My daughter is still too young for the movies, so I didn’t have my “parental filtering system” in effect. I do agree with the concern over the humping (the dogs and later the robot) and robo-balls. I did notice a number of kids (some as young as my daughter) in the movie, so while I wasn’t fully aware of the cursing that bothered you, I was alert to some of the things in the movie that should cause a parent to cringe.

The twins were rude, fighting each other and were certainly created to play up to the kids and young teens who were viewing the movie. I would assume that most parents do not want their children to act the way the twins did in the movie – and I’m sure many kids thought they were ‘cool’ and did emulate these characters.

Michael Bay tried to play up to too many demographics – an easy mistake to make when taking an 80′s cartoon and creating a live-action movie. Who do you play up to, the kids of the original fan generation or the original fans – people who are now in their 30′s (and late 20′s)?

And yeah, it was way too long! We need a Transformers 2 Redux that cuts out about 45 minutes!

I don’t know, CC. It seems there’s a bit of paternal cognitive dissonance in your critique. I took my stepson (14) to see Transformers 2 the day it opened (actually, the first Transformers movie was the first movie I ever took him to see, so this is apparently becoming a tradition for us). I find it interesting that the profanity bothered you more than the racism inherent in film (specifically, the Autobot Twins characters) and the sexual objectification of Megan Fox’s character – really, which other character is seen running in slow motion so many times? But that’s what I was referring to when I mentioned a paternal cognitive dissonance; your “*wicked grin*” even seems to encourage that sort of thinking and slo-mo camera work.

So, in the long run, which do you think is worse – that your son hears profanity (and perhaps even learns when its use is not completely inappropriate) or that he grows up accepting racist stereotypes and the treatment of women as objects? Please know that I’m not arguing in favor of extra profanity in “family” films, just that I think there’s a whole lot more in this one about which to be upset.

Namaste.

P.S. – You questioned the “big balls” on the Constructicon. My question is this – where did they come from? None of the seven construction vehicles that were used to form that monstrosity were wreckers (or cranes with wrecking balls). Again, gratuitous sexualization. I think Bay is starting to take himself too seriously.

I guess I didn’t have a problem with all the Megan Fox stuff because I was expecting that. I’ve also had a bunch of comments on other channels about “the drugs” and I had to think long and hard about what people were talking about. I’m guessing it must have been the brownies? If so again that didn’t bother me.

Yes, “The Twins” were horrible characters for SO many reasons and I kept hoping they were going to die a horrible death so I could cheer, but it never came unfortunately.

And I guess I wasn’t clear enough that I had no problem with my son hearing the swears. He is 10 and I know he knows all the words and worse so it wasn’t that. I was more offended as a Transformer Fan that it was in there then as a dad.

I agree 100%. I didn’t take my son because he is only 3 and I never know what to expect from MIchael Bay. Like you I couldn’t wait for the movie to end. I was very disappointed. The thing I hate is how much money they make from the toys and how all those parts didn’t need to be in there. Maybe its because we are dads and see things differently. I was trying to explain to my buddies the same thing. When I go see a rated R movie I expect to hear cussing and crude language, yet when your targeting kids under 13 with toys that movie should be a lot cleaner. In general the movie wasn’t that good. Didn’t the desert scene look the same as in the first one? As they say on twitter #fail

I agree with you C.C. as well as Bryan. It was very disappointing on all of those fronts. It was clearly a grab at numerous audiences. They were going for the kids with the 2 characters (although they were foul), and the 18-24 crowd with the near constant humping (animals on robots, robots on robots, animals on robots, etc). I took my 8 year old to see it the first night it was open, and I left very disappointed and more then a little bit uncomfortable.
The sad part was that most of that stuff had very little to do with the movie or the plot, and it would have been a great shorter movie without it.

CC – You’re a Michael Bay fan? What the f..k?

If you want to get some VERY detailed reviews before you decide on a particular movie, check out http://www.pluggedinonline.com Sometimes, I find that after I see a movie, some of the objectionable material that is mentioned isn’t all that obvious, but you will get a very detailed report – good themes, bad themes, swear count, sexuality, drug/alchohol use, etc. Since there are basically 3 ratings – PG, PG-13 and R and quite a bit of leeway on what is considered acceptable for each. I usually check out a movie there before deciding on which, if any, of my kids will be allowed to go to.

Transformers 2 – no-go for my kids.

LOL – Love Steve Wax’s comment!

Let’s be honest Michael Bay is a hack filmmaker with an ego the size of Cybertron (home planet of the Transformers-fyi) but I have to sheepishly admit that his films are a guilty pleasure for me. They are most definitely crap with a capital C, however I love big summer spectacle movies and I know exactly what I’m getting myself into when I go to one of his films.

That being said the twins characters were reprehensible and frankly I’m surprised there hasn’t been more of an uproar about it. The cursing that bothered you was entirely unnecessary and just shows laziness on Michael bay’s/writers part. Let’s face it, if you are going to be paid barrels full of money to write a big budget movie then the least you can do is come up with some witty dialogue.

Me? I’m not getting paid to write this little comment so f*%# it!

I don’t care if they slap mustard on each other and have a picnic. I won’t subject my son to that Michael Bay fiasco of a movie…which is really just a commercial with explosions.

My son will know the Transformers I grew up with.

“You got the touch

You got the POW-ER!!!”

I don't know, CC. It seems there's a bit of paternal cognitive dissonance in your critique. I took my stepson (14) to see Transformers 2 the day it opened (actually, the first Transformers movie was the first movie I ever took him to see, so this is apparently becoming a tradition for us). I find it interesting that the profanity bothered you more than the racism inherent in film (specifically, the Autobot Twins characters) and the sexual objectification of Megan Fox's character – really, which other character is seen running in slow motion so many times? But that's what I was referring to when I mentioned a paternal cognitive dissonance; your “*wicked grin*” even seems to encourage that sort of thinking and slo-mo camera work.

So, in the long run, which do you think is worse – that your son hears profanity (and perhaps even learns when its use is not completely inappropriate) or that he grows up accepting racist stereotypes and the treatment of women as objects? Please know that I'm not arguing in favor of extra profanity in “family” films, just that I think there's a whole lot more in this one about which to be upset.

Namaste.

P.S. – You questioned the “big balls” on the Constructicon. My question is this – where did they come from? None of the seven construction vehicles that were used to form that monstrosity were wreckers (or cranes with wrecking balls). Again, gratuitous sexualization. I think Bay is starting to take himself too seriously.