History Awesome / TransformersDarkOfTheMoon

** Plus, it's the return of Creator/LeonardNimoy to Franchise/TheTransformers franchise. And he once again voices the BigBad of the movie.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/913a2eab1ceecf929fca07025513b4f5.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Eat your Heart out, Michael Bay!]]

* The MexicanStandoff between two Decepticon {{Mook}}s, Ironhide and Sideswipe...it ends just about as well as you'd expect [[CurbStompBattle for the mooks]].

** Whereas the film had him & Sideswipe engaging the two remaining Dreads in a gunfight, the novel has ''five'' Dreads charging at the NEST base. Ironhide transforms, stands in their path, and becomes an Immovable Object, letting the 'Cons crash into him. Each of the Dreads is killed on impact, while Ironhide withstands the hits with little more than some scratches and being knocked back a bit. He then casually brushes Decepti-parts off of himself and quips, "[[BondOneLiner They just don't make them like they used to]]."

** "[[RousingSpeech Your leaders will now understand: Decepticons will never leave your planet alone. And we needed them to think we had gone. For today, in the name of freedom]], ''[[RousingSpeech we take the battle to them]]''." Cue an epic GondorCallsForAid[=/=]LockAndLoad montage of almost every Autobot transforming and gearing up for battle, while an epic rendition of [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic 'Arrival To Earth']] blares.

** The novelization takes this UpToEleven. Whereas the film had him & Sideswipe engaging the two remaining Dreads in a gunfight, the novel has ''five'' Dreads charging at the NEST base. Ironhide transforms, stands in their path, and becomes an Immovable Object, letting the 'Cons crash into him. Each of the Dreads is killed on impact, while Ironhide withstands the hits with little more than some scratches and being knocked back a bit. He then casually brushes Decepti-parts off of himself and quips, "[[BondOneLiner They just don't make them like they used to]]."

-->This is gonna hurt... '''a lot!'''

---> '''A SECRET HIDDEN FOR 40 YEARS'''

---> '''Government Mook:''' Neil, you are dark on the rock. Mission is a go.

----> '''You would not believe what we are seeing here.'''

----> '''Government Mook:''' ''We are not alone, are we?''\\

--> '''Ironhide:''' Prime, make something of yourself! (''Thunk.'') He's pissed.

--> '''Optimus:''' We are here. You are ''home'', Sentinel.

--> '''Mearing:''' But we have the spacebridge!\\

---> '''Optimus:''' We will kill them all.

--->Pilot: "Get them out!"
--->Loadmaster: "Go! Go! Go!"

---> '''Optimus''': Get down here, Sentinel!

--> "Any moment now, you'll be ''nothing'' but Sentinel's ''' ''bitch'' '''."

--> Sam: No. [[IronicEcho I'm just]] [[PreMortemOneLiner a messenger.]] *whacks Dylan into the pillar*

** The dialogue in that scene sells it too. Megatron boasts, "Who would you be without ME, Prime?" Optimus has had it. He knows Megatron will never come back from the atrocities he's done. He's pointing a gun at him while suing for peace. Of all the times in the franchise, Optimus has let Megatron escape, or never just shot him, this is it. Optimus is done with Megatron and now decides it's time to live his life without his eternal foe. Megatron won't get away this time.

*** Then the camera zooms ''in'' on a secret vault in the ship. And inside the vault? A giant golden robot. WordOfGod stated that it was Shockwave, the film's BigBad. [[spoiler: The first part was later shown to be false. The second, on the other hand...]]

** Plus, it's the return of Creator/LeonardNimoy to Franchise/TheTransformers franchise. [[spoiler: And he once again voices the BigBad of the movie.]]

* Sam and Simmons are investigating the moon conspiracy. [[spoiler: They connect the disappearances and deaths of dozens of astronauts, scientists, and white-collar business people; then Brains locates two Cosmonauts who may know more. They go to the Russian bar, buy their way inside, and ask straight out about the canceled moon missions. When the Russians pull guns on them, Simmons ''dares'' them to pull the trigger. Then Dutch reveals his HiddenDepths by beating up a couple of thugs and stealing their guns. Once Simmons talks him down, the Cosmonauts agree to share what they know- and what they know is that the Decepticons stole a crap-ton of Spacebridge pillars from the moon wreck.]] Sam makes an immediate deduction- the Decepticons only need one more thing to start their invasion. He calls Mearing to let her in on the loop:

[[spoiler: '''Sam:''' Mearing, you have five pillars. I just learned that they have ''hundreds'', you're doing exactly what they wanted you to do!\\
'''Mearing:''' (OhCrap face)]]\\

* The novel adds a [[spoiler:DyingMomentOfAwesome]] for The Twins, [[spoiler: despite them not even appearing in the movie]]. [[spoiler: Skids dives in front of a shot fired by Sentinel Prime meant for Bumblebee, saving Bee's life at the cost of his own, causing Mudflap to fly into an UnstoppableRage and charge Sentinel, dodging the traitor's shots, tackling him to the ground, and punching him as hard as possible. It does little harm to Sentinel. Sentinel blasts him ''in the mouth'' with his Cosmic Rust gun. However, Mudflap continues to attack him even as he is disintegrating [[BodyHorror from the inside out]]. After, Sentinel tells the fleeing Autobots that they honor his sacrifice by surviving and mentions that Mudflap died a death worthy of an Autobot. ]]

** [[spoiler: When the Autobots return for the final battle after having been thought destroyed with their ship, Optimus delivers what may be the single most badass line in the entire franchise:]]
---> [[spoiler:'''Optimus:''' We will kill them all.]]
** [[spoiler: It's the ''[[{{TranquilFury}} way]]'' he says it more than anything.]]

* Sam's first attempt at rescuing Carly. He enters the enemy stronghold armed with nothing but a handgun and confronts [[spoiler: Dylan]].

** [[spoiler: Dylan]] gets a small one right after. He has a gun in his face, aimed by someone who is pissed off enough to use it. How does he respond? "You got some balls." Said in the most ''deadpan voice possible''.

* After spending an entire film as the ButtMonkey, Starscream's back to being dangerous in [=DotM=]. He drops down from low orbit to [[spoiler:shoot down the Autobots' spaceship]] and later leaps off a building and ''shreds'' the Ospreys transporting Lennox's team with his buzzsaw hand. It also serves as a CallBack to his F-22 SteppingStonesInTheSky moment in the first film.
* Sam has spent most of the three movies being utterly useless against the Decepticons who attack him. But when Starscream corners him after having their hopes of an easy victory dashed, he doesn't back down. Instead, he [[spoiler: ''[[TookALevelInBadass kills him]]'']]. [[spoiler: [[ScreamsLikeALittleGirl Sam]] [[LovableCoward Wit]][[PunyEarthlings wicky]]. ''[[PunctuatedForEmphasis Kills]].'' ''Freaking.'' '''''[[TheStarscream Star]][[TheDragon scream]]!!!'''''.]]
** To elaborate further: [[spoiler: Sam uses a Batman-certified grapple glove to latch onto Starscream's [[EyeScream optic]], then gets hoisted into the air and tossed into walls before finally getting his bearings and jamming an explosive device into his ''[[EyeScream other eye]]'', which then detonates and takes off ''half of Starscream's head'' before finally backfiring and destroying the Decepticon's spark.]]
** An even more awesome moment in the novel because [[spoiler: Starscream [[DeathByAdaptation ruthlessly kills Mirage]] right before]] so when Sam [[spoiler: [[EyeScream stabs him in the eye]]]], he screams "[[AndThisIsFor That's for ]][[spoiler: Mirage]] you [[PrecisionFStrike son of a bitch]]!"
* The fact that Wheelie and Brains, the comic relief, actually manage [[spoiler:to save the other Autobots, after a whole movie of being treated as pests.]]
** Wheelie and Brains, the two smallest Autobots in the film, manage to [[spoiler: ''hotwire an entire Decepticon cruiser'']]

* Bumblebee [[spoiler:killing Soundwave. He overpowers Soundwave and his {{Mooks}}, then jams his arm cannon into Soundwave's chest and ''blows his head off '''through his chest!''''' Made even better due to the fact Bumblebee is shown before this mourning the death of Wheeljack at Soundwaves hands and now [[CatharsisFactor has avenged his fallen friend]].]]

** It continues with Optimus [[spoiler: ''ripping Shockwave's guts out'' then '' '''pulling his eyeball out by the wires connecting it to his brain''' '']].

** And finally, Optimus uses Shockwave's gun to [[HoistByHisOwnPetard shoot the Space Bridge Control Pillar]] before challenging [[spoiler: his former mentor]] to a ''duel to the death''.
---> '''Optimus''': Get down here, [[spoiler: Sentinel]]!
* The united Autobots and humans race down the streets of Chicago into battle, followed by the Autobots [[spoiler: fighting Sentinel]] as a unit with NEST.
* Optimus Prime VS [[spoiler: Sentinel Prime. Prime VS Prime]] smackdown. Awesome doesn't even begin to describe it.
** [[spoiler: Sentinel duels Optimus while being shot at by NEST soldiers and while smacking away the other 7 Autobots whenever they try to interfere. In short, he fights all the good guys at once by himself and holds his own. It ends with a CMOA for some random unnamed NEST soldier, who pegs Sentinel with a rocket[[labelnote:*]]Implied to be the same rocket that Epps's strike team would use the control pillar for the space bridge. "One shot's all we need."[[/labelnote]]just as he finally pulls out the dreaded rust gun he used to kill Ironhide, causing Sentinel to lose his gun and for him to fall back. Optimus pursues, however, and the Awesome goes back to Sentinel, who, one on one, beats Optimus in a duel and would have won without Megatron suddenly interfering.]]

* Carly calmly approaches [[spoiler: ''Megatron'', and persuades him to turn on Sentinel Prime]]. Not only that, she [[spoiler: ''insults him '''to his face''' '' and ''gets away with it'' because he realizes she has a point]]. Not bad for a ReplacementScrappy.
--> "Any moment now, you'll [[spoiler: be ''nothing'' but Sentinel's ''' ''bitch'' ''']]."

* Sam defeating [[spoiler: Dylan]]. He knocks him into the [[spoiler: Space Bridge Pillar, electrocuting him]]. Made more awesome by the fact that, just before, [[spoiler: Dylan was giving him a HannibalLecture, saying, "You think you're a hero, huh? ''You think you're a HERO!?''"]]. It was Sam's ShutUpHannibal moment.

* Megatron -[[spoiler: after spending the majority of the movie sitting around and occasionally giving out orders or some grand speech - completely wiping the floor with Sentinal Prime right before he can finish off Optimus.]]

* Optimus finally decides enough is enough, and [[spoiler: tears off both Megatron's HEAD AND SPINE. WITH ONE ARM]]. That moment, arguably more than any other in the entire series, establishes Optimus as an absolute BADASS.
** And just before he does it, his faceguard pops up to cover his mouth,[[spoiler: making it as close to the ''original'' Optimus putting Megatron down permanently as we're ever likely to see]].
** The dialogue in that scene sells it too. Megatron boasts, [[spoiler:"Who would you be without ME, Prime?"]] Optimus has had it. He knows Megatron will never come back from the atrocities he's done. He's pointing a gun at him while suing for peace. Of all the times in the franchise, Optimus has let Megatron escape, or never [[spoiler: just shot him]], this is it. Optimus is done with Megatron and now decides it's time to live his life [[spoiler: without his eternal foe. Megatron won't get away this time.]]

** [[spoiler:And as [[Film/TransformersAgeOfExtinction Age of Extinction]] proves, it still wasn't enough to keep him down.]]

* Optimus's relatively efficient method of killing his foes. First, he charges directly while dodging their blows/blasts. Then he strikes them in the chest, stunning them. While they're stunned, he maims them in some way that they can no longer fight back. Finally, he delivers the killing blow. [[spoiler: He uses this against both Shockwave and Megatron in this movie, the Fallen in the last one, and Bonecrusher in the first.]]

** It begins with the Apollo 11 mission approaching the moon, accompanied by perhaps the most [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic awe inspiring music]] put to film. In spite of a ''slight'' SpecialEffectsFailure, the approach is incredible.
** Followed by either real footage from the late 60's or the most faithful recreation of said footage (or both), as Neil and Buzz exit the lander and take the first steps on the moon. You can't ''help'' but cheering.

*** Then they continue on to find several other robot corpses, most looking to have died in agony.

*** After the MIB tell them to take some samples and get them home, [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic cue the music.]] Heavy, dramatic, imposing. While credits for Creator/MichaelBay and Creator/StevenSpielberg flash up. And the camera zooms out from the ship. Plus this dialogue:

** The rest of the [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic background music.]] It starts out as distorted, echoing drumbeats with silence in between, the distortion gradually growing with every beat until it sounds like the stock ringing-in-your-ears-after-an-explosion sound.
** Meanwhile, we see soldiers leaping out of exploding planes, Ironhide crashing headfirst into a pair of Decepticons and then transforming, Bumblebee despairing on a battlefield, aliens (Decepticons most likely) blowing up Chicago, Laserbeak flying towards a car in a threatening way, and the humans surrounded by utter devastation. Oh, and one shot that lasts barely long enough for you mind to register, that shows [[NothingIsScarier ''something'']] tearing up a street from underneath.
** Truly awesome is the sequence at the end showing Optimus Prime ''flying'' down and massacring the Decepticons, shooting them to pieces and ''slashing one in half''.

** The opening pretty well recaps the first teaser, showing the Cybertronian ship crashing into the moon, and Neil and Buzz exploring it. But with the added bonus of an unknown female narrator declaring things like, "Our entire space race... was in response to an event" and, "If you breathe a word of what you see in here, you'll do time for treason." Heavy stuff.

** Immediately after, we see what was tearing up the street in the previous trailer: a giant metal worm creature like The Kraken on steroids, which can tunnel through a skyscraper and ''squeeze it in half'' until it topples over! Oh, and our human protagonists are in said skyscraper.

** Then Optimus comes in- ''and he's got his trailer!'' (Details below.)
* The very fact that Laserbeak- Soundwave's most iconic minicon- is finally in these films.

* Similarly, Megatron's transformation in Africa. Anytime in the past two movies that Megatron transformed, the change was more or less him standing up, because he was going between one alien death machine to another. But here, he is actually disguised as an Earth vehicle. This transformation also occurs mostly on-screen, showing exactly how the Decepticon leader is formed. It is a beautiful piece of animation.

** Plus it's the return of Creator/LeonardNimoy to Franchise/TheTransformers franchise. [[spoiler: And he once again voices the BigBad of the movie.]]

* Sam and Simmons investigating the moon conspiracy. [[spoiler: They connect the disappearances and deaths of dozens of astronauts, scientists, and white collar businessmen; then Brains locates two Cosmonauts who may know more. They go to the Russian bar, buy their way inside, and ask straight out about the canceled moon missions. When the Russians pull guns on them, Simmons ''dares'' them to pull the trigger. Then Dutch reveals his HiddenDepths by beating up a couple thugs and stealing their guns. Once Simmons talks him down, the Cosmonauts agree to share what they know- and what they know is that the Decepticons stole a crap-ton of Spacebridge pillars from the moon wreck.]] Sam makes a quick deduction- the Decepticons only need one more thing to start their invasion. He calls Mearing to let her in on the loop:

* The Dreads' entrance: Crankcase transforms, rips Simmons out of his car, then flips into the air and knocks over a highway sign. Then Hatchet and Crowbar drive up the signs like ramps and transform in midair to forms that look animalistic and demonic.
* Dino/Mirage uses cables to attach to Hatchet and literally skis across the road behind the Decepticon.
* The moment when Bumblebee avoids obstacles while transforming in mid air, grabbing Sam in slow mo, transforms back into car mode...[[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments Sam's reaction doubled this as a different kind of crowning moment too]].
* Bumblebee and Sideswipe's "stealth force" modes look really freaking cool.

** The novelization takes this UpToEleven. Whereas the film had him & Sideswipe engaging the two remaining Dreads in a gunfight, the novel has ''five'' Dreads charging at the NEST base. Ironhide simply transforms, stands in their path, and becomes an Immovable Object, letting the 'Cons literally crash into him. Each of the Dreads is killed on impact, while Ironhide simply withstands the hits with little more than some scratches and being knocked back a bit. He then casually brushes Decepti-parts off of himself and quips "[[BondOneLiner They just don't make them like they used to]]".
* The novel adds a [[spoiler:DyingMomentOfAwesome]] for The Twins, [[spoiler: despite them not even appearing in the movie]]. [[spoiler: Skids dives in front of a shot fired by Sentinel Prime meant for Bumblebee, saving Bee's life at the cost of his own. This causes Mudflap to fly into an UnstoppableRage and charge Sentinel, dodging the traitor's shots, tackling him to the ground, and pummeling him as hard as possible. It does little harm to Sentinel. In fact, Sentinel blasts him ''in the mouth'' with his Cosmic Rust gun. Mudflap continues to attack him, however, even as he is literally disintegrating [[BodyHorror from the inside out]]. After, Sentinel tells the fleeing Autobots that they honor his sacrifice by surviving, and mentions that Mudflap died a death worthy of an Autobot. ]]

** Prime's return itself is awesome: we start with Sam and his team arguing, after most of them were demoralized from the sight of Chicago, then a Decepticon fighter attacks them, nearly Kills them and then in just 2 shots it's down, que Prime walking up, saying the aforementioned line.
** This is followed shortly afterwards by The Wreckers driving up out of the smoke and ''literally tearing the Decepticon pilot limb from limb!'' It’s as gruesome as it is awesome.

** [[spoiler: Dylan]] gets a small one right after. He has a gun in his face, aimed by someone who is clearly pissed off enough to use it. How does he respond? "You got some balls." Said in the most ''deadpan voice possible''.
* The humans breaking through the Decepticon defenses and managing to sneak into the city. Their wing suits prove that Badasses [[RealMenWearPink can look like flying squirrels]] and have nuts of steel.
** On that note, the Osprey crews are certified [=BAMFs=]. Their planes are going down, they ''know'' they are going to die. Their response?

* Optimus kills the Driller. He flies in, the first time in this film we see him fly, and he goes MoreDakka on the giant metal worm. That doesn't seem to work, so he gains some altitude, shoots a hole through the building, and plows through the worm with his own body!

* After spending an entire film as the ButtMonkey, Starscream's back to being dangerous in [=DotM=]. He drops down from low orbit to [[spoiler:shoot down the Autobots' spaceship]] and later leaps off a building and ''shreds'' the Ospreys transporting Lennox's team with his buzzsaw hand. Also serves as a CallBack to his F-22 SteppingStonesInTheSky moment in the first film.
* Sam has spent the majority of the three movies being utterly useless against the Decepticons who attack him. But when he is cornered by Starscream after having their hopes of an easy victory dashed, he doesn't back down. Instead, he [[spoiler: ''[[TookALevelInBadass kills him]]'']]. [[spoiler: [[ScreamsLikeALittleGirl Sam]] [[LovableCoward Wit]][[PunyEarthlings wicky]]. ''[[PunctuatedForEmphasis Kills]].'' Freaking.'' '''''[[TheStarscream Star]][[TheDragon scream]]!!!'''''.]]
** To elaborate further: [[spoiler: Sam uses a Batman-certified grapple glove to latch onto Starscream's [[EyeScream optic]], then gets hoisted into the air and tossed into walls, before finally getting his bearings and jamming an explosive device into his ''[[EyeScream other eye]]'', which then detonates and takes off ''half of Starscream's head'' before finally backfiring and destroying the Decepticon's spark.]]

* The fact that Wheelie and Brains, the comic relief, actually manage [[spoiler:to save the other Autobots, after a whole movie of being treated like pests.]]

* Ratchet putting up a hell of a fight as he's forced to the ground, and still snarling at the Decepticons to frag off when he's on his knees.

* [[ColonelBadass Colonel Lennox]] and a strike team of about twenty or so humans, working together without any vehicle or Autobot support, take down Shockwave (though it takes the Autobots and Optimus to actually defeat him), Barricade, and four other Decepticons on foot, using nothing but accurate sniper fire, parachutes, and sheer balls.

* The united Autobots and humans racing down the streets of Chicago into battle. Followed by the Autobots [[spoiler: fighting Sentinel]] as a unit with NEST.

** [[spoiler: Sentinel basically duels Optimus, while being shot at by NEST soldiers, and while smacking away the other 7 Autobots whenever they try to interfere. In short he fights all the good guys at once by himself and hold his own. It ends with a CMOA for some random unnamed NEST soldier, who pegs Sentinel with a rocket[[labelnote:*]]Implied to be the same rocket that Epps's strike team was going to use on the control pillar for the space bridge. "One shot's all we need."[[/labelnote]]just as he finally pulls out the dreaded rust gun he was able to kill Ironhide with, causing Sentinel to lose his gun, and for him to fall back. Optimus pursues however and the Awesome goes back to Sentinel, who, one on one beats Optimus in a duel and would have basically won without Megatron suddenly interfering.]]
* The humans launching a MacrossMissileMassacre against the Decepticons from far enough way that it takes the better part of a full minute to show the missiles' flight into the city, opening up the battle proper.
* Carly calmly approaches [[spoiler: ''Megatron'', and talks him into turning on Sentinel Prime]]. Not only that, she [[spoiler: ''insults him to '''his face''' '' and ''gets away with it'' because he realizes she has a point]]. Not bad for a ReplacementScrappy.

* Sam defeating [[spoiler: Dylan]]. He knocks him into the [[spoiler: Space Bridge Pillar, electrocuting him]]. Made more awesome by the fact that, just before, [[spoiler: Dylan was giving him a HannibalLecture, saying, "You think you're a hero, huh? ''You think you're a HERO!?''"]]. It was basically Sam's ShutUpHannibal moment.

* Optimus finally deciding that enough is enough, and [[spoiler: tearing off both Megatron's HEAD AND SPINE. WITH ONE ARM]]. That moment, arguably more then any other in the entire series, establishes Optimus as an absolute BADASS.
** And just before he does it, his face-guard pops up to cover his mouth[[spoiler:, making it as close to the ''original'' Optimus putting Megatron down permanently as we're ever likely to see]].
** The dialogue in that scene really sells it too. Megatron boasts, [[spoiler:"Who would you be without ME, Prime?"]] Optimus has had it. He knows Megatron will never come back from the atrocities he's done. He's pointing a gun at him while suing for peace. Of all the times in the franchise Optimus has let Megatron get away, let him escape, or never [[spoiler: just shot him]], this is it. Optimus is done with Megatron and now decides it's time to live his life [[spoiler: without his eternal foe. Megatron won't get away this time.]]

* Basically ''anything'' the Wreckers do in the final battle. Really, there's no way that a trio of weaponized race cars tearing down the streets blowing up everything in their path can't be insanely cool.

* Not shown on-screen, but the several years N.E.S.T. spent refining their tactics by fighting Decepticons. Think of all the bullets fired, blood shed, and lives lost.
* They managed to put 6 foot tall human infantry next to 20 foot tall Autobots and convincingly portray them as BashBrothers. Special props go to the guy who jumped on the back of ''[[TheBrute Shockwave]].''
* If Creator/LindsayEllis' analysis of Mikaela is to be believed, she realized that Sam viewed her the way everyone else does, as an object, or a reward, to be used and disposed of, and so that was why she left him offscreen.

* This film was the fourth highest grossing film of all time, despite being one of the most flamed films ever. CriticalDissonance FTW!
* Optimus' rather efficient method of killing his foes. First, he charges directly while dodging their blows/blasts. Then he strikes them in the chest, stunning them. While they're stunned, he maims them in some way that they can no longer fight back. Finally, he delivers the killing blow. [[spoiler: He uses this against both Shockwave and Megatron in this movie, the Fallen in the last one, and Bonecrusher in the first.]]
* The trailer to Prime's truck. We've been waiting for it for two films and it doesn't disappoint. Not only does it turn into a badass flying harness, but, like the original, it opens up into a base... which is fully stocked with ''dozens'' of weapons.

* Jerry Wang became an EnsembleDarkhorse, and it's not hard to see why. He stares down Bruce Brazos, gives Sam all the info on the conspiracy, and ''pulls a pair of guns on Laserbeak''. Sam may have balls, but Jerry defines CrazyAwesome.

* Simmons, when he's not being [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments a walking CMOF]], he's usually being this... it helps that he's CrazyAwesome.

** This is followed shortly afterwards by The Wreckers driving up out of the smoke and ''literally tearing the Decepticon pilot limb from limb!'' It’s as gruesome as it it awesome.

** This is followed shortly afterwards by The Wreckers driving up out of the smoke and ''literally tearing the Decepticon pilot limb from limb!''

* Sam has spent the majority of the three movies being utterly useless against the Decepticons who attack him. But when he is cornered by Starscream after having their hopes of an easy victory dashed, he doesn't back down. Instead, he [[spoiler: ''[[TookALevelInBadass kills him]]'']]. [[spoiler: [[ScreamsLikeALittleGirl Sam]] [[LovableCoward Wit]][[PunyEarthlings wicky]]. ''[[PunctuatedForEmphasis Kills]].'' Freaking]].'' '''''[[TheStarscream Star]][[TheDragon scream]]!!!'''''.]]

* Sam defeating [[spoiler: Dylan]]. He knocks him into the [[spoiler: Space Bridge Pillar, electrocuting him]]. Made more awesome by the fact that, just before, [[spoiler: Dylan was giving him a HannibalLecture, saying, "You think you're some kind of hero?"]]. It was basically Sam's ShutUpHannibal moment.
--> Sam: "[[IronicEcho I'm just a messenger.]]" *WHAM!*

-->'''Megatron:''' This is ''my planet!''

* The novel adds a [[spoiler:DyingMomentOfAwesome]] for The Twins, [[spoiler: despite them not even appearing in the movie]]. [[spoiler: Skids dives in front of a shot fired by Sentinel Prime meant for Bumblebee, saving Bee's life at the cost of his own. This causes Mudflap to fly into an UnstoppableRage and charge Sentinel, dodging the traitor's shots, tackling him to the ground, and pummeling him as hard as possible. It does little harm to Sentinel. In fact, Sentinel blasts him ''in the mouth'' with his Cosmic Rust gun. Mudflap continues to attack him, however, even as he is literally disintegrating [[BodyHorror from the inside out]]. After, Sentinel tells the fleeing Autobots that they honor his sacrifice by surviving, and mentions that Mudflap died a death worthy of an Autobot.]]

--> Sam:[[TookALevelInBadass "WHERE IS SHE?!"]]

* Sam has spent the majority of the three movies being utterly useless against the Decepticons who attack him. But when he is cornered by Starscream after having their hopes of an easy victory dashed, he doesn't back down. Instead, he [[spoiler: ''[[TookALevelInBadass kills him]]'']]. [[spoiler: [[ScreamsLikeALittleGirl Sam]] [[LovableCoward Witwicky]]. ''[[PunctuatedForEmphasis Kills]].'' ''[[PunctuatedForEmphasis Freaking]].'' '''''[[TheStarscream Star]][[TheDragon scream]]!!!'''''.]]

---> TwoWordsAddedEmphasis: "'''YOU DIE!'''"

** [[spoiler: Sentinel basically duels Optimus, while being shot at by NEST soldiers, and while smacking away the other 7 Autobots whenever they try to interfere. In short he fights all the good guys at once by himself and hold his own. It ends with a CMOA for some random unnamed NEST soldier, who pegs Sentinel with a rocket just a he finally pulls out the dreaded rust gun he was able to kill Ironhide with, causing Sentinel to lose his gun, and for him to fall back. Optimus pursues however and the Awesome goes back to Sentinel, who, one on one beats Optimus in a duel and would have basically won without Megatron suddenly interfering.]]

-->This is gonna hurt...a lot!.

* Optimus Prime and Dr. Buzz Aldrin. One of the greatest fictional heroes and one of the greatest RealLife heroes, meeting one another and, with the utmost humility and sincerity, saying that it is an honor. Peter Cullen called it one of the proudest moments of his career.

** It begins with Optimus flying down to street level and taking out several Decepticons in various ways while a variation of [[{{Film/Inception}} Mind Heist]] plays. This scene can be found [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0z79I91Shdk here.]]

* Bumblebee [[spoiler:killing Soundwave. He overpowers Soundwave and his {{Mooks}}, then jams his arm cannon into Soundwave's chest and ''blows his head off '''through his chest!''''' Made even better due to the fact Bumblebee is shown before this mourning the death of Wheeljack at Soundwaves hands and now has avenged his fallen friend.]]

* If Creator/LindsayEllis ' analysis of Mikaela is to be believed, she realized that Sam viewed her the way everyone else does, as an object, or a reward, to be used and disposed of, and so that was why she left him offscreen.

* Megatron - [[spoiler: after spending the majority of the movie sitting around and occasionally giving out orders or some grand speech - [[Curb-Stomp Battle completely wiping the floor with Sentinal Prime]] right before he can finish off Optimus.]]

* Megatron's [[spoiler: total trashing of Sentinel just as Sentinel is about to kill Prime.]]

** And the [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome music]] in this scene is the same epic tune that played when Optimus arrived in Mission City in the first movie!

* If Creator/LindsayEllis ' analysis of Mikaela is to be believed, she realized that Sam viewed her the way everyone else does, as an object, or a reward, to be used and disposed of, and so that was why she left him.