I was so baffled at the ending of Transformers: Dark of the Moon, that I was in denial that it was over. My better half was ready to go, and I wanted to sit through the credits to see if there was something else - an epilogue - that would bring me some kind of closure. Well, there was a disagreement, a bit of an argument - yes I was an asshole about it. Ultimately, I won't know if there was or wasn't an epilogue until somebody tells me or when I buy the DVD. The only explanation I have for the rushed and very final feeling of the movie's story is that Michael Bay is bringing his Bay-verse movie series to a true ending. Hopefully, this isn't too spoilerish for anyone reading, I intend to remain as vague as possible about the actual story elements of the film itself.
I knew what I was going into when I insisted on going to watch Transformers: Dark of the Moon. I was going for the ride, the adrenaline rush if you will - and to see how it all was going to end. I'm a diehard Transformers fan that presently has a love/hate relationship with the franchise. Despite the fact that I'm not 100% happy with the direction of the franchise, I continue to support it. And at the risk of exposing myself as a hypocrite, I paid to watch all three Michael Bay films in theaters, and bought the first two films on DVD. As a fan and completionist, I will likely buy this third film on DVD as well...
TF3 succeeds as a summer blockbuster popcorn flick. If you can suspend expectations and belief, you will enjoy the chases, explosions and jaw dropping action scenes that these films are known for. Predictably, TF3 fails in the area of story. The story is painfully derivative of the first two - there's nothing new to offer here, no story advancement. The titular characters continue to take a back seat to all of the human fluff, leaving very little sympathy for when one gets killed. There are funny moments that allow you to enjoy the characters, granted, but little character development that allows you to totally commit to them. Spike, or Sam as he's known in the movies, is more often a cocky pain in the ass than a protagonist that you want to root for. The villains, though ominous, are predictably expendable. I walked out of the movie wondering what had just happened - it didn't really end satisfactorily - unless this ending is supposed to tell us that Transformers 4 will be a total reboot for the film series, which I totally welcome under a new director and writing team.
