Less than meets the eye

I was pretty miffed when the last "Transformers" movie came out in 2007. It seemed pretty obvious that the movie was made for guys in the their 20s or 30s who played with the toys or watched the cartoon when they were kids.

But director Michael Bay and the rest of the people involved with the film seemed to lose sight of the fact that there were still kids playing with the toys today. Nolan and Thomas were 7 and 4 at the time. They both had Transformer toys and kept seeing ads for the movie on Nickelodeon and commercials for Burger King kids meals and tie-in toys in the store.

We skipped the PG-13 movie in theater. Some time later we found it on HBO while visiting Kris' parents and started watching it. It wasn't long before we saw that our first instinct was right -- it wasn't for kids and we flipped the channel.

Now the sequel, "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," is coming out and we're facing the same issues all over again. So far I've seen nothing but negative reviews. This one from Harry Knowles at Ain't It Cool News really jumped out at me:

The filmmakers, studio and toymakers behind this film should be ashamed. To spend this type of money to bring this sort of hurtful and repugnant work to screen - it is an insult to every DREAM that so many have WORKed for, for years.

I'd like to ask you not to support this film, but those of you with young boys, I know there isn't a chance. But realize you'll be taking them to see a film with the lowest forms of humor, stereotypes and racism around. Not only that, but its packaged for our children. Which makes it all the more offensive.

Not only did Harry think "Revenge of the Fallen" was an offensive movie marketed to kids, he also just didn't think it was a very good movie period.

I can't say I'm surprised. After Nolan went to bed that night at Grandma and Grandpa's, I watched a good chunk of the "Transformers," figuring it would be fun to watch giant robots duke it out. I can't say I was impressed. I honestly had no idea what the hell was going on in that movie. It sounds like the sequel is a lot more of the same.

I hate to sound like a square, but it is possible to make an action movie that the whole family can enjoy. It doesn't have to be too kiddified or too full of violence and sexual innuendo. There is a happy medium. Maybe you've heard of a little movie called "Star Wars?"

Fortunately, our kids don't seem to have any expectation of seeing the movie. But how many other parents aren't so lucky. I mean, seriously, what business does Megan Fox have being in any sort of movie for kids?

Yet another disappointment from Hollywood. And the most frustrating kind -- the kind that will probably rake in millions at the box office.

Okay. Old man Rooney is done shaking his fist.