Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon (2011)

Okay, two things, Rosie Huntington Whitley was not a step up from Megan Fox in either the acting or looks department, and how awesome is it that Buzz Aldrin is played by Buzz freakin' Aldrin? So I guess that makes casting kind of hit and miss on this one. Well, actually more hit than miss. John Malkovich and Frances McDormand are great in everything they do, whether or not it itself is great. Alan Tudyk and Ken Jeong are two great comedic character actors who are not afraid too like total idiots to get the job done, and they both do some of that in this movie, especially Jeong. Plus, you've got all the returning characters, whom aside from LaBeouf have a smaller role this time out, but deliver none the less.
I want to not like this movie. I want to be pissed at Michael Bay for being such a prick and ruining my childhood memories of the Transformers. But, I keep finding that I do like this movie, and regardless of how I feel about Bay and his style of movie-making, that it is perfect for the Transformers. Let's face it, the first time out of the gate, I was into the movie for the story as much as the giant robots. Second time out, not so much. Third time out, as long as they have something I can follow, it's all good. And that's pretty much how I feel about the cartoons as well. They do all these ridiculous things in the movies that are nowhere near as outlandish as the cartoon. Thank god they haven't resorted to using energon cubes yet.
I was one of those kids who was a comic book nerd and read Transformers from that first four issue limited series up at least until the mid-60s. There were lots of great stories, and things were never as easy for the Autobots as they were in the cartoon. Characters died. Story arcs were working over the course of a half year or more. And then, just like with the cartoon, it seemed that each new episode was all about featuring whatever new toy was coming out that month and even I, with my encyclopedic knowledge of the Transformers and excellent memory for names and (comic book) faces could not keep up or keep it straight. But, in this movie that is not so much of an issue. There are only a couple of new Autobots, and really only a couple of new Decepticons that get named, but tons whom we never learn the name of, nor do we see transform.
I wonder what they are doing in the fourth movie? What are some of the things from comics/cartoon that we haven't seen yet? Well, we've got the whole dinobots thing. I hope that's not it. We have Unicron and a whole slew of new 'soldiers' on both side which replace the old characters. We've not yet seen the Headmasters or Powermasters and I hope it remains that way. We haave the Transformers vs. G. I. Joe. With Cybertron now destroyed, we're unlikely to see another wave of baddies (or goodies) coming from there to reinforce their earthbound comrades. I don't know if the whole Unicron thing happened in the comic or just in the cartoon. Maybe there is some awesome key story element that I am unable to remember, that will come into play? Maybe they will fight the GoBots - to the death!
Whatever happens next I'm onboard with. The only thing that I really hope for is that Sam gets a new girlfiend.
Oh god, I am such a huge dork.

T3: Dark of the Moon on IMDb