et’s just look at Transformers 3 – The Dark Side of the Moon for what it really is, a big, loud, cracking, animated movie about larger than life alien robots that not only transform into some really kick-ass vehicles, among other things, but allows each and every one of us watching this symphony of destruction to live vicariously through our favorite Autobot or Decepticon (depending on which side your morality sways… I call dibs on Bumblebee.)
Here are the quick notes: Shockwave is about as larger-than-life awesome as you would expect him to be, the complete leveling of Chicago as seen in the trailers is absolutely, jaw-dropping spectacular on a 30 foot screen, and everyone rips into each other (Autobots, Decepticons, and humans alike) with an intensity that make the battle scenes in the previous two movies look like a YouTube video posts of cuddly kittens pawing playfully at each other in a sunny meadow. While John Turturro seriously delivers while sitting on the bench through most of the movie, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley isn't as hot as Megan Fox, Patrick Dempsey is nowhere near ‘Mac-Dreamy’ as the Decepticon’s human liaison, and Shia LaBeouf freaks out and screams a lot. Luckily, Optimus Prime kicks a lot of Decepticon ass, Sentinel Prime (voiced by Leonard Nimoy) is all sorts of nerd sweating cool, Laserbeak, the Decepticon's bird-like spy, is disturbingly awesome, and, thankfully, the gas-passing, seemingly racist Mudflap and Skids from The Revenge of the Fallen are nowhere to be seen.
Transformers 3 is not a romantic comedy, a dramatic thriller, nor is it a suspenseful actioner. Yes, there is romance, comedy and action, tons and tons of heavyweight, robot versus robot fueled action. But, seriously, Transformers 3 – The Dark Side of the Moon is what it is, a fantastic, action filled adventure about two warring groups of colossal alien robots laying the smack down in downtown Chicago. So, if you are looking for a solid, thought provoking story then this may not be the movie for you, but if you want more than meets the eye, towering alien robots smashing, shooting, and ripping each other apart, then Transformers 3 will not disappoint.