Finally got the chance to watch it yesterday on a double date with the missus and a couple friend of ours. I've only read a smattering of the comments here, so please excuse me if much of what I saw may be repeated stuff. So... after a day of thinking the movie through and jotting down some thoughts, here's my present view:
Overall, I liked it! I'm not sure if this is a minority opinion - the latter half of the comments here sure seem rather more negative, so perhaps most of the voters who put positive answers haven't posted comments. Like many, I think it is above ROTF (although that's like saying it's better than something you've fished out of your sewage tank) and I also reckon it's above DOTM.
When comparing to the first movie it seems like it's always gonna be behind the 8 ball as the historic impact of the first instalment (establishing TFs in the psyche of countless non-fans in the world) will not be repeated in this generation. I think the technical aspects are at least as good and the effects are better (but we ARE 7 years on). Acting is debatable... but I do favour Mark over Shia as the leading man, and I appreciated the work from the bigger names (Tucci and Grammer).
That's the preamble. To avoid lengthy prose, much of the rest will be in point form.
I liked many of the themes touched upon:
- Autobot faith/trust/respect in humanity
- The central Human and Cybertronian relationship
- Technology getting out of control / biting off more than you can chew
- Xenophobia
- Blind courage
Some highlights:
- Prime - I've read quite a few negative comments about Prime in this movie, but this was one of the things I liked most. Prime has more characterisation in AoE than any of the others (and arguably more than the first 3 put together), and this has worked to endear me to this movie Prime where I never felt like that for the others. He is a different persona here, and one I felt I can relate to more. The only scene in the whole movie that raised goosebumps for me was when he faced off Grimlock... I found it simply awe-inspiring. The line 'makes you wanna die for him' tries to sum it up rather clumsily, but it gets the essence.
- Humour - Much of it was very poorly timed I think, but a few lines were memorable and stuck up above the previous offerings. "What's Chinese for get the f*** outta the way?" comes to mind. And "I was expecting a giant CAR!!" strikes me as rather MtMtE James Roberts
- Characters - Many were stereotyped and some were very weak, but I felt they were much less the caricatures that almost exclusively populated the first 3 movies. So, not really highlight, more an improvement.
- Slug - Stuck out to me among the Dinobots, mainly coz I found him cute!!The scenes where he scrambles to run in the opposite direction when the giant magnet is pulling him upwards makes me think they motion captured a puppy!
Some lowlights:
- Humour - Again, much was poorly timed/placed. Li Bingbing's "Shiiit!" comes to mind... got a chuckle from me for its badness. Tucci's hiding in a glass box comment was also poor... theatre was dead silent for that.
- Li Bingbing - I am Chinese and all for Chinese getting cast in big dollar productions, but she was (to quote) "Shiiit!". Won't elaborate.
- Plot holes galore... some of the ones that stick to my mind:
-- Prime's scan & renew/heal. I think us fans can rationalise that (he found an energy source to recharge off screen) but my companions were like WTF?
-- Autobots forgetting the reason they stormed KSI just because Tucci interrupts them
-- Lack of surveillance on Lockdown's ship
-- Prime being stuck on a blade for minutes, which then gets pulled out immediately by... a pickup truck!
-- Molecular transformation... makes you invincible (e.g. Galvatron's first battle) or... not.
-- Letting building sized robot dinosaurs run loose!!! What!?!?
-- Prime can fly!! This one was just plain stupid IMO.
So there it is, my preliminary thoughts. In all I think it deserves to be closer to RottenTomatoes audience rating about circa 55% rather than the critic rating in the teens. I will watch it again some day.
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Originally Posted by Sinnertwin
Just switch off, sit back & enjoy.
Exactly my sentiments!
-- might as well just say, "I got nothin'." 
). The better defenders are the ones who highlight the actual merits of the film rather than pleading with critics to dumb themselves down. Because of course everything is better if you don't have standards! Maccas is totally nutritionally beneficial if you just lower your expectations of good nutrition. 
While I kinda agree with Goks comments about people who use the defense of 'just lower your standards', choosing to switch your brain off and watch the movie with a relaxed attitude and for a bit of fun isn't 'lowering the bar' or 'lowering your standards'. It's choosing to chill the frag out and enjoy a diversion from the stresses of life for a few hours. It also may be that you decided that there is enough negativity in your life so you are trying to focus on positives and walked out of the movie thinking of all the things you liked instead of obsessing about all the things you didn't. 
