Now hear me out. Was RotF a bad movie? Lord yes. It had little plot, way too much comedy relief, and far too many pointless cameos. However, I was able to enjoy it for what it was: an over the top popcorn flick with someone awesome fight scenes. These days it's dangerous to say that you enjoy the Transformers movies, but I do, and I'm not afraid to say it. So with the amazing hatred RotF earned the series, Michael Bay has released his final chapter for the series with Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Can this last movie redeem the Transformers movie series? Here's my review.
Keep in mind that this is MY review of the movie. Your opinion may very well differ from mine.
Story
So back in the 1961 when the war for Cybertron was in its last days, the Autobots managed to get one last ship containing their leader, Sentinel Prime, off the dying planet. The ship crashes on our moon, leading to the space race through the 60s. Fast forward to today, where Sam is out of college looking for a job, though he only wants to be at the Autobots' side fighting the few remaining Decepticons. However, he discovers that Decepticons are now killing humans, and things quickly escelate into an all out invasion by the Decepticons who are destroying everything and anyone in their way.
If you are one of the people that hated RotF for its overuse of comedy, the first half of the movie probably won't change your mind. The raunchy comedy has definitely been toned down, I can say that. Still, a lot of the humor falls flat, and I found myself losing interest on several occasions. The parents have been toned down, the 'racist' robots are completely gone, but the movie tries, and fails, to replace the 'humor', they brought to the screen.
But if you can make it to the halfway point of the movie, s**t gets real.
Michael Bay said that this movie would be darker than the other movies, and he definitely delivers on this promise. Once the Decepticons begin their assault on Chicago, they destroy EVERYTHING. Buildings are getting blown up, people are getting slaughtered on the streets, and Autobots are getting killed. For the first time in a Transformers movie, you actually are concerned for the safety of the characters and robots, and you actually ponder whether they can triumph over this massive devestation. And when the action begins, it doesn't end until the movie ends, taking up the last hour or so of the movie. It's always exciting, and by the end, you'll feel exhausted.
Acting
The biggest story of DotM is that Megan Fox was fired from the movie, and replaced by Victoria's Secret model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. How does she hold up? Surprisingly well, actually. I was amazed. She isn't a fantastic actress, don't get me wrong, but considering that this is her first job from being a model, she can hold her own, and I did like her character more than I ever did Megan Fox. The rest of the acting ranges from average to subpar, no changes from the other movies.
Voice acting, however, is still great. Peter Cullen has reprised his voice as Optimus Prime from the cartoons for the movies, and he would normally steal the movies. However, Sentinel Prime really takes the show, being voiced to PERFECTION by Leonard Nimoy (most of you will know him either as Spock, or the voice of Master Xehanort). In fact, Sentinel Prime himself probably has some of the best parts of the movie. Hugo Weaving returns as Megatron, and I swear, Hugo was BORN to play villains.
Presentation
Regardless of you opinion of Michael Bay, there's one thing he can do, and do well: make a movie look good. As usual, he can make his effects interact with the environments around them masterfully, and the special effects team definitely deserves some credit for their work on this film. The soundtracks, as well, are normally great, and here it's better than usual. Linkin Park returns to do the theme, and the song they chose is radically different from their previous works, but it definitely works for the tone this movie provides.
This movie was released in 3D as well. A shot has to be at least 3 seconds long for our eyes to process the two seperate images and combine them into one 3D image, and Michael Bay is known for his quick cut action. However, the film being in 3D works to the movies advantage, as you can see most of what's going on in the action scenes clearer than the other movies. There is one setpiece in particular, involving a collapsing building and soldiers jumping out of a plane, that was MADE for 3D.
Verdict
It's harder to give a score for this movie, because it's was pretty much 2 different movies: the first half, and the second. It was hard, and I'll probably get heat for it, but I give Transformers: Dark of the Moon a:
7.5 / 10
The first half of the movie was a slightly improved version of the worst parts of RotF, and it had me bored at several points. There's nothing offensive, but nothing interesting either. The plot is slightly stronger, but still weak compared to most movies, and the acting is mediocre, except for the voices. However, if you can stick it out until the last hour of the movie, the payoff was worth the ticket price, providing breathtaking action, effects, and making you feel emotionally invested in the characters. This movie will be slamed by critics focusing on what the movie did wrong, and not what it is. I know it's not for everyone, but I can say that I while it's not the best movie, it's probably the best Transformers movie, and I feel like I got what I payed for.
So, have you seen Transformers: Dark of the Moon? Was I too harsh or too leniant? Did I miss anything? Let me know.
I liked Revenge of the Fallen.
*shot*
Now hear me out. Was RotF a bad movie? Lord yes. It had little plot, way too much comedy relief, and far too many pointless cameos. However, I was able to enjoy it for what it was: an over the top popcorn flick with someone awesome fight scenes. These days it's dangerous to say that you enjoy the Transformers movies, but I do, and I'm not afraid to say it. So with the amazing hatred RotF earned the series, Michael Bay has released his final chapter for the series with Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Can this last movie redeem the Transformers movie series? Here's my review.
Keep in mind that this is MY review of the movie. Your opinion may very well differ from mine.
Story
So back in the 1961 when the war for Cybertron was in its last days, the Autobots managed to get one last ship containing their leader, Sentinel Prime, off the dying planet. The ship crashes on our moon, leading to the space race through the 60s. Fast forward to today, where Sam is out of college looking for a job, though he only wants to be at the Autobots' side fighting the few remaining Decepticons. However, he discovers that Decepticons are now killing humans, and things quickly escelate into an all out invasion by the Decepticons who are destroying everything and anyone in their way.
If you are one of the people that hated RotF for its overuse of comedy, the first half of the movie probably won't change your mind. The raunchy comedy has definitely been toned down, I can say that. Still, a lot of the humor falls flat, and I found myself losing interest on several occasions. The parents have been toned down, the 'racist' robots are completely gone, but the movie tries, and fails, to replace the 'humor', they brought to the screen.
But if you can make it to the halfway point of the movie, s**t gets real.
Michael Bay said that this movie would be darker than the other movies, and he definitely delivers on this promise. Once the Decepticons begin their assault on Chicago, they destroy EVERYTHING. Buildings are getting blown up, people are getting slaughtered on the streets, and Autobots are getting killed. For the first time in a Transformers movie, you actually are concerned for the safety of the characters and robots, and you actually ponder whether they can triumph over this massive devestation. And when the action begins, it doesn't end until the movie ends, taking up the last hour or so of the movie. It's always exciting, and by the end, you'll feel exhausted.
Acting
The biggest story of DotM is that Megan Fox was fired from the movie, and replaced by Victoria's Secret model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. How does she hold up? Surprisingly well, actually. I was amazed. She isn't a fantastic actress, don't get me wrong, but considering that this is her first job from being a model, she can hold her own, and I did like her character more than I ever did Megan Fox. The rest of the acting ranges from average to subpar, no changes from the other movies.
Voice acting, however, is still great. Peter Cullen has reprised his voice as Optimus Prime from the cartoons for the movies, and he would normally steal the movies. However, Sentinel Prime really takes the show, being voiced to PERFECTION by Leonard Nimoy (most of you will know him either as Spock, or the voice of Master Xehanort). In fact, Sentinel Prime himself probably has some of the best parts of the movie. Hugo Weaving returns as Megatron, and I swear, Hugo was BORN to play villains.
Presentation
Regardless of you opinion of Michael Bay, there's one thing he can do, and do well: make a movie look good. As usual, he can make his effects interact with the environments around them masterfully, and the special effects team definitely deserves some credit for their work on this film. The soundtracks, as well, are normally great, and here it's better than usual. Linkin Park returns to do the theme, and the song they chose is radically different from their previous works, but it definitely works for the tone this movie provides.
This movie was released in 3D as well. A shot has to be at least 3 seconds long for our eyes to process the two seperate images and combine them into one 3D image, and Michael Bay is known for his quick cut action. However, the film being in 3D works to the movies advantage, as you can see most of what's going on in the action scenes clearer than the other movies. There is one setpiece in particular, involving a collapsing building and soldiers jumping out of a plane, that was MADE for 3D.
Verdict
It's harder to give a score for this movie, because it's was pretty much 2 different movies: the first half, and the second. It was hard, and I'll probably get heat for it, but I give Transformers: Dark of the Moon a:
7.5 / 10
The first half of the movie was a slightly improved version of the worst parts of RotF, and it had me bored at several points. There's nothing offensive, but nothing interesting either. The plot is slightly stronger, but still weak compared to most movies, and the acting is mediocre, except for the voices. However, if you can stick it out until the last hour of the movie, the payoff was worth the ticket price, providing breathtaking action, effects, and making you feel emotionally invested in the characters. This movie will be slamed by critics focusing on what the movie did wrong, and not what it is. I know it's not for everyone, but I can say that I while it's not the best movie, it's probably the best Transformers movie, and I feel like I got what I payed for.
So, have you seen Transformers: Dark of the Moon? Was I too harsh or too leniant? Did I miss anything? Let me know.
baylaust out.