Rating: 4 Pulses

Rated PG-13

A Michael Bay film can be easily summed up in four words: explosions, campy comedy, and sunsets. He’s taken a lot of criticism over the years from movie fans, even I at one time, but there is one quality he possesses within his films that sets them apart: they don’t pretend to be anything other than what they are.

Two years ago, Bay released the most successful film of his career: Transformers. The film was a dud with critics (as his movies always are) but a huge hit with audiences. This year, he’s re-united the cast and crew for a sequel that takes everything to the next level.

In Revenge of the Fallen, Sam Witwicky (LaBeouf) is packing for college when he stumbles upon a piece of the All-Spark (destroyed in the first film) that implants a series of symbols into his mind. Within these symbols are the secrets of the Transformers, and Sam and Mikaela (Fox) are lead on a quest around the world.

Bay knows how to quench the thirst for a mind-numbing, stripped-down, fun action film. Everything about Revenge of the Fallen is bigger, louder and more epic than the first. ILM has outdone itself with some of the most intricate CGI film in the last five years. The Transformers’ mechanical tapestry is often stunning.

The plot is somewhat contrived and one could easily point out several plot holes, but who cares if that random military guy from the first film seemingly died in the first 15 minutes and then suddenly shows back up in this one with all of four lines? It’s about suspension of disbelief, a phrase too many film elitists and snobby critics have unlearned over the years.

I cannot be any clearer when I suggest that you see this in IMAX. Bay took a page from The Dark Knight by using actual IMAX cameras to film several scenes for Revenge and they are among the most breathtaking and kinetic action scenes to ever grace a movie screen.

If you liked the first one, you’ll at least enjoy this one, if not love it. If you hated the first one, you’ll absolutely despise it.