By KENNY CHEE

MANY friends were surprised that I took leave from work last Wednesday to go watch Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen.

But those who know me really well wouldn't be surprised.

Yes, reader, I am a Transformers geek. I grew up watching the original 1980s cartoon and, to me, the movie brings to life the toys that I still collect.

Needless to say, I was eagerly anticipating this sequel. And I didn't wait in vain - I walked out of the cinema with a silly grin on my face.

You see, for me, any Transformers movie is about reliving childhood fantasies of the giant transforming robots. As a kid, the Autobots (the good guys) embodied virtues like valour, self-sacrifice and compassion.

Those values would always triumph against the insidious, selfish and malicious Decepticons, no matter how dire the odds.

Maybe that's a simplistic portrayal of good and evil but, hey, it strikes a chord with me.

That said, Revenge Of The Fallen was not without flaws, but here's what matters: The robot action and battles this time were sleeker, sharper and more intense than in the first film.

Seeing the robots slug it out in all their shiny metallic glory was, to a fan like me, pure bliss.

The nods to various old Transformers cartoons, comics and toys were very cool as well.

For me, one of the best was the debut of the rickety and likeable robot Jetfire, who had issues with his allegiances (would he throw it in with the Autobots or the Decepticons in the end?) even in the 1980s cartoon.

But what took the icing on the cake was the banter between Megatron, leader of the Decepticons, and his second-in-command, Starscream.

As you can see, Revenge Of The Fallen spoke not just to the kid in me, but also to my inner Transformers geek.

kennyc@sph.com.sg

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