Just back from seeing this. Knew little or next to nothing about it going in, but I absolutely loved it. Yes, it's boys own stuff with carnage, wanton destruction and cool gadgets / hardware, but there was more joy in the first 45 mins then in the whole of the souless T4: Salvation or the bore-fest that was Transformers 2.
The superb attack on the Pit, the Paris street run-down were just two of the highlights and I found myself, and my mates, grinning at the absurdity and coolness of it all. Rachel Nicholls as well as Sienna Miller were very easy on the eye and Stephen Sommers regular collaborators (including cameo by Brendan Fraser) made this a fun, fresh and just-under 2hrs romp. Yes, the flashbacks were a tad unecessary but they fleshed out a fairly lean story and I for one look forward to the sequel....providing Sommers' doesn't go over the top on the CGI (ala Mummy Returns) and continues to focus on the team. This is definitely his best since the original Mummy.
Overall, the second best blockbuster of the summer behind Star Trek for me, and thoroughly undeserving of the poor reviews and 2 star ratings doing the rounRAB. For a good old Saturday nighter at the movies, you could do worse! Absolutely neeRAB to be seen on the big screen, too.
8/10.
