Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Transformers: Dark of the Moon is the third movie in the Transformer series, being such I really didn't expect a lot from it. The last two movies have left a bad taste in a lot of peoples mouths and I was amongst those. Having grown up in the '80s I really wanted to like them. I mean a live action Transformer movie had been something I'd always dreamed of as a little boy. I was there opening day for the first movie ready to be blown away. I left that theater numb. The second one I went to see in IMAX thinking they had to have learned from their mistakes. It seems they had not. I felt cheated and betrayed.

With the third movie I waited awhile to see it. I just didn't have that overwhelming desire to see it. Yet part of me felt I had started this journey so I might as well finish it. So I sucked it up and went to see it. And I must say I was surprised. They actually seemed to be able to pull a decent movie out of it this time. Maybe the backlash from the second hit them hard enough to pay attention or they just figured they had to go out with a bang. Either way they made one hell of a movie.

The actual Transformer characters were actually given personality more so then in the last movies. You kind of got a since that they were more then just machines that were locked in a war. You saw how it affected them, how they felt about being in exile, and how their war affected humans. They began to become more then one dimensional characters. There was still a long way to go to flush them out but it was a start.

The human aspect of the movie too was done well for once. You could actually care about the characters. They were relatable. Sam (Shia Lebeouf) is a college graduate struggling to find his place in the world. Trying to find work, balancing a relationship, and coming to terms with the fact he isn't as important as he thinks he is makes for a great character arch. The other actors do amazing also. This is the first time in this franchise that makes you wish we got to spend a little more time with them.

However it is far from a perfect movie. I would have liked to see the Decepticon's fleshed out a little more. They have suffered a lot in these movies. To see some of their background and why they do what they do would be nice. But for what little screen time they got it was decent.

If you have seen the first two I highly recommend seeing this one. If you haven't seen the first two I still recommend seeing this one. By no means will it win any awards but it is still a fun some movie.