Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Starring:  Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, and John Turturro

Directed by: Michael Bay

Screenplay by: Ehren Kruger

     So, I was mostly right on my predictions for this movie, with the exception of how everything plays out.  I know it's a little early to say this, but it's not as bad as most people think.  

     It starts out on Cybertron, the home world of the transformers amidst a massive war between the autobots and the decepticons.  A spacecraft has crash landed on the Moon sparking a reason for the space race of the 1960s (people at NASA watch it crash in 1961).  It contains pillars used to build a space bridge that the decepticons want to build in order to enslave the entire human race in the reconstruction of Cybertron after the war has left the entire planet in ruins.  Will the autobots be able to stop them before it's too late?  

     First of all, there has been a major cast change, pretty much for the better.  Megan Fox is not in it.  She has been replaced by Rosie Huntington-Whiteley as Sam Witwicky's (Shia LeBeouf) new girlfriend, Carly.    For her first acting gig in her career, she delivers a solid performance, one stronger than Megan Fox could deliver in the other two Transformers.  Other cast changes include Frances McDormand as the director of national intelligence and Patrick Dempsey as a super rich businessman who assists the decepticons in their plot to enslave the entire human race by acting as their liaison.  These new characters make excellent additions to the cast.

     The first two movies seemed to be to back stories that delved into why the transformers actually came to earth in the first place.  There is no hint to the plot in this film in either of the two previous.  And this film doesn't relate back to the two previous films either.  There's no mention of the all spark, or the energon source the decepticons were looking for in the second movie.  It doesn't seem to all tie in together in this finale of a so-so trilogy (no, you don't have to worry about a fourth because there's no hint at one, or anything that might make you think there will be another one).  

     Everything before the giant battle scene at the end seems to move at a rather fast pace, but at a pace in which it is still relatively easy to follow.  The problem is that it slows way down for the giant battle scene in Chicago in which the decepticons have created a massive stronghold over the city in order to create the space bridge to bring Cybertron to Earth (yes, they actually want to bring an entire planet over to another planet).  This battle is over one hour long and made me wonder if this was Transformers or Battle: L.A.  

     The worst part of the movie is the end.  After watching the giant final battle, one would think that a good ending is necessary, but apparently not here.  It feels like you're on a train that's been moving at a constant speed and just suddenly stops and you're left wondering what on earth just happened.  In short, the battle ends and there's a short, crappy ending to the entire movie.  

      To be completely honest, I wasn't the biggest fan of the second movie, but I didn't let it spoil my attitude towards the new one.  If you think this one's going to be the same thing again, you have a big surprise coming your way.  

      Transformers: Dark of the Moon is invading theaters with a B.