'Transformers' sequel sparks race row

Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen has been criticised for showing two robots as "racial stereotypes", according to The AP.

The blockbuster sequel has come under fire after some viewers complained that Skids and Mudflap are racial caricatures because they speak in street slang, cannot read and one has a gold tooth.

However, director Michael Bay insisted that the robots were intended as comic relief, saying: "It's done in fun. I don't know if it's stereotypes - they are robots, by the way.

"These are the voice actors. This is kind of the direction they were taking the characters and we went with it... [They] were kind of written but not really written, so the voice actors is when we started to really kind of come up with their characters."

Actor Reno Wilson (Mudflap) also defended his robot as "an alien who uploaded information from the internet and put together the conglomeration".

He continued: "If he had uploaded country music, he would have come out like that. It could easily be a Transformer that uploaded Kevin Federline data. They were just like posers to me."

Bay added: "Listen, you're going to have your naysayers on anything. It's like is everything going to be melba toast? It takes all forms and shapes and sizes."

Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen is in cinemas now.