Dear Reader: Update, Movie Review Intelligence will
continue publishing this website through June (more...)
Search a Movie:
TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOONMovie Reviews
Science fiction action fantasy about a mysterious event from Earth's past that erupts into the present day, threatening to start a war so big that the Transformers alone may not be able to save the planet. Cast:Shia LaBeouf, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, John Turturro, John Malkovich, Peter Cullen, Rosie Huntington-WhiteleyDirector:Michael BayRelease Date:June 29, 2011DVD Release:September 30, 2011From:ParamountRating:PG-13Length:1 hr 39 minIn 3D
SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Fair Reviews, Mixed
Transformers: Dark of the Moon played to fair reviews. Reviews were mixed. • Roger Ebert wrote in the Chicago Sun-Times, "...an incoherent plot, wooden characters and inane dialog. It provided me with one of the more unpleasant experiences I've had at the movies." • And Tom Long wrote in the Detroit News, "...overheated, delirious, technically amazing and just big dumb fun. Multiplex heaven." More Reviews Below...
Transformers: Dark of the Moon Positive Reviews (49 Reviews, reviews below)
Tom Gliatto, People: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...chugs along, spitting out parts, adding up to a tiresomely epic 2 1/2 hours.... at least it has an enjoyably sustained climax..."(See all of Tom Gliatto's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 99 words, 06/30/11
David Germain, Associated Press: WEAK(cg) "...wearisome... it all flies by in such frenzy that it remains a challenge to figure out who's who, which robot is which, and what machines you should be rooting for."(See all of David Germain's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,050 words, 06/28/11
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: VERY GOOD(cg) "...the newest, longest, and 3-Deeziest of extravaganzas... Bay makes his best, most flexible use yet of all the flamboyant bigness at his command..."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 230 words, 07/01/11
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: POOR(cg) "...high on any list of the worst blockbusters ever... a movie bereft of wit, wonder, imagination, and any genuine reason for being."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 707 words, 07/01/11
Claudia Puig, USA Today: MODERATE(cg) "...stinting on story, dialogue or character development, Bay leaves us with little more than destruction and a hollow, clanking spectacle."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 554 words, 06/29/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: POOR(cg) "...a visually ugly film with an incoherent plot, wooden characters and inane dialog. It provided me with one of the more unpleasant experiences I've had at the movies."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 865 words, 06/28/11
Glenn Kenny, MSN Movies: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...contains something like a half-dozen incredibly spectacular, and surprisingly enough, relatively coherent, action/suspense/blowing-stuff-up scenes..."(See all of Glenn Kenny's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 954 words, 06/28/11
get our iPhone app... or get our mobile web app...
movie review intelligence
NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (13 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD "...one of the few recent 3-D movies that justify the upcharge.... Nothing you see makes any sense at all, but the sensations are undeniable..."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,061 words, 06/29/11
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: POOR(cg) "Bay misses every opportunity to make something interesting out of his characters... it's often hard to tell who we're supposed to be rooting for."(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 504 words, 06/29/11
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: MODERATE "...the franchise remains as much an endurance test as a movie, but at least a better Bay has delivered a leaner, meaner, cleaner 3-D rage against the machines."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 788 words, 06/29/11
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: POOR(cg) "...a cunning combination of a brain-dead script, lousy 3-D, ADD-addled edits, a pneumatic underwear model and a lot of things blowing up very, very loudly."(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 755 words, 06/29/11
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: WEAK(cg) "...if Bay had any sense of honest thrill-making, it'd be honestly thrilling. He doesn't. He's merely relentless, working on your nerves in a purely clinical way..."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,093 words, 06/29/11
Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: POOR(cg) "Where the previous films were the equivalent of a cap gun, the new film resembles the kind of toy Kalishnikov that looks so creepy when put into a pair of little hands."(See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 279 words, 06/29/11
David Edelstein, New York Magazine: OUTSTANDING "...colossal, stupendous, ridiculously amazing, with a balls-to-the-walls climax in a devastated Chicago that's like 'War of the Worlds' on steroids.... visionary filmmaking..."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,390 words, 06/29/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: POOR(cg) "...a visually ugly film with an incoherent plot, wooden characters and inane dialog. It provided me with one of the more unpleasant experiences I've had at the movies."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 865 words, 06/28/11
Dan Kois, Village Voice/LA Weekly: FAIR "...for all Bay's blowhard douchebagginess, he's a masterful maker of images.... The plot? Come on, are you really going to do this to me?"(See all of Dan Kois's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 802 words, 06/29/11
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...ludicrously connects the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing with 'Transformers' lore... but at least it's a conspiracy theory we can follow."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 923 words, 06/29/11
Liam Lacey, Toronto Globe & Mail: MODERATE(cg) "...another hefty slice of mayhem from director Michael Bay.... it can feel exhilarating, but the relentlessness is exhausting."(See all of Liam Lacey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 593 words, 06/29/11
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...this time around, it's mostly not stupid. The action sequences are impressively assembled... this 'Transformers' movie gets laughs on purpose..."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 299 words, 06/30/11
KEY CITIES (14 Reviews)
Mark Jenkins, Washington Post: MODERATE(cg) "Rather than streamline the vehicle, director Michael Bay and his team have dumped more nuts, bolts and carburetors on the pile."(See all of Mark Jenkins's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 788 words, 06/29/11
Tirdad Derakhshani, Philadelphia Inquirer: WEAK(cg) "...leaves you with something akin to post-traumatic stress disorder.... as bad as the action sequences are, Bay fails spectacularly when he goes for pathos."(See all of Tirdad Derakhshani's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 608 words, 06/29/11
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "The funniest, best-executed film in the talking, bleeding, Earth-protecting robots-that-look-like-cars-and-trucks series... delivers the popcorn in gigantic fist-fulls of fun..."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 629 words, 06/29/11
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: WEAK(cg) "...obnoxious... Bay's approach is to make the robots bigger, the explosions explodier and crank up the soundtrack until your skull goes numb."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 685 words, 06/29/11
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: MODERATE(cg) "...it's nearly impossible to tell who's who, or what's what. Which makes it hard to care who wins; you just sit on the sidelines and wait for them to sort things out..."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 710 words, 06/29/11
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: MODERATE(cg) "Bay is such a little boy's director. You know he picked Chicago because it's the one with the best rock-'em-sock-'em street names. Wacker! Wabash!"(See all of Wesley Morris's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 647 words, 06/29/11
Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: WEAK(cg) "The characters (particularly Sam's loathsome parents) are terribly drawn, the jokes are awful and the story lurches from climax to climax."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 578 words, 06/29/11
Amy Biancolli, San Francisco Chronicle: MODERATE(cg) "...even longer, even louder, even more ridiculous, fries even more synapses, includes roughly 87,531 more explosions... The effects are sensational..."(See all of Amy Biancolli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 462 words, 06/29/11
Ted Fry, Seattle Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...genuinely impressive technical feats and the adequately engaging story... this time it's possible to understand what's happening..."(See all of Ted Fry's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 523 words, 06/29/11
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "I found myself intermittently entertained... it is brisk and eye-catching, it builds to a truly impressive action set piece, and it's the most fully-realized 3D film since 'Avatar.' "(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,022 words, 06/29/11
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: MODERATE(cg) "Bay is so indifferent to human suffering that he doesn't even bother to depict it.... one small step for action movies, one giant leap into the abyss of mindlessness."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 383 words, 06/29/11
Steve Persall, St. Petersburg Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "It's like Bay throwing down the gauntlet to James Cameron and Roland Emmerich, saying: 'Beat this.' I don't doubt that they will try."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 507 words, 06/29/11
Tom Long, Detroit News: VERY GOOD(cg) "...every bit the popcorn extravaganza it's supposed to be -- overheated, delirious, technically amazing and just big dumb fun. Multiplex heaven."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 568 words, 06/29/11
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: MODERATE(cg) "...boggles the eyes and muddles the brain.... has to be the most action-intensive movie in Hollywood history.... But, oh, what a hollow experience..."(See all of Rene Rodriguez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 963 words, 06/29/11
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (10 Reviews)
Dan Kois, Village Voice/LA Weekly: FAIR "...for all Bay's blowhard douchebagginess, he's a masterful maker of images.... The plot? Come on, are you really going to do this to me?"(See all of Dan Kois's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 802 words, 06/29/11
Josh Tyler, Cinema Blend: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Sure it's far too long, a little exhausting, and it doesn't really seem to contain any actual characters let alone a story... I think I'm almost alright with that..."(See all of Josh Tyler's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,127 words, 06/28/11
Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "With funny bits from John Malkovich, Frances McDormand, and Ken Jeong providing relief from the robotic fulminations, this sequel is a little more than meets the eye."(See all of Peter Keough's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 163 words, 06/30/11
Tasha Robinson, AV Club: MODERATE(cg) "Has Bay actually been listening to his detractors? As difficult as that is to believe, his third 'Transformers' movie suggests he's taken some of the backlash to heart."(See all of Tasha Robinson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 374 words, 06/29/11
Stephanie Zacharek, Movieline: VERY GOOD(cg) "Bay doesn't care about your soul, he just wants your money -- but he at least makes sure you go home feeling exhausted and spent rather than vaguely dissatisfied."(See all of Stephanie Zacharek's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,366 words, 06/28/11
Jaime N. Christley, Slant: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...the most enjoyable and the most offensive parts (often the same scenes and sequences) extend from the mind of a man with a very particular visual sense."(See all of Jaime N. Christley's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 975 words, 06/28/11
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...this time around, it's mostly not stupid. The action sequences are impressively assembled... this 'Transformers' movie gets laughs on purpose..."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 299 words, 06/30/11
Curt Holman, Atlanta Creative Loafing: WEAK(cg) "(If you like dumb movies): Holy crap, the explosions and robot fights and flying stuff is soooo awesome!... (If you want smart movies):... garish and vulgar..."(See all of Curt Holman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 826 words, 06/29/11
John Anderson, Wall Street Journal: POOR "...there is no suspension of disbelief. Hence no emotional engagement. Hence, boredom. At 157 minutes, it isn't just a movie. It's a sentence."(See all of John Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 658 words, 07/01/11
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD "...one of the few recent 3-D movies that justify the upcharge.... Nothing you see makes any sense at all, but the sensations are undeniable..."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,061 words, 06/29/11
Anthony Lane, New Yorker: WEAK "Bay has long since abandoned any interest in sequence or consequence; at one point, for no discernible reason, we encounter herds of elephants and zebras..."(See all of Anthony Lane's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 495 words, 07/04/11
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: MODERATE "...the franchise remains as much an endurance test as a movie, but at least a better Bay has delivered a leaner, meaner, cleaner 3-D rage against the machines."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 788 words, 06/29/11
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon: MODERATE "...too much in every direction -- too much action, too much plot, too much noise, too much destruction... It's a great and terrible film, in identical proportions..."(See all of Andrew O'Hehir's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,369 words, 06/28/11
MOVIE INDUSTRY (6 Reviews)
Justin Chang, Daily Variety: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...a live-action cartoon, more a delivery mechanism for testosterone and axle grease than a satisfying dramatic experience."(See all of Justin Chang's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 838 words, 06/27/11
Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter: WEAK "The millions of man-hours put into producing this techno shock and awe must be staggering. Everyone got his job done but somewhere along the way the film got lost."(See all of Kirk Honeycutt's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 954 words, 06/27/11
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: MODERATE "...the franchise remains as much an endurance test as a movie, but at least a better Bay has delivered a leaner, meaner, cleaner 3-D rage against the machines."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 788 words, 06/29/11
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: MODERATE(cg) "...a machine of a movie... the special effects and huge robots not only overwhelm the slender plot and human characters, but almost crash them to the ground."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 725 words, 06/28/11
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD "...one of the few recent 3-D movies that justify the upcharge.... Nothing you see makes any sense at all, but the sensations are undeniable..."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,061 words, 06/29/11
John Anderson, Wall Street Journal: POOR "...there is no suspension of disbelief. Hence no emotional engagement. Hence, boredom. At 157 minutes, it isn't just a movie. It's a sentence."(See all of John Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 658 words, 07/01/11
22.9 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Transformers: Dark of the Moon's reviews are separated by an average 22.9 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon (49 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Transformers: Dark of the Moon's reviews cover 90.3% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 36,562 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 746 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Transformers: Dark of the Moon Coverage, Volume & Length (49 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 17.4 Hours After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Transformers: Dark of the Moon's reviews on average broke 17.4 hours after opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Transformers: Dark of the Moon's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon (49 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
Mobile Web App version 1.2 shows a list of all current movies and review information. You can click through to the cast, director, synopsis, release date and rating on page two, plus individual reviews on page three. The information is updated on a live/real-time basis. You can also search our database of films. Designed for when you're on the move and want the latest info, this app will work on any mobile web browser. From your mobile device -- only from a mobile device -- open our Mobile Web App here...
