Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that the third installment in the blockbuster Transformers franchise is less crude than the first sequel but more violent than the original. Tween and teen boys in particular will be interested in seeing this movie, but even younger kids who are familiar with the Hasbro toys may be curious about yet another live-action adaptation. Like all of director Michael Bay's films, there's a constant threat to all the characters -- in fact, humanity in general -- and an accompanying body count to match that sense of peril. Some robot deaths are particularly startling. Language is edgy, with frequent uses of "a--hole," "bitch," and "s--t" and two variations on the F-bomb. This is a dream movie for car, weapon, and military aficionados, but not so much for young girls, since the only three women in the film are stereotypes -¿ the young blond "hottie," the tough older careerist, and the wisecracking middle-aged mom.
Sexual
Content
No outright sex, but every scene Carly is in features her in either underwear (the actress is a famous Victoria's Secret model) or a revealing outfit. She and Sam kiss in bed and several other times. Her entire purpose is to be attractive and have others make comments about her "hotness." Sam's mother makes inappropriate references to sex and even speculates about how "big" he is to have had two gorgeous girlfriends. In one scene, a sexily dressed Latina character is referred to as a "hoochie mama," and her anger is called a "Latin meltdown."
Violence
Incessant loud, explosion-based violence, usually featuring the robotic Transformers and human beings. The evil Transformers don't care about collateral human damage, and they routinely cause mass destruction to buildings, bridges, cars, and even national monuments like the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. There's a high body count, even though the camera never lingers on any human death (it does linger on Transformer deaths, including those of sympathetic secondary characters and one that's particularly gruesome). The military (including the Air Force special ops and Navy SEALs) uses technologically advanced weapons and gear to battle the Transformers that are threatening to turn humans into a slave race.
Language
Surprisingly frequent use of the following words: "a--hole," "bitch," "s--t," "hell," "damn," "crap," "ass," "d--khead," and "oh my God." One mouthed "f--k," and one memorably (and humorously) said "clusterf--k."
Social
Behavior
Despite the requisite underlying themes of friendship and loyalty, there are a couple of shady messages about what it takes to succeed as a woman (be beautiful and sexy) and a few negative stereotypes and jokes.
Consumerism
Not only is the entire series based on Hasbro toys, but there's also an extremely high number of product placements: from cars (General Motors, Mercedes, Corvette, and more) to electronics (Apple computers, iPad, Lenovo desktops) to water (Arrowhead) and apparel (Adidas, Nike, etc.).
Drugs / Tobacco /
Alcohol
At a couple of dinner parties, adults are shown briefly with glasses in hand.
