What Do The Critics Say?

"The overall feel of this movie was more lighthearted and fun than the previous one. I got the sense with "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" that Bay thought he was making a form of cinematic genius. Then there’s the 3D. Ninety-five percent of this is awesome. Bay, who has been a visual director his entire career, delivers some of the best 3D moments since "Avatar". If you want spectacle and a great popcorn movie, you’ll get it. Better movie all around." Kevin Carr 7M PICTURES "The first movie was great. The sequel, was not. A disappointing sequel? Well no surprise there. Time heals all wounds. Two years on and boy have they made amends! This is epic in every sense of the word. The scale, the action, even the humour surpass not just the sequel but the first film too. Delivering everything you want: action, romance, and spectacle; this is THE blockbuster of the year!" Alex Zane SUN ONLINE "You've got to give it credit, this third film in the Transformers franchise is quite a spectacle. Like its two predecessors, it is overlong and loud, filled with mega-stunts, gob-smacking special effects, a healthy sprinkling of humour, exotic locations, a grandiose music score and plenty of excess." Louise Keller URBAN CINEFILE "The action sequences are impressively assembled: the multi-stage free fall through a teetering skyscraper is genuinely thrilling; and this Transformers movie gets laughs on purpose, letting Turturro and newcomers Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, Ken Jeong and the invaluable Alan Tudyk goof around in the margins of the frame. Honestly, I’m as surprised as you are. It's taken him three tries, but Michael Bay has finally made a decent movie out of the Transformers." Norman Wilner NOW MAGAZINE TORONTO "What is surely the most impressive use of 3-D CGI since James Cameron's "Avatar". A cameo by astronaut Buzz Aldrin (!), Leonard Nimoy voicing the Spock-quoting, top-dog Autobot Sentinel Prime, and a pair of Coen brothers regulars (McDormand and Turturro), and you end up with a ridiculous and ridiculously fun 154 minutes of utterly unhinged, completely over the top robotic mayhem. And with a moral, no less. Pass the popcorn, dude; this shit rocks." Mark Savlov AUSTIN CHRONICLE

"You know after watching Michael Bay’s third installment of the Transformers series, one has to say that Megan Fox is one smart cookie for bailing or getting fired or whatever the rumor of the moment is on why she left the 3rd movie. Transformers: Dark of the Moon is clearly the best movie in the series, but the female character, this time played by Rosie Huntington-Whiteley is so vapid and pointless that it’s hard to imagine why any reputable actress would take such a demeaning part. The third installment is a fun ride at the movies and could have been stronger if Rosie wasn’t in it." Michelle Alexandria ECLIPSE MAGAZINE "Michael Bay is guilty of many things which aren’t always associated with the betterment of the cinematic form but, hot dog, his third crack at Robots In Disguise blockbustering is a titanic achievement of sensory spanking. Like "2012" on ultra-steroids that haven’t been yet invented in the future, Bay’s behemoth has to be witnessed in the most advanced cinema set-up you can get yourself into." Ben McEachen EMPIRE MAGAZINE "It's big, loud, full of giant killer robots and is just what we want. With what appears to be a limitless effects budget, Bay presides over reels and reels of intricately orchestrated mayhem, the scale of which is often so huge it assumes a truly mesmeric quality. For instance, the vision of giant snake robot boring its way through asphalt and skyscrapers looks like something Dante would have dreamt up if only he'd had studio backing. As the war rages in the shattered Chicago cityscape, Bay even manages to pull off a super-impressive set piece involving a building that hasn't quite toppled over." Jim Schembri THE AGE "A ridiculously entertaining thrill-ride that jettisons dialogue and characterisation to deliver two and a half hours of testosterone-fuelled carnage. The series returns for what turns out to be an explosive third outing in the series and in 3D to boot. Aside from James Cameron, there isn’t a better director of all-guns-blazing action than Michael Bay. He orchestrates some truly jaw-dropping sequences here." Catherine Jones LIVERPOOL ECHO "The third in the Transformers franchise, "Dark of the Moon", hews to the Rule of Three established by the "Matrix" and original "Star Wars" trilogies: As overseen by Michael Bay and Hasbro, the new installment is darker in tone, more frenetic, assumes a fair degree of insider knowledge on the part of series aficionados, and, most importantly, it ups the ante in sophisticated CG battle effects. The climactic battle royal leaves downtown Chicago worse off than Tokyo after Godzilla." Glenn Lovell CINEMA DOPE

Transformers - The Beginning "I’ve been one of the biggest fans of Transformers™ since they first came out," says executive producer & triple Oscar® winner Steven Spielberg (including Best Picture & Best Director for "Schindler's List"). "I’m not talking about buying the toys for my kids. I’m talking about reading the comic books and buying the toys for myself. I’d play with them at home with my kids, but I’m the one who was enthralled with them. I was a collector and I always thought the Hasbro toy line would one day ‘transform’ into a big summer movie." Spielberg was not the only one to think so; several of the film’s producers had the same impulse. While producer and former studio executive Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Hasbro COO Brian Goldner were talking about possible movies ideas for Transformers™ and other Hasbro franchises, Tom DeSanto was approaching Don Murphy to form a partnership in hopes of making his own Transformers™ project. When all was said and done, the core creative force behind the film is a virtual who’s who of Hollywood producing royalty: Steven Spielberg, director Michael Bay, di Bonaventura ("Shooter"), DeSanto (the "X-Men" series), Murphy ("Natural Born Killers") and Ian Bryce ("Saving Private Ryan"). From the get-go, all of the producers did their homework and knew that making a Transformers™ movie meant honoring a much beloved franchise backed by a strong base of devotees, many of whom had lifelong ties to the characters. DeSanto swears that he’s dreamt of making a movie about Transformers™ since he was a kid, but it didn’t occur to his partner Murphy until years later as he was strolling through the Comic-Con convention in San Diego. "I was walking around, looking at a lot of properties and franchises, and all of a sudden it hit me. "The kids of the ‘80s have grown up and now they probably want to see movies based on all this stuff around me, all their beloved characters and stories. Oh my God, this makes perfect sense. When DreamWorks told us that Steven loved the idea, I couldn’t believe it. As a kid from New Jersey, to hear that Steven Spielberg liked the same robots, I just thought, ‘how did I get here?’ The rest is a dream; it’s just been great." Ultimately DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures chose to partner on the film. In previous years their collaborative efforts have yielded such successful films as "Dreamgirls", "War of the Worlds", "Collateral", and "Saving Private Ryan". Screenwriter John Rogers ("The Core"), a comic book writer and enthusiast, was asked to put together an initial draft of the script. Rogers’ initial three plot lines eventually evolved into the rich, textured story that is "Transformers" crafted by the talented team of Alex Kurtzman ("Star Trek" 2009) and Roberto Orci ("Eagle Eye" 2008). Director Michael Bay ("Bad Boys") has been offered many super hero projects over the years, but has turned them down for the same reason many aficionados of original fantasy characters dislike their interpretation on celluloid. So when Spielberg tapped him to direct an action picture bringing to life a twenty year old iconic toy line that had already been immortalized with lunch boxes, comic books, games and its own cartoon series, Bay realized he would be confronting an outspoken army of die-hard fans who were dedicated to the original action figures. Released in 2007, "Transformers", with a production budget of US$150 million would capture the imagination of fans as well as action loving cinemagoers, generating US$709,709,780 at the box-office. Transformers - Take Two After a huge start, fans couldn't wait for a sequel. They got it in 2009 when "Transformers Revenge Of The Fallen" hit the screen. It saw the return of Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, John Turturro, Kevin Dunn and Julie White, along with the stunning Aotobots and Decepticons who had, in 2007, thrilled audiences world-wide. Two years have passed since young Sam Witwicky saved the universe from a decisive battle between warring races of robotic aliens. Despite his extreme heroics, Sam is still an average teenager with everyday anxieties about heading to college, leaving behind his girlfriend Mikaela, and separating from his parents for the first time. Of course there is the additional burden of trying to explain his departure to his newest friend and guardian robot, Bumblebee. For Sam the goal is to lead a normal university lifestyle, but to do that, he must ignore his destiny. While Sam has done his best to put the conflict at Mission City behind him and return to his daily routine, the battle between the Autobots and Decepticons, although a top secret incident, has instigated many changes. Sector 7 has since been disbanded and its most loyal soldier, Agent Simmons, summarily dismissed. In its place, a new agency, NEST, has been created. Utilizing experienced field commanders like Lennox and Epps, NEST seeks to work side by side with the Autobots to avoid another deadly confrontation with the Decepticons. Unfortunately National Security Advisor Theodore Galloway possesses little foresight to fully comprehend the inexorable dangers which abound, even though he has been councelled by Optimus Prime. Driven to gain control of every defense organization, along with their potential for power, and at the same time do away with what he sees as a frivolous government bureau, Galloway endeavors to terminate NEST, believing that any threat of war has long since passed. While the premiss for the sequel sounded good, the film distributors kept media in the dark by failing to release production notes, causing alarm bells to ring. In the end, fans and the media realized why. While the film had plenty of visual impact, it was a constant battle to sort out who was who when it came to the battling machines. And to make it worse, the film was interminably long. While Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen took US$836,297,228 world-wide at the boxoffice (production costs rose to US$200 million) fans were generally pretty disappointed. "A cast of thousands and a budget of squillions. The storyline is as complex as the film's running time is long; I must admit I did get lost and confused at times," wrote URBAN CINEFILE film critic Louise Keller. And she wasn't the only one. Despite all its flaws 'ROTF' did have one redeemimg factor for me: "When John Turturro weaves his magic, 'ROTF' steps up a notch." And, in the end, if you were a fan, you had to see it, even if only in the hope that, should the box-office returns warrant it, a third edition would be guaranteed and surely it had to be better than this offering. Fans would be left holding their breath in anticipation. The long wait was on. It would be another two years before news of the third edition (including the sacking of Megan Fox) would grab fans attention. Transformers - Third Time Lucky When the first trailer for "Transformers Dark Of The Moon" hit the web, its premiss that the 1969 moon landing was a covert operation requested by JFK because there was an alien craft on the dark side, certainly grabbed fans attention. Why? Because all the world loves a conspiracy theory. Let's be real here: there are still people who believe the moon landing was faked. That it was shot on a set in a secret location. Of course it was! Yeh, right. But back to 'DOFT'. Expectation were certainly high and they were about to get even higher. Revelations in the next trailer revealed how amped up the action would be (isn't that always the case with a Michael Bay film?) and what the next threat to both humans and the Autobots would be. So, what do you get in this latest edition in the Transformers franchise? Well, for a start you don't get Megan Fox. According to E! Online here's what happened. The actress said director Michael Bay "wants to be like Adolf Hitler" in an interview, she may have angered someone other than the Transformers auteur. Like Steven Spielberg. Bay says it was Spielberg (the Schindler's List director and founder of the USC Shoah Foundation Institute) who objected the most strenuously to the insult, according to an inteview with GQ. Although the 25 year old stunner claimed she left the series to pursue other acting opportunities, Bay told GQ, "You know the Hitler thing. Steven [Spielberg] said, 'Fire her right now.'" And while the director claimed he wasn't hurt by Fox's comments comparing him to a racist, genocidal dictator, Spielberg is the executive producer of the flick. In another interview, the films leading man, Shia LaBeouf revealed online his take on Fox. while LaBeouf may have missed Megan Fox, he understood why she wasn't there. "Megan developed this Spice Girl strength, this woman-empowerment [thing] that made her feel awkward about her involvement with Michael, who some people think is a very lascivious filmmaker, the way he films women," the Transformers: Dark of the Moon star told the Los Angeles Times' Hero Complex blog, referring to franchise director Michael Bay. The explosion-meister publicly butted heads with his outspoken leading hottie and ultimately replaced her for the third film in the series with British Victoria's Secret model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. Which leads me to an observation most will quickly make when they assess the contribution made by Huntington-Whiteley who plays Sam Witwicky's new love, Carly. Can I make a pun? Alright I will. 'A rose she may be, but as a leading lady: Rosie ain't rosey.' In fact, my first thoughts were, 'Hey, this is a blonde version of a young Angelina Jolie, right down to the lips!' Take my advice Rosie. Get some acting lessons or stick to modelling. Screen-writer Ehren Kruger ("The Ring"), who came on-board to join forces with Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci for 'ROTF', is now winging it solo. Comedy masters Ken Jeong ("The Hangover Part II") and John Malkovich ("Burn After Reading") provide some excellent comedic moments as does John Turturro (the real star of "Mr Deeds"). Great to hear iconic Leonard Nimoy who voices Sentinel Prime and, Hugo Weaving (fresh from his role in "Oranges & Sunshine") once again voicing, Megatron. Like many cinemagoers, I was left wondering, after the massive final battle in Chicago, who the heck is paying for the cleanup, let alone the rebuilding coasts! One thing I can predict is that this edition will satisfy fans and yes, leave everyone hoping for another edition. 4 1/2 STARS. What's It All About?

Apollo 11 is about to go dark. The world has lost touch with the capsule as it heads for the Moon's surface. Little do they know, that President John F Kennedy has ordered a secret mission to investigate a crash site, detected way back in 1961. The mission reports no survivors, photographs the site and returns to Earth. Decades later after surviving two attacks by the Decepticons, the world will face its greatest threat, thanks to the mismanagement of Secretary of Defense, Charlotte Mearing. Fresh out of college, Sam Witwicky has a presidential medal, anew girlfriend, but no job: until Bruce Brazos employs him. Here he meet Jerry Wang who has a dossier on 'the dark side of the moon mission'. Autobots leader Megatron is sent to investigate the crashed spacecraft on the moon but finds he has been manipulated by, not only the humans they have been protecting, but also the Decepticons.

Who Is Playing Who?

Shia LaBeouf Hugo Weaving Leonard Nimoy Frank Welker Francesco Quinn James Remar Kevin Dunn Julie White Josh Duhamel John Turturro Tyrese Gibson Patrick Dempsey Frances McDormand John Malkovich Kenneth Sheard Markiss McFadden Alan Tudyk Ken Jeong Glenn Morshower Lester Speight Buzz Aldrin

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Sam Witwicky Megatron Sentinel Prime Shockwave/Soundwave Dino Sideswipe Ron Witwicky Judy Witwicky Lennox Simmons Epps Dylan Mearing Bruce Brazos Epps Team 'Marc L' Lennox Team 'Baby Face' Dutch Jerry Wang General Morshower Eddie Buzz Aldrin

The Production Team Directed by Michael Bay Written by Ehren Kruger Produced by Ian Bryce/Tom DeSanto/Lorenzo di Bonaventura Executive Producers Michael Bay/Brian Goldner/Steven Spielberg/Mark Vahradian 3D Producer Don Murphy Original Music by Steve Jablonsky Director of Photography Amir Mokri Film Editing by Roger Barton/William Goldenberg/Joel Negron Casting by Denise Chamian Production Design by Nigel Phelps Art Direction by Benjamin Edelberg & Kevin Ishioka Supervising Art Directo Richard L. Johnson Set Decoration by Jennifer Williams Costume Design by Deborah Lynn Scott Run Time 154 minutes Rated M [AUST] Copyright ©2011 - Paramount Pictures - All Rights Reserved ©1999-2011 - The Movie Pages & Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved. Protected by Australian & International Copyright, Trademark Laws & Intellectual Property Rights.