Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
Look, I'm not going to pretend Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is a good film. It isn't. But here's the thing I keep coming back to: it's a better film than I thought it would be, and that counts for something. Not much, perhaps, but something.
I reviewed Transformers (2007) and came away fairly cold on it, so walking into this sequel I had modest expectations at best. What I got was a louder, more expensive, more polished version of the same essential product, and in a weird way, that works in its favour. Michael Bay knows exactly what kind of film he's making here. There's no pretence, no reaching for something deeper. It's a delivery mechanism for spectacle, and the spectacle, I'll admit, is fairly spectacular.
The visual effects team deserve a serious round of applause. The character designs on the Transformers themselves are genuinely impressive this time around, with a level of detail and personality that was missing first time out. Bumblebee, in particular, is a genuine surprise. For a giant robot made of metal and machinery, he manages to be oddly expressive. There's something almost charming about him, and in a film that offers precious little warmth, those moments land better than they have any right to.
When we get to the human side of things, it's a different story. Megan Fox struggles here, if I'm being honest. The charisma she has in front of the camera doesn't translate into actual performance, and every line feels like she's reading it for the first time. It's not entirely fair to single her out, because the script she's working with is absolutely dreadful in places, packed with corny one-liners and comic relief that mostly misses the mark. But Shia LaBeouf and the rest of the cast muddle through with more conviction than the material probably deserves. I'll give them that.
The story, such as it is, exists purely as scaffolding for the set pieces. It's a rollercoaster: you strap in, you move from one loud sequence to the next, you get off at the end. If you go in expecting coherent plotting or emotionally satisfying character arcs, you're going to be deeply frustrated. But if you adjust your expectations, if you accept that the film is essentially asking you to park your brain at the door and watch enormous robots beat each other senseless for two and a half hours, it's a much smoother ride than it has any right to be.
Bay has always had a gift for this kind of maximalist chaos, and there's a lineage here that stretches back to something like Armageddon (1998). Big, dumb, technically impressive, and oddly watchable despite every instinct telling you otherwise. He operates in his own category entirely.
It's not art. It's barely cinema in the traditional sense of the word. But Revenge of the Fallen delivers on its own ridiculous terms, and there's an honesty to that I can almost respect. When a film knows exactly what it is, and commits fully to being that thing, it's hard to be too brutal about it. Two and a half stars.
Rating: ★★½ | Year: 2009 | Watched: 2026-06-15
Where to watch
Watch in the UK
Stream: Paramount Plus · Sky Go · Now TV Cinema · Paramount+ Amazon Channel
Rent: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Buy: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Physical: Amazon UK · Zavvi
Watch in the US
Stream: Paramount Plus Premium · Paramount Plus Essential · Paramount+ Amazon Channel · YouTube TV
Rent: Amazon Video · Apple TV Store · Google Play Movies · YouTube
Buy: Amazon Video · Apple TV Store · Google Play Movies · YouTube
Physical: Amazon US
Affiliate disclosure: Movies With Macca may earn a small commission on purchases or subscriptions started via these links. It costs you nothing extra.
