The Transformers brand had very humble beginnings as a toy line that inspired an 80’s classic cartoon whose primary focus was to sell toys. The glorious animated Transformers Movie upped the production values of the show tenfold and introduced some very grown up themes into the once children oriented show such as death and the pressure to live up to the one’s legendary predecessors.

If you were looking for some deep meaning or dramatic character development and plot lines from Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, you’re barking up the wrong tree. The newest film in the Transformers live action franchise is a Michael Bay film to a degree that has not been seen in a millennia!! Well ok that might be overdoing it a little, but suffice it to say, Bay has created a movie that trumps any of his other films in terms of action, flags and T&A to date.

I went into this movie with expectations very low and a firm belief that I was going to come out hating what I was about to see. The result was quite the opposite however. I didn’t expect an Oscar contender and I didn’t get one. What I did get however was one of the most action-packed, over-the-top action movies based around giant transforming robots that I have ever seen. Now I know there aren’t a lot to choose from in that category, but credit given where credit is due, and Michael Bay has delivered the summer movie to end all summer movies.

Let me just say that while the Transformers seem a little too dependent on the American government in the movie, Optimus Prime himself seemed much more like the badass that I remembered from the television show. He even does the transforming leap into the air while firing at decepticons thing that he did in the original animated movie, an appreciated nod to the classic.

Ironically, the weakest aspect of the movie is the human one. The cast of characters, while having their moments and occasional chuckle worth one-liners fall completely flat for most of the movie, and they definitely are not helped by the script and story. While the basic premise seems ok in a sci-fi context (the evil fallen decepticon wants to blow up our sun to harvest its energy) there are far too many plot holes and inexplicable turns that lead the story into ludicrous territory. For example, Megatron is revived under in the ocean in one scene, and in the next scene, hes on freakin Jupiter, or robot heaven for lack of a better term (you’ll understand if you’ve seen it .

If I can make one major point clear for this review it is this: Transformers Revenge of the Fallen is a flawed film in many ways that could probably have been done much better had it been given more time to be polished and the script overhauled, but as an experience in itself, I walked out of the theater feeling that my expectations had been fulfilled. I saw more action and fight scenes that were better choreographed than the last film. Optimus grew a pair and manned up like I knew he could and all the while there was some humor sprinkled in between. TRotF is the epitome of a brainless summer popcorn blockbuster and as long as you go into it knowing this, you will enjoy it.

***One final note however that I feel I must add to this review was that the overtly racist depctions of the small twin autobot that had bad grammar, “don’t read too good”, stumble around un-commically and were just plain offensive, and I’m not even black! With their gold plated buck teeth (you read that correctly) and their Jar Jar-esque rage inducing antics, these characters earn my newly created award for Worst Animated Racial Stereotype in a movie. I dont even remember their names and hopefully I’ll never learn them.***