Michael Bay's Transformers Opened huge in 10 overseas markets(including 12 million + in Korea) virtually guaranteeing a monster worldwide haul for the film and soundly critic proofing it. We need only go back as far as POC at World's End and Spiderman III which opened earlier this year to lukewarm critical response and below expected domestic box office performance, but rode mammoth overseas numbers to 900 million + returns. Sure great reviews can still boost domestic numbers. Word of mouth and word of blog can give a film the "legs" it takes to remain in the top 5 for long enough to make a suprise hit like this summer's Knocked Up, but the blockbusters have been determined long before the first reviews roll off the presses. Traditional critics and frankly for the most part bloggers serve more as post game analysts and Monday morning chat, rehashing events after the outcome is determined. Still entertaining but certainly not weilding the clout that the once did.

That said, never one to fear irrelevance, I will be returning soon with a quick and dirty review of Transformers. Hope you all will comeback to tell me why I am wrong.

Enjoy!