Transformers: Dark of the Moon

(2011, Michael Bay)

While clearly ripping off Richard C. Hoagland's Dark Mission book, the latest Transformers has it's moments of smartness. Director Michael Bay is still an incredibly gifted realizer of shots. The guy makes everything look amazing and incredible all the time. Frances McDormand, John Malkovitch, and Patrick Dempsey all do a good job (adding some good humor). The best thing about this movie is it is, at times, genuinely funny and exciting. Don't get me wrong it is still dumb as hell but it is fun! Perhaps the least weak of the three and there is also almost no substantial dialogue. The writers still love the stupid mascot characters and the Transformers themselves don't get to say much. Leonard Nimoy has a perfect voice for Sentinel Prime. Alan Tudyk is funny as Dutch and look for a wonderfully comic performance by Ken Jeong has Jerry Wang. Thank god that Michael Bay got Frank Welker to do Shockwave/ Soundwave voices--who else can do it? Throw in Buzz Aldrin to add even more credence to Hoagland's NASA alien conspiracy idea and you got something that almost works. (5/7)

Trailer

For some perhaps not so nutty "conspiracy" stuff:
Enterprise Mission