Like most cliches, they're the best friends for the creatively bankrupt. I mean how many big budget Hollywood movies have destroyed New York City? (Hell we had two movies this summer involving NYC and the alien invasion plot: THE AVENGERS and MEN IN BLACK 3.) I would blame that cliche on the original KING KONG.
I thought the last TRANSFORMERS movie was truely atrocious, but I'll give Michael Bay and those assholes credit for at least having those alien robots blow up Chicago.