So, I've seen this a couple of times now and I have to say, it was easier to stomach the second time around since I just blatantly tuned out the stupid shit. Let's face it, I love Michael Bay, I really do. But the man is not a poet. He's one of the best action directors out there, and while he doesn't really outdo himself here, the effects and action sequences are spectacular. Aside from all the normal complaints, ie: the twins, Devastator's "wrecking" balls, random teleportation, a human going to "robot heaven," an even more random trans-terminatrix, being in forests 30 seconds after being in an industrial park, Megan Fox's pants staying white until the last scene, Wheelie humping her leg, Sam's high mom, The Fallen being weak as shit, not an entirely present or cohesive plot, etc., other than all that it was fine.
Yes, I know how stupid that sounds but really, what do you expect? The opening scene was fantastic, and while it left me wanting to know more about NEST it was enough to get me by. I actually liked that we didn't find much out about the new Autobots, and I really appreciated that this movie was basically about Optimus, and how much he was willing to sacrifice for another species. I liked his blossoming relationship with Sam, which can be seen as an allegory for growing up and realizing that sometimes it's not all about you, and you have to do the right thing even though it isn't an easy fix.
Optimus, while not being human, always comes across as a very human character to me. I actually find him to be the most fleshed out of all the characters, and I feel like he's some wizened grandfather passing on his knowledge to the next generation, complete with his double-arm blades. I know it's cliche, but I would have to say my favorite scene is Optimus in the forest, when he takes on Megatron, Starscream and a third decepticon. Not only is it a weird clash of visuals, (an untouched, natural forest being paired with an uber advanced alien race), but it's also where we see how much Optimus cares about Sam. The slow motion of him tearing that other decepticon's face in half was pretty damn amazing as well.
This movie is not perfect by any means, but is still worth a watch. It's fun, and though the plot is sketchy, you understand what's going on and definitely aren't let down by any of the effects. To be honest, the human cast didn't matter as much to me. LaBeouf is solid despite the writing, Fox has to scream way too much, and John Turturro is no where near as annoying here than he was in the first installment of the franchise. Appreciate Revenge of the Fallen for the visuals, and try not to hold the plot against it.
