Transformers

Michael Bay has proven once again that he's an action maestro. "Transformers" starring Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox and a boatload of autonomous robots is the best July 4th blockbuster since "Independence Day." And it's for everyone from die-hard Transformer fans to people who just thought this flick looked neato.

Neato it is. I'm using kid language because this recreates the giddy, awestruck feeling of being mesmerized. Every action sequence is striking. The "autobots" move in unique ways and transform instantaneously, and each visual effect feels as if you're witnessing something truly groundbreaking. You're left with no choice but to lean forward in your seat to see as much as you possibly can from the first minute, to minute 144.

But there's still the pesky problem of dialog. To see LaBeouf as Will Smith's sidekick in "I, Robot" you may have doubted whether he could carry a movie this size on his own. He dispelled all doubts, however, within the first few minutes on camera. His geeky, "every man" persona is adorably hopeless yet charismatic, and funny as LaBeouf's stand-up background would imply. LaBeouf's off-hand wise cracks self-consciously poke fun at the movie's many implausibilities, turning what could be a flaw into a humorous asset. There were a few moments when the characters reacted more cinematically than realistically (like when Fox chooses the middle of an epic "bot battle" to profess her feelings to LaBeouf), but someone (an autobot or a character) was always kind enough to snap us back into the present.

"Edge of your seat" and "great summer fun" have become cliches but, honestly, "Transformers" was the most fun I've had at the movies in years. It will shock, entertain and even touch you at moments, and you'll be ready to do it all over again by the time it's over.