When Tranformers was released in 2007, it ended up being the highest grossing blockbuster of the year.  That’s not surprising, as it was based off a very popular toy line and an animated TV show.  Director Michael Bay, like J.J. Abrams of Star Trek, didn’t borrow too heavily from the show and come up with his own vision of Transformers.  He made it appealing to everyone so no one would have to watch the show to understand the movie.  The essence and concept of Transformers was there, but Bay turned it into something completely original.  The movie also turned Shia LaBeouf into a superstar and made Megan Fox a pin-up goddess for essentially every male.  Transformers:  Revenge of the Fallen will be the follow-up to the hugely successful Transformers.

Autobot Olypmics - Floor Exercise

Most of the actors reprise their roles from the first Transformers (one notable exception being Jon Voight as Defense Secretary Keller) and the basis of the sequel follows the events of the first film.  Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf), world savior from the evil Decepticons, is getting ready to attend college under the watchful eye of Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen) and the rest of the Autobots. Before leaving, he must say goodbye to his friend/car Bumblebee (Mark Ryan) since incoming freshman are not allowed to drive cars on campus. Naturally, Bumblebee takes it hard and cries windshield wiper fluid.  Another person he must say goodbye to is his girlfriend, Mikaela Banes (Megan Fox), whom can’t afford to go to college with Sam.  She instead takes up work at a motorcycle repair shop. Sam’s parents Ron (Kevin Dunn) and Judy (Julie White), who now know about Bumblebee and the Autobots, drop Sam off at college and plan for a vacation in France. At college, Sam discovers a small piece of the Allspark, which gives the Transformers life.  He soon begins to have visions of symbols and starts to draw them everywhere.  Optimus Prime approaches Sam about his visions and says there may be a new Decepticon threat to Earth.  Since Decepticon Starscream managed to escape in the first movie, he brings back more reinforcements to Earth to revive their leader, Megatron, and find Sam and his Allspark.  Sam seeks the aid of Reggie Simmons (John Turturro), a now off-duty CIA agent who worked on the secret government project that held Megatron captive in the first movie.  Simmons, who is working at his mom’s deli, tells Sam that the images he is seeing are identical to markings found in ancient ruins around the world.  Sam discovers these ancient symbols may reveal the true origins of the Transformers.  He must find the ancient symbols and avoid capture by the Decepticons, who want to extract information from him.

Michael Bay, who directed the first Transformers, will return for this one. Writers Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman have come back to write the script, along with Ehren Kruger (The Ring).  With the same director and writers returning it can be expected this film won’t stray too far from the original’s formula.

This scene guest-directed by M. Night Shyamalan

Since I enjoyed the first Transformers, I’m sure I’ll feel the same about this one.  Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen may be one of the most anticipated movies of the summer and this will undoubtedly score huge at the box office.  Let’s just hope it doesn’t suck like most sequels tend to do.

Transformers:  Revenge of the Fallen opens June 24^th.