A visual treat for all action-sci-fi fans!

Rating: 8/10 (30 June 2011)

I just watched the Michael Bay's Transformers Dark of the Moon several hours ago and I'd like to share with you my impressions.
I went to this movie with great expectations hoping for an improvement from the last installment and I believe they were met. The movie opens with a great scene depicting a very important moment in human history - the landing on the moon - in a slightly different way than most of us know. Thus the movie introduces a certain different purpose for that particular historical moment. I won't go into details here as I want you to go see it for yourself what this movie has to offer to action-sci-fi fans like me.
In my opinion, the movie delivered a visual extravaganza for all who enjoyed the previous two movies. It is visually stunning, almost incredible in the level of detail the CGI team created in depicting the robots and their ships. The 3D treatment only makes it 3 three times better. There are certain scenes that will take your breath away. Two of them involving Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf)and Bumblebee (offered in slo-mo to make them even more exciting) and another one with Sam and Starscream. Also Optimus Prime's fights with the Decepticons are really fantastic (the CGI team did such a good job that in 3D you see parts of the robots big and small jumping towards you as they are hit by Energon blades or alien machine guns and rocket launchers. Regarding action scenes there is a long one involving a sky-scraper in Chicago that is pure adrenaline. Also the Michael Bay trademark explosions are there, a lot of them to be exact, even more than in the previous installments in the series I'd say, but this only makes the action scenes more entertaining.
All in all, I really enjoyed this movie. It was a very nice summer blockbuster and for those criticizing it all I have to say is what do you want from a summer blockbuster? Not Academy Award-class acting or a very well-developed plot but action, special effects, breath-taking moments and again action. It is not a drama, it is exactly what it is, a summer blockbuster not a multiple Academy-Award winner (well, except for the visual effects and sound editing categories which in my opinion it totally deserves). I doubt that those who go to see this movie want an extraordinary acting performance or well-developed and coherent plot. No, they want to see giant robots and their human allies fighting each another in the middle of massive explosions and this movie really delivers all the above mentioned.
What I didn't like at this movie was that the robots, except for Optimus Prime and those two little robots hardly had any lives, especially taking into account that this is the last installment in the series as it is rumored. Also, there were some moments when I missed Megan Fox and I still think it's a pity that she was cast out. The new girl is eye-candy, but she not as beautiful as Megan Fox and her acting is not better either. At least she has a bit more of a contribution to the plot than Mikaela had, besides screaming, running around and looking good on the screen. However, taking into account that this is her first role in a movie she was pretty good for a rookie.
Also, this movie was a bit more gory than the last two as we can see Decepticons blowing people apart with their advanced weapons and the dismemberment of the robots seems even more detailed (probably due to the 3D treatment).The movie includes some moments (brief as they may be)of sexual innuendo, which are not recommended for children under 13 and make it seem targeted to an older audience.
If it were only for the visual effects I'd rate it 10/10, but given the minor (and I say minor) inconsistencies in the plot and a bit too long running time I rate it 8/10. In my opinion it is an improvement on the previous installment, almost on par with the first movie. I even hope they decide to make another movie or at least a reboot of the series with another director if Michael Bay really doesn't want to come back to directing it (I one hope that they would make the robots look more like their counterparts from the animated series and original Hasbro toy line as in my opinion the Decepticons look too menacing and insect-like).