Transformers: Dark of the Moon' (English) Director: Michael Bay Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Tyrese Gibson The theme song for the popular animated series 'Transformers', paints the shape changing robots with a mysterious idiom. The protean pieces of metal in the cartoon are described as "more than meets the eye." The same, however, cannot be said for Michael Bay's series of films, which are more akin to a Tina Turner song. 'Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon' is the latest addition to Bay's "what you get is what you see" series of films. It packs in just as many metal crunching explosions and unnecessary slow motion sequences as the earlier films. And the humans in the film seem just as insignificant to the narrative as their frames when compared to the size of the graphically generated robots. For the second time this summer, a blockbuster attempts to reinterpret the contemporary history of the baby boomers. Where 'X-Men: First Class' altered the means of resolution of the Cuban missile crisis, 'Dark of the Moon' takes on the raison d'etre for the 1969 moon landing. Hollywood has taken hostage what were possibly the lowest point and the greatest achievement of the Kennedy administration. According to Bay's latest offering, mankind's outer space adventure was not founded on pure scientific curiosity but as a response to external stimulus. This stimulus was the landing of an alien spacecraft that housed Sentinel Prime, the great leader of the Autobots and mentor to the intrepid Optimus, on the dark side of the moon. Since history stipulates that Russian technology arrived on the moon well before NASA did, that is woven in as well; the nuclear reactor at Chernobyl which would eventually decimate its surrounding region, was made possible by alien technology and not defecting German scientists. In the present day, the hunt for Decepticons leads the Black Ops Team headed by Lennox (Josh Duhamel) and Optimus Prime, to Chernobyl and technology that the Autobots believed had been lost. As the film's plot conveniently alters the contours of history, it attempts to simultaneously incorporate the plight of Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf). Now a young graduate, Sam's problem is more firmly rooted in terra firma - finding a job. But, having saved the world and earned a presidential medal of honor before graduating college, Sam has peaked too early in life. His resume, which we see for a fleeting moment during an interview, is woefully bereft of material at a half page length. For all its attempts at on the nose dialog and expletive suggestion, this single page prop is the funniest part of the film. It is impossible to stifle a chuckle at the insinuation that saving the world lacks value in the commercial incentive driven 'real world.' Sam's presidential medal may not have aided his professional life but it has certainly blessed his personal life with a stunning new beau Carly (Rosie Huntington Whiteley justifying her modeling pedigree). Carly manages the vintage car collection of a prominent and handsome venture capitalist sending Sam's insecurities into overdrive. Under pressure, all Sam can manage is a job in the mailroom of a (surprise, surprise!) Defense contractor. And thus, an extremely tenuous connection between Sam's world and the Autobots' is established once more. For a film that is largely based on the conflict between robots, 'Dark of the Moon' sports a heavy weight cast. John Turturro returns as the part goofball, part serious Seymour Simmons with two new additions - Frances McDormand as the very particular and very hands-on Secretary of Defense Charlotte Mearing and John Malkovich who plays Sam's CEO Bruce Bazos. We are treated to inane details about these characters - Bazos seems to think he is Hong Kong Phooey and Mearing prefers sneakers to heels - but in the end they are all pure caricatures. There are no added dimensions to the characters in 'Dark of the Moon' and as a result there is no added interest. What does gratingly remain in memory are the motley allusions to dark moments in human history - a concentration camp style execution that Bumble Bee escapes and snapping of a building in half a la the September 11 attacks. With Leonard Nimoy voicing Sentinel Prime the references to 'Star Trek' are inevitable and this even may mollify some of us with a penchant for trivia. But in large parts the film even treats its protagonists, the Autobots, quite shabbily. The two most recognizable faces in the franchise, Optimus Prime and Bumble Bee, disappear for lengths of time while the largely inconsequential human tussles play out. And when they do appear on screen, they are left to dispense pithy one-liners. As always the best effects are reserved for a Decepticon - Shockwave. But as the film progresses the action gets harder to follow and a sense of fatigue clouds the proceedings. Barring the numerous fades to black and the inexplicable shots of Rosie Huntington Whiteley staring into oblivion, one remembers little of the loud action sequences. And for a film that touts action as its trump card, this is a less than acceptable aftertaste.
