Exactly what I hoped for

Rating: 8/10 (29 June 2009)

The wonderful thing about these movies is that you get to see part of what you imagined as a child. A full sized, realistic Optimus Prime battling an equally awe inspiring Megatron, complete with the whining Starscream, the ever loyal Ironhide or Soundwave, and the whole host of Transformers.
Beyond that, Michael Bay does what he does best, creates an amazing experience for the eye and ear unlike any other director. Bear in mind he does so with the full backing of the most critically acclaimed American director of the past thirty years. Of course, it's not for everyone to enjoy, nor is it meant to be, but if you liked the first Transformers, there is no reason you wouldn't like RotF.
On the other hand, it is different from the first movie. The plot is a little less believable. Then again, it is a plot dealing with a giant alien robot war happening in our backyard. The logic rulebook should be immediately tossed out and you should prep your suspension of disbelief to reach all new rubbery lengths before you step foot in the theater. That in mind, anyone familiar with the cartoon will not notice anything altogether out of the ordinary for the Transformer universe. This movie does not pretend to cling to reality, which is part of the fun.
The humor hits a little harder this time, but some of the jokes are misses and groaners. Three times throughout the movie I found myself saying aloud that a joke was unnecessary. The sexuality is overt, but again, when you put Megan Fox in a movie, you're really trotting out your one trick pony so anyone paying money to see the movie should expect the one trick.
The last drawback is the pacing. The movie starts in a large battle and ends in a larger battle with a very jolting and sudden grinding halt in the middle. To be honest, the pacing makes sense if there were an act break, where the audience could step out and digest for a few minutes then return for the conclusion. Absent of that, the second third of the movie seems to drag and jump.
On the whole, the movie does exactly what it set out to do. It's no more outlandish or overdone than the original. The graphics are more refined and the audio and score remain top notch for this type of film. I highly recommended it to my friends and so far none have been disappointed.
Note: Many say that this movie demands that you check your IQ at the door and I recommend doing just that. Leave your bills, your job woes, worries about this national crisis or the next -- all of it stays at the door. They'll be there when you walk out, but for the little while you're in the theater, try to revive your imagination and let yourself sleep into the admittedly gratuitous world of Transformers.