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As posted on Cybertron.ca. Quite a few haters on that side of the fence, so I figured I repost here.

Just got back so these are just my initial thoughts. It wasn’t perfect but it was still great. Where to begin? Gonna try to avoid it but there might be spoilers.

Action. Yes there is. Plenty of it. There are 4 major action sequences and a training sequences which is pretty entertaining. Each gets progressively bigger and better. And the last action sequence is wow. There’s a lot going on in it, and it is orchestrated very well. It felt a lot like watching the final action sequence from the various SW films, the end of X2, or a BSG epic fight. Action wise it had it all, explosions, gun fights, fist fights, high speed chases, epic “space” battles, stealth, military fire fights, foot chases, and ninjas.

Special effects are what they are. For the most part its hard to avoid how CG some of it looks, but there’s also a lot that looks completely organic. This movie goes nowhere with out them. I think what's more important is how well the live action component interacts with the CG.

Characters. There are some new twists. I don’t feel anyone is completely betrayed except maybe Stormshadow, but the new take makes him pretty cool. Scarlett has a cool crossbow. What I really like was that when they could individual characters and their skills are integrated into the plot, rather than just showcased in a “cool” moment. Much like how its was done with the X1 and X2. The bad guys are bad, the good guys are good. The real stand out is Baroness who isn't just eye candy, she really comes out as the female lead.

For Robimus. I honestly thought Marlon Wayans was not gonna be a Wayans. I was wrong. Still, he is reeled in and kept on a tight rope, most of his humor plays off well. In the end it’s a necessary evil, that is needed in the film.

The acting. No one is gonna win an Academy Award, what I like is no one tried too. Everyone knew they were in a film about toys, based mainly on the cartoon. Nobody tried to act outside the box, or out act anyone else, keeping the tone perfect through out. Completely avoiding the uneven acting issues that shows like Heroes has.

Plot. No one is watching this for a grounded sensical plot. It plods along and drives the action well. Its is really on the level with the craziest James Bond plot you can think of. Kinda like 007 evil plot on steroids. Aside from the realism, the plot makes sense, and has no glaring contradictions. Contradictions, yes, just not movie ruining glaring. This is definitely an origin story, but it never comes out and slaps you in the face with it, mainly because it drops the viewer half way into it. There's no long exposition, or extensive character drama which is perfect for this. Be prepared for flashbacks, they are completely justified, the placing is a little questionable. Any character twists are ruined by a quick glimpse of the cast list or a look at the toys, they aren't really important to the course of the film so knowing has minimal effect.

That’s all for now. I know its not gonna turn any haters into lovers. But for those excited about the film, including me, its everything I wanted.

Edit (something I added in a response over there): It really is on par with the storytelling seen in most of today's best video games. Except for the color palette, this could easily play out as Metal Gear Solid the movie.