New Books Review

Book Review: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Movie Novelisation): Alan Dean Foster: BooksNot bad, not great.,

By Jeremy Deats -

  

  

This review is from: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Mass Market Paperback)

[SPOILER FREE]
As with the first Transformers movie and novelization the first Act here is pretty slow moving. We do get almost instant Transformer action this time around, but the story takes a while to really pick up pace. When it does pick up the action is relentless.

As far as the story goes, overall I liked it. It was not as well put together as the story for the first movie. Alan Dean Foster novelization of which I read cover to cover in two days upon it’s release weeks before the first film was released. The first book made me feel like a kid a again. This one failed to do that and actually felt a bit forced in parts (hard to put into words without spoilers, but think of the last Mummy squeal and you might get the idea), but in the final Act it does redeem itself.

My biggest problem with the story is two fold: 1. Lack of character growth. Near the end we’re suppose to view one of the primary human characters as having gone through growth, but it just doesn’t come across as believable in the book (perhaps in the film it will). 2. Single dimensional characters, I lost track of count of how many lines from the last film got recycled here. These characters are the same people we met last time and don’t change at all throughout (goes for humans and Transformers).

[LIGHT SPOILERS BELOW]
There are a lot more Transformers this time around. Some old faces suchj as Ironhide, Rachet, Scorponic get much less spotlight time to make way for new characters. The character Glen Whitmann does not return but in his place we have a new college friend of Sams, Leo (Ramon Rodriguez) who becomes a major character and unfortunately his dialog, actions, etc.. just serve to fit the stereotype of Whitmann character. The writers could have done a much, much better job with the dialog all around. In fact in some spots it’s so bad I’m curious how the critics will respond, it’s very likely they will absolutely hate this movie.

Again we have several themes ripped right from the 80’s cartoon show that have been alerted to fit into this story (to fanboy horror). There are two things that will happen in the story that will probably upset the hardcore fans much more than the first film did.

[SHORT ANSWERS ABOUT FINAL THEATRICAL TRAILER]
1. No, the bike you see Mikaela near is not Arcee (however Arcee is in the movie in the story quite a bit].

2. The two cars you see beside Bumblebee on the highway are major characters in the story.

3. Agent Simmons comment “what you are about to see is top secret, do not tell my mother” makes more sense in context of what’s going on at that time in the story.

4. The odd shaped thing you see in Sam’s hand for a quick moment is the Transformers Matrix of Leadership.

5. The Transformer you see sucking the sand into it’s mouth near the end of the trailer is Devastator, one of the ‘combiners’ in this story.

[HEAVIER SPOILERS]
For those following the work of Alex Kurtzman (screenwriter for Star Trek, Fringe (TV series), previous Transformers film, etc..) there is a very strange crossover that occurs in this book. The corporation Massive Dynamics from the Fringe TV series has a place in the book, it played a big part in the cover up of the events from the previous book/film. There is a part near the beginning that would make a great place for a Leonard Nimoy to cameo as his Fringe character William Bell.

There was not nearly enough Optimus Prime in this story, wish I could say more about this… I was also hoping for at least a little bit of Cybertron. The last film showed Starcream heading somewhere at the end, that is pretty much ignored in this film (although Star scream does get a lot of spotlight time)

A great summer read.,

By Duane P. Olds (Charleston SC) -

  

This review is from: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Mass Market Paperback)

First off let me say, I was very excited to get this book, and it did not let me down. It starts out a little slow; trying to catch you up on where the characters are and what happened after the first movie, but once the action starts it does not let up. From the US to Egypt and everywhere in between, this story has it all, and if most of the things in it happen in the movie; it will be awesome. (Being in the Air Force I liked the C-17 parts personally, but I digress) The only problem I found was that the Transformers are named off and it is hard to tell who is who, a little more clarification would have been nice, and the way the twins and Arcee are described confused me until the end of the book. The good part, you find out lots more about the Autobots and Decepticons, their history and that of Cybertron and the war. More bots, including some fan favorites and surprises abound. If you liked the first Transformers, give this book a try, it’ll tide you over till the movie.

“Out of this world”,

By Richard Petsch “book worm” (Conneaut, OH USA) -

  

This review is from: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Mass Market Paperback)

This book is a blast from the start. It has a great plot and plenty of action. It gives us a whole new aspect to the Autobots and the Decepticons. This book also gives us more of everything that the first did not cover. I recommend this book very highly. I look forward to seeing the movie. Fallen by the way is much more than he appears.
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