Transformers 2: A Review

Not as bad as they say.

Oh, you want more? Ok, here goes.

I liked the first one as a good action movie, not as an Oscar contender or anything, but the effects were great, the story had many problems, the acting was so-so, but the action was spectacular and the explosions rocked. It satisfied my need for an adrenaline filled movie, one where I could just watch and enjoy. So, knowing that I had the same feelings about the second movie.

Then the reviews started flowing in. The response to the movie was less than stellar. Everyone was taking shots at the movie, from the acting, to the "racial" issues of two of the robots, to the Jar-Jar-ifying to the movie. But one thing remained constant in almost all the reviews, the robots looked good and there were a ton of them.

Then a funny thing happened, people I knew were going to see this movie. And they were saying it was not as bad as the critics were making this movie to be. Then the receipts were being pulled in. It made a ton of money in the first week. Positive word of mouth, high sales, negative critcs - I have to see this movie for myself.

And, it was not as bad as they say. The thing about the critics on this one is that they seemed to blow a lot of the issues with the movie way out of proportion. The Jar-Jar bots were not as bad as they made them see. They were actually funny in some parts. Also, the two Jar-Jar bots were pointed at for being "racial caricatures" which they were kinda trying to be ghetto, but I don't think it was meant to offend or poke fun at anyone in particular. The story was ok, and yes there is a story, even though some critics say it was really bad and hard to follow. Again, this is not an Oscar contender needing deep emotional character driven story points. It is blow up, blow up and blow up some more. Action. Action. And freakin more action. That is what this movie is intended to be. 

Now there are the purists, the holders of the sacred childhood books of the Transformers that have littered the internet with loads of plot holes, inaccuracies and whatnot. But you know what...WHO CARES!?! This movie is not trying to be the 80s cartoon. It is something different. Get it out of your head that the this movie went back and destroyed your childhood. This 80s cartoon in no way would ever make a good movie. And I feel that Bay and Co. have done what they can to translate the spirit of the cartoon and the essence of the cartoon into these movies.

I find this movie funny in the regard that I feel the critics are getting what they deserve. People are seeing this movie, turning over the money hand over fist, telling there friends, cycle and repeat. And all the bad mouthing of the critics has done zero, zip, nada. And I love that. About time. People are finally realizing that critics are no better than us when it comes to judging movies. And in this case, they are about $300 million wrong.