Trailer Breakdown: TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON

As most of you already know, the third installment in the Transformers franchise, subtitled Dark of the Moon, will be crashing into theaters this summer. I for one have been a little bit against the previous two films. Yes, they're both visually spectacular (if a little manic at times), but the acting of a certain lead named Shia LaBeouf has been so horrendously bad that I just haven't been able to get into the films. However, I'll still be seeing the next film because it's such a big-budget summer blockbuster. The most recent trailer has just been released, so I thought I'd break it down a little bit and try to figure out just what we can expect from Dark of the Moon.

So let's get on with the questions that arose while I watched the trailer...

Will there be any amount of brains mixed in with the brawn presented in this film?
I'm sure it's safe to say that there won't be, considering this is a Michael Bay picture. He's more known for his emphasis on wowing the audience with a massive overload of special effects than attempting to craft a legitimate story, but I suppose we can't completely knock it until it comes out. The first movie wasn't horrible, but anyone who saw Revenge of the Fallen will certainly agree that the screenplay wasn't the strongest in the world. I just hope there's enough intelligence infused into this popcorn-muncher to keep us all engaged.

Will the new girl be any better than Megan Fox?
For those of you who don't already know, every guy's favorite eye candy will not be returning for the third installment of the Transformers franchise. In case you hadn't heard, she happened to call Bay a Nazi or something along those lines, so you can imagine why she won't be back. In her stead, they've signed on former Victoria's Secret model and first-time actress Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. I suppose there's a strong enough argument to make for her replacement in terms of looks, but can she deliver a little more in terms of actual acting? I know that Bay doesn't really require much in terms of legitimate acting, but I always like to see the actors actually, you know, act. Seeing as she's the biggest change to the cast, Huntington-Whiteley stands to lose the most with a terrible performance.

Is it just me, or does Shia's level of acting look to be a little better this time around?
Anyone who knows me personally will know that I have very strong feelings against Mr. LaBeouf mostly because he doesn't really know how to act. I've seen him in a number of films, including both Transformers flicks, and my opinion remains steadfast. However, the limited number of appearances of his character in the trailer actually make it look as though he might be upping his personal ante a little bit. I'm not holding my breath, but a stronger performance for LaBeouf could be the push that Dark of the Moon needs to be "good" in my book.

And now for a couple of off-the-wall questions that I thought about while watching the trailer...

The bad Transformers are taking down a skyscraper while Shia's inside. Any bets that he's going to survive?
As I mentioned in my breakdown of Fast Five, every action movie trailer will have an over-the-top action-oriented scene to prove the filmmakers' skill in crafting something original and death-defying. The skyscraper scenes proves to be Dark of the Moon's attempt, and it does look rather interesting. However, it's hard to imagine that anyone could possibly survive something to destructive; on the other hand, it's just as unlikely that they're going to off three of the film's central characters (LaBeouf, Huntington-Whiteley and Tyrese Gibson) in one fell swoop. Let the ridiculousness commence.

Are those two "racist" Autobots from Revenge of the Fallen going to return?
There's no evidence anywhere in this trailer, but the inclusion of Skids and Mudflap in the second film sparked quite a bit of controversy. Many people started to call the film and Michael Bay racist for presenting such characters, so I'd be a little surprised to see them return in this flick. Then again, did they even survive that film? This entire question could be for naught because I simply cannot remember if they even made it at the end.

How many more Transformers movies are they going to make?
By this point, I'm just a little bit sick of these Transformers movies, so I decided to do a little research into finding the answer. Apparently, this will be the final film in Bay's trilogy as he plans to stop making the movies once this one is released. Bay was reported as saying, "As a trilogy, it really ends. It could be rebooted again, but I think it has a really killer ending." That being said, we should see an ultimate conclusion at the end of Dark of the Moon, but considering how much money these movies have made (the first two grossed over $720 million in the United States alone), I wouldn't be surprised if we see another attempt at the franchise somewhere down the road.


Transformers: Dark of the Moon will hit U.S. theaters in 3D on July 1, 2011.