There aren't any spoilers in this review, so read on, even if you haven't seen the movie yet.
Preface: I've heard a lot of people talking trash about the movie, saying how its filled with overdramatic camera shots, corny lines, too much action, and a simple/predictable storyline. What I have to say about that is that this is a Michael Bay movie based on an 80's cartoon of giant transforming robots. You should know what to expect from him before you even see a trailer of the movie. Don't expect to see some deep and meaningful movie like Crash, X, or Citizen Kane. If that's not your type of movie, you probably won't like it. But it's like going to see Up and saying its bad because you prefer live action movies instead of animated movies. With that being said, lets proceed:
We Showin' You The Good:
This movie was filled with essentially nonstop action like the first, along with wide angle rotating panning shots, some great shots of landscapes and cityscapes, slow motion explosions, dramatic music, amazing special effects, long fight scenes and humor accompanying even more Autobots and Decepticons than the first movie, and of course, Megan Fox running in slow motion.
The overall story of the movie was done fairly well, although it could've been executed better in delivery of certain scenes. They did a decent job at taking you along the journey while also stopping to explain what's going on,although some parts seemed useless. It's all basically straight forward and laid out in front of you, which people may or not like. I think with a movie like Transformers, that should be expected though. I don't go to see an action movie with giant transforming robots to see a movie that will make me think on a philosophical level. I go to be entertained.
Another good thing was seeing specific Autobots/Decepticons and parts of the story from the original series.
They managed to (attempt to) insert a lot of humor in this sequel. There were several corny lines, but I expected those coming from a Transformers movie. Some of the humor worked well, some of it came across as trying too hard and could've been delivered better, and some was just a swing and a miss. Needless to say, there was a lot more humor than in the first, and several lines/scenes had the entire theater laughing.
The Bad:
Be prepared for a long movie. Two and a half hours long. Although I definitely thought this movie was long, I also thought The Dark Knight was long, but still good. The first thing it reminded me of was Bad Boys II, with its long run time and a long fight/action scene at the end. Now that I actually think about it, these movies are very similar with their overall plot setup, insertion of humor and action, and of course, directing style.
The Ugly:
Just like the last one, the special effects were amazing. At times, much like the first one it was hard to tell exactly what was going on in the fight scenes because there were so many pieces of metal flying around and they were all the same color, making them blend together when the two bots clashed. I don't see much of a clear cut solution, and I'd much rather have these more realistic looking bots with incredible detail than a bright pink Autobot fighting a neon blue Decepticon with clear fake outlines that make them look like unused ideas from Power Rangers.
Also, at times, even for a Michael Bay movie there were some unneeded wide angled rotating camera shots..ie. someone just getting out of a car. I think the main issue with this one compared to the last was execution wasn't done correctly on certain scenes.
This Is For The Hood:
The movie was a lot more overtly sexual and much more vulgar than the last. This can go either way on whether or not it makes the movie better or worse. At times I thought some of the profanity was too childish or unnecessary and detracted from the movies overall appeal, but at other times it helped make the scene/line as funny as it was.
As far as the movie being over-hyped, I think thats another thing that's all personal opinion. Its a sequel to a movie that's grossed over 708 million dollars, and also based on a hugely popular 80's cartoon which in itself spawned it's own wave of movies, toys, lunch boxes, apparel, etc. So I think it is to be expected that this sequel will be heavily marketed. Whether or not the consumer falls into this 'over-hyped' movie is all up to them. I think many people have fallen into it, especially those who have never even seen the original series or toys. But I also think there are people who just liked the first movie and hope the second one is just as good, if not better.
You Got, To Love Me:
As far as whether or not it's better than the first, I think that's more up to personal opinion. I thought it fell short of the first one mainly because certain scenes should've been much better than they were. But I still look forward to seeing it again in theaters, only at the IMAX the second time around. Overall this was a fun and enjoyable movie which surprisingly had me emotionally attached to several characters, drawing out anger, laughter, sadness and happiness. If you liked the first one, you'll like, if not love the second one. This movie was worth my $9.50, being surrounded by high schoolers (who made me feel really old) and waiting in line for over two hours to insure good seats.
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