Transformers: Dark of the Moon Review Round-Up

The reviews are starting to come in for Transformers: Dark of the Moon and over all most are indicating an above average film. The strengths being mentioned is a much steadier edit and camera from Bay, amazing visual effects, some of the best 3D yet and the last hour in Chicago. So remember to take the bathroom break before then. Most have said that if given a choice between 3D or 2D to go with 3D, something I have not seen consistently from reviewers since Avatar. Some of the negatives have been the acting and humor. Below are highlights from some of the reviews.

Ain't It Cool News
This is a strange series that I am mostly not a fan of. I love TRANSFORMERS – the toy line and the animated show – but never quite have been able to count myself as a fan of any of the films, until now. TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON is simply the best film of the franchise – by a great deal. ...I’m told that it takes 3 seconds for your brain to properly process a shot in 3D, 3 seconds is an eternity in Bay-speak – but in this film – you’re going to see a dynamic to his action that is nothing short of jaw-dropping. I say “Jaw-Dropping” not with any sense of hyperbole – in the last hour of this film you’re going to see shit go down that will physically cause your jaw to drop. Hang open and perhaps end with a smile.

HitFix B+
for the first time since "Avatar," I am going to recommend that you find the biggest and best 3D theater you can find and buy yourself a ticket, because "Transformers: Dark Of The Moon," especially seen in IMAX 3D, is an overwhelming sensory experience. ...The film reaches, and in a summer where even the blockbusters I've liked have seemed curiously intimate and small-scale-for-reasons-of-budget, there's something intoxicating about seeing someone make something so out-of-control gigantic. Even so, there's a control here that was absent entirely in the second film, and that never quite seemed to snap into focus in the first film.

MovieWeb 4.5/5
Visually Transformers 3 is an amazing success and as with all Michael Bay films leaves the audience with the jaws dropped open by the amazing visuals and SFX. From the spaceships, to the outstanding explosions to the spectacular battle sequences are the most finest effects ever seen in an pure hardcore action flick. But the most outstanding final sequence of the destruction of chicago brilliant in its destruction that its just sheer beauty like watching the sun rise, then entering the destruction of the world, and the destruction just gets more climatic. The only tackiness of the effects is the risings from the moon but other than that Transformers 3 is a fine as it comes. THIS IS NOT A CINEMA OR THEATRE MOVIE....ITS AN IMAX 3D MOVIE [his emphasis, not mine - tflamb)

Total Film 3/5
Yes, it’s punishingly long – the longest so far, in fact – and comes saddled with some excruciating attempts at comedy (the most painful involving The Hangover’s Ken Jeong as a LaBeouf-accosting conspiracy theorist). ...Admittedly, it takes a while for the pieces to fall into place and for characters (flesh and metal) to reveal their true colours. But once they do, the stage is set for a final hour of über-destructive robot wars in the streets and skies of Chicago, complete with wing-suited commandos plummeting from the heavens, four climactic smackdowns and a terrific bit of skyscraper-toppling.

IGN 3.5/5
The Chicago invasion sequence alone makes the film worth the price of admission. The Decepticons are legitimately scary at times here, such as when they invade the homes of their human allies, an assassination sequence that's creepy as $h*!. ...The backstory between Simmons and Mearing was unnecessary and annoying, but not as much as the inclusion of John Malkovich and the ubiquitous Ken Jeong, both of whom quickly outstay their welcome with protracted, awkward and unfunny scenes. While not as grating as either Anthony Anderson or Ramon Rodriguez were, Alan Tudyk pops up as the extraneous comic relief this time. And, of course, Kevin Dunn and Julie White reprise their schticky roles as Sam's parents, albeit in a smaller dose than before. ...Optimus Prime is finally depicted as the badass robot warrior fans of the animated series remember him as, and his battles here are the best he's ever had in the trilogy. ...Its last hour is the full-on human vs. robot war film that the Terminator series has always promised but never delivered. Transformers: Dark of the Moon may not be a great film, but it is largely great fun. In a summer movie season that's only had a handful of films that have really offered that, it's nice to see the Transformers exit the screen (at least for now) on a high rather than low note.