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Transformers: Dark of the Moon, a review by Dragonfire

I decided to go see Transformers: Dark of the Moon.  Yes the first movies - especially the second one - had major issues.  However, I did still manage to enjoy them overall as mindless action movies.

The plot is still the weak point of the movie, though it may be slightly - very, very, very slightly - better than the plot of the second movie.  The movie is trying to build on things from the first two...but I wonder how close the screenwriters paid attention to what happened before.  Something from this movie doesn't make the most sense because of something that happened in the first movie.  Anyone going into seeing this movie looking for a strong plot is going to be disappointed.  You don't go see this type of movie for the plot.

The action scenes are done well, with some looking really cool.  There is a bit of shaky camera work, though it didn't bother me as much as it has in the first movies.  There are more quick cuts again too, but again, those didn't bother me as much as they have in the previous movies.  Most of the action involves the robots fighting each other ...which is what I expected.  Optimus ends up kicking ass big time, and that was rather cool to see.  The CGI is done well.  The violence isn't too extreme, but the robots seem to be bleeding this time.  A few of them lose some kind of red liquid after getting hurt.  I don't remember anything like that happening in the previous movies.  I did see it in 3D and I think the 3D is done pretty well.  A few sequences look really cool in the 3D. 

The new character Carly - Sam's new girlfriend - is really just there as pure eye candy and she doesn't add a thing to the movie.  She doesn't really fit the story or with Sam as well as Mikaela did.  Yes Mikaela was like 100 times hotter than Sam would ever hope to be, but she did somehow fit with him.  With her background and knowledge of cars, she just fits better than Carly.  Carly starts off working at the British embassy and then ends up working as the curator at a car museum.  At one point she spouts off something technical about a car and it just sounds stupid coming from her.  She is just too.....I don't know...refined or something.  Most of the time she is just standing around trying to look sexy.  Judging by the reaction from some of the men in the theater when I saw the movie, it seems to have worked.  The first time she's shown on camera, it is a shot of her behind, barely covered by her underwear.  If the camera had gotten any closer, Bay could have given her a medical exam.  The character isn't developed and there is no development for her at all.  It really seemed like to me that a few small things were changed in the script to set up Carly, but for the majority of the script, Mikaela's name was just replaced by Carly's.  At one point, she says something that didn't sound right for her, but would have totally fit Mikaela.  I know that Carly was added after production had started, and it is clear that not much time was spent on working the character into the story.  I think it would have worked better if they had just recast the part instead of creating a new character.

The other characters are ok, though they aren't that developed really.  Sam ends up with the most to do.  He does sort of flip out a bit at one point.  The cast is fine, though nothing that stands out to much.

The movie is good for a mindless action movie.  It is entertaining overall.  People that like this type of movie will probably find something to like about the movie.



I did get a review posted on Epinions if anyone wants to take a look.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon



(From Transformers: Dark of the Moon on July 7th, 2011)

Mamma Mia!, a review by Danae Cassandra

Mamma Mia!
2008, USA

Sophie is getting married and wants her father to walk her down the isle.  Except he could be one of three different men. Undeterred, she secretly invites all three to her wedding certain she will know which he is.  What happens when they arrive, when her mother sees them, and when her fiancee finds out?  Based on a Broadway musical filled with the songs of ABBA.

I am the anti-Pete.  I love musicals!  Generally they're sweet, frothy fun - and this one is no exception.  Certainly this one is a bit campier and goofier than usual, but it makes it work.  Amanda Seyfried's general lack of acting skill is masked by the ensemble cast.  Christine Baranski plays a character I've seen her play somewhere before.  Some of the singing is not great - but you're going to do no worse with quite a few other musicals I can think of.  The setting is gorgeous and the film moves quickly from one musical number to another.  It seemed much faster than the nearly two hours it's timed at.  I watched this with five other women and we all had a great time.  I think even the one guy who watched it with us enjoyed it - but he might have stayed because his relationship to his girl is boyfriend, and we were abandoned by the fiancee and the husband of two of the others.  

Not great cinema by any stretch of those words, but if you're a chick who likes musicals it was a lot of fun.  

Overall:  2.75/5

(From Danae's reviews on April 19th, 2011)

"Stargate SG-1" Marathon, a review by DJ Doena

Synopsis: The Odyssey has been heavily damaged by the Lucian Alliance and has been hijacked. SG-1 goes on a search for the ship but also walks into a trap. Now Cameron is the only one remaining and he has to find a way to infiltrate the Alliance in order to save the others.

My Opinion: It was cool how Cameron managed to make them fight against each other. The relationships between the Lucians were well portrayed given the nature of this organization.

Synopsis: Vala and Daniel believe that they've finally found the planet where Merlin's weapon is hidden. But when they arrive they learn that Ba'al has passed through three days ago. Additionally the warriors of the Ori arrive. The only way out is to find the way to the weapon.

My Opinion: While they've been in the village I didn't suspect anything. But as soon as they left I began to mistrust that old man. I also noticed the ring he gave away, yet I couldn't have known what it represented. The riddles were good, although I knew at once that the fire would require a "leap of faith".

Synopsis: The riddles are solved, now they have to face the dragon. But the weapon isn't there - instead they find Merlin. But Adria is closing in on them and time is running out.

My Opinion: I liked the second part, too. But we have seen people who have been in stasis for several millennia or have endured in a sarcophagus. That makes it somewhat illogical that Merlin's stasis chamber couldn't stop the decay, I especially liked the scene where Sam punches Ba'al, that was really cool.

Synopsis: With the help of "Arthur's Mantle" SG-1 tries to hide an entire village from the Ori. But the field collapses and Sam gets heavily wounded. Vala is caught and meets her husband again who has become a brutal commander of the Ori forces.

My Opinion: The interesting part of the episode is the question whether the Prior took matters into his own hands when he intended to destroy the village. His impressive staff couldn't help him to disable the device.
On the other hand that could be a standard rule: if dangerous then destroy it and find an excuse in the "Book of Origin".

(From "Stargate SG-1" Marathon on May 2nd, 2008)