Transformers 2 Movie Review

In terms of film making when there is someone like Martin Campbell (Casion Royale) or J.J. Abrams (Star Trek) to inject a tired series with a sharp shock of brilliance then there is always going to be someone else who embodies the complete antithesis.

A grave digger, er, director like Joel Schumacher able to hammer the final nails into a franchises coffin. Batman and nipple plated battle suits, James Bond and shaken martinis, there have been many fallen heroes resurrected by the powers of film.

Special effect have played an integral part of this and none more so that in Michael Bay films. A name synonymous with carnage, Bay has already obliterated New York City and H-bombed Nagasaki on his resumee. He blows shit up and Transformers 2 is no different.

The film continues in the same vein as the first, with Shia Le Boeuf and Megan Fox reprising their roles as the love-struck couple struggling to cope with the norms of long distance relationships. Scenes of leaving home and first days at university are blended with themes of destruction.

Le Boeuf and Fox play their parts as if the film were a comedy to increase their likability to the audience. Lacking the ruggedness of a Bruce Willis and the looks of a Brad Pitt, Le Boeuf is comfortable playing the nerdy teenager. This is highlighted by his objection to Einstein's theory of relativity whilst in a physics lectures. Nevertheless the film's real stars are the Transformers themselves.

Optimus Prime returns with all the other oddly shaped and sized machines to provide big battles in bigger locations. No environment is too safe from oblivion and after ruining space, Japan and Ben Affleck's acting career, Egypt is the prime location for Bay to bl0ow shit up.

Along with the U.S. Marines (fronted by Josh Duhmal and Tyrese Gibson), the action is relentless on the viewer. Jumping from location to location, critics suggest that 2 and a half hours is too long for a film that lacks emotional depth. However Bay is merely excersing his right to exploit every angle, trick and sound available before the movie ends.

There is no emphasis on plot nor is there space for memorable acting performances. It's a tribute to an era of special effects no longer hampered by pieces of string hanging from above or painted scenery of the 60's. Transformers 2 is a guaranteed action packed evening at the cinema with definitely no strings attached.