Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen was a bad film. I’m sorry but it had to be said. You know it, I know it, Michael Bay knows it and Shia LaBeouf knows it. While I enjoyed the first Transformers a lot, the sequel left a bitter taste in my mouth and so I was hesitant as I walked into my screening of Transformers: Dark Of The Moon. After seeing all the trailers and reading all the previews, I was ready for one thing. I was ready for Michael Bay to blow my mind, and blow my mind he did.
Boasting easily the best plot of the series, Transformers: Dark Of The Moon takes us back to 1961 during the war for Cybertron between the Autobots and Decepticons. With the odds stacked against our heroes, Sentinel Prime launches a ship called the Ark from their home planet. The Ark contains incredibly advanced technology that can help the Autobots win their war once and for all. Unfortunately, Prime’s plan doesn’t work out too well and while in orbit, the Ark is attacked by Starscream and it crashes on the moon.
We are then treated to a brief glimpse of the famous space race between the US and Russia. By 1969, NASA has put the first man on the moon. What most people don’t know though is that the mission was actually an excuse to investigate the Ark and find out what it’s hiding and what its purpose is.
As we cut to the present, our protagonist Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) is living with his beautiful girlfriend Carly (Rosie Huntington-Whiteley). Sam has a seemingly normal life but misses the days of being a hero and saving the world, he wants to “matter” again. Lucky for him, he’s about to get another chance to protect his beloved planet.
The Ark’s true purpose is soon discovered and the secrets that it holds are revealed to both the Autobots and Decepticons. For fear of spoiling too much, let’s just say that Sam’s story collides with that of the Transformers and eventually Mr. Witwicky finds himself in an apocalyptic final battle to save Earth from the Decepticons.
Click here to continue reading the rest of our Transformers: Dark Of The Moon theatrical review.
When it comes to the Blu-Ray, it’s a bit of a bittersweet affair. The video and audio are tremendous and worthy of being demo material. But, and this is a big but, there is not one special feature to be found. Yes, that’s right, not one feature.
Of course they’re going to release another edition somewhere down the line but honestly, this is just not fair. It’s wrong and it’s really a slap in the face to us, the customers. I get that they just wanted to push this out so we had an HD version of the film to watch in a timely manner but still, I do feel a bit cheated. Expect a souped up version come Christmas time.
As for the audio and video though, they are both excellent. If you missed the film in theatres, I feel bad for you. But luckily, this Blu-Ray is the next best thing and it does a pretty good job and recreating the experience. An explosive audio track fills the room with pristine sound that immerses you like none other. Atmospherics draw you in as the triumphant score and perfectly placed sound effects keep your ears hooked. It’s a powerful track, with the giant robots clanging and clashing on screen and every bang and explosion lighting up the room.
Visually, this is also a treat. Astounding crispness and clarity back up each and every shot. The vibrant colours sparkle off the robots’ exteriors and fleshtones look completely accurate. Strong black levels, perfect detail and a fine level of depth round off what is an absolutely perfect picture.
As a complete package, it’d be hard not to recommend this one, it’s just such an entertaining and pleasing experience. Michael Bay has his haters but honestly, I’m fine with him. I know what to expect going into his films and I always enjoy myself. The Blu-Ray transfer is superb and is the perfect material for showing off your new sound system. The lack of special features stings but if you’re ok with that, then this is a must buy.
