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Transformers: Dark of the Moon – There was a second movie?

Transformers: Dark of the Moon - Theater Review
Release Date: 6/29/2011 - MPAA Rating: PG-13
Clacker Rating: 5 Clacks

Could things get any worse for the 'Transformers' franchise after the last movie? The answer is a resounding no as 'Dark of the Moon' totally rocks and becomes the best film of the series!

Optimus Prime prepares to fight

Transformers: Dark of the Moon hits theaters this week … with a bang! I’m not really into the whole mythos of the toys and cartoons and can’t really tell a Decepticon from a Jumbotron (the Autobots are very helpfully color coded), so I won’t go into too many plot details and character studies. In a pretty awesome prologue set in the 1960s, we learn that the Apollo program came about because of an alien ship crashing on the moon (Kennedy has been a very busy guy this year with mutants, the Cuban Missile Crisis and now alien spaceships to deal with). In the present, the Autobots have been working for the government, helping snuff out our enemies around the world (and in some cases without the authority to do so which causes some problems). While the program is in jeopardy and Sam is feeling left out, the evil Decepticons have been plotting to bring their homeworld to earth after resurrecting Sentinel Prime, the occupant of said spaceship that the Autobots retrieved when this top secret mission to the moon was revealed to them.

The movie is full of twists and turns so I won’t go into too much detail about the rest of the plot. Suffice it to say that the third time is definitely the charm, and Dark of the Moon is spectacular entertainment! I loved the first movie because it was new and different and it took the CGI effects process to a completely new level. The second movie just plain sucked. Too many robots were introduced and all of the bad ones looked exactly alike, so I had no idea who was fighting who in most of the action scenes. Even Michael Bay famously apologized for the craptasticness of the movie.

But … Bay and his writing team took every bit of criticism to heart and have crafted a crazily over-the-top action film that pulls out every stop imaginable and even manages to add some real emotion to the story at times (you know, like when things aren’t blowing up). The first half of the movie is really well-crafted — and funny — as it brings back all of the familiar faces from the previous movies as well as introducing us to Sam’s new girlfriend, played by Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. I didn’t know how a model taking on her first acting role would do, but I found her to be absolutely charming and she easily erased Megan Fox from memory. Besides Rosie, the film also brings in a surprising cast of characters that had my jaw dropping with each new arrival. I knew Frances McDormand was in the cast, but not Patrick Dempsey, Ken Jeong, John Malkovich, Bill O’Reilly, Alan Tudyk, Glenn Morshower, Scott Krinsky (in a very brief, one-line cameo) and … Buzz Aldrin! Yes, original Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin! And the movie nerd in me loved that one of the Russian cosmonauts was played by Elya Baskin, who also played a cosmonaut in 2010: The Year We Make Contact. Coincidence? And let’s not forget Leonard Nimoy as the voice of Sentinel Prime (the robot even resembles Nimoy), and not one, but three Star Trek references! The geek in me loved all of these little touches.

The second part of the movie, when the Decepticon plan is reveled, takes a darker, much more dramatic turn full of action, drama and emotion (I actually got teary a couple of times). The one thing that struck me was how patriotic the movie is. There’s not a lot of flag waving and chest-thumping, but I felt it and the notion that this band of (American) people and robots fighting to save the world might not play well in other countries, but it certainly is the definition of the American spirit … and just in time for July 4th!

The 3D process is very well done with a lot of explosions throwing things off the screen. There’s also a great shot with Ken Jeong pointing two guns at the audience that are pretty much right in your face. I have to caution those prone to motion sickness that the 3D effects and the very fast camera movements may cause a little dizziness, and the 2-hour and 45-minute running time is a bit long to wear those glasses. I didn’t feel any adverse effects during the movie, but afterwards I did have a little eye strain and dizziness but it passed quickly (someone else wasn’t so lucky judging from what I saw outside of the theater). Parents should also keep in mind that the movie is rated PG-13 and younger children may find it to be a bit intense. I was really surprised by the number of on-screen human deaths at the hands of the Decepticons. No blood, but at one point people were being shot and they kind of exploded leaving just some clothing and bones. Plan accordingly.

I went in to this movie with the absolute lowest of expectations because I felt there was no way they could redeem the franchise after the last movie. I am pleased to say that I was wrong and consider this the best of the trilogy. My only issue is with some of the geography, especially when they are supposed to be in D.C. or driving around D.C. with road signs going to Aurora and a skyline that does not exist in D.C. A minor quibble and probably only those familiar with the D.C. and Chicago areas would notice. If you’ve got three hours to kill, I can say with confidence that it is time well-spent. This is definitely one of those movies that I would watch again.

Photo Credit: Paramount Pictures

7 Responses to “Transformers: Dark of the Moon – There was a second movie?”

June 29, 2011 at 2:30 PM

You’ve got me all excited to see this movie, Chuck! I was not particularly impressed with the first two, since I have such fond memories of the cartoons, but I’ll definitely give this third movie a chance.

Aurora is a western suburb of Chicago, so those road signs were probably shot over here.

June 29, 2011 at 5:21 PM

Good! I hope I haven’t over-hyped it though. I enjoyed the first one very much because it was different — at least to me since I didn’t follow the toys and cartoons. This one just grabbed me from the start with the recap of the Autobot/Decepticon war and then all of the stuff about the space race in the 60s. All the other little references were icing on the cake. I went in with zero expectations after the last one and came out totally rewarded.

I know they did a lot of the filming in the Chicago area and the outskirts and only about three days in D.C. but I wonder now how many people are going to think there’s an Aurora somewhere near D.C. (and a Route 88!)?

June 29, 2011 at 6:03 PM

Yeah, 88 is the highway (also known as the Ronald Reagan) that goes to Aurora. One summer my commute took me on 88, and man that sucked. But I’m psyched to see this movie, even if it involves the destruction of my hometown.

June 29, 2011 at 11:22 PM

Yeah, this was either a good movie that did some really great things, or a great movie that did some dumb things:

Things I loved: BUZZ ALDRIN. This was the most complex plot Bay has ever pulled off. Movie was very dark in places (not visually, ya know). 3D was seamless and quite good. RH-W was surprisingly good. Movie was epic in scope without looking like it was trying to be epic in scope.

Things I didn’t like: Bay once criticized directors who used CG Presidents in their films, specifically Contact and Bill Clinton, and then did it three times (poorly) in this movie (Can’t for the life of me find the link). There was one particular Star Trek reference that was completely over the top (You’ll know the one). The several places that were supposed to be DC and obviously were Chicago.

June 30, 2011 at 12:59 AM

I think based on your critique, it was a great movie that did a couple of dumb things. The presidents were a little off, but were they CGI? I thought they were just bad look-alikes (and I use the term loosely). The big Star Trek reference was a little over-the-top … but a lot of the younger folks seeing this movie probably have no idea that it’s even associated with Star Trek. Geography is always a problem for movies that don’t shoot completely on location and try to pass off a major city as the place it was shot. I’ll go back to my Live Free or Die Hard reference which had us Baltimore natives simultaneously laughing and scratching our heads. Another example is the Random Hearts plane crash into the Potomac … which was shot about 5 minutes from my house under the Francis Scott Key Bridge at the entrance to the Baltimore Harbor. The locals will know it’s all wrong, most of the rest of the audience will not have a clue — unless people like us point it out!

And yes, BUZZ ALDRIN! That was just so cool and really gave the story even more weight and “credibility” for including an actual Apollo 11 astronaut in the movie. Amazing! And the surprisingly dark parts of the story just gave it even more depth than expected from a summer action film with CGI robots as main characters. I seriously teared up a couple of times. I say we just forget the second movie even exists and congratulate all involved for recognizing the mistakes of that film and correcting them all with this one.

August 4, 2011 at 5:40 PM

will there be another transformers movie after dark of the moon

August 4, 2011 at 7:14 PM

I doubt Paramount and those who make boatloads of money from these movies will let them die. However, Michael Bay and Shia LaBeouf have both said this will be their last. I’m sure we’ll see a reboot in a couple of years.

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