Pearl Harbor sucked
Just a little bit more than I miss you
Agreed. I like an action movie once in a while but the current craze of frenetic cutting just gives me a headache. I love movies but the past couple of years I've stuck with oldies on TCM and netflix. It's amazing just how bad 90% of movies are now. Shia Leboof as an action hero compared to Burt Lancaster or Errol Flynn? LOL! Who's kidding who?
It’s fluff, but the Transformers franchise is still the only Hollywood product in the last 5 years to treat the military with respect.
The original Die Hard is the most action I can enjoy and Bruce Willis is even wimpy compared to the masculine heroes of the past.
And the sound . . . I wore earplugs all the way through the latest Star Trek movie.
Your grandson probably didn’t watch the cartoon when it was on TV. I’ve been waiting for this to come out after the first time I saw the first one in a theater. This one absolutely blew me away.
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