It pains me to say this, it really does. But Michael Bay was right. Blu-ray is the ideal format for 'Transformers.' The blockbuster toy adaptation more than meets the challenge with its Hi-Def debut. From the uncompressed audio that provides a booming soundtrack (if you have surround sound at home) to the crystal-clear picture, the presentation of a movie that was designed for viewing in an oversized theater has been successfully modified to prevent an optimal home-viewing experience.

In other words, the 'Transformers' Blu-ray edition (out now in stores) ROCKS.

And that's just what Bay was promising when he went into his online rant last year on his website against his own studio - Paramount - for releasing the movie on HD-DVD instead of on Bay's preferred Hi-Def format, Blu-ray. Back then, during the Hi-Def format wars, the controversial director was such a vocal Blu-ray supporter he even threatened to back out of "Transformers 2" over the dispute. Cooler heads prevailed, but once Blu-ray was the clear victor over HD-DVD, Bay made sure to remind everyone he was Tru Blu all the way.

What's funny is that Blu-ray highlights what at first appears to be a flaw in many of Bay's films, namely, the graininess of some of the nighttime shots. Going way back to 1996's "The Rock," Bay's movies tend to have a grainy look to many of the evening scenes. The director says this is a personal choice, that he prefers the energy the grainy look adds to his movies.

In "Transformers" that graininess is apparent in many of the evening shots where the robots appear, especially when Bumblebee is captured by the Feds by the overpass.

However, the daytime shots, such as the initial attack on the U.S. military base in the desert at the movie's outset, are amazingly sharp. This is where the Blu-ray format really helps deliver the picture quality directors and cinephiles with home theater setups crave. The crispness of the cinematography is a major improvement over the regular dvd version - which I've seen on the same TV I viewed the Blu-ray edition. Even during the ultra-bright day sequences, such as the climactic final battle in downtown LA, the picture rarely looks washed-out, the colors still appear consistent and sharp.

However, not even Blu-ray can help clear up the sometimes muddled action going on. There are numerous scenes in the movie where you often can't tell which robot's fighting because the editing is so quick, you simply can't tell. That's perhaps my biggest complaint with the movie's final fight scene, and a common problem I have with Bay movies. Sometimes, it would be nice to just see a nice wide shot that lets you take in all the action.

As for the extras, they are all transferred over from the HD-DVD version. And considering that was Paramount's biggest-selling Hi-Def disc EVER, you can see why the studio would feel they didn't need to add much else to this edition. My favorites were "Our World" and "More than Meets the Eye" but the others all offer useful and fun insights for any true Transformers fan. But if you're just a casual fan of the film, then you probably can skip the featurettes and commentaries.

Oh, and in case you're wondering, this is a new, encoded version of the theatrical print, not a dupe of the HD-DVD version that was released last year.

As for the audio, it's presented in Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround track (48kHz/24-bit). The uncompressed sound is truly impressive, and sometimes overpowering. This is one of those titles, like "Gladiator", that Big Box stores like Best Buy and Circuit City will use to push customers to buy home theater setups, because this is the kind of movie that the multi-speaker was designed for. If you doubt me, then go visit one of those stores and watch a scene where one of the robots transform. If that doesn't make you slap down your credit card, then nothing will.

Here are the tech specs for 'Transformers' on Blu-ray:

Runtime: 2 Hr. 23 Min. 24 Sec.
Languages: English Subtitled, French Dubbed & Subtitled, Portuguese Subtitled, Spanish Dubbed & Subtitled
Audio: 5.1 Dolby Digital, 5.1 Dolby Digital Plus, 5.1 Dolby TrueHD, 5.1 PCM (Uncompressed)
US Rating: PG-13 - For intense sequences of sci-fi action violence, brief sexual humor, and language.

DVD Features:
• Commentary: Commentary by Director Michael Bay

• Featurette: OUR WORLD:

• Featurette: The Story Sparks HD

• Featurette: Human Allies HD

• Featurette: I Fight Giant Robots HD

• Featurette: Battleground HD

• Featurette: THEIR WAR:

• Featurette: Rise of the Robots HD

• Featurette: Autobots Roll Out HD

• Featurette: Decepticons Strike HD

• Featurette: Inside the AllSpark HD

• Featurette: Transformers Tech Inspector (TBD) HD

• Trailers: TRAILERS (will play after the feature via a menu):

• Trailers: Iron Man Trailer HD

• Featurette: MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE:

• Trailers: Transformers Teaser Trailer HD

• Trailers: Rise of the Autobots HD

• Other: Transformers H.U.D. (Heads Up Display)

• Other: BD-Live Features (TBD

• Featurette: From Script to Sand: The Skorponok Desert Attack HD

• Featurette: Concepts HD

• Trailers: Trailers HD:

• Trailers: Teaser Trailer 1 HD

• Trailers: Theatrical Trailer 2 HD

• Trailers: Theatrical Trailer 4 HD

• Easter Eggs: EASTER EGGS:

• Easter Eggs: Michael Bay Cameo HD

• Easter Eggs: Girl in Dress HD

• Easter Eggs: Bay Bot HD

• Easter Eggs: Casting Mojo HD