Continuing from the first film Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) has managed to get through his formative years with minimum embarassment and only a slight case of alien robots. Now 18 he's headed off to college and leaving girlfriend Mikaela (Megan Fox) behind to support her newly released father by fixing motorbikes in skimpy outfits and impractical hair. The autobots from the first film are now working full time for the government fighting the decepticons, and have been joined by some new robots since we last saw them. The decepticons meanwhile are plotting the resurrection of Megatron (last seen lying at the bottom of the ocean covered in octopi and guarded by the US Navy). They are currently in the employ of The Fallen - an ancient robot currently residing in a big spaceship out in space. He's accompanied by a few other extra-terrestrial robots including one who hacks into a US military satellite, apparently using his tentacles. The Fallen wants the Decepticons to kidnap Sam who, during the events of the first film, absorbed some mystical robot knowledge that means he knows the location of a giant machine hidden in Egypt, which can destroy the sun and absorb its energy for the benefit of The Fallen and his posse of Decepticons.
Having adored the first film (cars that talk! And have personalities!) I was really looking forward to the second film. I was guilty of being swept up in the fanboy enthusiasm for the sequel and even wondered whether it would outstrip the original. Well. It doesn't. But it is still fun. If you're just after giant robots smashing shit up, then you won't be disappointed. If you wanted a story with the wit and charm of the first film then you won't find it here. I guess the main problem is that we are already familiar with the autobots now so they couldn't have done the cool introduction sequences of the first film (who could beat the sight of Ironhide appearing out of that swimming pool?). We also have less of the romantic tension now Sam and Mikaela are going steady. I do suspect that it could have been improved with a better plot. I'm not asking for the dramatic intricacies of Watchmen, but it did feel a lot like the writers kept hitting a possible end to the film and going "man, we need another half an hour, how about, like, we make them go to Egypt and fight on the PYRAMIDS, yeah that'll be cool!". As it was the film was way too long at 2.5 hours. They could have taken at least 45 minutes out and pared down some of the action and a lot of the lame 'comic sequences' with Sam's parents and the twin joker robots. (I'd also have been happy with a little less of the casual racist, sexist and homophobic attitudes, but maybe that's just me - this is primarily aimed at teenage boys after all).
As with Terminator Salvation and Wolverine I was impressed by the shiny effects and the big action sequences, but these blockbusters somehow feel even shallower than they used to. Perhaps because the gap between the calibre of the writing and the quality of the pretty pictures is now so huge, or perhaps I'm becoming jaded in my old age, but some of the enjoyment of these big brash films has escaped me a little. However, if you're a Transformers fan then there is still much to marvel at and it's definitely worth seeing on the big screen, the sheer scale of the film making you feel like you're fighting right alongside the autobots.
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