Too often sequels of successful action movies fall short of their epic predecessor. Many times it leads to third and even fourth movies (“Lethal Weapon” or “Die Hard,” anyone?) which are all enjoyable, but somehow the magic of the original is lost. As a huge fan of the first “Transformers movie,” I was expecting the same enjoyable continuation of a great movie, but I had little hope that the second one could live up to the first one’s standard. Then the impossible happened “" Michael Bay made transforming robot aliens hiding out on Earth even more awesome.

Sequels have a habit of trying to cut and paste the best aspects of the original and then amp them up or distort them just to be refreshing. There’s more action and less story or more characters and plot over development. In the newest installment of “Transformers,” director and producer Michael Bay realized he had a perfect mix the last go round and like an expert producer at the mixing board spread his fingers across all the elements and amped them equally. If you were a fan of the first movie, the second is everything it was, but more.

First: More robots. Having heard Optimus Prime’s call to all Autobots (nice robots) in the last film, new good guys have arrived on Earth to protect it from increasing Decepticon (evil robots) attacks. The most notable being “The Twins” “" the dirty-mouthed robot brothers who spend as much time beating each other up as they do Decepticons but are responsible for a large part of the comic relief. Decepticons also grow in numbers — from evil robot panthers to fembots – and it is safe to say Megatron (think of him as the Darth Vader of evil robots) is no longer the biggest badass in space.

Second: With more robots it is only logical that there should be more robot fights. While there were a few scuffles in the first “Transformers,” the movie cultivated around one huge robot beat down at the end of the film. In the sequel Bay spreads out the carnage, delivering huge explosions and alien ass-kicking in the first five minutes. The Autobots throw down with the Decepticons in a fight parallel to the battle of the first movie halfway through the film and you’re scared thinking they’ve blown the best beat down before we’ve found out why the Decepticons are back in the first place -”" but alas, all robot boxing is just warming up for the final epic battle. The last 45 minutes are robot on robot combat (with a little help from the humans with some shiny new Army toys).

The only thing there is slightly less of in this movie is Optimus Prime (but just in screen time. He does, as hard as it is to imagine, actually get even more badass). Granted he is leader of the Autobots and the protector of human civilization but Bay does an excellent job of showcasing the other robot talents. Both Bumblebee and Iron Hide threw punches that elicited rabid applause from the audience. There’s plenty of Decepticons to take down for every Autobot to show why Prime calls on them to “Roll out!”

It’s not all about robots though -”" the humans really stepped it up in “Revenge of the Fallen.” Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson return as head soldiers of a now elite top secret robot division of the military -”" NEST. John Turturro also reappears in all of his Sector Seven pride and glory to keep everyone laughing, but goes above and beyond to help the anti-evil-robot cause.

The human team is joined by newcomer Romano Rodriguez who plays Sam’s (Shia LaBeouf) new roommate at college, Leo. Obsessed with the “government cover up” of alien invasion, Leo gets swept up in the robot civil war and never fails to amuse with his constant back and forth between chickening out and wanting to take part in the greatest war Earth has ever seen.

That brings us to fourth: more humor. The first movie was riddled with LaBeouf’s natural sarcastic humor and robot jokes but as the danger elevates in Fallen, so do the jokes. Sam’s parents, played by Kevin Dunn and Julie White, are hysterical when dropping their only son off at college (Spoiler alert: hash brownies make everything funnier). It just shows that when it seems the world is going to end the best thing to do is laugh.

SPOILER: Most impressively is that Bay and crew managed to incorporate more story to explain the amplification of everything else. Last time we followed Sam Witwicky and the Autobots in search of “The All Spark” which was the source of power for all of Cybertron -”" the robot home planet.

“Revenge of the Fallen” opens amidst a sneak attack by NEST on the yet another discovered Decepticon and we learn that the number of evil robot attacks has increased significantly over the past year -”" but no one knows why. After finding a shard of All Spark on his shirt the day he leaves for college, the answer becomes embedded in his mind as a series of ancient alien robot symbols. The first half of the movie revolves around Sam trying to figure out what it means -”" while still arguing with him that it isn’t his war — and the second half appropriately trying to prevent Megatron (who is awakened from the sea by his even more evil master) from using Earth’s energy to jump start Cybertron again. END SPOILER

The whole ordeal does a really good job of demonstrating just how strong the robot to human connection has become. Lennox and Epps (Duhamel and Gibson) fight along the Autobots in a camaraderie that feels reminiscent of how real war buddies feel buried in the trenches together. Sam’s connection with Optimus Prime and crew is also strengthened, despite how much he initially tries to distance himself. The robot compassion for the human race comes out in their protectiveness of Sam, adding a deeper human element to their metal shells. You get the sense that there is actually something to them saving Earth rather than just feeling sorry for the human race.

I thought the first “Transformers” was as epic as it could get and no sequel could be made without diminishing at least some of what made the original so awesome. I have now learned that the first “Transformers” was merely an appetizer to the “Revenge of the Fallen”s full meal. And even though all common sense says I should be full, I can’t help but ask”¦when is dessert?

Danvers’ Liberty Tree Mall will be receiving a special gift to accompany the June 24 release of “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen:” the fourth IMAX theater in Massachusetts.

IMAX announced the installation of The IMAX Experience in the AMC Liberty Tree Mall 20 theater today. It is part of their joint-venture agreement with AMC to install 100 IMAX digital projection systems at AMC locations in 33 major U.S. markets through 2010.

The Liberty Tree Mall IMAX will feature screenings of “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” starting June 24. Other upcoming feature films to be released on IMAX are “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” in July, “Disney’s A Christmas Carol” on November 6, “Avatar” on December 18, “Alice in Wonderland” on March 5, 2010, “How to Train Your Dragon” on March 26, 2010, and “Shrek Goes Fourth” on May 21, 2010.

Other IMAX locations in Massachusetts include the New England Aquarium in Boston and Jordan’s Furniture in Reading and Natick.

About 400 Transformers fans made a lackluster appearance at yesterday’s “Transformers” screening in Boston at the Boston Common Loews.

Fans had been encouraged to dress as their favorite Transformer for a chance to win a trip to Los Angeles for the “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” premiere. Krystal Calarese from Marlboro was the only screening attendee to come in full costume.

Krystal Calarese

Calarese said she had made the costume for Transformers convention BotCon a year before, and would be adding speakers to the ensemble for an appearance at Anime Boston’s Masquerade next month.

Loving Transformers since she was young, Calarese expressed her excitement about the new movie.

“I’d just give anything to see my ‘bots on the screen,” she said.

Calarese was greeted with cheers by the screening audience as she walked in full costume into the theater.

In addition to seeing a screening of Michael Bay’s 2007 hit “Transformers,” accumulated fans were some of the first in the country to see the newest full-length “Revenge of the Fallen” trailer from Paramount.

The trailer revealed a lot more about the plot of the film: Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) goes to college, leaving behind transforming friend Bumblebee and girlfriend Mikaela (Megan Fox). He comes across a small rock fragment with strange symbols engraved on it, which embed themselves in his mind. Amidst epic shots of battling robots and images of the symbols in pyramids and etched on the ground are hints from Optimus Prime of this being Sam’s destiny – and of Megatron wanting the secrets Sam knows about the symbols.

Yahoo debuted the trailer at noon today.

“Perfect honesty: I don’t care what [the movie]‘s about. I just want to watch giant robots on the screen,” said Mike Avagianos, who traveled from Providence, RI in a Trax t-shirt to attend the screening. “I mean, what more can you expect?”

Fans young and old turned up for the event. Peter Boccelli from Stoneham showed up with an Optimus Prime helmet under his arm and his young daughter Brianna Briana in tow. He said to her he has always been “Daddy Prime” and she has been “Briannabee.”

“She’s Bumblebee, that’s her boy. Throughout the house, about 400 [toys] in the house,” Boccelli said of her fandom.

Entertainment Tonight is hosting the “Ultimate Transformers Fan” contest. From yesterdays nationwide submissions, 20 finalists will be chosen. The public can vote on which fan is their favorite from May 25 to June 10 on www.etonline.com.

“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” hits theaters June 24, 2009.

Did any Blast readers attend the screenings or enter Entertainment Tonight’s contest? What did you think of the new trailer? Let us know your thoughts!

By the way: Because of a reporting error, we spelled the name of Briana Boccelli incorrectly.

At tomorrow’s screening of Michael Bay’s 2007 hit “Transformers” at the Boston Common Loews, one lucky fan will have the chance to win a free trip to the “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” premiere in Los Angeles.

CORRECTION: One fan nationwide who best dresses up as their favorite Transformer will win a trip to the premiere as well as VIP seating at their local screening.

The first 25 fans who get in line for tomorrow’s “Transformers” screening will receive special edition versions of the DVD. The screening begins at 7:00 p.m., but fans are encouraged to arrive early because seating is first come first serve.

Paramount is also releasing a new “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” trailer at the screenings. Similar screenings are happening in 19 other cities nationwide. Here is a list of the screenings in the other cities:

Los Angeles: 7pm at The Bridge Cinema De Lux
New York: 8pm at AMC Loews Lincoln Square
San Francisco: 7pm at AMC Metreon
Chicago: 8pm at Navy Pier
Toronto: 7pm at Scotiabank
Philadelphia: 7pm at UA King of Prussia
Washington DC: 7pm at AMC Georgetown
Dallas: 7pm at Studio Movie Grill Royal Lane
Phoenix: 7pm at Harkins Tempe Marketplace in Tempe
Seattle: 7pm at Cinerama
Atlanta: 7pm at Regal Atlantic Station
Miami: 7pm at AMC Sunset in South Miami
Detroit: 7pm at Emagine Novi in Novi, MI
San Diego: 7pm at Regal Edwards Mira Mesa
Denver: 7pm at UA Colorado Center
Sacramento: 7pm at UA Market Square
Orlando: 7pm at Premiere Fashion Sq Mall
Minneapolis: 7pm at AMC Southdale in Edina
Baltimore: 7pm at AMC White Marsh

“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” stars Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox and hits theaters June 24, 2009.

Michael Bay will be shooting key scenes from 2009′s “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” using IMAX cameras, IMAX Corporation and the studios announced today.

“The extraordinary level of detail and intensity captured by the IMAX camera creates many exciting possibilities for us with this film,” said director Michael Bay in a statement. “IMAX’s all-encompassing format will take this story to a new level, and I am once again very excited to share The IMAX Experience with Transformers fans around the world.”

“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” will be released simultaneously in movie cinemas and IMAX worldwide on June 26, 2009.

Sequences shot in traditional 35mm will be digitally re-mastered for the IMAX screen, appearing in a letterbox shape. Scenes shot with IMAX cameras will expand vertically to fill the entire screen.

“The growth of the IMAX theatre network, fueled by the economical benefits of the new IMAX digital system, is driving interest from virtually all of the top studios, which is resulting in more IMAX movies for audiences to enjoy,” said IMAX Co-Chairmen and Co-CEOs Richard L. Gelfond and Bradley J. Wechsler.