Story
Following his adventurous encounters with the Transformers, Sam Witwicky (Shia LeBeouf) is planning to settle into his first year at college and get on with his life. But a shard from the All-Spark falls from Sam’s jacket. This sets off a chain reaction that involves Sam, his girlfriend Mikaela (Megan Fox) and a new friend, Leo (Ramon Rodriguez). They must battle the resurrected Megatron and his superior, the Fallen, in another quest for world domination. Sam has to stay alive while the key to the quest is found. The question is – can he?
Themes
Death and destruction; separation from parents
Violence
There is excessive violence in this movie. For example, it includes numerous destructive battles between robots and humans. The final scenes consist almost entirely of bombing, shooting, hand-to-hand combat and dismembering of robots. The violence in this movie includes the following:
Sexual references
This movie includes some sexual references. For example:
- Sam’s father, Ron, suggestively slaps Sam’s mother, Judy, on the bottom. Judy responds with a similar tone and intent, referring to their younger days.
- Sam and Mikaela banter suggestively on the phone as they discuss camshafts.
- After eating a drugged biscuit, Judy propositions Ron and suggests she’ll do ‘anything for an A’.
- Leo has his computer open a web page displaying the ‘Hot 100 Freshman Babes’.
- Alice speaks seductively to Sam in his car while pulling her skirt higher up her legs.
- A teacher drops his apple on the floor during a lecture and a female student picks it up. The teacher suggests that the student should ‘finish that for me’. He then goes on to discuss ‘Virgo, the virgin’ while looking provocatively at the student.
- Wheelie says to Mikaela, ‘You might be hot but not that smart’.
- Wheelie again refers to Mikaela as being ‘hot’ as she steals a car.
- Judy refers to a caller on the other end of a telephone as a ‘perverted mouth breath(er)’.
- Mikaela lands on top of, and facing into, Leo’s groin during a teleport.
- Two testicle-like appendages are seen hanging from a Decepticon’s groin region. These are described as ‘enemy scrotum’.
Alcohol, drugs and other substances
This movie includes some use of substances. For example:
- Judy Witwicky unknowingly purchases a bag of biscuits laced with marijuana. After eating one, she is affected. The bag is clearly labelled with a picture of marijuana on the front.
- Someone refers to having had a ‘reefer’.
- Characters drink alcohol at a party.
Nudity and sexual activity
This movie includes some nudity and sexual activity. For example:
- On two occasions, the family’s pet dogs are seen mating. Ron refers to seeing ‘a lot of that in college too’.
- Mikaela is first seen wearing very little clothing (short shorts and tight fitting t-shirt) and leaning provocatively over a motorbike.
- Mikaela undresses and changes her clothing outside Sam’s garage and in front of a camera.
- Sam and Mikaela kiss in several scenes.
- In Sam’s new dormitory at college, his roommate, Leo has centrefold posters on his walls.
- Alice forces herself onto Sam at a party and then again later in his room. She rubs herself against Sam’s crotch and chest and eventually pins him to the bed. Her Decepticon tail is revealed, as are her underpants. She then tries to kiss Sam with a very long robotic tongue.
- Agent Simmons takes off his trousers revealing his barely covered buttocks in a close-up shot.
- Leo lets his trousers drop to the floor in an effort to distract the guards at the museum.
- Wheelie mounts Mikaela’s leg.
Product placement
This movie is a vehicle for marketing Transformers toys and associated products. Other products and companies shown in the movie include GMC, Camaro, Mountain Dew, Exide Batteries, Cisco WebEx, Valvoline, LG, CNN, Panasonic, News Corp, Phillips, Pan America and Air France.
Coarse language
This movie includes frequent mild to medium-level coarse language.
Ideas to discuss with your children
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is an action-packed science-fiction adventure. It might appeal to older adolescent and adult Transformers fans. It is not suitable for children, who are likely to want to see it because of the association with Transformers toys.
The main positive messages from this movie are the importance of courage, comradeship and loyalty.
This movie could also give you the opportunity to discuss with your older children real-life issues such as:
- the excessive violence shown
- the sexual encounters shown
- the use of this type of film to sell products.