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One of the fascinating aspects of film is to compare two movies that are analogous in tone or genre, but not equivalent in their entertainment value. If the two were directly competing for an audience's satisfaction, one would win easily and the other would lose severely.

The summer of 2009 brought two of Hasbro's beloved '80s toy properties to the screen. I was a child of that era, so I am very familiar with the big four toy lines: Star Wars, Masters of The Universe, Transformers, and G.I. Joe. The latter two both made a big splash in the box office this summer and became punching bags for critics and Internet haters, but only one of the movies actually deserved the backlash.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

For a movie that apparently everyone and their dog hated, Transformers 2 became the highest grossing film in domestic box office so far in 2009 with a $402 million gross. Now, the haters will still say that everyone thought it sucked and they were just curious, but the Michael Bay extravaganza then went on to sell two million copies on the first day of its DVD release, and it is well on pace to also become the number one seller in home video for 2009. So, answer me this, if the movie is so bad and everyone hates it, why in the world would they want to own it? I believe that you have a classic case of critics and certain fan boys who have a grudge against Bay because he has an overinflated ego and he absolutely refuses to kiss ass in order to get by. I say that's good for Bay, as he has managed to succeed on his own terms, and he doesn't care what anyone thinks.

I must admit my bias for Michael Bay films. Ten minutes into the original Bad Boys, I found myself asking "Who directed this movie?", as it had an incredible visual style that immediately grabbed my attention. This patented style throughout Michael Bay's career has made him my absolute favorite director, and I pride myself on being a film lover of all genres except the musical. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen was filled to capacity with these "moving paintings" as I like to refer to them. Bashers of the film, especially the so-called professional critics, should show some respect to the craft and time it must take to set up these amazing visuals, and I am not just referring to the special effects. Several shots were patiently rendered with the sun shining in the perfect place between two characters or over Megan Fox's shoulder; a Michael Bay Trademark that never grows old. The through-the-keyhole swooping camera scene is an amazing spectacle, and the most breathtaking shot of the year involves a camera on the ground pointing towards a distraught Fox while a medical helicopter can be seen flying over her. The forest fight itself is easily worth the price of admission. It is five minutes of absolute perfection, and the best scene in any movie in many years.

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