Movie review - Transformers : Dark of the moon

 Let me just say this first. Ohmygosh....that was SO-DAMN-AMAZING!

If you were smart, you would just stop reading this and go watch the movie right now.

If you still want to continue reading, here goes.

When the first Transformers movie released, I was in love. It was brilliant, out of this world (I had never heard of the Transformers before this), and introduced some very lovable mean machines. I was sold. I have since watched the first movie five times, and enjoyed it just as much everytime. The relationship between Bumblebee and Sam has always been the best part about the movie for me, and always will be.(No guys, I did not forget to consider Megan Fox when I said that).

Then the second movie came along. The entire thing was just a forced attempt to make a fancy sequel and introduce meaner machines, without any real story. In plain words, it was a let-down, but not such a huge one so as to end my love affair.

And then, today, the third movie released - Transformers: Dark of the moon. From the trailers, I knew I was going to watch it, but I didn't expect anything too different or anything too fabulous. However, the movie did deliver 'too different' and 'too fabulous'. And how.

The initial story and the way the movie starts is ingenious. The humans' first expedition to the moon is shown to actually have been a super-secret mission to investigate a UFO landing observed on the moon. Only 35 people knew the truth about that mission, and they are all dying suddenly. All the videos and the footage to make this story believable have been shot fabulously. So that was an engrossing start.

Then we meet our hero, Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) who is now job-less, and BumbleBee-less (temporarily, while Bee works at saving the world). He has a brand new hot, rich GF. No explanations about the changes in his relationship status are given or asked for. Somewhere along the movie, she is shown to be "the one" for our hero, and they share an undying, legendary, and totally difficult-to-believe love affair, complete with the cheesiest lines and the corniest background score.

So this movie has no Megan Fox. But the replacement is pretty much similar. I don't know her name and don't care to find out. One thing I do appreciate is that her character gets an opportunity to actually use her brain, in the climax of the movie. That, and the ability to tear off the foot of a soft-toy bunny, just like that, in one swipe.Those are her most important contributions to the movie.

The kid's parents make their appearance and say their lines, evoking a chuckle or two in the process. Two very notable and very hilarious appearances by Ken Jeong (of Hangover fame) and John Malkovich, had me laughing my ass off. John Turturro as Lennox was everything one would want him to be.Very lovable, I must say.

As the story progresses, it stays quite interesting, and we're treated to some absolutely stunning visuals and action sequences. Beautiful stuff. The 3D is very good, and being the impartial 3D lover that I am (I love all 3D, be it good, bad, ugly, or headache-inducing), I have absolutely no complaints. Unlike the second movie, where the last half an hour was just a mass of moving, crashing metal, here it's very easy to see what's going on, and who's killing whom, and how. And they make it all look gorgeous. Enough to induce a Sci-Fi-gasm in all you Sci-Fi lovers out there.

We meet new Autobots (the good robots), we meet new Decepticons (the bad robots), and we meet Lennox's love interest. Shockwave the Decepticon is awe-inducing. Patrick Dempsey makes a sumptuous villain. As a Grey's Anatomy fan, it was good to see him play a negative role.:)

The last hour of the movie is a stunning climax where we're treated to breathtaking visuals of Chicago city, tons of people die with a poof, their only remains being vapor and broken bones, no soft tissue. Many acts of bravery are committed, and the Autobots and the US soldiers get to shine in all their glory. The limelight, however, is all on Optimus Prime, and he does not disappoint. I found myself searching for him in all the scenes, and waiting for him to enter any ongoing action sequence, just so things got more interesting. He gets to mouth some very cheesy, yet very memorable dialogues in the movie. Of course, your heart can't not go out to BumbleBee, and you can't not want to hug him, as always.


You can't help but feel the American patriotic undertones during the last hour, as the battle is fought, and many a brave soldier risks his life, and dies. Adds to the entire good feeling you get at the end of the movie, I guess, though I may not have connected too much, being a non-American.

The soundtrack of the movie is lovely, the background score though, was too patriotic and war-movie like, got on my nerves at times.

I wish there were a female Autobot though. Optimus Prime totally needs a love interest. Maybe next time?

Overall, the movie was fabulous, very entertaining, and I already can't wait to watch it again. It will make you glad you ever watched the first part of this installment, and even more glad that you stuck through the second part. Go watch it, you are in for a treat.:)

My rating: 8.5/10.