Optimus Looks Really Good, John McClane Can't Die, and Rats Have Dreams

This summer has been a major disappointment in terms of the cinematic arts. Spider-Man 3 didn't live up to its prior entries in the series (too many villains, Tobey's emo haircut); Pirates didn't take us anywhere (surprising given its ungodly 2+ hour running time); Shrek isn't funny anymore (how many different ways can a film parody Disney films until it becomes the parody?); and Fantastic Four belongs on a comic book page and not on the silver screen (am I the only one freaked out by Jessica Alba's crystal blue eyes?). Jack Kirby just rolled in his grave.

Thankfully, the second wave of summer flicks arrived when it did. Transformers was not a disappointment. In fact, it was a visual extravaganza that actually made up for a lackluster and clunky plot, hot girls unbelievably cast as computer analysts and really goofy supporting characters (I love John Turturro, but do you really believe him as a secret agent?). This was a film that Michael Bay had to make, a pure fluffy movie that no one will really care about five years from now. Watching it definitely took me back to my youth filled with Autobots and Decepticons. Live Free or Die Hard was fun, although it felt like I was watching a generic action movie made 10X more watchable/enjoyable because of the presence of John McClane. Call me a traditionalist, but I missed the cursing, the bloody deaths, etc. that come with an R-rating. Finally, just saw Ratatouille last night (in perhaps the dingiest movie theater in Los Angeles), and, while it starts slow, Pixar's latest lived up to its pedrigree. It's not Toy Story or The Incredibles, but a truly magical film nevertheless.