TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON – The Review

Optimus Prime proves that he is still a bad-ass!

Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) is having a hard time after college. Sure, he might have saved the world a few times, and he may have a ridiculously hot girlfriend, but that doesn’t help him gain any sort of meaningful employment. It seems that without the Decepticons roaming around, he doesn’t feel like he has a purpose. Little does he know, the Decepticons are back, with something huge up their sleeve.

See, when the U.S. landed on the moon, there was a lot that they hid… such as the giant spacecraft that was busted down on the dark side of the moon! Since we decided to hide that little fact, the Decepticons have had plenty of time to plan their next move. They want to bring Cybertron down to Earth. The Autobots, along with Sam, are unprepared, but ready to fight once again to prevent the takeover of Earth, and the enslavement of the human race.

I really enjoyed this film! The 3D was absolutely stunning. They didn’t cram it down your throat, or throw in a whole bunch of nonsense just so that it pops out into the audiences face. Instead, they used the 3D to enhance the space scenes, as well as the fight scenes. The scenes from space were breathtaking. Between the extensive detail of the planets and the gorgeous camera glides… this is 3D done right!

The Autobots look better than ever! Their transformations were smoother and their presence feels more substantial on screen! It’s hard not to get excited when they transform from their car forms and into their fighting forms! When that happens, you know that some amazing action is about to take place! Bumblebee is still my favorite, but they all kick some serious ass!

The only effect that I was disappointed in was their CGI effect of President Kennedy. The black and white television scenes were not bad, but when they showed “him” in color, talking with his staff, it looked horrible. His mouth did not match up, and it looked horribly cheesy. His skin color didn’t even match up! Who was that orange man? Last time I checked, Kennedy was not from the Jersey Shore! Nixon’s clips were so fast that even if they did mess him up, you would have to concentrate on it to really see it. Kennedy, however, has more screen time and it is painfully obvious that he could have been done better.

This is my favorite cast in the franchise. They put together a great mixture of old and new cast members, which really made this film stand out. Of course, leading out the cast is Shia LaBeouf. I have been a fan of LaBeouf since I first saw him on the Disney Channel. From an early age, you could tell that he was(is) incredibly talented. His smart-assed, slightly nerdy portrayal of Sam is wildly entertaining. LaBeouf is the perfect combination of loud-mouthed geek… mixed with underlying action star. Patrick Dempsey joined the cast as a handsome, wealthy businessman who seems to be after Sam’s girlfriend. It’s not very often that we get to see Dempsey in a villainous role, and I have to say, I loved it!

I need to just go ahead and throw this out there… just once… There is a whole lot of sexy going on in this film! There is always a piece of eye candy for the gentlemen, and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley certainly fulfills that role. I was actually impressed by her. For her first big film, I thought she did a wonderful job… especially since they didn’t show her speaking in the trailer! Not gonna lie, that didn’t give me high hopes. Still, she prevailed. Sure, when I saw the ass shots in the first couple of minutes, I said to myself “Noooow it’s a Michael Bay film!”, but he didn’t ignore the ladies this time. Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson are back for some good old fashioned ass-kicking. As if this weren’t enough of a tasty eye treat, they brought in Patrick Dempsey! Dempsey plays Dylan, a suave, rich jerk that is use to getting what he wants. Let me clue you in on something… making the hot guy an asshole (within reason, of course) only makes him more desirable! Well played Bay… Well played… (I know everyone goes crazy for his McDreamy character, but I’d gladly take Ronald Miller from CAN’T BUY ME LOVE any day!).  Correct me if I am wrong, but LaBeouf faired rather well to round out this snack pack. He seems to have packed on some muscle in this film, and despite them not really showcasing it, it was noticeable. (Plus, I am always a sucker for the dorky… snarky types!)

John Malkovich makes his presence known in this installment as Sam’s new boss. I can’t decide if I would love to have him as a boss, or if he would have me hiding under my cubicle in tears! Either way, it’s John Malkovich! He wins at life! (Yep, that’s what I meant… That guy WINS… at LIFE!). Oh yeah, Ken Jeong makes his Transformers debut, and he does not disappoint!

Another point that I need to bring up… the Megan Fox issue. This movie did not lack because Megan Fox was absent. In fact, I think Rosie Huntington-Whiteley as Carly fit into the film perfectly. She had just the right amount of innocence in her role. Megan Fox can kick ass, and yes, she is incredibly sexy, but I just don’t think that her relationship with the character of Sam would have fit in with the rest of the story. Fox was a great “first girl” for Sam… her character Mikaela was the hot bitch. Now that Sam is older, he needs a stable love. Although Carly plays up the sass in the beginning, her character certainly does not have that bitchy, or cocky tone that the character of Mikaela had. It’s nothing against Fox, but I just don’t think that her character would have fit in with this film.

This is the way that Transformers should have been done from the beginning.

OVERALL RATING: 4.5 out of 5 stars