With more exploding buildings, transforming heavy machinery and weapons of mass destruction than you can poke a stick at, Michael Bay's third instalment of his Transformers franchise exploded on to cinema screens across the globe last week.

Mr Bay isn’t known for his subtlety at the best of times, but given Hasbro’s hit toy and cartoon franchise based around warring alien robots, the Hollywood man of action is in his element giving us one of the most exhilarating blockbuster rides of the year.

This is not a movie you attend to be stimulated by its dramatic moments or characterisation, it’s pure smash and grab popcorn fun.

But despite the plot being as thin as water, the humour low-brow and the women objectified, I’m pretty sure that Bay has achieved what he set out to do – create a fitting end to his Transformers mythology complete with one of the most high-octane action sequences ever in the world of film.

Transformers: Dark Of The Moon picks up a year or so after the last film left off with star Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) finished university and jobless.

The franchise’s female lead in the first two films, Megan Fox, is noticeably missing after an off-set spat with Bay saw her not invited back to round three.

But Sam hasn’t wasted any time finding another bombshell, this time in the shape of the Carly (Victoria’s Secret model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley), who looks suspiciously like Fox with blonde hair and longer legs. From the first close-up of her butt, we know we are in Bay territory, made even more glorious in eye-popping 3D.

Sam can’t find a job and is being supported by his rich and super-intelligent girlfriend – both of which is causing him considerable emotional stress.

Enter an unfolding mystery surrounding the 1969 moon landing by the US (their trip was a cover to investigate a crashed Transformers’ ship), clever cameos by Buzz Aldrin and John Malkovich and the return of the hilarious John Turturro as ex-Secret Service agent Simmons and all is set up to see Optimus, Megatron and their bands of colourful killer robots wreck another American city (this time, it’s Chicago).

I’ll give Bay that he did listen to both fans and critics after the disaster that was Revenge Of The Fallen and has attempted to bring back a bit of the personal magic that made the first film so great.

While the robot/human relationship isn’t as played out as in No.1, it’s much easier to empathise with the big hunks of CGI metal now we can recognise who they are. Unfortunately, he hasn’t pulled it off as well as he did in the original.

Luckily, by the time the film’s nearly hour long final action sequence lands, plot is the last thing on anyone’s mind, as we watch as our alien friends absolutely lay waste to downtown Chicago, with Autobot leader Optimus Prime in full "ass-kick" mode.

Make no mistake – this is one of the greatest action sequences in cinema history and for once, the 3D is every bit as effective as its pundits claim it to be – it really will have you on the edge of your seat.

Bay wasn’t trying to reinvent the wheel with his latest film, simply giving us fanboys what we wanted and providing a fitting close to his trilogy of blockbusters.

If you leave your brain at the door, you are in for one wild ride.

>> Review by Jesse Kuch. Transformers: Dark Of The Moon is at cinemas nationwide now.

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