Jelani Lawrence

Mrs. Wiegert

English 112

4 May 2023

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Analysis

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is the second installment in the series, directed by

the infamous Michael Bay who is known for his action films. After the first Transformers movie

it was an instant hit Michael Bays' style of capturing action is what brought millions of fans to

see the second installment. In this movie, we follow the protagonist from the first movie Sam

Witwicky as he struggles to balance his life as a friend to alien robots called the Autobots, a new

college student, and his love with his girlfriend Mikaela Banes. We follow Sam through his first

week of college before it gets disrupted by a Decepticon threat. After we learn about the true

threat the Fallen who is a fallen Prime, whose goal is to use an ancient machine to turn the sun

into Energon, the thing that keeps transformers alive. We then follow Sam and the Autobots

through battles and mystery as they try to stop the Fallen.

Michael Bay as previously mentioned is known for his action movies; such as the the

entire Purge series, the Bad Boys series, and Pearl Habor. All of those movies are known for

their action sequences and the “Heros journey” which Bay uses in most of his films. This film

can be broken down into the “three-act journey” In the first act, we are introduced to the main

characters and the basic conflict. We learn about the Autobot's and Decepticon's ongoing

conflict and how the humans especially Sam are involved. The second act is where the bulk of

the story takes place, with Sam and the Autobots trying to recover the stolen shard and prevent

the Decepticons from resurrecting the fallen Decepticon leader, Megatron, but ultimately fail as

his resurrected and meets with the fallen. In the third act, the conflict reaches its climax as the
heroes face off against the Decepticons and the Fallen. They face off against the fallen in a

small remote town in Egypt this is where we see the bulk of the action and where we can really

see Bay’s directing style take off with a shift in the mood/tone, change in cinematography, and

change in sounds. Bay uses wide shots to establish the scale of the conflict when in Egypt,

while the ancient architecture of the Egyptian ruins adds to the film's mythology and sense of

history. Bay's manipulation of lighting really puts you in the moment when watching his films,

the use of lens flares and bright flashes of light during action scenes in Egypt creates a sense of

chaos and intensity. One thing that is very noticeable is the change in cinematography when the

battle in Egypt occurs. For example, there are wide shots of the Egyptian desert as the

Autobots and Decepticons engage in battle, which helps to emphasize the grand size of the

conflict, while the film frequently uses close-ups during dialogue scenes, especially during

emotional or dramatic moments. Like the moments before Sam made that heroic charge across

the open field to get to optimus prime before being knocked out by Megatron. One thing that

really brings a movie to life is the sound effects and Bay uses those perfectly from the gunshot

to the energy weapons used by the transformers. The sound effects in this movie are incredibly

detailed especially when it comes to the transformation sequences of the transformers. The

metallic clanking and whirring sounds of the transformers transforming. The explosion and

gunfire in the Egypt battle really bring you into the action and up the intensity of the scene. The

pacing of the movie is very well orchestrated with you going from a normal college life to being

pursued by Decepticons to a battle in Egypt. The pacing in battle scenes is done beautifully with

you being so engaged that the battle passes really quickly but in reality took 30-45 mins. The

rapid cuts between shots and quick transitions between scenes create a sense of urgency and

excitement that keep the audience engaged.

Overall the second installment of Transformers was a beautifully shot movie that kept

audiences all around the world engaged and wanting more. From the battle scenes to the light-
hearted moments, it was shot almost perfectly. While we could have gotten a better story out of

the movie it is undoubtedly a prize-piece of cinematography.