On the way to see the new Transformers movie, I kept asking myself one question: "Why did I want to watch this?" I hated the last one with a passion. I literally dozed in the middle of Revenge of the Fallen. I watched it without paying a dime and I still felt shortchanged. So why was I so intent on watching this sequel?
Maybe it was because I loved the first movie so much. Despite the weird emphasis on the army and soldiers in the first movie, the highlight was on the Transformers. The moment that Optimus Prime introduced himself and his crew, I was a kid again, watching my favorites onscreen. Every time the Autobots kicked the Decepticons' robotic behinds, I cheered! Every time I heard that nostalgic transformation sound effect, I felt giddy.
So, did the third movie manage to make me believe in the franchise again? Yes and no.
On one hand, I was able to make it through the entire of the movie. And it had quite a few things going for it: a high-stakes plot, an energetic chase sequence in the middle, Peter Cullen (always awesome as Optimus Prime), the ever-amusing John Turturro, and lots and lots of Decepticons.
Sadly, the same things that frustrated me about the second movie were still there, though thankfully in fewer doses: over-done military hardware porn, stupid human cannon fodder, and extended scenes that slowed down the giant-robot-fighting-giant-robot action. There's a climactic scene near the final act of the movie that unfortunately shifted its focus to the human actors, which killed the excitement for me. The film could have been more with less.
I also think watching it in IMAX 3D made the action more confusing, so if you're going to catch it in IMAX, make sure you have good seats.
Overall, if you were satisfied with the previous two movies, I believe you'll enjoy this one as well. If you didn't enjoy the second movie, there's some material here to make it worth watching, but don't expect the greatness and excitement of the first movie.
Rating: 3/5 energon cubes
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Transformers: Dark of the Moon is now screening in 3D, IMAX 3D and selected regular cinemas, distributed by United International Pictures through Solar Entertainment Corporation.