Transformers: Dark of the Moon

I think Michael Bay said it best in his 2007 Verizon Wireless commercial, “I’m Michael Bay and I like things AWESOME!” Boy, does he ever. This week, Bay’s conclusion to the Transformers trilogy, “Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” hits Blu-ray and DVD, and despite some obvious flaws the movie is a must have for fans of the series.

It seems, though, that any movie that has been touched by the mighty hand of Bay always seems lighter on the exposition and heavy on the explosions. That is just the name that he has made for himself and, well, no one does it quite like him. His conclusion to the lucrative franchise is a huge improvement over “Revenge of the Fallen” but, I have to say, not by much. Granted, Bay decided against the anatomically correct robots but replaced them with Shia LaBeouf screaming for no good reason every five seconds.

“Dark of the Moon” picks up a few years after its predecessor and we find Sam Witwicky (LaBeouf) struggling to find a job. How many times does a guy have to save the world before you throw him a bone? I mean, come on. He is also dating the beautiful Carly Spencer, played by the newcomer Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.

At the same time that our plucky hero is trying to find himself, the Autobots are off patrolling the world when they realize that their human counterparts have been hiding information. A wrecked Autobot ship’s remains have been concealed on the moon for years and it harbors a very powerful weapon —one the Autobots must get to before Megatron and his merry bunch of Decepticons get a hold of it first.

Spoilers Ahead

Michael Bay shines with this movie. Visually, it is, as Bay would put it, AWESOME! The final battle is so epic that you get lost in the movie. Chicago has been taken over by Megatron and his cohort. I will leave him nameless for the sake of people who haven’t seen the movie but his name rhymes with Schmentimal Prime. The city is quickly becoming a wasteland, and the Autobots charge the city a-blazing. The final showdown between Optimus and Megatron — while not what it could have been — is still awesome to watch.

Unfortunately, like any Bay movie, if you shine a light on the plot, it has more holes than a slice of Swiss cheese. I’m pretty sure in the first movie it was said that Megatron accidentally came to Earth, but now we find out it was his intention all along. Apparently, Megatron gets a case of the weepies, and Optimus Prime is OK with sacrificing humans if the occasion arises.

Plot holes, shallow acting and LaBeouf screaming at everything aside, “Dark of the Moon” is a really fun movie that only Michael Bay could make. I also highly recommend it on Blu-ray over DVD. This is a movie that has to be experienced in high definition.

As for special features, beyond the bonus DVD in the combo pack, there aren’t any. I have a feeling those are being held back for the 3D version of the Blu-ray.

Film: 3.5 Yaps Extras: N/A