TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON
Review by John Delia and Marisa Ings
Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Josh Duhamel, John Malkovich, Tyrese Gibson, Ken Jeong and John Turturro
Directed by: Michael Bay
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense prolonged sequences of sci-fi action violence, mayhem and destruction, and for language, some sexuality and innuendo
Genre: Action/Adventure, Science Fiction/Fantasy and Sequel
Running Time: 2hrs 37min
Distributed by: Paramount Pictures
Prolonged sequences of Sci-fi action violence, mayhem and destruction and that’s what the MPAA thought of Transformers: Dark of the Moon. It’s all that and more in this exciting alien robot adventure by action director Michael Bay. If you are a gamer, a science fiction movie lover or just get your thrills from astounding CGI then Transformers: Dark of the Moon is your ticket to ride.
In this third sequel of the Transformers we find Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) entering the work world following his graduation from college. High on life he has dropped his old flame Mikaela Banes (Megan Fox) and has upped his game living with high stylish Carly (Rosie Huntington-Whiteley). Holding on to her however get tough for Sam with no job and he finds himself conflicted. From here on out in the 154-minute film Sam’s conflict continues in the middle of a hellacious battle between Autobots and Decepticons vying for control of the Earth.
JOHN SAYS: There are many silly relationships played out in the film including Sam and his meddling parents, Carly unwittingly involved with the enemy, Sam confronting Mearing (Francess McDormand) the head of security with his hero medal, a jealous interaction between Carly’s boss Dylan (Patrick Dempsey) and Sam, and so on throughout the film. These are just distractions that only interrupt the film from the real reason you purchased a ticket, the battling transformers.
MARISA SAYS: Dark of the Moon transformed me back into a fan of the series. After the lackluster storyline and acting in the second film in the installment, Transformers 3 really captivated all of my senses! The intense storyline with a shifting plot adds a few surprises that will really move you to all types of emotions: happiness, sadness, shock and awe… the list goes on.
JOHN SAYS: The last 30 minutes of the film and scattered skirmishes between the soldiers and the robotic nemeses are absolutely amazing. This time you get to see the relentless destruction of Chicago by a mega force not seen in the previous three Transformer films. That’s the fun of Transformers: Dark of the Moon and worth the nearly 2-hour wait.
MARISA SAYS: The replacement of Megan Fox by Victoria’s Secret model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley is the biggest controversy surrounding this film. According to an article from extratv.warnerbros.com, when Megan Fox referred to Director Michael Bay as “[wanting] “to be like Hitler on his sets,” Producer Stephen Spielberg instructed Bay to fire her. Although Fox insists she did not return on her own accord. Fox fans please don’t be too disappointed by the switch; there really is not a big difference with the changing one trophy girlfriend for another. Rosie filled her role much like Megan: stand there and look pretty while ciaos surrounds you.
JOHN SAYS: Michael Bay goes all out in Transformer’s 3 kicking it up several notches with a plethora of explosive scenes. He also does a little tribute to his awesome Armageddon with a space shot that out does the Bruce Willis flight. The buildings in Transformers 3 get toppled in ground zero Chicago much like New York in Cloverfield, but that’s a good thing here since the treacherous bots bring about some incredible devastation.
MARISA SAYS: Transformers 3 is definitely an improvement over the last sequel. Michael Bay actually utilizes the human characters in go around! (Although still not to full capacity it’s an improvement) The first half of Transformers 3 overflows with human interactions and building of the storyline although it’s fast-paced the second half takes you into the real action fighting robots and intense action scenes. The acting gets my ok but who goes to an action film with alien Autobots to see the actors.
JOHN SAYS: The 3D here is quite good especially in scenes where Sam slides down buildings and Autobots fight the Decepticons. And the sound gets incredible with bullets whizzing behind you and explosions all around. I can only imagine what this film would be like in IMAX 3D.
MARISA SAYS: Interesting fact from an interview appearing in moviesonline.com; Director Michael Bay told an interviewer “532 cars were destroyed (In Transformers 3). But these are cars that are flood-damaged… car companies give [them] to us because by law, they have to be crushed. So I am a perfect guy to do that.â€
JOHN SAYS: FINAL ANALYSIS: A witless story but an amazing display of sci-fi excitement. (C+)
MARISA SAYS: Enjoy the ride boys; this film is just for you! It’s a visual delight. (B-)
Transformers: Dark of the Moon is rated PG-13 for intense prolonged sequences of sci-fi action violence, mayhem and destruction, and for language, some sexuality and innuendo.
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