Stoyan Office

Pros: an amazing assortment of eye candy ... I'm amazed it was done for less than Transformers. He's actually gotten better at making a spectacle work on set. Cons: Michael Bay still doesn't know how to communicate a story element, only how to visual exaggerate it. Dumb things like a riot going full bore while the newscast that started is still playing. He does it often, and it ruins his prospect of actually making you feel. As well, HE STILL HAS RIDICULOUSLY HORRIBLE TASTE IN MUSIC! Fix those things, and this might have been the very first Michael Bay movie that his haters would have enjoyed.

The acting, direction and writing are well above par. It's not the same old show, and as a reboot, it achieves a very nice balance of keeping to the original DNA enough that an older fan might truly appreciate the attention given to character relationships and theme modernization. It's a very different show, but you will find very few shows these days that can strike such a palatable balance of attributes as this one does. It's not very nerdy, yet is science-forward enough to engage. It's not comedy, but has enough with that each chuckle is of value. It's not as much a "family show" as would mire it in cuteness, yet it has a solid moral compass. It's not blasting explosive action, yet it keeps the pulse high and the spirit strong. And when you hear the theme song in that setting, you get a nice mix of nostalgia and exciting stimulation that would make you forget it ISN'T a high budget action MOVIE. This is the bar we should seek with all television these days.