Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Two-Disc Special Edition) [Blu-ray]

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Two-Disc Special Edition) [Blu-ray]
by Michael Bay

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Two-Disc Special Edition) [Blu-ray]

List Price: ~~$29.99~~
Our Price: $11.89
You Save: $18.10 (60%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $7.26 (click here)
Category: Blu-ray
See more Blu-ray details

Buy this Blu-ray movie at online store in your country
Canada

Blu-ray details

Actor: John Turturro, Josh Duhamel, Megan Fox, Shia LaBeouf, Tyrese Gibson
Director: Michael Bay
Brand: DRM
Blu-ray: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); Portuguese (Subtitled); English (Original Language); French (Original Language); Spanish (Original Language); French (Dubbed); Spanish (Dubbed)
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 150 minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: 2009-10-20
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Paramount

Blu-ray Reviews of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Two-Disc Special Edition) [Blu-ray]

Blu-ray Review: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Review
Summary: 2 Stars

TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN

STARRING: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, John Turturro, Ramon Rodriguez, Kevin Dunn, Julie White, Isabel Lucas, Rainn Wilson, Glenn Morshower and the voices of: Hugo Weaving, Tony Todd, Peter Cullen, Reno Wilson, Robert Foxworth and Jess Harnell

WRITTEN BY: Ehren Kruger, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman

DIRECTED BY: Michael Bay

Rated: PG-13
Genre: Action / Science Fiction
Release Date: 24 June 2009

Let me start off by saying that no-one is a bigger Michael Bay fan than I am, because this is going to get ugly and I want everyone to know that he is an amazing director. He just had this one slip up and it's called Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

I have stood behind Bay on every one of his previous films including Armageddon and Pearl Harbor which I thought were amazing and have gotten so much criticism. Bay is notorious for putting things in his movies that would never happen in real life and when called out on it he will flat out admit to it. He likes to push the envelope of reality in order to make something look cool. But you can't blame him entirely because he knows his audience better than perhaps any director in Hollywood. You need only to look at the billions of dollars his films have grossed to see that. He knows what Middle America wants to see. Several people have told me that this movie was incredible and that they loved it and that it was better than the first one. I disagree entirely but there are so many people out there that just want to be visually entertained for two plus hours and take away nothing else from the film. I have had people tell me that they like to watch bright and shiny things go bang on the screen. If this is what you are looking for in a film, then Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is for you. Now on with the bashing.

The film opened very weak in comparison to Transformers. Optimus Prime's voice seemed dull and not as adventurous as it did when we first met him. Maybe he had already seen the movie when they had him narrate it.

I have heard rumors that Bay shot all of the action and CGI (Computer Graphic Imagery) sequences months before there was even a script and then had the writers generate the rest of the story around those scenes. Is it true? Not sure.

I've got to tell you however, watching the film it looks like that's exactly what happened. And the writers are all very talented. He brought back the two who wrote the first film as well as another writer who has an incredible list of successful screenplays under his belt to include, Arlington Road and Reindeer Games just to name a few. And the two writers who wrote the first film also wrote the new Star Trek and Mission Impossible III. So you have to ask, how did this film get so horribly screwed up? Where was the witty dialogue and perfect comedic timing that the first film was engulfed with? Where was the cool story and plot and character development scenes? Who knows what happened.

I will say that it is filled with awesome action sequences and should undoubtedly win an Oscar for best special effects and at the very least be nominated for Oscars in sound and sound effects editing. But I feel like that's all the film had to offer and I'm sorry but that's just not enough. I don't care if it's just an action movie. It's because I'm such a huge fan of Michael Bay that I'm this disappointed. Luckily he promises to put more effort into the script of the third film.

The plot is nearly impossible to explain. It's everywhere all at once. Apparently the Transformers have been here for thousands of years and the leader of the bad guys (Decepticons), called The Fallen, was imprisoned in space. It makes you wonder if they called him The Fallen before he fell or if it's just been so long that perhaps they just forgot his real name. Anyhow, his buddies send Transformers out on missions to gather intelligence from our Military bases that apparently don't have very good security at all. They soon discover that Sam (Shia LaBeouf) has a shard of the cube left from the first film.

We learn that Sam is off to college without his girlfriend Mikaela (Megan Fox). I am amazed that this girl even made it into Hollywood. Next to Paris Hilton, she has to be the worst actress out there. I understand that she is attractive physically and that nine out of 10 guys would love to sleep with her. So many guys tell me "She's hot dude." So what if she's hot, she's a terrible actress! This is a huge movie and there are plenty of actresses who are 'hot' and can actually act! Hopefully her character will die early in the third film.

Sam is talking on the phone with her using very cheesy dialogue that is obviously pushing toward what is going to happen next, when a piece of the cube drops from the pocket of the sweatshirt he was wearing at his first Transformers encounter. He explains that he hasn't washed it because it's his lucky shirt, as lame as that is, thank God Shia LaBeouf is a great actor so it's tolerable. But then he drops the shard of the cube and it burns through the floor and the ceiling of the floor below and lands on a countertop and somehow can't melt through that. Then all of the metallic common household appliances come to life. They transform, so I guess we are supposed to believe that they are Transformers? But the Transformers are aliens so did the Witwickeys purchase all of their appliances from Mars? A huge firefight ensues and Sam is rescued by his Camaro that Transforms into Bumblebee.

Immediately following this scene, Sam tells Bumblebee he's leaving him at home because he is no longer in danger. I guess Sam must have suffered amnesia to not remember that he was just attacked by several little Transformers. And what kid in their right mind would leave behind a brand new Camaro, let alone one that's a Transformer?

Bay also shows Mikaela sitting on a motorcycle wearing the skimpiest outfit imaginable in a very provocative pose at her father's body shop. Maybe her dad was at lunch when she struck this unnatural pose? We also get to see Mikaela change her outfit to say goodbye to Sam which is really an excuse to just see her change her outfit. And then it isn't shown to us how exactly Mikaela ends up with the shard of the cube and later in the film Sam actually asks her if she has it, but she takes it with her and where does she put it? She brings it to the body shop which is comprised entirely of metal objects and not one of them turns into a Transformer, like Sam's appliances did. How does that add up?

This film doesn't know what kind of film it wants to be. At one moment it is filled with vulgarity, intense violence sequences, it shows two male dogs having sex with each other and Sam's mom even samples pot-filled brownies at his college and has some amusing side effects. While I was not offended by any of these moments in the film, I know that several parents were.

Then on the other hand, it is filled with all kinds of lame child-related humor as well. A lot of the Transformers are real slap-stick characters like the twins who I found to be annoying in every scene and the little voices that some of them have. A lot of the dialogue by the Transformers is child-like in nature as well. There's even a Transformer that is so old he has a beard made out of metallic shards and uses a piece of his body as a cane to get around. Come on, seriously?

He's a great actor, but they used the same guy that played the Colonel in the first film, (Glenn Morshower) to play a Four Star General in this one. He is working with the good Transformers (Auto Bots) in a special military unit. For some reason, despite the fact he is in charge of the project, he is allowed by a Major to speak with Optimus Prime, but can't see him directly. And Major Lennox (Josh Duhamel) knows way more about the project than the General. So much in fact that he doesn't feel the need to call the General, Sir when speaking to him and is aware that the President has appointed a new civilian in charge of Commanding the Auto Bots. The General actually says, "I guess I didn't get that memo." I was in the military folks and I'm here to tell you that a Major would damn sure refer to a Four Star General as Sir or General and would have no knowledge of information regarding the President and his chief of Staff that the General would not. Wow.

Sam and Mikaela meet up with a really irritating kid who is supposed to be a comic relief that is Sam's roommate in college and the always funny and enjoyable John Turturro's character Simmons. They all set out to gain information from the very old Transformer mentioned previously. They are then transported by him miraculously to the pyramids in Egypt where the secret to their salvation is believed to be and the third act takes place. I glanced at the clock on my DVD player when watching this for the second time and the final action sequence was well over 30 minutes of non-stop action. Given the special effects were amazing and it was very fun to watch, it was just too much. It just kept going and going and going. It was about as relenting as watching a couple of kids play with the Transformers toys for over half an hour.

The Decepticons previous to all of this had captured Sam's parents who bring so much to the film. They really are hilarious and believable characters played by Kevin Dunn and Julie White. I guess the Decepticons had kidnapped them in hopes of trapping Sam in Egypt, but then they are just set loose. Maybe the Decepticons forgot about them due to the chaos of the rigorous 30 plus minute climax?

There are two huge moments in the film that were beyond the lamest of the lame. It's almost like everyone at the pitch meeting was yelling out ideas and then someone said, "Hey, let's just use all of them!" and then everyone agreed. Not to give too much away, one involves an idea that's been recycled a million times and takes place at Sam's dorm room with a pretty girl. How random was that? Once it's over it's never mentioned again. The second is Sam's destiny that's carried out at the climax. Why did he have to be the one to do this? A toddler could have been just as effective. After all of the other confusing and ridiculous moments in the film though, several of which I didn't even mention, these seem to fit with the rest pretty well.

Write your own review

More Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Two-Disc Special Edition) [Blu-ray] reviews:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Description of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Two-Disc Special Edition) [Blu-ray]

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.

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

Stills from Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Click for larger image)

Bestsellers in DVD

The Story of Jeremiah [VHS] Image

The Story of Jeremiah [VHS]
Vision Video; VHS Tape; VHS Video

Wresting With God [VHS] Image

Wresting With God [VHS]
by Vision Video
Vision Video; Published: 1990-10-01; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Price in other shops: ~~$19.99~~

Study Bible Video with Workbook [VHS] Image

Study Bible Video with Workbook [VHS]
Spring Arbor Distributors; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $7.95
Price in other shops: ~~$44.00~~

Tempo:Childrens TV Favourites Video [VHS] Image

Tempo:Childrens TV Favourites Video [VHS]
HarperCollins Audio; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $9.17
Price in other shops: ~~$9.98~~

Tempo.Herbs:Parseley'Sb/Party Video [VHS] Image

Tempo.Herbs:Parseley'Sb/ Party Video [VHS]
HarperCollins Audio; VHS Tape; VHS Video

Strike the Original Match [VHS]
New Liberty Films; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Price in other shops: ~~$14.95~~

Medjugorje The Miracles and the Message [VHS] Image

Medjugorje The Miracles and the Message [VHS]
JPN Film Production; Release date: 1995-12-15; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $29.99

Mayo Clinic Echocardiography Review Course for Boards and Recertification DVD 2008 Image

Mayo Clinic Echocardiography Review Course for Boards and Recertification DVD 2008
by Mayo
DVD
Price in other shops: ~~$1,463.24~~

Pediatric Diagnostic Imaging DVD: Single User Image

Pediatric Diagnostic Imaging DVD: Single User
by Oakstone
DVD
Price in other shops: ~~$1,463.24~~

Cost Accounting [VHS] Image

Cost Accounting [VHS]
by Charles T. Horngren, George Foster, Srikant M. Datar, Howard Teall
Pearson Canada, Toronto; VHS Tape; VHS Video

Similar DVDs, VHS Video, Audio CDs

Hancock (Unrated Special Edition) [Blu-ray]
SMITH,WILL; Release date: 2008-11-25; Blu-ray
Best price: $5.43
Price in other shops: ~~$19.99~~

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (Skynet Edition) [Blu-ray]
SCHWARZENEGGER,ARNO; Release date: 2009-05-19; Blu-ray
Best price: $5.37
Price in other shops: ~~$19.99~~

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines [Blu-ray]
WHV; Release date: 2008-02-26; Blu-ray
Best price: $6.99
Price in other shops: ~~$14.98~~

Terminator Salvation (Two-Disc Director's Cut) [Blu-ray]
WHV; Release date: 2009-12-01; Blu-ray
Best price: $7.08
Price in other shops: ~~$14.98~~

The Dark Knight (+ BD Live) [Blu-ray]
DC Comics; Release date: 2008-12-09; Blu-ray
Best price: $9.01
Price in other shops: ~~$19.98~~

Iron Man 2 (Three-Disc Blu-ray/ DVD Combo + Digital Copy)
PAR; Release date: 2010-09-28; Blu-ray
Best price: $18.47
Price in other shops: ~~$29.99~~

Iron Man (Two-Disc Ultimate Edition + BD Live) [Blu-ray]
DOWNEY,ROBERT JR.; Release date: 2008-09-30; Blu-ray
Best price: $28.43
Price in other shops: ~~$39.99~~

Transformers [Blu-ray]
DRM; Release date: 2011-06-07; Blu-ray
Best price: $12.00
Price in other shops: ~~$29.99~~

Transformers (Two-Disc Special Edition + BD Live) [Blu-ray]
LABEOUF,SHIA; Release date: 2008-09-02; Blu-ray
Best price: $14.00
Price in other shops: ~~$39.99~~

Transformers: Dark of the Moon - Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Three-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D/ Blu-ray/ DVD/ Digital Copy)
Paramount; Release date: 2012-01-31; Blu-ray
Best price: $28.99
Price in other shops: ~~$54.99~~