This time, Optimus is in his prime.
Unlike the disastrous Revenge of the Fallen, he and his intelligent machine pals and their movie hit on all cylinders. A whir here, a clank there and into action they spring. Pow, bang, clang.
And — if you choose, and you should — Transformers: Dark of the Moon is in three dimensions.
-- Local show times, theaters, trailer.
Ironically, the three dimensions are for a movie clearly divided into two parts — the fun, human and humorous part and the mind-blowing, destroy the world effects part. Both are terrific for different reasons.
Shia LaBeouf’s Sam Witwicky has saved the Earth twice and even gotten a medal of some sort from President Obama. He’s chronically unemployed and its frustrating. Sam dumped the Megan Fox girlfriend and is dating new and more appealing eye candy. Supermodel Rosie Huntington-Whiteley is Carly, who works for a perfectly coiffed, super-rich dude done by Patrick Dempsey.
She’s hot. Dempsey is hot. Sam is ordinary. He’s jealous.
Then Sam gets everyone involved in another Transformer’s mystery. Turns out the reason we raced the Soviet Union to the Moon in 1960 is because of a crash near Tranquility Base, the site of the first Moon landing. In it was a spaceship from Cybertron and vials that, when put together can warp space, bring Cybertron to Earth.
The crash site is where Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin went on the first moon walk.
Director Michael Bay grabs archive footage of the Moon landing, of President John Kennedy who originally sent us there, and of Richard Nixon who was president when Armstrong and Aldrin landed. He casts some not-so-perfect look-alike doubles for needed lines and melds reality with a great story idea.
News of a ship from home on the Moon prompts the Autobots to go to Tranquility Base. Once in the ship, they find and revive Optimus Prime’s former commander -- Sentinel Prime. He is engaged in defeating the Decepticons.
As with the first two installments, the Transformers provide lots of noise and plenty of color. Bay uses more color than seen in your average movie. In a letter to theater projectionists, Bay said complaints about 3D being too dark led to the process he used to make Dark of the Moon more brilliant than most.
That’s brilliant as in light. Not brilliant as in a work of genius.
Decent creativity does dot the Transformer’s landscape. The Decepticon invasion that rips Chicago to shreds is spectacular. It’s also 30 minutes too long, and that's where the film shifts gears from loads of human fun to effects-laden epic fun.
Before rewarding you with the Autobots clash with a new villain, Decepticon leader Megatron and the mega-special effects that go along with him and his ilk, Transformers: Dark of the Moon actually attempts a plot that is driven by wonderful over-the-top performances from Hollywood art film who’s who list.
And the film is loaded up with laugh-out-loud humor.
LaBeouf is the fulcrum that the action swirls around. John Turturro does a manic reprise of his Agent Simmons role. He and a very funny Alan Tudyk chew up and spit out the comedy in the early scenes. Add an all-business Francis McDormand doing the National Intelligence Director with intelligence, energy and tongue firmly planted in cheek and the first half of the flick is a hoot.
And “Star Trek” legend Leonard Nimoy voices Sentinel Prime and is exceptionally good.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon isn’t — no pun intended — rocket science, but it’s not bad.
Mr. Movie rating: 4 stars
Rated PG-13 for mature themes and violence. It opens Wednesday, June 29 at the Carmike 12 and at the Fairchild Cinemas 12.
5 stars to 4 1/2 stars: Must see on the big screen
4 stars to 3 1/2 stars: Good film, see it if it's your type of movie.
3 stars to 2 1/2 stars: Wait until it comes out on video.
2 stars to 1 star: Don't bother.
0 stars: Speaks for itself.
