‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’ teaser trailer

Let’s be honest, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen was an awful movie. There seems to be a requisite amount of shark jumping required of sequels of popular Hollywood film franchises, which include (but are not limited to) The Matrix Series, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the Star Wars Prequels. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen was not immune to this unfortunately. The film played like one big action scene—so much so that the action itself and the imminent danger it put the characters in completely lost its dramatic tension. 

After a while I found myself yawning and wondering if Shia LaBeouf’s character might die so I could be spared from hearing anymore of his horribly written, cheesily delivered one-liners. I mean, seriously, that guy is like the albatross of Hollywood film franchises (see Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull). Of course I’m not blaming him for the downfall of these films (I’m looking at you Mr. Bay, Mr. Spielberg, and Mr. Lucas). It just seems like hiring him is tantamount to calling the harbinger of doom down upon your formerly successful movie franchise.

I digress.

The point is, I was not looking forward to the third Transfomers movie. Besides a few minor design gripes I had about the first film (Transformers), I thought it was a pretty damned good action movie. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, however, soured my expectations for the whole kit and caboodle. But after watching the teaser for the upcoming third film in the series, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, I have to say that my interest in Shia and Optimus’ further adventures is running once again at near full capacity. The teaser is just that good, folks. Watch and see.

I had to wonder to myself, though, as I watched what things might have been like if the first film had used this angle. And then I couldn’t help but imagine how cool it would be if someone used this storyline for a straight up science fiction film that could explore the fascinating and myriad conspiracies surrounding these lunar missions. (Check out the film Hoagland’s Mars if you’re interested in this sort of thing. Go ahead and click the link, wacko. You know you want to.)

Well, folks, as it turns out some other people thought the idea was cool too. And in typical Hollywood fashion there are currently two films in pre-production that are based on the aliens-on-the-lunar-surface premise. 

Apollo 18 treats the moon mission (which was canceled in real life) as something that actually happened in secret. According to the official website “There’s a reason we’ve never gone back to the moon.” I’m guessing from the tag line and the teaser poster that we’re in store for another silly, horror/sci-fi movie. Which does nothing to excite me about the film. Oh well. Next?

Dark Moon (cheeky name, eh?) essentially follows the same storyline from what I can gather, but there’s really very little official information out there to go on at this point. I’ll cross my fingers, but I’m stopping short of holding my breath.

Rumor has it that both films will employ a mockumentary style, which leads me to believe the advertising and marketing will follow the Paranormal Activity, Blair Witch mode of attempting to fool the public into believing the canceled Apollo 18 mission actually took place and that the American public has been lied to for 40 years. 

Swell. I love mockumentaries. (insert sarcastic face).

What did you think about the teaser for Transformers: Dark of the Moon? Tell us in the comments section below.

Kirk out.