A Bigger, Badder Transformation by Prospero Pulma Jr.

Bigger, Badder Transformation
By Prospero Pulma Jr.

In filmdom, sequels have to be better such as The Godfather’s succeeding chapters or grander like what they did with The Lord of the Rings, so the crew behind the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen had their work cut for them. After all, the 2007 The Transformers did not only please old fans (people in their 20s and 30s who followed the animated TV series…in the ‘80s) and won new followers (the old fans’ kids, nephews, and nieces), but also made the producers, Hasbro executives, theater owners, and taxmen very, very happy. Faced with topping a box-office Mt. Everest, they made things bigger by reinforcing the initial cast of puny humans, big good robots, and big bad robots with, well, more puny humans, big good robots, and big bad robots.

The plot reveals that long before Optimus Prime and Megatron brought their clan war to our planet, Transformers shed their “blood” to stop a Prime named Fallen from harvesting the sun’s energy. Any preschooler knows that the sun is vital to life. The early Autobots also knew this, so they stopped Fallen, the Deciptons’ granddaddy, and hid the Matrix that would power up the solar energy device. Thousands of years later and a few years after Megatron was dropped into the abyssal ocean, the Autobots, working with humans in a covert unit called the Nest, are occupied with hunting down Megatron’s surviving minions, Sam (Shia LaBeouf) is entering college, and Mikaela (Megan Fox) is still the franchise’s resident hottie.
An encounter with Decepticons in Shanghai (the city not the lumpia) that ends with a warning of the fallen’s rise unravels the human protagonists’ lives again. Cracks form in the Autobot-human (or is Autobot-American) alliance as Optimus brings the ominous intel to the government, but he is rebuffed by the politicians and bureaucrats who want more from their partnership. The Autobots turn to their first friend, Sam, who has forgotten that Decepticons can change into cellphones, jets, chopper, a police cruiser, and yes, hotbabes like his blonde schoolmate, Alice (Isabel Lucas) and is more focused on college than helping his extraterrestrial buddies. His initial disinterest in getting entangled in the Autobots’ affairs changes as a small piece of the Cube downloads information crucial in finding the Matrix and sun-harvesting device to his brain. At that time, the quietly regrouping Decepticons launch their counterattack first by resurrecting Megatron, then abducting Sam to extract information literally from him, and, as a bonus, killing Optimus who charges to the young man’s rescue.

With Prime dead, the Decepticons’ offensive turns deadlier with Fallen taking command. Standing on their way are the remaining Autobots and just a handful of faithful human allies - small humps that can do little to stop Fallen. Their chances of success increase when the small party of Sam, Mikaela, Leo (Ramon Rodriguez), Bumblebee, Skids, and Mudflap, is beefed up by Agent Simmons (John Turturro) and two Decepticon defectors, Jetfire and Wheelie.

From America, the action turns to the Middle East (as if the place has not seen enough war in the last 50 years) where Sam and company find the Matrix in the Tomb of the Primes. They relay the coordinates to the Nest for an airborne drop and proceed on their way to find the sun-harvesting machine. The remaining Autobots, the Nest’s infantry unit, lead by Major Lennox (Josh Duhamel), and Optimus Prime’s dead body are dropped on the desert on a rogue mission. What followed was a pitched battle as the outgunned and outnumbered Nest commandos and the few Autobots stood against the Decepticons. The tide only turned in their favor with Prime’s revival and Jetfire’s sacrifice that tremendously boosted his power. And yes, a veritable parade of American military hardware occurred as America sent its top-of-the-line war toys to the front. In short order, Fallen is felled by Prime, Megatron is heavily damaged, and Starcream, true to form, runs away.

Since it was not made for the Oscars, except for the special effects category, but to fans who want to be tremendously entertained by a sci-fi flick, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen’s plot loopholes should be forgiven. And the acting? The real “stars” here are not Shia and Megan but the never-ending war between Autobots and Decepticons that provides most if not all of the story’s fire. Speaking of Shia and Megan, their onscreen petting is getting tiresome that they are upstaged by the antics of Leo, Ron (Kevin Dunn), Judy (Julie White), and Agent Simmons. My, even Mudflap, Skids, and Wheelie steal the scene from them. And Jetfire? In his few minutes on the screen, he displayed more humanity than Optimus and the Autobots. After all, a Decepticon changing sides because of so much hatred in his group and sacrificing himself to boost Prime’s power is as rare as a sci-fi film worthy of a Best Picture Oscar.