That's a lot of money...

Didn't Transformers do well, earning $152 million and change in its first week in the US. For those that care about this stuff, apparently that's the third biggest opening of the summer and the second best July 4 opening ever, after Spider-Man 2. Better yet, that's the seven-day record for a nonsequel, knocking Spider-Man off that particular perch. It's a lot of money whatever way you look at it. Clearly it's a hit. So congratulations to all concerned. As I said here a few weeks back, I enjoyed Transformers enormously. It's a huge amount of fun. The robots are, without question, the best CGI I've ever seen, while watching car that transform into big robots that beat the crap out of other big robots is a thrill that tingles my inner fanboy. That said, there are problems. Michael Bay still can't hold a shot for longer than three seconds. And. Some. Times. It. Would. Be. Nice. If. He. Slowed. It. Down. A. Little. The plot too has major, well, plot holes. Why, oh why, knowing there's an army of bad robots after them do the good guys take the All Spark into a DENSELY POPULATED CITY rather than out into the desert? The continuity is all over the shop. It's at least half an hour too long with at least one too many subplots to resolve. I could go on... BUT it's still worked for me in a way that Spidey 3 didn't. Shia Labouef is so charismatic, Megan Fox lives up to her name and, for most of its running time, I sat rivetted to the screen, jaw hanging open, loving the robotic mayhem unfolding before my eyes. And, let's face it, Bay knows how to blow shit up and make it look cool. He just can't tell a story too well. Or maybe he's not interested. This really is a check your brains at the door and go with the flow.