Transformers: Dark of the Moon

I'm of two minds about this movie. While in principle it offers a roller coaster ride of robot mayhem and explosions, its also a mess of imagery, and very poor editing.

The movie starts off trying to be very serious about itself, and how it conducts its setup.

Having seen the previous 2, it was rather unexpected for it to go the historical archival footage route, and interweave real events with their fictional story. However the seriousness is abruptly ended when they cut to a no good, jobless, girlfriend-using bum of Sam Witwicky. After that the entire movie goes down hill. With garbage editing which makes it hard to follow any sequence of events. Its even worse than the previous movie.

Its like one second a robot is causing mayhem inside a facility, and the very next cut is to that same robot in its vehicle form driving off, only to cut back to the same robot causing mayhem again in a slightly different location. The abrupt cuts, make it hard for the viewer to realize the truck or car that just drove off is the robot you just saw causing destruction.

The high profile stars are sadly miscast and underused. I would have expected much more screen time from John Malkovich and sadly Dr. McDreamy doesn't really cut it as an evil Decepticon cohort and antagonist to Shia.

Agent Simmons played by John Turturro forunately makes a less obscene appearance in this movie. (No framed shot of his jock-strapped crotch and ass in this one), but still offers very little to move the plot, what little there is of it, along.

The movie also has too many generic evil robots which you can barely identify in fast paced and blurry fights. Like with the other movies its just a blurr of mechanical parts moving around.

The ill conceived and awkwardly timed comedic scenes with the Witwickys, and the girlfriend add very little to the movie and are just plane annoying for the most part.

I think overall the movie had lots of potential but as per Mr. Bay's m.o. he turned it into an explosion fest while at the same time giving many characters little or no development. Shockwave is the prime example of this as he is relegated to thug duty.

Characterization of established characters also fails. Megatron goes form being the almighty Decepticon leader to a depressed bum moping in a corner of building because he's not leading them. It takes Carly's reverse psychology to get him to attack Sentinel and distract him long enough so they can both be butchered at the hands of a deranged Optimus Prime.

Prime just goes completely pychotic and stars massacring robots left and right.

All in all its a mess of a movie which offers very little in the way of coherent plot, and too much of Shia and his inane and stale girlfriend which is just there for eye candy. I get it Rosie is very hot, but those lips are so distracting sometimes. If you are a fan no doubt you've already seen this, but if you are not, and are debating whether to go see it, I suggest you avoid it. Its a fun ride if you are familiar with the franchise, otherwise you'll want to poke your eyes out before the end.

Lots of action and destruction to be had, without having to follow a story.

Score 2.5 reels out of 5