When you think big, explosive set pieces with little heart and even less to capture the imagination – that can only mean one thing: summer movie season.

Of all the popcorn fodder being released this summer, the one movie I’ve felt the most conflicted about is "Transformers." Not only are they resurrecting a beloved childhood icon, but the doctor at the table in this case is Michael Bay, who made films like "Armageddon," "Bad Boys" and "The Island."

Not that I know anything about Hollywood and how it works, but I suspect guys like me are the target market for a flick like this: Mid-20s -30s, watched cartoons and read comics as a kid, likes car chases, explosions and witty one-liners.

And like any kid from that era, we now realize in hindsight that cartoons like "Transformers," "GI Joe," "He-Man," or "M.A.S.K." largely wanted us to get in our parents' wallets - even if they made cool shows.

Sadly enough, I think it was after I saw the trailer before "Spider-Man 3" (see, target audience.) that I said to myself, "Alright Michael Bay, you win."

It’s not that I’m Transformers Superfan99 – because I think that distinction goes to this guy – or that somewhere deep down I think this movie will have the sobering gravitas of "The Departed" or even "Smokey and the Bandit" for that matter. It just looks like it could be an entertaining movie.

Is that so wrong? In the end movies are pure escapism (unless you’re going to a documentary of course) and sometimes you want to laugh and sometimes you want to watch giant robots fight.

Reading some of the early movie reviews, the general trend seems to be, "while it’s not 'Citizen Kane,' it’s good for a few computer-generated thrills."

Is that a bad thing?

Here’s a few links to keep you busy if you’re killing time before vacation or killing time away from the family on vacation.

I don’t know about you, but I really want to buy a Chevy.

- HowStuffWorks has saved us all the trouble and asked the question, could we really see a Transformer in our lifetime? The answer, as it usually is with HowStuffWorks, is a "yes, kinda, well, no."

- Lastly, with all the press "Transformers" is getting, it’s good to know I’m not the only one wondering about the GoBots, the Transformers awkward, ugly cousin.
Launched, like Transformers, as a toy tie-in, GoBots were also robots who could disguise themselves as vehicles and machines…only they were considerably lamer.
But what if Hollywood got a hold of them?

- I know you’re probably tired of the relentless plugs for Cartoon Network’s "Robot Chicken," but this is a priceless clip. Anyone who watched cartoons in the 80s can appreciate the humor of a Transformer’s Public Service Announcement for a pressing health issue.

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