I got back from a screening a few hours ago, the 3D was worth it, and the movie is a lot of fun. Some of the action sequences were just jaw dropping. I felt the concept for the story wasn't bad, but actually pretty cool, however I felt Bay's execution of it was off. He had a decent story on his hands, and threw it through mud with his poor pacing. This movie didn't need to be 2 hours and 30 minutes.

The side characters, such as Wheelie, and Brain weren't annoying, and actually did something of use. Which is important to note, as these type of characters were not useful at all in the previous films. Nor was Mikaela Banes, as her role was simply to be eye candy. Carly on the other hand does indeed serve that role, but has an impact on the story. As well, for the first time we see humans in this universe as more than just those who side with the Autobots, or act defensive towards all. No, we've finally been given another real side of humans - those driven by greed, and power. This film isn't like the others. It's darker.

I'm not too sure how I'm dealing with the darker tone, because it is noticeable. Jerry's whole role in the movie is to be a jerk, and then he dies. People die in this movie. Actual characters die in this movie. Ironhide's death actually shocked me, not because it was at Sentinel's hands, but because I never expected him (nor did I expected his body to spontaneously get cosmic rust). The same goes for every Decepticon except Shockwave, since admittedly I expected him to die. Shockwave, Megatron, Soundwave, and Barricade (who makes a surprising appearance despite being MIA in Revenge of the Fallen) are all killed. Part of that is because I'm a huge Transformers nerd, and in other fictions this could happen, but not in this way.

Though there are still faults of the previous films present here. As previously mentioned, the run time is too long. As well, Mirage, and Shockwave barely got dialogue. Nor does the film make it a point to clear up the ends of other character's fate (the Twins died in the adaptation comics, and were in fact dismembered by Shockwave, but those adaptation comics had an ending where Optimus Prime sides a truce with Megatron).

I like this movie, but in ways I've never like a Transformers film. For the first time, I actually cared. Sure, the pacing is bad, the story is poorly told (what's with the really odd fade to blacks Bay? Run out of editing time or something?), which leads it to being stupid, and this won't be changing people's opinion on things. However the action is clear, concise, and at times jaw dropping, the characters actually have some well, character (see Sam's parents actually legitimately caring for their son, rather than just being just a cue for a joke), and it's pure visual splendor to have your childhood dreams of Transformers battles put up on the big screen.

I'm going to have to mull this one over, but I'm not sure I can give you a score on a scale. The action's the best this franchise has seen, and I can imagine myself watching this movie again, and not wanting to blow my brains out (which ROTF sadly has devolved into over the years) but at the same time it feels alien, almost as alien as the Cybertronians themselves.

Starscream dies. Starscream NEVER dies, EVER. He always makes it out of fights, except for in the animated movie. Has anyone noticed that in T1, Starscream did most of the fighting, and came off as more of an antagonist as Megatron, and in two, The Fallen was the antagonist? Now, Sentinel Prime is, and that means that Megatron never really gets the staring role as the villain at the beginning of movies.

Wasn't Shockwave supposed to be the main villian?