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If there's one certain thing you can say about "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" then it is the fact that this flick has, compared to the first movie, simply more of EVERYTHING. More robots, more extensive action, bigger explosions, better special effects...more childish "humor", lots of ugly overacting, patriotism oozing from every pore, integrated military commercials en masse. One would think that fans and critics would meet each other halfway during this 2 and 1/2 hour rollercoaster ride, but the opposite is in fact true. The ingenious profit machine Bay/Spielberg polarizes thoroughly, which it already did with part 1 - and now more than ever. Even semi-movie-buffs have no other choice but to throw their hands up in horror: Crazy acting by the whole cast, almost soap opera like hysterics all the time where decent acting could take place. Moreover, humor based on robot-farts and genitalia where finely nuanced comedy pieces about the difficult "intergrational behavior" between man and robot would be appropriate. Unbearably annoying supporting actors (on both sides), where some characters could even have contributed at least a little substance to the plot. Monstrous plot holes, loosely connected by things like occasional "flashes of genius" by director & writers which were incorporated into the storyline afterwards - whether they fitted in or not. In fact, director Michael Bay got "interesting food for thought" for still to be added single shots by some teenagers loitering around a gas station, which is why Megan Fox now is introduced in the movie by being shown while bending over a motorcycle wearing short hot pants (about which she was never happy, not while filming and not now). Comprehensible, sensible plot points, building on each other cannot be found; instead you get a convoluted story-mumbo-jumbo with rare moments of actual script and when everything seems to have been done, the writers pull something mystical out of their butts in order to bring the whole nonsense to a "comprehensible" end.  The rest of the audience voluntarily accepts the LSD Iv bag for approximately 150 minutes und cheers at the colourful, loud & epic spectacle - knowing that when the end credits roll, they really got something for their money. Michael Bay is more of an entertainer than he is an artist and just like his colleague Roland Emmerich for example, he knows what the (mainly American) audience wants to see - and he delivers.
The success in theaters around the globe speaks for itself - and when copyright owner Hasbro is now able to glide through "the recession" financially safe because of the successful merchandising (just like with "G.I. Joe), while the competitor Mattel has to battle high losses, despite "Barbie's" 50th anniversary, then the US in return may have won every war they fought so far, according to the script. Already the first part of the planned (and to be realized) "Transformers" trilogy was shown on the IMAX screen in the US, also in a longer version compared to the regular theatrical release. Because of the possibility of showing even more perfectly done robot action in the world's biggest cinema format there was a lot of happiness - which soon became disillusionment when after the first viewing the additional scenes turned out to exclusively be plot extensions (6 extended scenes running all in all 2 minutes). Although during the DVD evaluation there were rumors that the extended version would find its way onto the silver disc, the IMAX version hasn't been released to this day (and at least here, Michael Bay kept his word that there would "never be a Director's Cut of Transformers"). It's different with part 2, in every regard. Here, too, a special extended version was shown in IMAX theaters - alas, only in the US again for even the movie made it into the European IMAX-cinemas, it was shown there merely in the regular theatrical version which could also be seen in any other cinema. In the US, however, two main battle scenes (Dispute in the forrest/Fight against Devastator) were presented in the huge, high resolution format so that the advantage of the technology could finally be used on movies to its full extend. But the center of attention is the presentation of those scenes in the IMAX format, not the fact that because of this, some shots might be extended compared to the theatrical release. So, the actual differences in length resp. number of scenes isn't that extreme, the longer version only has half a minute of additional footage compared to the theatrical release.  Unlike "The Dark Knight for example, there are not necessarily complete scenes shown in the bigger format in"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - The IMAX Experience". Inbetween cuts of other action locations or acting characters who don't need to be shown in the bigger format (mostly humans ;-) are switched back into the normal format - even if they only take seconds. This means a lot of switching back and forth between formats, which is not all that noticeable on the TV screen, but did lead to anger resp. headaches among IMAX audiences on the big screen.
In contrast to part 1 this version now was released on DVD & Blu-Ray in the US - however, only there and even there only available at Wal-Mart. Reports on this interestingly appeared back then simultaneously with an announcement by Wal-Mart that the sales area for DVDs and Blu-Rays would be reduced drastically, since sales were declining. So, one could assume that by having the exclusive rights for selling the longer version, they wanted to raise the sales figures - even if it was pricey. The "Big Screen Edition", as it is called, is, however, to be found on Ebay.com without any trouble (but mostly for high prices). Content wise, the IMAX version has barely more to offer than the theatrical release, even if to fans of glossy robot action every second might be held dear. The depiction of the respective action sequences in the bigger format, however, is the distinct advantage of this version, since a 16:9 TV is in those moments filled and shows more picture information compared to the other scenes in the 2,35:1 format, without annoying widescreen bars in the way or having to zoom in (which leads to a loss of picture information). For fans of the flick its a definite must-buy. The runtimes of the described scenes refer to the theatrical release. The other differences in runtimes result from rounding up/down single described scenes to comlete resp. half seconds.
27 extended scenes = 31,5 Sec. 1 cut scene = 1,5 Sec. 59:59
Decepticon Grindor’s landing is shown a little longer and he runs further toward the camera. 1.5 Sec.
1:00:05 Starscream flys away a few frames longer after he urged Sam to come to him. A few frames
1:00:15 Optimus hits Grindor for one single frame more; furthermore the next shot in which both of them are jumping for each other begins one moment earlier. A few frames
1:00:22 Optimus kicks some frames longer in the direction of the decepticon running towards them out of the background. A few frames
1:00:25 Theatrical Version Sam tries to run from the gunshosts fired by Starscream and jumps through some minor explosions. In the IMAX extended cut the shot of the fight between Optimus & Starscream isn't interrupted instead and runs some frames longer at the “slingshot”. 1.5 Sec.
1:00:31 After Optimus' kick resp. throwing, Starscream hits the forrest floor hard in slow-motion. In the theatrical Version the shot before (where Starscream gets kicked away) runs some frames longer instead. 2.5 Sec.
1:00:35 The shot of Sam grinding on the trees begins some frames earlier. A few frames
1:00:41 Optimus is distinctly longer heckled by the Decepticons already earlier and can at first barely fight off their multiple attacks. 12.5 Sec.
1:01:28 Optimus rams into Starscream and brings him down. 2.5 Sec.
1:01:50 You can see Optimus earlier during the long shot of Grindor, immediately after he ripped his face apart. Here, you can still see both halves of the face flying through the air. 1.5 Sec.
1:02:22 The (slow-motion) shot of the fallen Optimus with Sam in the foreground runs a little longer. 3 Sec.
1:02:35 The shot of Sam from behind with knocked down Optimus in the background begins a few frames earlier. A few frames
1:52:40 A truck belonging to Devastator drives past the camera in close up. 3 Sec.
1:52:51 The shot of the appearing vehicles at the sand pit begins some frames later in the theatrical version, but also the same shot runs longer for the same number of frames in the end of it, therefore no real time difference takes place. No time difference
1:53:08 During Devastator's transformation the advantages of the IMAX format become clear: Because of the different aspect ratio the action appears much more impressive. No time difference
1:53:16 Devastator pulls the concrete truck towards himself some frames longer. A few frames
1:53:21 This shot of the transformation with the construction vehicles in the foreground begins slightly earlier. A few frames
1:56:38 The motorcycle autobot runs a while longer next to Ironhide. 0,5 Sec.
1:56:44 The longshot of the attacking Devastator can be seen longer. A few frames
1:56:49 The shot of Simmons & Sams roommate runs some frames longer, furthermore the shot of Devastator after that begins a little bit earlier. 1 Sec.
1:57:02 The shot of the sucking Devastator runs a little while longer. A few frames
1:57:11 The (slow motion-) shot of Sams roommate lying on the ground while the vehicle is rotating through the air above him runs a short moment longer. A few frames
1:57:13 Devastator sucks continually some frames earlier in this shot... A few frames
1:57:19 ...and at the end of it also a short moment longer. A few frames
1:57:30 The same with the back shot of the giant fighting robot after the long pan. A few frames
1:57:57 The red Twin is sucked into Devastator's mouth for a longer time. A few frames
1:58:34 The shot of the green twin climbing Devastator begins a little bit earlier. A few frames
1:58:44 The red Twin swings around Devestator a little longer. A few frames
1:58:54 The scene in which the Twins getting thrown to the floor is a few frames longer. A few frames
1:59:01 The shot of Devastator marching on above the camera runs some frames longer. A few frames
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