Transformers: Dark of the Moon - C4

Shia LaBeouf and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley try to save the day — (Image credit: Photo Robert Zuckerman)

Shia LaBeouf's Sam Witwicky is plunged into another titanic robot war in this fan-pleasing third Transformers movie. 3/5 stars

With director Michael Bay again at the helm, this movie is everything you’d expect - and more. There are bigger explosions, more spectacular special effects - and a new girlfriend for Sam, in the shape of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.

The plot follows much the same path as the earlier films, with Earth’s fate hanging in the balance as the good Autobots and evil Decepticons slug it out, here reducing most of Chicago to rubble.

It’s no doubt overlong, overloud and overly dumb, but the awesome, eye-popping, jaw-dropping action makes up for any deficiencies in the plot department and John Malkovich, Frances McDormand and John Turturro provide classy supporting turns.

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A film critic for over 25 years, Jason admits the job can occasionally be glamorous – sitting on a film festival jury in Portugal; hanging out with Baz Luhrmann at the Chateau Marmont; chatting with Sigourney Weaver about The Archers – but he mostly spends his time in darkened rooms watching films. He’s also written theatre and opera reviews, two guide books on Rome, and competed in a race for Yachting World, whose great wheeze it was to send a seasick film critic to write about his time on the ocean waves. But Jason is happiest on dry land with a classic screwball comedy or Hitchcock thriller.