After months of teasing, casting swaps, and other rumors, "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" came crashing into the box office. Despite director Michael Bay promising that this would be a better experience than the last "Transformers" outing, the film only ranked 36 percent on film review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.

If you want to get technical, that's still better than "Revenge of the Fallen," which only got 20 percent. However, when it came down to brass tacks and box-office receipts, the film was a huge success. "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" opened at a record 2,789 3D locations. According to Box Office Mojo, a whopping 60 percent of that opening weekend take was due to 3D. To date, the film has made over $762 worldwide.

So was it the 3D, the action, or the closure to the trilogy that brought viewers out in full force? Read on for what you can expect from "Transformers: Dark of the Moon."

Here is what Paramount says:

"Shia LaBeouf returns as Sam Witwicky in 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon.' When a mysterious event from Earth's past erupts into the present day it threatens to bring a war to Earth so big that the Transformers alone will not be able to save us."

Here is what critics say:

"The film looks so bright that you need those 3D glasses so as to not hurt your eyes. And frankly, this is a rare case of a director who benefits from being forced (?) to shoot in 3D. Due to having to shoot on 3D film (yay! film!) Michael Bay slows down quite a bit, giving us long, wide and fluid takes which really shows off both the astonishing robot effects work and the exquisite action choreography in play. My only regret is that the press screening was not in IMAX. If you go, splurge for the 3D. If you can, DO see it in IMAX." - Scott Mendelson, The Huffington Post

"Unfortunately, while 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon' had the scrapings of a really good story, this 3D movie was shot with a 2D script ... if you are going to see this movie, go all in and watch it in 3D.  If you are in it for the special effects, this is the best way to experience the film." - Neil Schneider, Meant to be Seen (MTBS)

"As for the aforementioned and oft-talked-about 3D camerawork: 'Dark of the Moon' falls-short of overtaking the must-see theatrical experience of James Cameron's 'Avatar,' but still manages to set a new bar for 3D blockbuster action. At times, the 3D is wasted on static shots of humans talking in an office building; however, when the action starts ramping up, it's easy to see how filmmakers can offer a 3D experience worthy of the added ticket price -- if they know how to use the format deliberately and intelligently, as Bay does." - Ben Kendrick, Screen Rant

[Photos courtesy of Paramount Pictures.]