Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)

Still stupid, but not as stupid as the last one.  Only about as stupid as the first one.

To be fair, they went a long way toward fixing most of the issues that were so embarrassingly bad in the previous two.  They spent actual time developing the transformers as characters.  They used the visuals much better this time, using selective slow motion so we can actually keep track of what is happening.  The action was a cut or two above the last two.  The big set pieces are memorable and fun, such as the toppling building.  They cut out the racist twin Autobots.  The plot seemed much more coherent (though it still boiled down to a MacGuffin in the end).  Optimus is once again simply amazingly awesome.  And no Megan Fox.

But really, just as soon as everything would be going along swimmingly, those idiot little robots that seem to be TheBeef's pets come up again and say and do idiotic things.  That kind of thing just drives me nuts.  Otherwise, everything was tremendously predictable, things seemed to happen with little reason, TheBeef still stars (and has gotten whinier), and the new girl is no better than Megan Fox.

So, Transformers 3.  Transformers is fun again.  It just isn't any smarter.

Entertainment: 6/10
Artistic value: 1/10 (ha!)
Technical merit: 5/10

Overall: 4/10