Transformers 2: One Paragraph Review

Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen

This movie was pure insanity. It’s two and a half unrelenting hours of explosions, robots and boobs. I would say it’s equally divided between moments of sheer brilliance, and WTF moments. If you’ve seen the first movie, then you have a good idea of what to expect, but crank it up a notch. This movie makes everything more extreme, both the good and the bad. When I walked out, at first, I wasn’t sure if I really liked it. Overall, I’ve decided I enjoyed it, but wow. Talk about over-the-top.

For another perspective, here’s an excerpt from a review on io9:

Michael Bay understands that summer movies are about two things: male anxiety, and pure id. That’s why he casts Shia LaBoeuf, that supreme avatar of pure male inadequacy, in the lead role. …LaBoeuf, who’s actually a fine actor, is the stand-in for the male viewers’ greatest fears about themselves. No matter how great a loser they might be, they can’t be as losery a loser as Sam Witwicky. And yet, Sam has awesome giant robots stomping around telling him he’s the most important awesome person ever. And he has the hottest girlfriend in the universe, Megan Fox, for whom banality is a huge aphrodisiac.
– io9, “Micheal Bay Finally Made an Art Movie

Iron Man: One Paragraph Review

Iron Man

Jon Favreau directing Iron Man and starring Robert Downey Jr. was all I needed to hear to get excited about this movie. When the trailer came out, it just raised my hopes even higher. His portrayal of Tony Stark as a self-centered alcoholic billionaire looked pitch-perfect — And I’m happy to say that the movie doesn’t disappoint. First of all, the balance between humor and drama is well-done. (In particular, the scenes where he tests the armor in his garage with his robot assistants are priceless.) Secondly, they nailed the story arc for Tony – he starts out as completely irredeemable, and by the time he puts on the armor, you understand the transition he’s been through. It’s believable. Finally, Jeff “The Dude” Bridges as Obediah Stane was an unexpected but brilliant bit of casting. All in all, it was great. I can’t recommend it strongly enough. Oh, and be sure you stay through the credits!

Transformers: One Paragraph Review

Optimus Prime

This movie is absolutely good. Giant robots beat each other up and do acrobatics off buildings. The chase scenes on the freeway are particularly good, as are the establishing scenes where the humans meet Bumblebee for the first time. It’s absolutely jam-packed with cheesy references and corny jokes, as it should be. One of my favorite moments is when Bumblebee summons the other Autobots by shining the Autobot logo onto the clouds. So to all the people who are worried about Michael Bay trampling on their childhood memories, let me offer a bit of perspective. If this movie had been made exactly the same, but without the transformers brand applied to it, you would all universally hail it as the greatest robot movie ever made, and wonder why they haven’t made a Transformers movie like it. Trust me – you’ll enjoy it.