Itty bitty minor gripes can't prevent this movie from being the top film top see this summer

Rating: 9/10 (24 June 2009)

I marked this comment as containing spoilers as a precaution. I reveal here no crucial plot elements or details, but if you want to know absolutely zero about the film then heed the warning.
I was seeing a lot of bad reviews for this movie on other sites that I thought were really not justified so I decided to write one myself. Thing is, a lot of these movie sites or whatnot have a certain number of reviewers and they just send any of them to write a review of a movie, without proper consideration of what reviewer they are sending. Let's face it, different people like different things. It's no use sending a reviewer to critique a movie when they notice all the wrong things. But the movie: The bottom line is, this movie is fantastic. I am a fan of Bay's earlier work and don't like much of his later stuff. But with the Transformers series he has me hooked. His directing fits the feel of the Transformers perfectly. I guess hats off go to Spielberg for knowing whom to choose to direct these movies.
The one gripe I have about the film, and I'll get it out of the way first, is the earlier comedy sections. The film keeps its humor present throughout, which is great, but the earlier college section is a bit heavy with it, particularly Sam's mom being overplayed. I like her and she is hilarious often, but at those scenes it's just too over the top and could have been dropped altogether. Having said that, it doesn't detract from the rest of the film and does make the bond between Sam and his parents stronger, fleshing them out as characters which is very important.
Many people's concern is that there are too many human stories in the films, and the transformers come second. That is true, but also necessary, and the film is better for it. Watching these huge robots fighting to protect the humans is what makes them so lovable. The story would not be as good without people. The robots are there as guardians, their presence is majestic. If the entire movie would be only with them it would take a huge chunk away from their charm. In short, the movies work best this way, and it's a good thing that Bay knows this.
The human characters are fewer this time around, which is good because it is a tighter story. The provide a lot of comic relief but also some very touchy moments between Sam and Optimus. The film's plot is very much about the unison of humans and Autobots, as well as Sam's growing up and taking responsibility. There is some toilet humor, as in the first one. It may bother some but it's never too abundant or in really bad taste. It's a simple movie, and it's humor is likewise. It's funny more often than not, and when it isn't it doesn't bother either, just raises a grin.
And now to the good stuff, the action. Well, when I left the cinema I was absolutely speechless. I couldn't utter a word, but I knew that I had to see it again real soon. The action is just spectacular. The animation on the robots is beyond superb. Bay's signature camera-work is still present but it's never in a way which you can't follow what's going on - it just adds to the sense of realism, seeing gigantic creatures going at it in front of your eyes. One scene which is perhaps too hectic is in the beginning, but it is short and serves as an intro, so it's really more about that hectic feeling than anything.
The story itself, as I've mentioned, is tighter this time and that's a good thing. We see very clearly what's going on on each side of the conflict, with the robots getting a lot of solo screen time. It also relies more heavily on Transformer lore, which should please some fans. I know I was pleased by it. The story wraps up nicely. It does leave an opening for a sequel, but on the same level as Strarscream's short flying away scene in the first film. It's just to let us know the war isn't over. But the story for this film gets it's ending, so we're not left with a cliffhanger.
To conclude, I'll just say this film exceeded my expectations. It was a feel-good film, with good acting and characters, good story, and unbelievable action. It's a thrill from start to finish.It's not Oscar material, but it was never made to be. You can't judge anything based on criteria it doesn't attempt to achieve. Overall, within its own genre, it's an excellent film.