Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
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Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Overlong, mindlessly violent action adventure sequel in which a college freshman (Shia LaBeouf) and his girlfriend (Megan Fox) assist a group of friendly, shape-shifting alien robots as they battle to defend humanity against the designs of a hostile horde of similar creatures. Derived from the back story of a line of Hasbro toys, director Michael Bay's globe-trotting explosion fest offers only a modicum of human interest amid the thunderous special effects. Also shown in Imax. Pervasive action violence, brief rear nudity, brief nongraphic nonmarital sexual activity, drug use, occasional rough and crude and some crass language, and frequent sexual references. L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. (PG-13) 2009
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Full Review)
Overlong at a full two and a half hours, and mindlessly violent, director Michael Bay's action adventure sequel "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen"
(DreamWorks/Paramount) offers only a modicum of human interest amid an endless succession of thunderous special effects.
With its convoluted mythos derived from the back story of a line of Hasbro toys, this globe-trotting explosion fest, like 2007's "Transformers," pits a group of friendly, shape-shifting alien robots known as Autobots against a hostile horde of similar creatures called Decepticons.
Ordinary teen Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) -- now a college freshman -- once again finds himself caught in the middle of their ongoing struggle. He's backed up by girlfriend Mikaela (Megan Fox).
Though the couple has a contest going to see who will be the first to say "I love you," we're informed by Sam's ditzy mother, Judy (Julie White), that he's no longer a virgin, so presumably their relationship is already physical.
Judy proudly announces this intimate fact while under the influence of a marijuana-laced brownie purchased during Sam's first day on campus. Sam's sensible dad, Ron (Kevin Dunn), forlornly tries to get his wife under control.
As the scene shifts to the Middle East, with the Decepticons attacking the pyramids and the ruins of Petra, Jordan, two U.S. military officials (Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson) work to support the Autobots and thwart blinkered bureaucrat Theodore Galloway (John Benjamin Hickey), the president's national security adviser, who believes the Decepticons will cease and desist if the Autobots are sent packing.
John Turturro reprises his role as Simmons, a slightly wigged-out former secret agent, and manages to bring some manic energy to the proceedings, though he also has an unwelcome sight gag involving a thong.
LaBeouf is suitably stoical throughout, but he too eventually gets upstaged by the tumult, as the last half-hour is almost entirely given over to noisy combat, with anonymous bodies flying through the air.
"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" will be shown on both Imax and conventional screens.
The film contains pervasive action violence, brief rear nudity, brief nongraphic nonmarital sexual activity, drug use, occasional rough and crude and some crass language, and frequent sexual references. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
Movies have been evaluated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishop's Office for Film and Broadcasting according to artistic
merit and moral suitability. The reviews include the USCCB rating,
the Motion Picture Association of America rating, and a brief
synopsis of the movie.
The classifications are as follows:
- A-I -- general patronage;
- A-II -- adults and adolescents;
- A-III -- adults;
- A-IV**
- L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. L replaces the previous classification, A-IV.
- O -- morally offensive.
** Discontinued classification. All archived movies that were originally in the A-IV category are now classified as L.