• Is it age appropriate?

  About our ratings

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  Not age appropriate for kids under 11, age appropriate for kids over 12; suggested age 12.

• Is it any good?

  3.0

• Common Sense says

  Toys come to life in big, boomy explosion fest.

Why We Rated This for Ages 12 and Up

What to watch out for

• Messages:

  Sam is mostly a good kid; he deceives his parents, but he also saves Mikaela from a bad boyfriend and the world from bad robots. Mikaela has criminal record and can hotwire cars. There are some stereotypes -- a Latino character is mocked for his "magic voodoo powers," a computer expert embodies lots of geeky cliches, and a "black" robot uses street jargon and gang signs.
• Violence :

  Early attack by alien robots results in fiery explosions and bodies flying; solider in sight of monster robot fires at camera; Transformer attack at car dealership (loud noise, car windows blow out); barking dogs chase Sam; huge battle in the desert (robots vs. Air Force); Transformers attack Sam and Mikaela (lots of chasing, crashing, noise); flashback shows destruction of Transformers' planet; little robot monster with sharp limbs terrorizes humans and infiltrates Air Force One; lengthy fight scene in city streets ends film -- more explosions, shooting, missiles, and bodies; Bumblebee is damaged and must be towed. At one point, the villain transforms into a plane and flies into a sky-scraper -- images that will remind many viewers of 9/11.
• Sex :

  Mikaela wears a cleavage-showing midriff top; bikini girl posters in Sam's bedroom; Miles calls Mikaela "the evil jock's concubine" Miles reminds Sam that it's "bros before hos" song "Sexual Healing" on car radio; close-ups of Mikaela's sweaty belly from Sam's POV; Sam says "I'm cool with females working on my engine" Sam says he keeps a magazine called Busty Beauties under his bed; Glen admits he's still a virgin (this appears to be a joke at his expense); following a noise in his room, Sam's mom asks him "Were you masturbating?", embarrassing Sam and his dad; Sam's online user name is "Ladiesman217."
• Language:

  In addition to a couple of incomplete "f--ks," the language includes "damn," "crap," "bitch," "s--t" (multiple uses), "ass," "crack-head," "frigggin'," "hell," spelled-out "bee-otch" on Sam's car freshener.
• Consumerism:

  The entire film is virtually a commercial for Hasbro toys (the company is listed as both a production company and the maker of Transformers action figures). There are also visual or verbal references to Mac laptop, eBay, Camaro, Austin Healey, Porsche, 40-Year-Old Virgin, Volkswagen, music acts (50 Cent, Garbage, The Strokes, Rage Against the Machine), the Redskins, Armageddon, Ding Dongs, Taco Bell, Nokia, Mountain Dew, Star Trek, and GM vehicles (most of the Autobots are modeled on GM cars). Bumblebee speaks in bits of commercials and TV shows ("Message from Starfleet, Captain").
• Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

  Sam's dog takes pain pills (he calls the dog a "crackhead"); Sam asks Agent Simmons if he's "on drugs."

What Parents Need to Know

About Transformers

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