Transformers: Dark of the Moon: Movie Review

Shia LaBeouf and director Michael Bay continue the Autobots’ saga as they battle against the Decepticons to save humanity in Transformers: Dark of the Moon. This third installment in the blockbuster franchise is a step up from the second film, Revenge of the Fallen, thanks to a better plot, some added characters, and massive special effects.

The movie's drawbacks are that it takes just over two and a half hours to finish and contains quite a bit of unneeded questionable content. These faults push it to a lower rating.

THE MOVIE IN A MINUTE

With a government cover-up revealed, the Autobots discover a Cybertronian ship crashed on the dark side of the moon. A race against the Decepticons begins, as Optimus travels to recover it. All-out war erupts on Earth as Megatron leads a hostile, planetary takeover; one so big even the Autobots will not be able to win alone.

THE GOOD AND BAD ABOUT TRANSFORMERS 3

Michael Bay did some things right in this one. Dark of the Moon has a better, thought-out story arc. A few new central roles are added to the Transformers cast of characters in Carly (played by Rosie Huntington-Whiteley), Sentinel Prime (voiced by Star Trek great Leonard Nimoy), millionaire Dylan Gould (Patrick Dempsey), and Agent-in-Charge Mearing (Frances McDormand). Huntington-Whiteley as Sam Witwicky’s live-in girlfriend, Carly, is a fair change for the love interest spot Megan Fox’s Mikaela once held. The other familiar series faces return in Transformers 3, including Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, and John Turturro.

As expected the special effects in Dark of the Moon are incredible. The action sequences make this a good summer popcorn flick. Weaving these pluses into a strong storyline gives the film a better standing than the second movie - Revenge of the Fallen, but not enough to match the sentiment of the original.

Rated PG-13 for a long list of reasons (see the full explanation in the sidebar above), Transformers: Dark of the Moon isn’t one to take the kids to see. The sexual content (particularly the bathroom stall scene) and foul language ruin the film for families. Besides that moviegoers should know that this Transformers movie goes beyond the mayhem of its predecessors, showing people getting turned to dust. Skulls literally roll.

IN THE END

Not worth the $10 ticket, Transformers: Dark of the Moon may be satisfactory to some at the matinee price. A big-budget special effects movie like this one deserves to be seen on the big screen, if you do plan to see it. Just know that you’ll be in your theater seat awhile.