Sam and the Autobots are facing their toughest battle in this spectacular, well made, yet quite unoriginal action film.

Plot
Sam has a new girlfriend and is looking for a job in Washington DC. Though, after having saved the world twice, it’s not easy to find a job that feels meaningful. Eventually, Sam is hired by a somewhat strange company, and, soon, it turns out that the evil Decepticon also have an interest in the company.

At the same time, we learn that an Autobot spaceship crash landed on the moon early in the 1960s, carrying a potentially extremely dangerous cargo. The Autobots, led by Optimus Prime, fly to the moon and save the pilot of the ship; still, soon they realise that this was just what Megatron wanted.

As the Decepticon trap is successful, the evil tribe gains access to the dangerous weapon, which enables them to start a new war. Thus, Sam and the Autobots once again have to risk their lives in order to save the world.

Quality and Theme
The third instalment in the Transformers franchise does, as the previous films, provide non-stop action as well as exceptionally well made special effects and battle sequences. Unfortunately, the story lacks originality, and is, at times, completely unrealistic. Still, it’s hardly due to the quality of the story that anyone watches this film. The filmmakers deliver exactly what we expect from them – neither more nor less – which is more than sufficient to ensure that Transformers and action film fans will have a great time. 

There are several fun characters in the film, but, due to the abundance of action, they are not given the space they deserve. This is somewhat disappointing, as the film misses an opportunity to spice up the film with a little more humour, which would have made it even more entertaining.

“Transformers: Dark of the Moon” is pure entertainment, and doesn’t really present a meaningful message. The film focuses on the usual battle between good and evil, where heroic courage and sacrifice faces brutality and destruction.

Clocking in at more than two and a half hours, the film is a bit long; still, fans won’t mind at all.

Suitability
”Transformers: Dark of the Moon” has a 12A rating due to several violent action filled sequences. None of these scenes are particularly scary, making this a safe film to watch for children from the age of 12. For children under the age limit, the battle sequences may be a bit too much, and, for this reason, we recommend that parents don’t bring younger children to watch this film.

Conclusion
Spectacular and entertaining action will please the audience; still, the film does not fulfil its potential.

Facts

Director: Michael Bay Genre: Science Fiction, Action Actors: Shia LeBoeuf, Patrick Dempsey, John Malkovich, John Turturro, Frances McDormand, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson and more Language: English Nationality: USA Production Company: DreamWorks SKG/Paramount Pictures Length: 2h 35mins Production Year: 2011 Age Limit: 12A Suitability: Young people BBFC’s Consumer Advice: Contains moderate action violence and one use of strong language.

Our Assessment: OK

Other reviews:

Film4

Coventry Telegraph