2010 Oscar Predictions: Gearing Up

These'll be coming fast and furious from now on, I hope. This is turning out to be one of the more interesting Oscar predictions seasons in a long time. Say what you will about the decision to extend the Best Pic nominees to ten, but it's creating some pretty intense conversation pieces.

Best Picture:

Amelia
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Invictus
The Lovely Bones
Precious
The Road
A Serious Man
Shutter Island
Star Trek

Best Director:

Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Lee Daniels, Precious
Clint Eastwood, Invictus
Peter Jackson, The Lovely Bones
Lone Scherfig, An Education

Best Actor:

George Clooney, Up in the Air
Matt Damon, The Informant!
Daniel Day-Lewis, Nine
Peter Sarsgaard, An Education
Michael Stuhlbarg, A Serious Man

Best Actress:

Saoirse Ronan, The Lovely Bones
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
Hilary Swank, Amelia
Audrey Tautou, Coco Before Chanel

Best Supporting Actor:

Matt Damon, Invictus
Anthony Mackie, The Hurt Locker
Tobey Maguire, Brothers
Alfred Molina, An Education
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

Best Supporting Actress:

Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Mo'nique, Precious
Imelda Staunton, Taking Woodstock
Rachel Weisz, The Lovely Bones
Michelle Williams, Shutter Island

Best Adapted Screenplay:

Amelia
Nine
Precious
Up in the Air
Where the Wild Things Are

Best Original Screenplay:

Bright Star
Brooklyn's Finest
Funny People
The Hurt Locker
A Serious Man

Best Animated Feature Film:

The Fantastic Mr. Fox
9
Up

Best Art Direction:

Bright Star
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Inglourious Basterds
Public Enemies
Where the Wild Things Are

Best Cinematography:

Amelia
Avatar
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
The Hurt Locker
Nine

Best Costume Design:

Bright Star
Cheri
The Tempest

Best Film Editing:

Avatar
The Lovely Bones
Nine
Shutter Island
Star Trek

Best Makeup:

Avatar
Star Trek
Watchmen

Best Original Score:

Avatar
Bright Star
A Christmas Carol
The Lovely Bones
The Road

Best Sound Editing:

Avatar
District 9
Public Enemies
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
2012

Best Sound Mixing:

The Hurt Locker
9
Star Trek
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
2012

Best Visual Effects:

Avatar
Star Trek
2012

An Updated 2009 Rundown, and August Anticipation

I've seen some stuff in the month of July. I've added "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" (****), "Coraline" (****) "My Sister's Keeper" (****), "G-Force" (***1/2), "Public Enemies" (***1/2), and "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" (**1/2). I've also downgraded "Taken" by half a star, bringing it to ***1/2; just a movie that has withered a tad over time and that I'm not as enthusiastic about now.

J.J. Abrams's "Star Trek" (****)
David Yates' "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" (****)
Zack Snyder's "Watchmen" (****)
Pete Docter's "Up" (****)
Henry Selick's "Coraline" (****)
Nick Cassavetes' "My Sister's Keeper" (****)
Alex Proyas' "Knowing" (****)
Michael Bay's "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" (****)
Sam Raimi's "Drag Me to Hell" (****)
Pierre Morel's "Taken" (***1/2)

Hoyt Yeatman's "G-Force" (***1/2)
Gavin Hood's "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" (***1/2)
Tom Tykwer's "The International" (***1/2)
Letterman/Vernon's "Monsters vs. Aliens" (***1/2)
Michael Mann's "Public Enemies" (***1/2)
Tony Scott's "The Taking of Pelham 123" (***1/2)
Justin Lin's "Fast & Furious" (***)
Anne Fletcher's "The Proposal" (***)
Andy Fickman's "Race to Witch Mountain" (***)
Carlos Saldanha's "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" (**1/2)

Paul McGuigan's "Push" (**1/2)
Peter Chelsom's "Hannah Montana: The Movie" (**)
McG's "Terminator Salvation" (*1/2)
Brad Silberling's "Land of the Lost" (zero stars)

I should be seeing A LOT more movies in the month of August. The first weekend (the 7th) brings us "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra," which looks cool, and "Shorts," which could be a major comeback for Robert Rodriguez in the kid's arena (his last decent family flick was "Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams"). Also interested in the Meryl Streep/Amy Adams headliner "Julie & Julia." The second weekend (the 14th) is packed with goodies and brings us Peter Jackson's intriguing "District 9," Hayao Miyazaki's newest animated film "Ponyo," Todd Graff's high school comedy "Bandslam," Robert Schwentke's romance/fantasy "The Time Traveler's Wife," and Neil Brennan's "The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard." The third weekend (the 21st) brings only one film of interest to me: Quentin Tarantino's war film "Inglourious Basterds." The last weekend offers only Ang Lee's artsy semi-biopic "Taking Woodstock."

Films I'm skipping out on for various reasons: An unhealthy influx of horror movies, such as "A Perfect Getaway," "Halloween II," and "The Final Destination." Also, horrid-looking romcoms, like "Post Grad" and "My One and Only." Also missed will be littler movies that probably won't play in the Dallas/Fort Worth markets: "Cold Souls," "Paper Heart," "It Might Get Loud," "Spread," "Grace," and "St. Trinian's" (I'll try to catch some of these on DVD).

Review: G-Force (***1/2)

Zach Galifianakis (Ben), Will Arnett (Kip Killian), Bill Nighy (Saber), Kelli Garner (Marcie), Piper Mackenzie Harris (Penny), Tyler Patrick Jones (Connor), Jack Conley (Agent Carter), Gabriel Casseus (Agent Trigstad), Justin Mentell (Terrell), Niecy Nash (Rosalita), Loudon Wainwright III (Grandpa Goodman). Featuring the voices of Sam Rockwell (Darwin), Penelope Cruz (Juarez), Nicolas Cage (Speckles), Tracy Morgan (Blaster), Jon Favreau (Hurley), Steve Buscemi (Bucky). Directed by Hoyt Yeatman. Rated PG (action, rude humor). 89 minutes.

In 2005, Disney released a film that was a glorious spectacle in the B-movie tradition. It was called "Sky High," and it was a dazzling mix of the "Harry Potter" series and "The Incredibles" that worked wonders and was that summer's most fun release by a mile, a joyous respite that worked as well as, but in different ways than, the darker releases that season, such as the final "Star Wars" film or the "Batman" reboot. In the same way, and with one minor but considerable flaw, "G-Force" is this year's answer. The film is in no way smart or sophisticated, but how can it be? It's about guinea pigs that are special agents with the FBI! The plot calls for a B-movie and "G-Force" delivers the goods.

The movie forms some sort of plot. Appliance manufacturer Leonard Saber is developing brand new technology to go along with his devices (including a specially-designed coffee maker); it will connect them using a radio frequency. But his inventions seemingly hide something more sinister: the operation reveals something called Clusterstorm, a plot to overrun the world with machines. On the case are the G-Force of the title, and they include: three guinea pigs named Darwin, Juarez, and Blaster and their mole Speckles. The team escape from the clutches of the FBI and are marooned in a pet shop. Here they meet Hurley, an unsure, slightly overweight guinea pig, desperate to leave the pen. After losing one of their own team members in an escape plan gone awry, team leader Darwin is keen on vengeance--and will stop at nothing to prevent global destruction.

If we still lived in the times of VHS, video tapes everywhere would probably be worn out watching "G-Force." It's just that type of movie. It reminds, in tone, of last year's "Meet Dave," except with better special effects and a much more sufferable first act. "Meet Dave" was neither as terrible as the trailers were nor as clever as the concept was. "G-Force," on the other hand, is much more involving than its concept would initially seem. The idea of guinea pigs as special agents is tired and juvenile, sort of like making a movie about Alvin and his fellow chipmunks, which did happen, to disastrous results. "G-Force" is the Second Coming in comparison and much cleverer than most kid-friendly espionage movies out there; it's the best of its kind since the underrated, kind-of-visionary gem "Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams" and trumps fare like both "Agent Cody Banks" movies, "Catch That Kid," and the unbearable "Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker," none of which have the wit or style of this film.

The G-Force is a likable troupe of guinea pigs and more characterized than you may think--with one exception. Leader Darwin, plagued by guilt over the loss of a good friend around the end of the first act, turns into the consummate movie hero, extremely likable, resourceful, and flawed. Sam Rockwell embues humanity into his role, which is one of the best voiceovers in a Disney film I've seen a long while. Agent Juarez is somewhat of an off-to-the-side role but Penelope Cruz does what she can and does it well, besides. As Hurley, Jon Favreau is hilarious and heartfelt, much the same way John Ratzenberger is in his many voiceovers for Pixar's films. Nicolas Cage's voice is completely unrecognizable as Speckles, the mole in two different ways, but he's terrific and almost photorealistic in execution.

If the film has a flaw, it is in the inclusion of Agent Blaster, voiced irritatingly by Tracy Morgan, who is underqualified for this role. They could've gotten Eddie Murphy and the role could probably have the potential to be a Donkey-type of beloved animated character. More intriguing is Steve Buscemi's virtual extended cameo as Bucky, a fellow petshop-mate of Hurley's, who is funnier with 10 minutes of screen time than Blaster is in the entire picture. My suggestion to the writers would be to switch those characters and the star rating might have been pushed up to four stars.

Luckily, Blaster only pauses the experience and doesn't bring it to a complete halt. Otherwise, the film is unadulterated fun and one of the better movies this summer. The action scenes are actually intense (something I didn't foresee), and the villain, Saber, is played with great relish by Bill Nighy. One might think Nighy is too good, but he impresses from frame one with a deliciously over-the-top performance that reminds of John Malkovich's Pascal Sauvage in the underrated "Johnny English" or Jim Broadbent's Inspector Butterman in the brilliant "Hot Fuzz" (which this film is the kid-version of). The other human actors are window-dressing, like Zach Galifianakis and an underused Will Arnett, but that is perfectly okay under the circumstances.

Director Hoyt Yeatman has directed his first feature after years of special effects work, but he proves himself worthy with this film, a kind of Michael Bay for the kiddos. He frames some of his action scenes as Bay would. The ending would have been derivative of "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," what with its Transformer made out of kitchen appliances, but it's practically as insane as some of the stuff in last month's action masterpiece. The special effects are nearly as accomplished and deliriously beautiful. That Oscar winner Scott Stokdyk (look him up) helped with effects is not surprising. Editor Mark Goldblatt has worked on such big-budget films as "Starship Troopers," "Armageddon," "Hollow Man," and "Bad Boys II," and he uses every tool in his arsenal here (that "G-Force" is better than those movies is perhaps more indicative of their deficiencies, but what the hey).

"G-Force" is a wonderful family film, one that is unexpectedly moving at times and nearly always funny; but it has that extra layer of ingenuity that most live-action family films from Disney have missing. This summer has presented disappointments, like "Terminator Salvation" and "Land of the Lost," both films with better advertising than this and another surprise, "X-Men Origins: Wolverine." "G-Force" is a big success and should be seen by 7-year-olds everywhere. One of the shocking aspects about the movie is its refusal to pander to the age group and then treat them like imbeciles. There is a genuinely surprising twist at the end that kids may not like, but they will certainly understand it. It treats its target age with respect and doesn't condescend. That's all we can ask for.

Review: Harry Potter and Half-Blood Prince (****)

Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley), Emma Watson (Hermione Granger), Jim Broadbent (Horace Slughorn), Michael Gambon (Albus Dumbledore), Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy), Alan Rickman (Severus Snape), Maggie Smith (Minerva McGonagall), Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley), Jessie Cave (Lavender Brown), Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood), Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange), Robbie Coltrane (Rubeus Hagrid), Frank Dillane (Tom Riddle at 16), Hero Fiennes-Tiffin (Tom Riddle at 11), Helen McCrory (Narcissa Malfoy), Warwick Davis (Professor Flitwick), Mark Williams (Arthur Weasley), Julie Walters (Molly Weasley), Natalia Tena (Nymphadora Tonks), David Thewlis (Remus Lupin), Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom), Freddie Stroma (Cormac McLaggen), James Phelps (Fred Weasley), Oliver Phelps (George Weasley), Amelda Brown (Mrs. Cole), Anna Shaffer (Romilda Vane), Elerica Gallagher (Waitress), Georgina Leonidas (Katie Bell), Timothy Spall (Peter Pettigrew), David Bradley (Argus Filch), Isabella Laughland (Leanne), Alfie Enoch (Dean Thomas). Directed by David Yates. Rated PG (scary images, violence, language, sensuality). 153 minutes.






"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," like "Star Trek" before it, represents this summer's biggest success. Not only is the film itself a masterwork (and boy, is it), but like the film that went as boldly as ever, this one doesn't simply center around amazing visual effects. It deals with matters of the heart, too, and crafts one of the best suspense thrillers in recent years. Shymalan and Hitchcock would be proud of some of the set pieces on display here. The sheer aptitude that clearly-gifted director David Yates uses to film what is probably the hardest PG-rating for any movie ever, or at least since "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" 25 years ago, is something to behold. Also, the film boasts the best cinematography of the year and certainly of the series.


Following the tragic death of his godfather Sirius Black, Harry Potter's summer between fifth and sixth years at Hogwarts is interrupted when Albus Dumbledore snatches him away to the nice village of Budleigh Babberton. Harry's mission: help convince Potions master hopeful Horace Slughorn to return to Hogwarts. More important are the memories that Slughorn holds of Lord Voldemort, so that Harry and Dumbledore can find Horcruxes--pieces of Voldemort's soul that, if destroyed, will be the end of him. Meanwhile, Harry himself battles another villain: affection, specifically for Ginny Weasley, Ron's younger sister. And Hermione and Ron have spats in between Ron's snogging with Lavender Brown.





There are two scenes in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" in which Hermione and Ron call Harry their best friend. It's this kind of connection that makes the film so special, more so than any visuals could. One scene in particular has Hermione pouring her heart out to Harry after Ron and Lav-Lav kiss for the first time. It's heart-wrenching and heart-warming in equal measure, because we know the friendship between them and Ron is as strong as any in the film medium. The hormones that are prevalent at the age of 16 are fierce and brutal (heck, they still are for me, four years later), and the film presents them in an uncompromising way. Luckily, there's hope yet. The last five minutes in particular are an exquisite capper on a trio of friendship that will most assuredly last a lifetime.

But it wouldn't be "Harry Potter" with the usual dazzle of special effects, and they are as accomplished as ever. The first scene has a thrilling and terrifying attack by Death Eaters on the helpless Muggles. The war has started. No one's safe. The effects used here are flawless, as are those in an equally scary attack on the Burrow (the Weasleys' house). The blurry, surreal murkiness of the transition into the crucial memory sequences couldn't be more perfect. The final sequence in a dank and dark cave is almost too realistic, with the disgusting inferi and the subsequent ring of fire Dumbledore conjures to ward them off indistinguishable from the actual-real surroundings.






The other tech credits are seamless. The musical score by Nicholas Hooper is essential to setting the mood for every scene and it does that beautifully, especially in the most tense of moments. The aforementioned cinematography by the great Bruno Delbonnel is sumptuous and utterly gorgeous, shrouding everything in a surreal light that matches the goings-on in the plot. Things at Hogwarts are not the same as they once were, and at the end, the situation is even more grave. The cinematography reflects that beautifully, especially in the emotion-driven ending. That Delbonnel has signed on to the two-part "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" gives me hope that they will be absolutely terrific-looking unlike anything else.

The actors are more than impressive. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint by now know these roles and could play them in their sleep, but luckily they don't. These are strong, committed performances by consummate professionals, not young-adult actors anymore, and the scenes of teenage hormones are beautifully played-out by all involved (also of note are equally strong takes from Bonnie Wright as Ginny and newcomer Jessie Cave as groupie Lavender Brown). Other actors of the generation include Tom Felton, as evil and conniving as ever as Draco Malfoy, with a new mission from the Dark Lord himself, and Evanna Lynch, as quirky and wise as ever in the now-historic role of Luna Lovegood (one of my personal favorite characters in the series).






But as good as the "kids" are, the adults are even better. Deserving of an Oscar nomination (and possible win) is Michael Gambon as Dumbledore. It's amazing to think that at one time I was unsure of his transition into the character, especially after the regal Richard Harris played the headmaster in the first two films. Now, though, I can't imagine anyone else playing this role better than Gambon, whose Dumbledore is a man willing to take whatever comes his way. As the wisest and most powerful wizard, it's something to behold when he becomes vulnerable in the last act; Gambon is shattering and unforgettable, a force of nature in what reminds me of Billy Crudup's devastating turn as Dr. Manhattan in "Watchmen." Alan Rickman is superbly icy in another of the year's great turns thus far. His Snape hasn't had much to do since the first film, only playing Snape in extended cameos. Snape doesn't even try to cover up his true colors by the end, and Rickman gives the character an extra layer that is unforeseen and a bit of foreshadowing for the final film in the series. And the great Jim Broadbent (one of my favorite actors ever since "The Borrowers" twelve years ago) is, well, great as Horace Slughorn, quirky and only a little conceited but with a smidge of something else when he talks about students he loved.

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," as corny as it may sound, is ultimately about the power of a friendship among three people that comes around once in a blue moon. It's why the final sequence, implying a dangerous and frightening journey that they may not survive, is so beautiful. Ron and Hermione pledge their complete devotion to Harry's task as their own. The school is lost, the world is darkened by a pall of dread and gloom, but their friendship will last an entire lifetime, no matter what happens. And we all relate to it, because we all have at least one friend who is comparable (I know I do). The razzle-dazzle of special effects, the beauty of the cinematography, the pathos of the actors' performance--none of it would matter if the film didn't have that heart-wrenching element of truth and gravitas. This is one of the year's finest achievements.

OSCAR 2010: Talk About Change

Due last week's triple-announcement of changes, including a nixing of both the Original Song and Honorary Awards categories and the majorly controversial move to extend the number Best Picture nominees to ten, things are going down at AMPAS that most people don't like. For the record, I'm not a big fan of the nixing of any categories, but I am one of the few proponents of the Best Pic extension. Any haughty judgments that people have been awarding the move are solely based on circular logic: the reasons against it are the reasons it should exist, or so it appears. I think the Academy is pushing the limits of their creativity in a way that could resuscitate interest in the proceedings (overlong telecast notwithstanding). It opens the door up for quite a few movies to be noticed from now on and I hope they keep this up (unless it turns out disastrous).

Having said that, I figured it would be time for a new Predix article. Note that these are not original nominee predictions. I get these from the fellas over at InContention. But then no predictions are truly original, as the folks at IC get theirs from Awards Daily for the most part and I'm sure Awards Daily gets theirs from somewhere else. It's not plagiaristic to copy off something that's not an original in the first place, is it? Plus, I'm not that literate in the art of predicting like those before me, so I take what makes sense from others' perspectives and make them my own. They are conveniently original.

Here goes, down a different road than before:

Best Picture:

Avatar
Bright Star
Funny People
The Informant
Invictus
Precious
Public Enemies
A Serious Man
Shutter Island
Up

Best Director:
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
James Cameron, Avatar
Lee Daniels, Precious
Clint Eastwood, Invictus
Mira Nair, Amelia

Best Actor:


Daniel Day-Lewis, Nine
Johnny Depp, Public Enemies
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker
Peter Sarsgaard, An Education
Ben Wishaw, Bright Star

Best Actress:

Shohreh Aghdashloo, The Stoning of Soraya M.
Abbie Cornish, Bright Star
Penelope Cruz, Broken Embraces
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Audrey Tautou, Coco Avant Chanel

Best Supporting Actor:

Matt Damon, Invictus
Anthony Mackie, The Hurt Locker
Tobey Maguire, Brothers
Alfred Molina, An Education
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

Best Supporting Actress:

Kathy Bates, Cheri
Marion Cotillard, Public Enemies
Penelope Cruz, Nine
Leslie Mann, Funny People
Mo'nique, Precious

Best Adapted Screenplay:

The Informant
Nine
Precious
Shutter Island
Up in the Air

Best Original Screenplay:

The Boat That Rocked
Bright Star
(500) Days of Summer
The Hurt Locker
A Serious Man

Best Animated Feature Film:

Coraline
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Up

Best Art Direction:

Amelia
Bright Star
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Nine
Where the Wild Things Are

Best Cinematography:

Bright Star
Green Zone
The Hurt Locker
Public Enemies
The Road

Best Costume Design:

Bright Star
Cheri
Public Enemies

Best Film Editing:

Bright Star
Green Zone
Invictus
The Lovely Bones
Public Enemies

Best Makeup:

Bright Star
Star Trek
Watchmen

Best Original Score:

Avatar
Broken Embraces
The Lovely Bones
The Road
Up

Best Sound Editing:

Green Zone
The Hurt Locker
Star Trek
Terminator Salvation
Up

Best Sound Mixing:

Green Zone
The Hurt Locker
Public Enemies
Star Trek
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Best Visual Effects:

Avatar
Star Trek
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

2009: A Rundown (Updated)

Here's the, well, rundown for you.

J.J. Abrams's "Star Trek" (****)
Pete Docter's "Up" (****)
Zack Snyder's "Watchmen" (****)
Michael Bay's "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" (****)
Alex Proyas' "Knowing" (****)
Sam Raimi's "Drag Me to Hell" (****)
Pierre Morel's "Taken" (****)
Gavin Hood's "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" (***1/2)
Tom Tykwer's "The International" (***1/2)
Letterman/Vernon's "Monsters vs. Aliens" (***1/2)

Tony Scott's "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3" (***1/2)
Justin Lin's "Fast & Furious" (***)
Anne Fletcher's "The Proposal" (***)
Andy Fickman's "Race to Witch Mountain" (***)
Paul McGuigan's "Push" (**1/2)
Peter Chelsom's "Hannah Montana: The Movie" (**)
McG's "Terminator Salvation" (*1/2)
Brad Silberling's "Land of the Lost" (zero stars)

So there you have it. 18 movies. Back with more at the end of next month.

Review: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (****)

Directed by Michael Bay

Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Ramon Rodriguez, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, John Turturro, Julie White, Kevin Dunn, Tyrese Gibson, Isabel Lucas, Michael Papajohn, Rainn Wilson, Glenn Morshower, Matthew Marsden, John Benjamin Hickey.

Voice Cast: Peter Cullen, Anthony Anderson, Hugo Weaving, Darius McCrary, Reno Wilson, Frank Welker, Tony Todd, Charles Adler, Tom Kenny, Jess Harnell, Mike Patton, Robert Foxworth, Mark Ryan.

2009--150 minutes

Rated: PG-13 (sci-fi action violence, language, crude and sexual material, drug material)

In 2007, "Transformers" was one of the best summer movies to have been released. No question about it. It wasn't perfect, but it signaled the strengths of director Michael Bay, who specializes in action and effects, rather than in characters or dialogue. With breathtaking visuals and Bay's famous (or infamous, depending on who you listen to) hyperkinetic editing that doesn't leave room for development, "Transformers" was a rollercoaster of a ride. Still, it had its flaws, most notably an overlong action finale and an irritating performance by John Turturro. The question was, would Bay be able to top the already huge success of his first film? The answer is an overwhelming "yes."

"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" is a new classic in the action genre, one of the best entries in a long time. After years of horrid action films (such as Bay's own "Armageddon" in 1998), movies like this coming rising from the phoenix ashes and rejuvenate hope that someone, somewhere, is making the "great trash" that Pauline Kael once reveled. She must be turning in her grave right now. "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" is something of a miracle, a $200-million movie that wastes not a penny and has a masterwork to show for it. The movie is, no doubt, as dumb as a box of hair, but Bay knows this. His films (especially ones titled "Transformers") are about nothing more than explosions and carnage. Don't go in expecting "Citizen Kane," and you'll enjoy yourself. The dialogue is indeed pretty terrible, but who really cares in the long run, if you can see ginormous robots beating the robotic daylights out of each other, courtesy of some of the best visual effects in the medium?

The plot is a non-issue, but I'll run it down anyway. Sam Witwicky is still recuperating from finding a race of alien robots on Earth and banishing the evil Megatron to the depths of the sea. Now he's starting college, but is cut off after one day when he finds a sliver of the supposedly destroyed All-Spark. He has a breakdown in class and begins to see strange symbols in the front of his vision. When he is called by leader of the Autobots, Optimus Prime, to take part in the ultimate battle with the remaining Decepticons, Sam is reluctant to do his duty. But he is forced into action when the Decepticons attack and transported to Egypt to find a mysterious key that could save the world and its sun--if he finds it before the god of the Decepticons (the Satan of the film).

"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" borrows elements from as many films as you can think of, but that doesn't stop Michael Bay from doing his thing. From the beginning of the movie, you can sense Bay at the top of his game like he's never been. An early action sequence in Shanghai sets the stage for what comes next and plays a major part in helping the heroes out. It's a thrilling sequence, but nothing compared to what Bay has in store for the next two hours. It seems that the entire film, every five minutes, is drinking a can of Monster spiked with stereoids; the adrenaline starts and never stops. Very little is off here--perhaps the pot-induced humor is tired and all the sensual angles of females get old after we've realize they're hot--but so much of it is insignificant to the film as a whole that you forgive and forget in a matter of seconds. Other attempts at humor, especially with regards to John Turturro (who really comes into his own here) and twin robots named Skids and Mudflap, are hugely successful and sometimes rip-roaring. The dramatic bits are vintage Bay--histrionics at best--but effective enough at showing the main couple's relationship troubles.

But audiences are looking for Bay's specialty: explosive mayhem. Dialogue and character development are not part of the Bay equation, and anyone who has seen any of Bay's movies knows this. The carnage on display contains some of the best-choreographed action in a long time. A sequence early on in which little tiny robots attack Sam at his house is nearly perfect in execution, culminating in a rescue attempt from Sam's personal "alien robot car," Bumblebee, that ratchets up tension in a matter of seconds. The hour-long finale ultimately doesn't fall into the trap of the finale in the first film (which was too long by half), even if it's longer by 25 minutes. The plotting is pretty hefty and a little labyrinthine, but the side characters explain everything as best they can. The action keeps things going, and by the end, everything comes together perfectly. Some shots are breathtaking in their aesthetics, especially in the homestretch of the finale. The robots are bigger and better than ever; Bay's visual effects artists have outdone themselves and topped the seemingly-impossible-to-top graphics in the original. And throughout, Bay has his signature hyperkinesis at an all-time high.

"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" is a breathless ride, and part of that is credited to the performances. LaBeouf still hasn't topped his role in "Disturbia" as far as acting goes, but he's a perfect fit for Sam Witwicky, unassumingly handsome and charming with that spark of life needed for an action hero from cartoonland. Megan Fox is hotter than ever, yes, but adds some layers to her role of Mikaela, so thankless in the first film. The main characters' relationship feels somewhat real, and there seem to be fireworks this time. John Turturro, as the sardonic Agent Simmons, spouts off fewer irritating one-liners and fleshes out his character to be a major player in the plot, instead of the nuisance he undoubtedly was in the original; he gets a moment of truthful and heartfelt civic duty in the middle of the climax, and when he voices this, we believe him. It's true none of these performances are Oscarworthy (which is the difference between this and the superior "Star Trek"), but they more than get the job done, reminding of Roland Emmerich at his very best with the well-acted "Independence Day" 13 years ago.

Also notable is the voice work, whose ante is upped considerably. Peter Cullen is, as he always has been, perfect for Optimus Prime, voice filled with emotion and pride and sometimes anguish. Turturro voices the best new robot, Jetfire, who isn't introduced until the middle of the movie and comes into play, big time, in the insane last half-hour. Tom Kenny (also known as Spongebob) voices the hysterical duo Skids and Mudflap; their every line of dialogue is witty and sarcastic but never over-the-top and always successful. Hugo Weaving gets a huge bump up in characterization and by the end we understand Megatron's motives, even if we don't agree with them. Finally Tony Todd does wonderfully evil work as mega honcho Decepticon leader president of the title (you'll figure it out).

Films like "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen"--which represents this year's equivalent to "Wanted" in terms of being a masterpiece of trashy entertainment--are praiseworthy for being what they're meant to be and must not be criticized for what elitist critics think it "should be." You either understand Bay's filmmaking style or you don't. You know who you are. For me, though, it's easily superior to the already-excellent first film. Now we must wait for the third installment, and my hopes are they keep up what they're already doing and do not add too many villains. We already have two in this movie and that is enough. Maybe something different for a while. For now, Bay has made his best film, a masterwork in explosive cinema and one of the best action pictures of the decade.