MOVIE REVIEW

If there's one thing director Michael Bay has constantly been criticized for, it's his tendency (or lack thereof) to develop characters and a deep story in his films.

His first live-action "Transformers" movie, an adaptation of the classic Hasbro toy line and cartoon, garnered attention as one of the most visually appealing science-fiction movies of its time. However, its sequel, the 2009 flick "Revenge of the Fallen," was panned by critics and even some of the production's own cast members — mostly because of a lackluster plot surrounded by an overload of special effects. Bay's third and likely final installment of the series, June's "Transformers: Dark of the Moon," is by no means a perfect ending to what's been quite an illustrious trilogy. However, it is clearly a fun summer blockbuster — one that moviegoers can simply sit back and enjoy, especially those who are looking for somewhat of a redemption after the second part of the series.

It's hard to argue that "Dark of the Moon" is as good as the 2007 original, which at least received some acclaim from noteworthy media outlets and is widely regarded as one of Bay's best feature films, but there's simply no question the third piece tops its predecessor.

As a big fan of the series opener, which I believe maintained a decent storyline alongside some of the most advanced and engaging visual scenes of the decade, I went to the sequel with high expectations, but came away disappointed, almost sickened by the excessive use of crude humor and silly plot details. This year's addition to the series does a good job of erasing such memories, however, and "Dark of the Moon" is pretty close to the original when it comes to the pure enjoyment aspect of the movie. Many fans of the classic story or the live-action series are understandably going to see the third film with questionable hopes, but Bay does enough to satisfy.

The movie introduces an untold backstory, further detailing the war of Autobot and Decepticon robots and putting a twist on historical events by recreating America's outer space endeavors with a hidden discovery on the moon. Meanwhile, Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf), who's been close to the Autobots since the first movie and continues to lead the series with his admirable element of human representation, is struggling to land a post-college job despite his previous efforts to help the government. Tagging alongside Witwicky is former Victoria's Secret model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, who is used mostly as a visually attractive replacement for Megan Fox and does a decent job playing Witwicky's new girlfriend, Carly.

In the midst of Witwicky's personal issues, Autobot leader Optimus Prime (voiced again by Peter Cullen) works with Col. Lennox (Josh Duhamel) and the rest of the military's NEST squad to eliminate the remaining Decepticons on Earth. Along the way, Optimus' predecessor attempts to restore order, while an invasion leads to a final battle between the human-aided Autobots and the rising Decepticons.

There are a number of other corresponding plot points featured in "Dark of the Moon," including the revelation of a secret weapon at a location indicated by the movie's title. Patrick Dempsey plays an important role as Carly's suspicious boss, and Frances McDormand adds a touch of seriousness to the government's involvement as the country's national intelligence director.

Megatron, the well-known archenemy of Optimus Prime, returns in a smaller, yet noticeable, role with the voice of Hugo Weaving, while plenty of other familiar characters, including Agent Seymour Simmons (John Turturro) and former Air Force chief Robert Epps (Tyrese Gibson) contribute to the action. Witwicky's fictional parents and actors John Malkovich, Ken Jeong and Alan Tudyk are among those who appear for comedic relief as minor characters.

The plot in the third film of the "Transformers" series is, well, doable. The primary antagonist, whom I won't mention for the sake of those who have yet to see "Dark of the Moon," has a scheme that isn't anything mind-blowing; the premise isn't too thrilling despite its grandiose nature, but it's a step above the quickly thrown-together story of "Revenge of the Fallen."

While the movie opens with intensity and keeps you involved with a great mixture of mystery, action and well-planned humor, the middle of the film gets somewhat dry. The run time of 154 minutes doesn't seem so bad for a trilogy-ending, high-budget production, but one of the main flaws of the third part is the evident sense of a lagging story.

When you really focus on the action-packed battles that Bay throws into the mix, there's also an odd feeling — almost a lack of emotion, where viewers don't seem to be pulled into the story enough to truly care about the fate of certain characters. Fortunately, the climatic showdown to close out the movie doesn't fail to deliver. To put it simply, the last 45 minutes or so are an utterly impressive display of suspense, adventure and ridiculously realistic special effects/computer animation. The finale is somewhat similar to the conclusion of the first film in the series, but with about 10 times the vivacity.

If you go into "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" with an extreme opposition to Bay and the way he handled "Revenge of the Fallen," I honestly believe you'll come away with a list of flaws and noteworthy problems the movie had, because there are, in fact, some problems. But if you approach it as the thrilling, action-packed summer blockbuster it's supposed to be, there's no reason you shouldn't walk away satisfied. Gear up for a long ride, because the film can become tediously lengthy at times, but don't expect more of the same from Bay. This third film has the feel of the first movie and recaptures the enjoyable blend of action, visual effects, and a friendly storyline that result in a solid end to a financially successful franchise.