My problem with Transformers is that it could be better with someone else directing it. Micheal Bay has always just made shitty but selling movies.
Pearl Harbor comes to mind, over three hours of a boring love story that overshadows the entire reason you saw the movie, the attack. It's like what, 10, 20 minutes? Not cool Mike.
Transformers didn't have enough robot action, and the second one just brings you up for some epic fights but sort of just peters out, save for one, but I'm not spoiling it.
My friend (now a private in the Air Force) wished there was more military action like in the first one. He also hated the ghetto bots, and he hadn't heard a thing about them, he has been in boot camp since May. Though he says "They ripped the black robot in half in the first one, so we get two black robots in this one."
All in all, Micheal Bay loves to make long films, but can't carry the story without boring the audience.
BTW Z, what did Ebert say? I haven't read a thing of his since he disappeared for a short while when he had his jaw removed, good to see the man still doing what he loves though.