Transformers : Dark of the Moon

Yesterday, I went to see “Transformers : Dark of the Moon“.  I’m not a big fan of 3D, but my wife convinced me that that’s the only right way to watch this movie, so I agreed.  And I’m glad I did so.

If you like 3D movies, or transforming robots, or action movies, or any of the previous Transformers’ films, or Michael Bay work in general, you absolutely must see this film.  And do so in 3D – even for those who don’t like 3D, it is an excellent experience.

As for the film, Michael Bay broke the measuring ruler once again.  He is off the scale.  The film is bigger, larger, and more than any other film I can think off.  It has everything previous Transformers had, and more.  And of the things that previous Transformers had, it has more.  More robots, more fights, more shooting and explosions.  More space travel.  More special effects.  More 3D. More, more, more.  It has so much of everything that I would walk away happy half time into the film.  But when the whole thing was over I really was amazed as to how much went into it.

On top of that, both of the items that somewhat annoyed me in the previous Transformers movies were corrected in this part.  First was Megan Fox.  I don’t know why everybody is so fond of her.  I don’t find her beautiful, or smart, or a particular good actress.  She’s out and Rosie Huntington-Whitley is in.  She wouldn’t be my first choice for the role, but she is definitely an improvement on Megan Fox.  Secondly, in previous Transformers, robot transformations and robot fights were too fast.  There are too many details to notice them all and they were often done and off the screen before my curiosity was satisfied.  In this part,  there are more details, more fights, and more transformations.  Also, there are a few excellent slow-downs – important moments are slowed down to a crawl with a few humorous touches added.

Actually, I have to mention humor separately.  This part is not as serious as the previous ones.  There are plenty of funny scenes, situations, and jokes all over the film.  I couple of times I was even laughing out loud, which is a rare occasion.

Overall, I think the film provides all the entertainment you could put into a movie and more.  It pushes the boundaries of sci-fi cinematography and visual effects. And for that I will of course give it a 5 out of 5.

Eagle Eye

Eagle Eye

I watched “Eagle Eye” recently.  I haven’t seen the trailer and the rough plot descriptions that I have seen around were way too vague, so I didn’t really know what to expect of it.  Once I saw it, I realized that the plot is indeed difficult to describe without spoiling it for those who haven’t seen it.  On the other hand, the covers are open pretty early in the film, so I wouldn’t felt robbed if someone told the truth.

If you don’t want to get any spoilers, stop reading here.  Maybe fast-forward to the last paragraph or so.  For the rest of you – the film is a bit too far fetched conspiracy of the computer going crazy.  It has all the attributes of any other conspiracy film – innocent victims, dictator’s plot for the greater good, lots of secrecy, lots of car chases and shooting, and a few federal agents.  The only difference here is that it’s not a human or an organization, but a supercomputer going nuts.

I think we’ve all seen films with computers going crazy.  These films had their time and place, except maybe for last one, which can still make it through.  I’m talking about the Terminator, of course.  Everything else should die off as an IT legacy.  Three year old kids these days know how to use a computer.  You can find one in absolutely every non-government office which has electricity.  Millions of people are connected to the Internet, have very sophisticated mobile phones, and have seen films about insane computers.  It’s just not working any more.

And I think that’s about the only thing that was bad in this film – the story.  Other than that, it was pretty good.  There are quite a few well-known people.  There are plenty of special effects.  There is enough suspense and drama.  And even something to listen to while everything moves, shoots, thinks, and explodes.

My overall rating is 4 stars.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

I just came back from the premier of the “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen“. After seeing the trailers for this film, my expectations were so high, that I was actually worried if the movie is going to be any close to what I wanted it to be.  I happy to report that all my expectations were bitten down and torn apart.  The real thing was so much better.

Now, I don’t want to spoil it too much for those of you who haven’t seen it, but let me give you this.  There is non-stop action from start to end.  Everything flies, swims, shoots, explodes, collides, and transforms.   There were quite a few things on the scale that I haven’t seen before. Epic!

If I had a hat, it would be off, with all respects to Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg.  And, of course, everyone else who worked on this film.  It was so much worth it!

My rating: 5 stars.  Highly recommended, must see.

P.S.: I don’t know why everyone is so turned on about Megan Fox.  She’s not bad, but I don’t think she’s worth all the hype.  Isabel Lucas (another hot girl in this film) is at least as good. Sometimes even better.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

I’ve heard a few negative reviews of the “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull“, so I wasn’t particularly rushing to see it.  I have the box set DVD collection of all previous Indy films and I’ve seen them a few times by now – they are good, but the age shows.  I like them, but you can’t call me a fan yet.  With that, I went to the movies today.

I have to say that I really enjoyed the film.  It was in exactly the same style as previous ones, but a bit refreshed.  I think it feels exactly like the other ones felt back when they were just released.  However if this film was shown 20 years ago, it would have blown the minds of a much wider audience.

In short, the film has everything it should have had – Spielberg’s directing, Ford’s acting, tonnes of action, a quest for something cool, much greater scale than anybody can imagine, and a few jokes here and there.  Good value for money and not a time waster.

One thing that I particularly liked, how it was done for the PG-13 rating.  There is a lot of action and a lot of people get killed in a lot of different ways, but there is no focus on that.  There is not much blood or suffering.  The scariest of the dead bodies are in bones, all over catacombs full of treasure – something you can’t take away from an adventure movie.  Family-friendly and kids-recommended.

Overall, quality entertainment.  8 out of 10.