Like its 2007 predecessor, the soundtrack to 2009's second blockbuster live action rendering of the '80s animated cartoon legend Transformers is peppered with enough MTV-approved post-grunge/emo-metal (Nickelback, the Fray, Taking Back Sunday, Linkin Park, Staind, Hoobastank) to warrant its own stage on the ~Warped Tour. Director Michael Bay's fetish for expertly crafted clichéd explosions, high-school-level social drama, and over the top military machismo obviously extends to his record collection, as the 14 tracks that make up the non-orchestral version of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (especially Cheap Trick's wonderful and cheeky "Surrender"-esque title track) are as fun and forgettable as the actual plots to his films. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide