Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon is rolling out in theatres on June 29, 2011, but will it live up to the hype? The first Transformers movie was an enormous hit. Even people who do not like Michael Bay’s blow’em up action style had a pretty enjoyable time watching the first movie. It was clear and had a straightforward story that had nice, subtle comedic tones to it. The following movie did well in the box office, but did not have the story to back up the numbers. Recycling the plot with the Allspark and lacking depth in the characters led to many people feeling angry and unsatisfied when coming out of the theatre. With two Transformers movies finished, and with polarizing outcomes for both, the third and final film will be the wild card of the three.

Michael Bay has had his fair share of criticisms. Some say he is all explosions and no talk. Some say he cuts shots too quickly. No matter what the criticisms he receives, he sticks by his style. Complete with robot monstrosities, big explosions, and a beautiful damsel in distress, it feels like a Michael Bay flick. So, if you hated the last two Transformers, or any other Michael Bay movie, then this movie is not for you.

Speaking of damsels in distress the movie franchise has a new romantic interest replacing Megan Fox. Playing the new female lead is Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, a Victorian Secret’s model turned actor. This is her first movie she has acted in, and it seems like a gamble. Will she have the necessary expertise or feel for acting in movies? In an interview with Access Hollywood, Huntington-Whiteley said she did not know much about Transformers, but Shia LaBeouf had held her hand  through the whole process, answering her various acting and transformer questions.

With the rise of 3D movies, Paramount/DreamWorks wanted Transformers to jump on the bandwagon. Although, Bay believes that 3D movies are gimmicks, he reluctantly agreed. He shot the majority of the movie on James Cameron’s 3D camera (the PACE) on the set of Transformers 3. This is a marvelous thing for 3D fans. When shot on a 3D camera, the images have a better quality to them than when converted to 3D during post-production. This is mainly because when converting to 3D in post-production, it is harder to get a visual for the left eye. So there is a picture for your right eye, but not for your left. Doing this is difficult, so the image quality usually suffers. Shooting with the PACE is an excellent camera to capture 3D. In fact, it is the same camera that James Cameron used to shoot Avatar, so the 3D images will look phenomenal on the big screen.

With many people bashing Micheal Bay’s film style and the risk with having a rookie film actor, Transformers 3 raises a lot of questions. The movie seems to be walking a very fine line between landing flat on its face or its feet. The pros and the cons seem to balance each other out. Having a rookie film actor on set can be a challenge, but with a veteran on set like Shia LaBoeuf helping Huntington-Whiteley every step of the way it may turn out well. This goes for the visuals as well. Even with Bay’s over the top explosions and effects, the 3D will look extremely crisp if done right. What it comes down to is that the movie will have exciting energy and enticing effects, but will the story be powerful enough to pluck the audience’s heartstrings?

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About the author

Peter Yannantuono