Back when I was about 10 or 11, my thoughts were singularly focused on that terrible civil war between the Autobots and the Decepticons. The first time I ever saw the animated commercial for the Marvel comics mini-series, I was overwhelmed with a sense of “oh-my-god-my-prayers-have-been-finally-answered,” and I spent the next three years of my life obsessed with transforming robots. Even now, two decades later, four Transformers — Mirage, Optimus Prime, Megatron and Starscream — sit on my monitor, switching daily between robot and vehicle form.

Suffice it to say, I am a huge Transformers fan. When Optimus Prime died in the original animated movie, I was heartbroken. How could my hero be so quickly and cheaply defeated? For the original animated series, it was all downhill from that moment. The distant future universe of 2006 introduced in the movie just couldn’t compare to the original 1980′s timeline. Rodimus Prime, Kupp, Springer, Blur lacked the character and appeal of the first generation of Transformers.

A lot was made about the new Michael Bay Transformers movie in the months leading up to its releases. As more and more information was leaked on the Internets, fans cried heresy. How could Optimus Prime have lips? How could Megatron transform into a plane? Why, on God’s green earth, was Bumblebee a Camero and not a VW Beetle?! For me, the simple fact that the movie featured reimagined versions of the original line of toys was enough to elevate it far above the dismal final season of the original animated series.

And after seeing the Transformers film this past weekend, all I can say is that the core of what Transformers is about — giant robots thbeating each other up — has been translated perfectly onto the big screen. Who could have doubted that Michael Bay, a man noted solely for his near pornographic gift for portraying violence on screen, could make a great Transformers film? Sure, he doesn’t care about continuity, the intricacies of Autobot politics, but he does know that it’s pretty cool to watch giant robots fight and destroy real estate. Do we really need anything else?

Yes, too much screen time is devoted to Shia LeBeouf and his girlfriend, but when the Autobots show up in the second act, the movie’s shortcomings are quickly forgotten.