Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is only a few months away now, and the excitement is certainly building up. To celebrate its upcoming release, we’ll be diving into all things Cybertronian, from films, toys, shows, all the way to video games and collectibles. Today, we’re back with another Transformers review! The year is 2009, I’m 11 years old and my parents just booked tickets to go see Revenge of the Fallen as an early birthday present. It has been a lot of fun revisiting the Transformers franchise and even though Revenge of the Fallen gets a lot of slack, I still had the best time rewatching.
Synopsis
When college-bound Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) learns the truth about the ancient origins of the Transformers, he must accept his destiny and join Optimus Prime and Bimblebee in the epic battle against the Decepticons. who have returned stronger than ever with a plan to destroy our world.
Review
When looking at the vastness of the Transformers franchise, Revenge of the Fallen is usually the film that elicits the strongest and most negative reaction. Now, it’s very easy to see why. Let’s not beat around the bush, this film has a lot of issues. But I’m going to counter that and say that Revenge of the Fallen actually does a lot of really great things as well.
Obviously, that doesn’t just give the film a free pass. There are a lot inconsistencies in regards to visual effects, there are also some rather controversial character tropes assigned to certain Transformers, and we also see a much stronger focus on the human narrative which also becomes more outlandish. It loses that grounded nature that the first film absolutely nailed, and we start to see this spiraling trend whereby new concepts are incorporated that actually contradict the pre-existing mythology (although, that doesn’t kick in fully until Dark of the Moon). See? I may love Transformers an awful lot, but I’m big enough to recognise that this franchise is riddled with faults.
However… I still love watching it. The first three Transformers movies have such a special place in my heart and it’s almost impossible to shake that love and attachment. There is a lot of cool stuff in Revenge of the Fallen, but the thing they improved on the most was definitely the action and scale. Compared to its 2007 predecessor, RofF is far more superior in terms of scale and Transformer action. We get to see a whole new side of Optimus Prime, and that’s a highlight within itself. Optimus has a much stronger presence this time and it’s not just through his poetic words… He’s a force of nature in RotF. The film opens up with a really cool skirmish against Demolisher, who is immediately dealt with, and from there it just escalates. The forest battle against Megatron, Starscream and Grindor is still one of the best fights in the entire series. We really see Optimus in his prime (no, I’m not even sorry) and I always find myself gawking at the screen as though I’ve been reverted to my 11 year old self again. As soon as the energon swords come out, Optimus absolutely levels the field.
The action is more explosive and much bigger from the Transformer perspective, as well as the humans’. It seems like this film pushes the boundaries and experiments with what the Transformers are actually capable of. It’s like this sequel took the spectacle from the first film and hooked it to an amplifier. Revenge of the Fallen may have its issues, but it absolutely delivers a globetrotting blockbuster full of thrills and spectacular action.
The overall designs of the Transformers are also bigger, from Demolisher to Devastator, and they’re also more intricate allowing for a more playful style. Just look at Sideswipe, Powered-up Optimus (need I say more?), and even Reedman. While the designs are indeed awesome, with The Fallen and Megatron’s new tank mode being my favourite, Revenge of the Fallen does forgot about one key ingredient… Transforming. The giant war between the Autobots and Decepticons is very limited in terms of transforming because the Decepticon army is mostly made up of Protoforms and our attention is primarily on the established characters. Now, I always let that side simply because of Devastator’s transformation which still blows me away,
Whenever there is a something negative, there is always a counter argument. The script may not be great, but Optimus delivers some unforgettable and easily quoteable lines. There may be some lapses in visual effects, but we get stunning character models and awesome sequences. It’s like a constant tug of war.
While there are definitely some contradictions, I really do love how Revenge of the Fallen attempted to explore the mythology. It’s the film that first got me interested in Egyptian archeology, and not because I thought one of Pyramids of Giza was housing an energon harvester. It allowed me to explore Egypt and showed me its beauty on the big screen. At that point, that was something I had never experienced. On top of that, it started utilising elements from the Transformers universe, such as the Matrix of Leadership and the other Primes. It may not have been entirely accurate, but Revenge of the Fallen was the film that made me realise just how big the Transformers universe was, so from that point I started doing my homework and that’s when I started getting into the G1 content. Revenge of the Fallen, while flawed, was a gateway to a much larger world.
Verdict
Revenge of the Fallen is far from perfect. In fact, it’s rather problematic. However, this film is so deeply rooted in my childhood, it’s hard not to enjoy it. The action is drastically more explosive and so much more diverse and bolder compared to the first film. The Autobots and Decepticons are way more detailed both visually and characteristically. They’ve actually got personalities and a depth to them this time round. It’s definitely one of the weakest films in the franchise, but there is still a lot to enjoy.
⭐⭐⭐.5
Days until Transformers: Rise of the Beasts– 82 Days
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will be unleashed in cinemas on June 9th, 2023. What did you think of the trailer? Be sure to let us know in the comments. Don’t forget to check out more from the world of Transformers right here.
