It's easy to be disappointed because people oversold something like this, and going in expecting the sort of magic people like myself are gushing with may lead to a lesser viewing experience.

It certainly has some flaws, mostly of a paint-by-numbers variety, lack of a worthwhile villain, and more, but they hit the high notes so well that these are relatively minor in the grand scheme of things.

There are definitely some things you'll just have to roll with, and one particular scene that's perhaps a little *too* cliché on the Hughes teen movie tip, but there's a LOT of heart and joy in the core story of a girl and her relationship with her transforming robot car.

So to be a bit more pointed in my own perspective, they play that core with a deft touch, and to tremendous effect. It's definitely a "feel like a kid again" type of movie, and you'll probably catch yourself smiling throughout. The cut all the forced kitsch and wound up making a movie that is much more fun in an organic way.

Oh, and Bay's absence shows. Despite the main character being a teenage girl, there is, and I hope you're sitting down, not a single gratuitous, lingering shot of her butt, nor is she sexualized beyond the very tame and relatable way in which we'd all hope our children would experience relationships growing up.