"Transformers: Dark of the Moon"

[alanp]

Slight Spoilers:

Here is the impression I'm left with.  I knew the movie wouldn't match the trailer but hoped it would deliver the goods.  But with those two franchise killing words, Michael Bay, I knew this was unlikely.

I wanted what happened on the moon to be a big mystery and have the story fire up my imagination.  No such luck.  There was rapid fire explanation and a kooky side story followed by a never ending CGI special effects show that just had be board. After a while I just got numb to it all. What we will call a plot, was a generic template for any summer blockbuster.  I can't imagine them having an audience in mind when they wrote the dialog.  If the movie is for kids, why have our star drop the f bomb in front of his parents?  If this movie is for grown ups why have such cartoonish dialog from the transformers?  Oddly enough I did not hate this movie, but I did almost fall asleep on it.  I compare this film to most of the middle of the film, Armageddon.  What I mean by that is - though it looked pretty on the big screen - if you watch it on cable today you would get up in the middle, run to the restroom, make a sandwich, make a phone call, and return to the movie missing little content of any real importance.

[KingIsaacLinksr]

Btw, Revenge of the Fallen not only had some of the worse jokes on earth, it was constantly throughout the entire film, with stupid robots, stupid-stupid side-characters and a terrible overall plot with the worse fight ending scene I've ever seen.  The parents were all over the movie and annoying and...the sex-bot is bad, the whole college-scenes were horrible and the "oh no, I got caught kissing a girl" bit was...overdone.  All-in-all, its awful, and the fighting scenes just weren't enough to save the movie.  Heck, even Megan Fox couldn't save it.  And those two twins....just brought it down further.  Anyway, sorry, my opinion, but it was an awful film and I cannot rewatch it.  Just like I cannot rewatch Indiana Jones #4.  That was a bad year of films for me....

Dark of the Moon threw all of what made the 2nd one bad OUT.  It actually seemed to take itself seriously, maybe because Lenoard Nimoy was involved or who knows what.  And yes, its lots of pretty explosions and eye candy, but it is rewatchable and I'm considering buying it when its available. 

King

[alanp]

Apparently Michael Bay reused some footage from The Island.

http://youtu.be/H7kcqB3thJM

[davekill]

Oops, busted!

[X]

Oops, busted!

Nothing wrong with using stock footage. especially if you're the one that shot it. However ... the car flipping did strike me as off when watching the movie.

[Bryancd]

I'm off to a 12:20 3D showing!

[RickPeete]

Well, I guess I am just not as discerning a moviegoer as the rest of you.  :)

The family went to see Transformers 3 last night in 2D and I have to say that I enjoyed it.  Popcorn flick is definitely the right word for it.

I wasn't going to get caught up in a deep, plot-filled storyline with drama, intrigue, and complex characterization.  I was going to see robots and things getting blown up.  Because that is what Michael Bay delivers.  So I guess if you go into it with that expectation, you can just sit back and turn your brain off and ride the wave.

The story was predictable.  The acting was weak.  THe script was basic and the humor lackluster.  The characters were stereotypical and two-dimensional.  And the movie was about 30-45 minutes too long.  But I liked the action scenes and I loved the fact that robots died and were damaged in the story -- I am talking the Autobots here.  (I hate it when the winners come out unscathed in movie battles).

And, I enjoyed Leonard Nimoy as Sentinel Prime, and the couple of 'Trek' references made in the movie that I don't think anyone else in the theater picked up on but me and my wife.

Will I buy it on Blu-ray?  Not likely.  But I was still entertained, which is the whole purpose of these summer movies in the final analysis (well, that and making a lot of money).  As my son observed, "Guess there won't be a fourth movie cuz all the key Decepticons are dead".

Well, perhaps.  But if this movie makes enough money, Michael Bay will figure out a way to create a new baddie for Optimus to fight.  Of course, they better make him a new arm first...

[davekill]

Oops, busted!

Nothing wrong with using stock footage. especially if you're the one that shot it. However ... the car flipping did strike me as off when watching the movie.

Good point, Michael Bay didn't ripoff a scene from someone else's movie. That would be very bad.
Kudos to whoever recognized that brief clip from a six year old movie that's not reviewed as often as the Zapruder film.

[Bryancd]

Well, that was the best Bay film I have ever seen. I really enjoyed it! I felt it had a lot more heart and fleshed out human characters then the first two by far, although that is not saying much. The 3D was THE BEST I have seen since AVATAR and well worth the money, it was bright and as Chris mentioned, from the screen back providing great depth and dynamics to the action. Heck, I even though Shia was really good, funny and sometimes intense without seeming silly. Yes, it was way too long, and that's too bad because the pacing up until the final 45 min was really good with lot's of breaks from the action, which I appreciate, watching a Bay film can be overwhelming often and the end was a bit too much. And the story was incomprehensible. And apparently things spinning through the air look really cool in slow mo 3D. :)

[spoiler]Great cameos! Wash!!! I had no idea Alan Tudyk was in it! And the Decepticons ships reminded me of Revers.[/spoiler]

[Rico]

Yeah, but was Shia this good?  ;)

Shia LaBeouf in "No No No NOo" video

[Bryancd]

Exactly! I couldn't stand him in the first movie and in "Crystal Skull" but finally he delivers humor, and it's not stupid, it's actually funny IMO, he does being pissed off very well, again making my laugh along. He's ALMOST a leading man but is still a bit too weak but this was a huge improvement. And his girlfriend is WAY hooter then Megan Fox and a much better actress.

[RickPeete]

Really?  I thought she was definitely a hottie but a better actress?  Well, I guess if you limit the impression to just 'is she better than Megan" then perhaps you are correct.  But as an actress, I thought she was terrible; pretty, yes, but a talented actor, nope.

[KingIsaacLinksr]

Really?  I thought she was definitely a hottie but a better actress?  Well, I guess if you limit the impression to just 'is she better than Megan" then perhaps you are correct.  But as an actress, I thought she was terrible; pretty, yes, but a talented actor, nope.

Considering its her first acting job I figured she did fairly well. (err, maybe I mean first "major" role)

King

[X]

I think that there are less than two degrees of separation between this cast and every major sci-fi franchise of the last three decades.

[Bryancd]

Really?  I thought she was definitely a hottie but a better actress?  Well, I guess if you limit the impression to just 'is she better than Megan" then perhaps you are correct.  But as an actress, I thought she was terrible; pretty, yes, but a talented actor, nope.

Please take note, I said, "And his girlfriend is WAY hooter then Megan Fox and a much better actress." I was simply comparing her to Megan Fox. In general the prefromances were sub par but this is a Michael Bay film, He has zero interest in letting actors get in the way of his special effect, kinetic energy, violence porn. However, for a crap fil maker but amazing visualist, at least some people came across with a bit of charm, including John Malkovich anf Frances Macdormand. Even John Toturro was used more effectively.