The robots in disguise from Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Don’t be mistaken. There is essentially one reason and one reason only why Transformers is the global sensation it is – the Transformers themselves. Sure stars Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox are popular and cool, director Michael Bay has a strong reputation for thrilling action adventures and it’s executive produced by none other than Steven Spielberg, but the whopping $200 million budget of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen hasn’t gone on them, but on fully realising those robots in disguise.

It was two years ago, in 2007’s Transformers that we first enjoyed Bay’s big screen vision of the mammoth machines that switch effortlessly between robots and vehicles, a community divided neatly into two conflicting factions from the planet Cybertron, the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons and now they’re back again for a second helping in Revenge of the Fallen. And true to the Hollywood philosophy that sequels are bigger and better with everything dialled up to deliver more, more, more, we’re extending a friendly handshake and even a hearty backslap to old and familiar faces, past favourites given a modern makeover and even completely new ones.

So lay out the welcome mat as we introduce you to the new crop of Transformers.