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'Transformers: Dark Of The Moon' Reviews: An 'Overwhelming' Experience

Posted 6/29/11 7:43 am EST by in Reviews


TransformersFROM MTV MOVIES: As even Michael Bay has admitted, "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" had almost nowhere to go but up after the writers' strike-affected, audience-alienating previous installment.

And insofar as Bay and company had something to prove — and to improve — this time around, they've succeeded. While "Dark of the Moon" isn't currently the highest rated film in the franchise, according to the Rotten Tomatoes review aggregator, the general consensus among critics is that the new 3-D flick is best of the "Transformers" bunch.

That's not to suggest reviews have been universally positive; many have been as brutal to the film as the film's robots have been to certain American cities. Reviewers have taken issue with poor plotting, weak characters and brain-scrambling action set pieces. But then there are a slew of reviewers utterly onboard with what Bay has created, celebrating some of the finest 3-D visuals since "Avatar" and a story that is the most fully fleshed out of the series. For those opinions and others, take a deep dive into the "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" reviews.

The Story
"A sweet prologue (marred only by a phony-looking digital JFK) recounts the war for Cybertron and the real reason behind the U.S.-Soviet space race of the 1960s. Cut to the present where Sam Witwicky (LaBeouf) struggles to find his first post-college job, while the Autobots led by Optimus Prime and the U.S. military's NEST team led by Lt. Col. Lennox (Josh Duhamel) work in tandem to take out the remaining Decepticons around the world. However, the evil 'bots eventually get the upper hand and begin an invasion to conquer the Earth with Chicago as Ground Zero in this final war between the Autobots/humans and Decepticons. There's more going on, but for the sake of spoilers we'll keep it at that. Transformers: Dark of the Moon definitely has more of a plot than either of its predecessors. There are genuine stakes this time." — Jim Vejvoda, IGN

Read the full story at MTV Movies!

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Harry Potter World Cup: Dumbledore Vs. Ollivander

Posted 6/28/11 5:00 pm EST by in News, Poll


Harry PotterWelcome to MTV's Harry Potter World Cup! We've selected 64 of the best "Harry Potter" characters and matched them up in a series of duels for a chance at magical glory, but it's up to YOU to decide who the greatest "Potter" character of all time is in this pool of wizards and witches. Will the Death Eaters destroy Hogwarts, or will good triumph over evil? In the end, the choice is yours, so keep voting at MTV Movies Blog and make your voice heard!

We were this close to seeing another historic duel between longtime rivals Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald, but the second-greatest dark wizard of all time proved no match for wand master Ollivander by the end of the Harry Potter World Cup's first round. With one victory already under his belt, can Ollivander pull off another upset to defeat the beloved Hogwarts headmaster in this second round of the Godric's Hollow division?

Voting for all second round match-ups will close on Friday, July 1 at 12:01 AM EST, so make sure to start voting now. You can follow all of the duels right here. Check back tomorrow for the next round of matches from the Hogsmeade division!

(2) Albus Dumbledore vs. (10) Mr. Ollivander
There's no question that Ollivander knows his way around a wand, but when it comes to spell-casting and wizarding accomplishments, he pales in comparison to the esteemed Professor Dumbledore. Simply put, Albus is one of, if not the greatest wizard the world has ever seen. Combine his natural skill set with his popularity in the "Potter" fan community and the outcome seems predetermined. Then again, I would have thought the same of Gellert Grindelwald last round. Ollivander could have some surprises up his sleeve...

Having trouble deciding? Consult our Harry Potter World Cup experts from MuggleNet, The Leaky Cauldron, DanRadcliffe.com, RupertGrint.net and MTV News for their insight!

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'Game Of Thrones': Season Two Dream Casting

Posted 6/28/11 3:45 pm EST by in Casting Call, Commentary


Game of Thrones"Game of Thrones" season two casting has already begun — "Tudors" veteran Natalie Dormer has won the increasingly important role of Margaery Tyrell already, if you hadn't heard — which means we're rapidly running out of time to come up with our own dream casting.

MTV News' very own dragon with three heads — aka "Thrones" fanatics Terri Schwartz, Kara Warner and Josh Wigler — joined forces to put their casting wish list together for the next season of HBO's hit fantasy series, based on author George R.R. Martin's second novel, "A Clash With Kings." Let us know what you think of our picks in the comments section and on Twitter!

Game of ThronesChristopher Eccleston as Stannis Baratheon
Why not go with the rumors on this one? The "Doctor Who" veteran is currently rumored to play one of the five kings clashing over the Iron Throne of Westeros, and frankly, he couldn't be any more perfect. He's got the right look — tall, brooding and deadly — with the exact same attitude to back up his physical presence. If Eccleston is willing to commit to a whole lot of "Thrones" action, we'd be lucky to have him. -Josh Wigler

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'Sucker Punch' Exclusive: Emily Browning's Samurai Showdown

Posted 6/28/11 3:00 pm EST by in DVD


Between the breathtaking battles of "300" to the stunning superheroics of "Watchmen" (and, one has to imagine, his upcoming flight with "Superman"), there's very little debate that Zack Snyder knows his way around a fight scene. Perhaps that fact has never been more clear than in "Sucker Punch," his surrealist action thriller about a psychiatric patient who dives into a combat-driven fantasy world in an effort to escape the horrors of her reality.

Throughout "Sucker Punch," leading lady Emily Browning and her harem of heroines go toe-to-toe against some truly grisly bad guys. But perhaps Browning's most fearsome foes are the 10-foot tall Samurai cyborgs that bring all of their firepower to bear upon the comparably miniature young woman, armed with only a sword and a handgun to defend herself. It's an adrenaline-pumping, pulse-pounding sequence that never lets up for a minute — and now, thanks to an exclusive clip from the "Sucker Punch" Blu-ray, Snyder himself is here to take you through the anatomy of that Samurai showdown. Click the video below and watch for yourself.

"Sucker Punch" arrives on DVD and Blu-ray today (June 28).

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Harry Potter World Cup: Lupin Vs. Hedwig

Posted 6/28/11 2:30 pm EST by in News, Poll


Harry PotterWelcome to MTV's Harry Potter World Cup! We've selected 64 of the best "Harry Potter" characters and matched them up in a series of duels for a chance at magical glory, but it's up to YOU to decide who the greatest "Potter" character of all time is in this pool of wizards and witches. Will the Death Eaters destroy Hogwarts, or will good triumph over evil? In the end, the choice is yours, so keep voting at MTV Movies Blog and make your voice heard!

As Remus Lupin always says, chocolate makes things better. But chocolate won't help him in his next match in the Godric's Hollow division, where he finds himself dueling against Hedwig, the beloved pet owl of Harry Potter himself. Make no mistake: the former Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher — who, as I already confessed, is my personal favorite character — has a deceivingly difficult opponent standing between him and the World Cup right here in round two.

Voting for all second round match-ups will close on Friday, July 1 at 12:01 AM EST, so make sure to start voting now. You can follow all of the duels right here.

(3) Remus Lupin vs. (6) Hedwig
How can a werewolf lose to an owl, you ask? Well, when you have a creature as cunning and adored as Hedwig, it's actually easier than you think. Hedwig had no trouble destroying Gryffindor wizard-in-training Seamus Finnigan in round one, but then again, Seamus is no Remus Lupin. The longtime member of the Order is as capable as they come, and one could argue that he has just as many fans as Hedwig does. Even still, it's no easy task choosing between these two — consider this one of the most contentious round two matches of them all.

Having trouble deciding? Consult our Harry Potter World Cup experts from MuggleNet, The Leaky Cauldron, DanRadcliffe.com, RupertGrint.net and MTV News for their insight!

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Guillermo Del Toro Confirms 'Pacific Rim' Role For Charlie Day

Posted 6/28/11 1:15 pm EST by in Interviews, News, Video


Anytime Guillermo Del Toro's name is attached to anything, there is cause for excitement. A) We love his work and B) he's such a warm, lovable human being that it is impossible NOT to love him to pieces. So what we know about his next directorial venture, "Pacific Rim," is that it's a monster movie, but not "Godzilla"-esque. There are also a lot of fun people in it: "Sons of Anarchy" star Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba and, as was confirmed by Del Toro, "Always Sunny" star Charlie Day.

When we caught up with the delightful man during the press day for "Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark," which he produced, we asked him what appealed to him most about the project and what kind of character Day will be playing.

"The same thing that appeals to me about most of my projects, monsters, creatures," Del Toro said. "It's literally, I love sophisticated food, I love caviar and this and that, but I also love Twinkies," he said, comparing his tastes in filmmaking to his tastes in food. "It's like I stepped into a room full of Twinkies [with this movie], you can hear the song and my face brightening up, a love moment," he explained.

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'Transformers: Dark Of The Moon' Is The End For Shia LaBeouf

Posted 6/28/11 12:27 pm EST by in Interviews, Video


"Transformers: Dark of the Moon" may or may not be the end of the "Transformers" franchise on the big-screen — I'm betting on "may not," for what it's worth — but it's definitely the end for Sam Witwicky.

Like Michael Bay before him, Shia LaBeouf has long said that he's not likely to return to the "Transformers" series following the third installment, which hits theaters tonight (June 28) at 9:00 PM. And when we caught up with the star at the movie's Moscow premiere last week, he reaffirmed that statement — with a surprising twist.

"I'm done with this acting thing in fifteen years. I'll be going into produce," he joked. "I think that's the future, really."

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Harry Potter World Cup: George Vs. Ginny

Posted 6/28/11 12:00 pm EST by in News, Poll


Harry PotterWelcome to MTV's Harry Potter World Cup! We've selected 64 of the best "Harry Potter" characters and matched them up in a series of duels for a chance at magical glory, but it's up to YOU to decide who the greatest "Potter" character of all time is in this pool of wizards and witches. Will the Death Eaters destroy Hogwarts, or will good triumph over evil? In the end, the choice is yours, so keep voting at MTV Movies Blog and make your voice heard!

The Godric's Hollow division of the Harry Potter World Cup just gets harder and harder with every subsequent duel. This isn't the first (or the last) time we've seen two Weasleys going up against each other… but Ginny versus George? How do you choose between Harry's girlfriend and one of the Weasley twins? You don't have a lot of time to decide, so better start figuring it out!

Voting for all second round match-ups will close on Friday, July 1 at 12:01 AM EST, so make sure to start voting now. You can follow all of the duels right here.

(4) George Weasley vs. (5) Ginny Weasley
For the second time in the Harry Potter World Cup, it's Weasley versus Weasley. But this isn't as easy as Arthur versus Percy — these are both beloved characters we're talking about here. There's a lot of love between George and Ginny, but both brother and sister know that only one of them can take home the World Cup. Now the choice is yours… which Weasley makes it to the Sweet 16?

Having trouble deciding? Consult our Harry Potter World Cup experts from MuggleNet, The Leaky Cauldron, DanRadcliffe.com, RupertGrint.net and MTV News for their insight!

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RZA Goes 'Joe,' Leonaro DiCaprio & Beyonce Give Birth To A 'Star'

Posted 6/28/11 11:15 am EST by in Casting Call


G.I. Joe"G.I. Joe" fans, it's official: you're about to get rocked.

A sequel to "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" is currently in the works with "Never Say Never" director Jon M. Chu behind the camera, and while Channing Tatum and Ray Park are already more or less confirmed for a return, there are some notable new names in the mix as well. For one, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has confirmed that he'll be in the flick.

Additionally, THR reports that RZA and D.J. Cotrona are in negotiations to join "Cobra Strikes" as Blind Master (Snake-Eyes' former trainer) and fan-favorite Flint, respectively. Elodie Yung was previously cast as the Joe ninja Jinx.

There's plenty more casting news after the jump, including word of a potential Leonardo DiCaprio-Beyonce team-up (what??) and some new "Game of Thrones" rumors.

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'Transformers: Dark Of The Moon' Has Loads Of Energon And... Frances McDormand?

Posted 6/28/11 10:16 am EST by in Commentary


TransformersOf all the surprises that "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" has in store for moviegoers, there's perhaps no greater surprise than this: the blockbuster-to-be has attracted the likes of Oscar-winner Frances McDormand.

Yes, the woman whose diverse and staggeringly impressive resume which includes "Almost Famous," "Mississippi Burning," "Blood Simple" and, of course, "Fargo," will be appearing alongside Autobots, Decepticons and super-models in the third installment of Michael Bay's action-packed "Transformers" franchise. To say it's a bit of a departure (though, to be fair, the 54-year-old was in 2005's "Aeon Flux") is a bit of an understatement, but McDormand is hardly the first respected actor to appear in a popcorn flick.

As we countdown to the latest "Transformers" which features none other than Mrs. Joel Coen herself, we look back at five other top-tier actors and their surprising transitions to mainstream movies.

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