I respect Michael Bay as a filmmaker and I’m intrigued by how defiant it feels to make that statement. I went into my friendly, neighborhood multiplex with an open mind to see Transformers: Age of Extinctionand I was pleasantly surprised with what I found. While undoubtedly flawed, Bay’s new Hasbro cash-grab is the best of the franchise, improving on the previous Transformers movies in almost every way.

Age of Extinction replaces Shia LaBeouf and his whiny teen-drama storyline with Mark Wahlberg and a melodramatic father-daughter storyline. Right off the bat, I have to commend Bay for completely disregarding LaBeouf’s Sam Witwicky—providing not even an allusion to the character’s existence. I only wish we could all do the same with the actual Shia LaBeouf. Beyond that, all you need to know about the plot is that this is a Transformers movie.

Actually, that’s all you need to have in mind the entire time and you’ll be fine. Is there cheesy, clunky, expositional dialogue? Yes. Is the first act slow-moving and full of “jokes” that audiences won’t laugh at unless their friendly, neighborhood multiplex serves alcohol? Of course. Yet through the din there is an inkling of maturation in Bay’s direction.

As the longest Transformers movie to date, Age of Extinctioncould certainly use another pass in the editing room but it also boasts the most succinct, straightforward storyline, the cleanest action, and the least misogyny and awkward innuendos of all its predecessors. I predict that by Transformers 6 we might actually have a fully coherent movie. Unless he decides to backpedal into his more familiar mayhem.

Writing for Collider.com, Matt Goldberg proclaimed Bay’s films are “not for people who watch movies for a living; they’re for people who want to ‘turn off their brains.’” In his condescension (presumably while listening exclusively to classical music), Goldberg forgets that there are as many types of movies as there are people to view them. Some films are meant to be immersive and some are meant to be escapist but both have the potential to be fulfilling or pointless. Jonathon Glazer’s critically hailed Under the Skintries very hard to be immersive but I found it even less engaging than Age of Extinction.

Glenn Kenny, writing for RogerEbert.com, referred to Age of Extinction as “infantile.” No arguments there but have we forgotten this franchise is based on (and produced by the makers of) a series of plastic toys? I praise its infantile nature. Finally we have a Transformers movie that isn’t so full of F-bombs and gratuitous sexiness you’d be embarrassed to watch it with your children.

Age of Extinction features Optimus Prime riding a robotic t-rex, carrying a flaming sword and squaring off against a Transformer that turns into a Lamborghini and has a gun that comes out of his face. HIS FACE. Take a moment to let that sink in and I dare you to tell me the idea doesn’t delight you. If you can take a step back and appreciate Bay’s film for what it is, then it is an utterly rewarding ride.

Glenn Kenny ended his review with this quote from the New Testament’s Book of Corinthians: “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” I’d like to counter with a quote from Matthew: “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

If you can’t revel in the colorful cacophony that is Age of Extinction then perhaps you can find something more fulfilling to do. Maybe light up a cigarette and enjoy a Broadway show.