Well, well, well. If you've seen the commercials, the action figures, or you can finish that two line phrase, you know exactly what you're getting. In fact I had the distinct feeling that I'd seen this movie before. It turns out I had, when I watched the cartoon version. The creators/writers/director etc basically took the exaggerated dialogue, the hyperbolic characters, and the (sweet!) action of the cartoon and transported it the real world. And you know what? I liked it. A lot. If your willing to dive in head first and go along for the ride, I guarantee you'll enjoy it.

The film's only crime is that its attempt to make the action seem more realistic sometimes works against it. The shaky camera and slightly off-center CGI can make it hard to tell exactly what's going on. Having said that, it's enough of a problem to be noticed but not quite enough to be truly troublesome. I'm not sure if Transformers is being released to IMAX but you definetely don't want to see it there, it will only magnify the effect.

The great experience I had was only helped by an audience half full of huge transformer fans. They clapped during the introduction of Optimus Prime, the good robot's leader. I say this for two reasons: 1. As excited as I was for this film, I was not a big fan of the cartoon. 2. This same audience (including myself) cheered loudly at the closing of this film. Apparently you can be vaguely aware of it's history or be a die-hard fan and you'll still enjoy it. I'm just happy I liked it so much. Seeing as I work concession at the movie theater I saw this at, Transformers will be responsible for making my life a living hell for the next two weeks. C'est la vie...