Tranformers: Dark of the Moon Review

June 29, 2011 at 2:29 pm | Posted in Miscellaneous, Movies, Reviews | 3 Comments
Tags: Michael Bay, transformers

Transformers: Dark of the Moon, in typical Transformers fashion, is jammed with action-packed robot fighting and in-your-face comedy.  Though definitely a step up from the over-done second installment in the Michael Bay directed trilogy, the film fails to live up to the first Transformers movie.  That isn’t to say that it is a bad movie – it is not by any means.

The story is very much character driven, with Sam Witwicky leading the charge once again. This time, Sam is trying to find his place in the world after graduating college. Shia Labeouf delivers another spot-on performance of Witwicky, and is certainly the highlight of the movie. His girlfriend Carly Spencer, played by newcomer Rosie Huntington-Whiteley (after Megan Fox was dropped from the film) is less than stellar. Though not a bad performance, the relationship between Labeouf and Huntington-Whiteley’s characters is underdeveloped; as is the character of Carly, who both barely speaks and is heavily portrayed as merely a sex object. Patrick Dempsey stars as new character Dylan Gould, and without giving too much away, successfully creates a character to be despised. John Malkovich and Alan Tudyk, also new to the series.  Both deliver solid comedic performances as Sam’s boss and Simmons’ assistant, respectively. As for returning characters, there are many. Agent Simmons is back and as confident as ever, even having a surprise love interest in the film. Soldiers Lennox and Epps, played by Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson, are featured more heavily than in the previous two films. Sam’s parents, played by Kevin Dunn and Julie White, on the other hand, take the back seat after becoming major players in Revenge of the Fallen. However, their scenes are excellent and wildly funny, and I much enjoyed the small part they had to play in embarrassing Shia’s character.

It’s the Transformers themselves I had an issue with. Their lines – especially those from Optimus and Sentinel Prime – were poorly written and very hard on the ears. The Transformers were given many punch lines and many of them failed to deliver. However, I did appreciate Leonard Nimoy voicing Sentinel Prime, and the few comments about Star Trek and the character of Spock in the movie. As for the plot, it is not as easy to follow as the first two movies, but it is very interesting and on a grander scale. The plot revolves around the mystery of the moon landing, which is revealed to have been a cover up for the crash landing of a Transformers ship. From there the story begins, and it is epic in every sense of the word. At one point all of Chicago is destroyed, and it is a moving and tragic scene, to say the least. Furthermore, the graphics and action-sequences are at their best throughout this movie, and one scene involving Bumblebee and Shia Labeouf’s character that generated awe in thecrowd.

All in all, the movie proved to be a fine addition to the Transformers series, and a strong series-ender if director Michael Bay has his way.

Posted by Zinnos for Roqoo Depot.  Transformers, roll!