Fans of Michael Bay’s Transformers franchise can stop waiting to exhale: Thanks to more than 600 sellouts, including 274 for midnight screenings scheduled tonight, Revenge of the Fallen is already a box-office hit. Numbers like that have placed it among the top 25 pre-sellers of all time, but a nagging question remains: Is it any good?

No. A typical Bay production, Revenge of the Fallen is gratingly chaotic, rife with deafening explosions, witless dialogue and painstakingly conceived visual effects that look as phony as they are. It will be a Megatron-size hit – no amount of critical derision can derail this train – but it remains an embarrassing cultural artifact, and the year’s worst film to date.

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Next year's Oscars will feature 10 Best Picture nominees.

Johnny Depp is talking about Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland and a fourth Pirates of the Caribbean.

Kevin Spacey dreams of battling 007.

Spinal Tap is back and louder than ever.

Pixar granted a young girl's dying wish.

James Cameron is finally unveiling footage from his $300 million Avatar.

Kill Bill's Daryl Hannah has been arrested.

David Fincher is in talks to direct a movie about Facebook.