Despite the fact that many people (reviewers in particular) did not like the first two Transformers movies, Transformers: Dark of the Moon seems to have pulled itself out of the mud and brushed itself off.  This is one of the best 3-D movies of the season and it is full of war, deceit, treachery, and the fight to preserve freedom.  The movie is visually stunning and if you like seeing broken metal, glass, and pavement careening towards you head, then you are in luck because there is plenty of that in this movie.

Bay has done a bang-up job with Dark of the Moon – in most respects.  His attempts at adding humor to the movie have fallen short of brilliant as his comedy team, comprised of John Malkovich and John Turturro, falls short of the level of true comedic relief and remains on a 14-year-old level.  Having said this, the lovely Frances McDormand does light up the screen as a bureaucrat who is a real live wire.  However, for the most part these attempts at humor fall short of actually achieving it, but fortunately there is so much more to the movie that this does not ruin it in the end.

What about the acting?  Aside from the failed comedic relief, there is a new girl in town.  Megan fox has been replaced in this movie by Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and this was a good decision on the part of those responsible for casting.  Huntington-Whiteley replaces the mercenary style of Fox with a charming and beautiful woman who is confident enough to be able to withstand and even be comfortable with the male objectification she receives.  It would be a short and very plausible leap to make this character stronger and even macho in a stunning, female sort of way.

The Transformers themselves have also taken on more of an actor role in Dark of the Moon and have been given some really great lines, lines that rival the classics uttered by Clint Eastwood or Arnold Schwarzenegger.  With the Autobots and the Decepticons fighting out the epic battle for freedom in a new form, the humans must team up with the Autobots in a bid to save humanity from annihilation.  Indeed, the attempts of the human actors, the “real” ones, to make their presence known on the screen is sometimes so overdone, that the Transformers are actually a welcome break from those sorry attempts.

In the movie, Bay has captured the 3-D aspect wonderfully, using it to its maximum capacity in the first 20 minutes of the film and letting it find a more subtle home within the story for the duration of the movie.  The moon scenes are particularly well done and even a joy to watch.  Overall, the action of the movie is captivating and well worth the 3-D upgrade in price and it is safe to say that at times the 3-D development rivals that from movies such as Avatar.

When it comes to a fun summer flick with loads of action, some suspense, and a female lead that is endearing, Transformers: Dark of the Moon certainly can hold its own.  Whether or not you liked the first two movies, this one is sure to steal the spotlight, and when you consider that it is the third installment in a 3-D series, that is quite a feat as well as a pleasant surprise.  So slap on your 3-D glasses and get ready to enter the cosmos and enjoy the war between the giant robot toys as they rip their way through our solar system and the city of Chicago.