10 Movies With Great Second Halves (But Awful Firsts)

For the first half of its 154-minute runtime, Michael Bay's third Transformers movie is almost as brainless and forgettable as its predecessor, bloated out with terrible "comic" relief, while also having to introduce audiences to the dull new female lead, Carly Spencer (Rosie Huntington-Whiteley).

There are baffling supporting turns from the over-qualified likes of John Malkovich, Frances McDormand, and Alan Tudyk, and a general feeling that Bay is just doing whatever he wants because nobody ever told him no.

But after suffering through almost 90 minutes of atrocious drama and mediocre action, Bay finally lets loose with surely the most impressive action sequence in his entire filmography: the Battle for Chicago.

At this point the Decepticons arrive on Earth, and the next hour of the movie is an almost relentless barrage of Bayhem - CGI robot fights, sexy car chases, and gigantic buildings collapsing.

It is a sheer monument to excess, no question, and feels like the set-piece Bay had been building towards his entire career. Almost a decade later, he still hasn't topped it.