Movie Review: Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)
The 'Transformers' film we wish we'd gotten four years ago
The saying tells us you can't teach an old dog new tricks. For the most part, Transformers: Dark of the Moon proves this. However, even if a dog can't learn a trick they will sometimes try their hardest to please their masters, who tend to love them no matter what. Michael Bay's relationship with his audience is really no different, but it does seem as if Bay's audience is growing tired of his lack of effort after Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, which is to say if Bay wants to be appreciated as much as he wants box-office success he was going to have to put in a little more time in the lab.
To that end, Bay is clearly trying harder to deliver his first cohesive Transformers film, free of distractions and clutter. For him it's like fitting a square peg into a round hole, and while it appears he has just shaved that peg down enough to where it will fit, even if it means gaping holes on all sides, his primary goal of telling a story that makes sense, with action sequences you can understand and only the slightest amount of unnecessary comedy was achieved. Dark of the Moon is epic when it comes to spectacle and its use of 3D was obviously thought out in advance rather than a post-converted after thought. It is hardly a film for the ages, but it serves its purpose bringing us the first true summer blockbuster of 2011.
The cast includes Shia LaBeouf, Tyrese Gibson, Josh Duhamel, John Malkovich, Frances McDormand, Ken Jeong, Kevin Dunn, Julie White, Patrick Dempsey, Alan Tudyk, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, John Turturro and Leonard Nimoy (voice). For more information on this film including pictures, trailers and a detailed synopsis choose from the following menu.
Review
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon" is a Paramount Pictures release, directed by Michael Bay and is rated PG-13 for intense prolonged sequences of sci-fi action violence, mayhem and destruction, and for language, some sexuality and innuendo. The running time is 2 hours 34 minutes.
Fade to black.
Next scene, a close up of Victoria's Secret model-turned-actress Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's rear end as she ascends a staircase with nothing but a pair of underwear and a dress shirt on. When you see it, if you aren't laughing, you aren't likely to enjoy this movie. Similar to Dug from Pixar's Up, a beautiful woman is a like a squirrel sighting to Bay. He can't help but turn his head when they are in the room and spend a moment drooling before returning to whatever it was he was doing before they showed up.
This one time British embassy employee — Carly is her name, as if Bay cares — is bringing her boyfriend, Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) a stuffed "lucky bunny" as he is now residing in Washington D.C. as an Ivy school grad and looking for a job. Replacing Megan Fox as the love interest in the franchise, Huntington-Whiteley serves her role just fine and perhaps there was something to the talk of Fox not being comfortable on Bay's sets as Rosie seems to have even turned in a better performance… for lack of a better word.
Getting back to introductions, life for Sam is comparatively normal to the last few years of his life, though he yearns for the days he was fighting flesh-to-metal against the evil Decepticons, a race of the alien robot species that has gone quiet for the last year as Optimus and his band of Autobots have been working hand-in-hand with the American government to secure the country and even helping combat terrorism abroad.
However, it isn't long before the Decepticons are once again part of the conversation, popping up in Chernobyl with a piece of the spacecraft that landed on the moon 50 years ago. Recognizing the material and learning of the wrecked ship for the first time, Optimus and his team head into space to collect the cargo the ship is holding, which includes Sentinel Prime (voiced by Leonard Nimoy), a mentor to Optimus (and apparently a socialist) who created a teleportation system that ultimately plays a large role in the film.
From here, human characters are introduced, including newcomers played by the likes of Patrick Dempsey, John Malkovich, Ken Jeong, Alan Tudyk and Frances McDormand. Add to them your list of returning actors including John Turturro, Tyrese Gibson, Josh Duhamel and, of course, Julie White and Kevin Dunn as Sam's parents, who are the number one aspect of this film that absolutely never should have been included. And, finally, Buzz Aldrin and Bill O'Reilly play themselves. Yup, it's a packed house and of the bunch Jeong and Tudyk, the latter especially, add a lot more to the film than I would have expected.
Yet, while the human quotient is just as big, if not bigger, than the previous films it is nowhere near as annoying. As a matter of fact, while Dark of the Moon pretty much follows the same model as the previous two films, it's a matter of timing that keeps this installment afloat while it sunk the other two.
For starters, the attempts at comedy are more a series of one-liners inside the story rather than instances where they feel as if they were simply dropped into the film for a laugh. You won't get robots tip-toeing around gardens, peeing on people's heads, break-dancing or playing up racial stereotypes. What felt like deleted scenes in the first two films are now simply jokes as part of the narrative, which makes them funnier and far less intrusive.
Speaking of narrative, this is where it gets a bit tricky. The film has a cohesive plot. It moves from Point A to Point B and you are never lost, at least not in terms of what is going on. However, the editing is quite poor as scenes seem to be missing and at other times it all turns into one big sizzle reel. Bay will send you off on a storyline for ten minutes, leave it and return 20 minutes later after the situation has been resolved. Other times it's editing for convenience, or merely editing to turn the film into a series of quick cuts, separated by a couple frames of blackness, turning 90 seconds of the story into nothing more than a trailer reel. It's moments like these where Bay just decides to color outside the lines as Steve Jablonsky's score pounds in the background, sounding a lot like a mash-up of his previous Transformers scores and Hans Zimmer's Inception composition. Braaaaaahm!
The reason you are watching this movie, though. The reason you are plunking down your dollars. It's the action. You want to see Bayhem. You want to see robots beating the living hell out of one another as they transform from concept cars, fighter jets, semis and SUVs into heavy artillery wielding robots. Guess what, you get just that and lots of it. And unlike the two previous installments, all of it is shot wide enough for you to make sense of what is happening. Whether it's Optimus ripping the head and mechanical spine off a character or Decepticons disintegrating humans into ash and rolling skulls, you see it all clear as day. Add to that the effects here are truly some of the best I've seen in a movie.
The final piece of the puzzle is the 3D, which has been talked about at length leading up to the film's release, and I can honestly say it is some of the best usage of the format I've seen in some time. Sam is tossed in your face more than once, Ken Jeong will push a couple of gun barrels in your eye and there's a sky dive scene that is simply spectacular. In fact, Bay obviously realized this film with 3D in mind, which means 2D screenings may actually look a bit odd during some of the scenes where the action is meant to come at the audience rather than remain in the box. I'm not saying you'll get a whole lot more out of a 3D screening, but I would definitely say it is the preferable way to see this movie, especially if you are considering waiting to see it on home video.
Overall, Transformers: Dark of the Moon is the film I wish we had gotten the first time around. While it makes all of the same mistakes as its predecessors it does them in ways that don't sabotage the film as much as they are occasional nuisances. More importantly, had the first film been this good there is no telling how good the third film would have been after Bay had learned his lesson and been trained appropriately. Nonetheless, this is still a franchise built around a comic book, cartoon and toy franchise, which means you need to be prepared for a film meant for spectacle over substance and in those terms Dark of the Moon has just enough substance to serve the spectacle and is a film I can easily recommend.
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Despite the fact that Revenge of the Fallen was probably the worst film I have ever seen, I'll check this one out next Tuesday (my theatre's cheap night) in the hopes that Bay can at least somewhat redeem himself after that travesty. After reading this review, I'm starting to believe he just might.
you my friend have obviously never seen tommy wiseau's "the room"
Indeed I have, but at least that film entertained the hell out of me with its unintentional hilarity. 'Revenge of the Fallen' was not even so-bad-it's good. It was just so bad that it's still bad.
Glad to hear you liked it Brad and I cannot wait. It's bugging me though that RT has it at a rotten yet there are so many critics calling it the best of the 3.
The RT score is low despite being called the best of the three films because the series isn't good. I understand many like the series, but I found this movie, plus the first two, rather obnoxious, long and boring
But this has a lower score than the first, even though people are hailing this one to be better than the first. Transformers 1 has a score of 57%, so this one should be higher, possibly 58% or higher.
Perhaps MKing you should use Metacritic, which rates based on the rating of the film, not merely if it's good or bad.
Saying that this is best in series is like saying that It's better to HIV than full blown AIDS.
From what I gather it seems best to catch the openning, leave for about 45 minutes and then come back in for the last hour or so.
At least it's got real actors in it, unlike the masked vigilante bullshit that we've had to endure each summer.
Yes. Optimus Prime for the Best Actor Oscar. I'll start that compaign right now. "For Freedom!"
(I love the way the character uses "freedom" as a buzzword to justify everything he does – "You taught me freedom was everybody's right!")
I like how you compare a summer blockbuster to a deadly disease…real mature. And it is truly agonizing to sit through the Dark Knight(sarcasm).
I don't know. I liked the first more because it seemed less pretentious, even though the action in this film blows it out of the water.
But we can all agree it's infinitely stronger than the second.
The first was a more cohesive film. This one does not deserve a B. Being nice, I MIGHT give it a C+. I am thoroughly amazed that people are loving THIS movie but negatively criticizing other, BETTER, films showing this summer. The three GOOD things I can say about this movie: The fight scenes (finally) are clear enough to see without having seizures. The character of Carly is actually a fair replacement for Mikaela (the firing of Megan Fox necessitating the change). Alan Tudyk is fantastically funny.
This movie IS better than "Transformers 2", but that really isn't saying much…and something should be noted: The storyline for this movie IS TF2, just done BIGGER. The visuals ARE stunning, but EVERYTHING else is…meh.
It is NOT better than the first.
I'll wait for it on Netflix…fuck Bay…
Excellent review and excellent movie post. Tomorrow is the first screening in my country. Can't wait. I think this one is going to be the best of all sequels
Now I'm DEFINITELY NOT seeing this.
Why not?
It sounds terrible.
The first movie was not that bad and dare I say it was pretty damn good. Don't let the crapfest that was the 2nd film muff up views of the first. I'll be seeing number 3 tonight though
Yeah I love the first, and the garden scene is hilarious.
Brad, I haven't seen Revenge of the Fallen and I have no intention of doing so. Will I have problems understanding Michael Bay's latest?
For the most part I would say no, none of Bay's films are exactly deep, but there may be a couple of details you'll have to sort through.
I attended an early screening last night, and it is by far wayy better than the other two….it keeps you captivated, and replacing megan fox was one of the best things they could have done Rosie did a better job on composition and acting overall than that of megan fox!
Whenever someone says that "the action is meant to come at the audience than remain in the box", it is obviously NOT a good use of 3D. 3D should make everything look more beautiful and more real, not be used as a silly gimmick. No one actually believes for a second anything is coming at them so its silly. Not that they ever believed it before, but at least there was shock value in the first 3D films. Its more like a punchline now. The more you hear it, the less funny it gets.
Here's to no more 3D.
Here's also to not watching this movie.
Yeah, um, speak for yourself. Wether the movie is set in a middle school, in an alien planet, in a corrupt government office, in a Cholera pandemic, or in a world with robots that shapeshift into cars, I want to see a well-made movie with great story, great performances, great editing, great directing, great camerawork and great filmmaking in general. It would be ridiculous to expect perfection, but I'd prefer for them to at least strive to obtain it.
The movie is about a war between to clans of giant robots. Seeing them fight is the story.
Having seen an early screening, i can say without a doubt its the best movie of the trilogy, one of the best movies of the summer and maybe even the year. TF3 is an awesome cinematic experience in 3D. TF3 is getting alot more good reviews than Revenge did, you can search the web for them, yeah there are some negative ones to by some critics who like to stir the pot. R.Tomatoes must not be counting all the positive reviews. This movie is alot better than what i thought it would be. Some critics dont like Bay because his films have a pro-military,pro-USA,non PC,feel to them. And those critics just need to get over themselves,eat some fruit or something, get out more. TF3 is a kick ass ride thats should not be missed.
Lets cut to the chase – Bay and the Transformers flicks have both now been around long enough for people to know precisely what you are going to get with him and from his films.
Anyone who expects anything different by now just isnt paying attention to what he directs and what he's done since 1995.
Thus, mostly your onboard with his stuff or you ain't. I, for one am – so bring on the Bayhem.
Great review Brad. Still though I won't be seeing this movie..whether it be in theatres or at home. Maybe if Bay made this movie as the first one then i might have seen it, but Bay has killed any interest I have ever had in the transformers franchise. I'm sure this movie won't miss my dollars much though since i can see it being the highest grossest movie of the year.
Grading this better than X Men first class? Two different movies yes but you would say this to be a better over all film? Don't know about that….
This movie was not even close to being better than (or as good as) "X-Men: First Class".
This blew my mind away with all the top notch action, sound editing, and explosives. One helluva great ride from beginning to end. I thoroughly enjoyed this piece from Bay. B+
Now this is the definition of a "Summer Movie" how can anyone not wanna see some of the best special effects you will see for a decent amount of time. I know the critcs want to see a GREAT story, i know the 2nd one was pretty bad i agree, but someone give me a director that can do the action better for this bigger than life movie. SHould we get Christopher Nolan to give us his best Transformers, or how about Ron Howard, or Martin Scorese, Oliver Stone? Who can do a better job? Take it for what it's worth…this is a movie made for the theatres…not to rent…
someone also said the 2nd one was the worse film theyve ever seen. Would u rather watch robots killing each other in Bay Fashion or go watch Buried while you see Ryan Reynolds literally underground for a waste of an hour and a half…
I liked Buried. It was suspenseful, had me caught up in the action and told a pretty good story. The ending wasn't what I expected, but the lack of a happy ending didn't really bother me.
Transformers bothered me on so many levels. The dialogue was insulting to my intelligence Especially the part where 5 figures go underwater, one is destroyed, Megatron comes back to life, and then there's 6 going up. 5-1+1=6? INSULTING.
Also considering that Sam was running around with a piece of the Allspark in his own backpack and yet never used it to revive Optimus (while the decepticons did in face use part of the allspark to revive Megatron).
Whatever… no need for more explanations. That movie was terrible and I bet you this one is as well.
Buried easily.
It's not that I expect Oscar-worthy drama. I like stupid fun. I can embrace stupid fun. However, I actually found that the first two hours are just too self-important and stuffy. I don't buy a ticket to hear giant robots talk to each other about freedom.
But Brad is right, those last forty minutes are something to behold.
"Buried". Definitely.
I find it hard to imagine disliking a movie more than I disliked Transformers 3…oh wait, Transformers 2. What a coincidence!
Hey Brad, any idea if there's extra IMAX content? In your review you mention times when it feels like scenes are simply cut out, I'm wondering if that's an IMAX exclusive gimmick.
No extra IMAX content.
did anyone else see the decepticon planet enter the atmosphere and think "melancholia"?
No, I thought "The EvEnt".
Does anyone know if Bay has final cut on his films?
It’s an improvement over the second one, which isn’t saying much, but still is a very fun blockbuster filled with action, destruction, romance, robots, and Michael Bay once again letting loose on all the special effects and action there is to let loose. Good Review! Check out mine when you can!
first true summer blockbuster of 2011? I don't think so
Nevertheless, I loved this review. I agree, it's waaaay better then RotF, and it actually made sense. A little too long though.
I can't say as I cared for it too much. I'm kinda over 3D: the cost, the un-needed over use of it. I liked the beginning, but I felt it fell apart in the middle. The John Malkovitch character was totally unnecessary. They relied on too many cliches. I'd have to say a C.
Finally saw it… And really glad that I did! Wasn't really a fan of the first one, and the second was just a mess, but I really enjoyed this film. Not sure if it was the more cohesive narrative, or just the story – but I enjoyed it. Spectacle for sure, and definitely the first REAL blockbuster of 2011.
Ummm, WHAT cohesive narrative??
Hahaha. To me it was cohesive. It stuck together and it made sense. That's not to say it wasn't full of plot holes and things that weren't too logical, but like Brad said, it had a 'story' that got you from point A to point B.
This is a film that is based on alien robots that transform into vehicles, right? I'm not expecting Oscar-worthy writing. I'm expecting something easy enough to follow – and that is what this was.
I'm curious to know what people thought of Optimus Prime's Character and the matter in which he killed. He use to have honor and showed mercy (1st movie) and now his integrity is compromised so he can look like a bad*ss. It feels like the writer just doesn't understand what a humble hero is.
Optimus, in this one, was NOT the Optimus all of us know and love…He was a wannabe…
Finally got around to watching this movie. Holy shit what a clustercfuck. Pardon the language, but its my only available phrase after this movie has left me speechless.
Those last 40 minutes were ridiculous. Explosion after explosion, fight after fight, bleeding robots (what?) and endless destruction. The ongoing trainwreck poetically defines the movie as one of the biggest catastrophe in cinema history. Truly one of the worst films I've ever seen.