Could have been better, but could have been much worse!

Rating: 7/10 (1 July 2009)

For the most part, this film is the decent thrill ride that the movie going audience is looking for. As an action moving, it has scenes to astound and thrill any avid fan. As a science fiction movie it stands reasonably well. It doesn't over-explain things and doesn't throw in concepts as central plot points that are blatantly impossible (super novas that threaten entire galaxies, I'm talking about you Star Trek). The movie also does relatively well on a comedic note, and from a standpoint of general plot. Though others have complained about the central importance of Sam's role being unlikely and a retread of the first film, it follows through logically from where the first film left off.
Though the film is a lot of fun, it does have its flaws. Unfortunately the humor descends to the low brow a little too often. Also the Autobot twins that Michael Bay apparently loved so much were frightfully annoying. They did also lean towards offensive cultural stereotypes a little heavily. It is unfortunate because a couple of their funnier lines could have been delivered just as well by completely different characters. In fact they might have been funnier coming from a more straight laced Autobot. The use of the twins in pure Jar Jar Binks fashion (though not quite as irritating) was unfortunate given how many underused robots there were. The comment about Sam's roommate's bravery could have been unexpectedly hilarious coming out of Arcee.
Most of the other glitches in the film were relatively minor and not worth mentioning, though the writers could use a geography lesson. If you enjoy action films and don't need a deeper artistic message, Revenge of the Fallen is well worth the watch.