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So have you ever wondered what a Transformers flick might look like without oogling chicks, overt racism, constant shaky cam, massive bloat, or giant robot testicles?

New director Travis Knight has and it's a damn good family film.

This new one has the always lovable Bee sent to establish a base for the autobots on Earth, where he befriends a teen named Charlie who helps him in a battle with 2 deceptions.

Hailee Steinfeld plays Charlie, a lonely girl living in the 1980's whose been internally suffering since the death of her father.

She's a change for the Transformers franchise- a girl whose emo, and more amateur mechanic than prom queen who doesn't take kindly to men telling her to smile more.

For Bee his personal challenge here is his voice. He quips like Schwarzenegger before his vocal box gets cut and it's Charlie who helps him heal from that.

The biggest and best change here is how much all this will slow down on occasion and we'll get a gentle, touching scene of how much these two need each other.

This is the best girl and her car story since...well, Thelma and Louise. It has far less suicides.

The two will bond over Alf and 80's music and the movie has the kind of cute, trample on mom's rose bushes-like physical comedy from the first one before Michael Bay felt he had to go bigger.

Not only that but the action scenes are shot with a very steady hand and thankfully don't try to go for the everything and the kitchen sink approach.

I think maybe being plunged into another robot battle is a bit too soon for me but it's the fact Knight makes me even want to consider seeing more that proves this is pretty well done.

If you liked this, check out Craig James Review on Youtube for more.

So the best Aqua-version doesn't come from James Cameron and Vinnie Chase anymore but from James Wan and Jason Mamoa.

Mamoa is Arthur, the son of a love affair between a human and the fish queen of Atlantis. A grown-up Arthur wants nothing to do with his mother's kingdom but is called upon to stop his half-brother from starting a war with the surface world.

And Mamoa's got this, turning what is a silly looking character into a true Son of Anarchy. He checks off all the boxes, the physique, the brood, the macho rough-necking, and the funny.

Really the whole cast is excellent here. He's got good chemistry with Amber Heard, who trades comic barbs and personal lessons with him, and fights well, but will be remembered most for this.

Willem Dafoe shows up sporting a man bun as Arthur's former mentor, Nicole Kidman plays Arthur's mom.

Patrick Wilson plays the half-brother, he does a fine job, but runs into the problem that usually plagues Marvel villains of having nothing to do after a while.

I much preferred Manta, a villain with a legit reason for wanting revenge on Arthur.

Most of these fish people talk perfectly underwater, which is silly, but the way they're able to see underwater is a gorgeous effect that rivals Avatar.

Really everything from the action sequences, sets, costumes is a fantastical visual. Is it going for realism? Well at one point we see an octopus playing bongo drums so you tell me.

Point is- it's pretty zany mix of things you might see in a Thor film and Pixar film and it's fun.

Much of this focuses on a magical trident and fish people angry over pollution. Do we care? To a point. 2 hours and 20 minutes of this is a little much though and there should have been more of an effort to curb that.

Overall this is fun, thrilling, and a visual pleasure with a real star turn from Mamoa. You'll want to see it on a big screen.

If you like this, check out Craig James Review on Youtube for more