When the screen once again filled the giant cinema, the film used a close-up shot to clearly showcase Optimus Prime's transformation process. Tens of thousands of parts rotated simultaneously, and a high-level mechanical lifeform with intelligence, after 24 years of its creation, finally made its debut in the most stunning way.
Not to mention the ordinary audience members and Transformers enthusiasts even Duke himself felt a bit emotional.
This wasn't the Transformers he could only watch passively in his previous life. This was a $220 million dream project he personally directed and completed.
There was once a famous saying about Transformers: men watch the fights, women watch the transformations...
The film would definitely attract male viewers. The key for filming and marketing was how to attract female viewers, which is why Andrew Garfield became a major focus of the crew's publicity. Under the guidance of Nancy Josephson, he coordinated with the team and showed great charisma.
Here, the IMAX wide shot presented the transformation sequences of all five Autobots.
"This is my dream, this is Optimus Prime!"
In the theater, apart from the movie's audio, there was no other sound. Wang Ziming kept whispering to himself, "Just this one scene is already worth it!"
In the front-row guest seats, Jiang Xiaojun and Bald Ge exchanged a look. From each other's eyes, they saw worry—concern for the future of Chinese cinema after the market opened up.
Facing such a super blockbuster, where was Chinese cinema headed?
As the absolute lead character, Optimus Prime officially appeared after just over 22 minutes of runtime. To make this happen, the human scenes were reduced, and the saved time was used to explain Megatron, the biggest villain—no longer just a flat, stereotypical antagonist.
Optimus Prime, through projection and narration, explained the Megatron character to Sam, Mikaela, and all the audience members.
"Cybertron is a massive metal planet. It is composed of various metallic ores with different properties. For millions of years, Cybertron was under the leadership of the Autobots..."
After a simple introduction of Cybertron, the narration transitioned to Megatron with visuals showing his ferocious combat. Optimus Prime continued:
"The Autobot High Council's rule over Cybertron gradually decayed. Megatron's emergence changed everything. He rose to fame as a gladiator star, and the arena became his platform to attract like-minded companions."
"Megatron fervently incited dissatisfaction with the Autobot regime, claiming that such a system hindered their natural instincts of expansion and conquest. He fiercely criticized the High Council, alleging they had orchestrated a conspiracy behind the scenes—to prevent Cybertron's inhabitants from discovering their true nature."
"Though Megatron never explained the details of this 'conspiracy,' his beliefs resonated with many dissatisfied Cybertronians, and he gained strong support. His charismatic speeches and formidable combat skills led thousands of Transformers to join his cause. Many, including myself, were misled by him. I once considered him a friend and believed in his vision for Cybertron's future—until he and his Decepticons betrayed us all."
"Megatron was seduced by an ancient evil force on Cybertron. He started preaching genetic supremacy and authoritarian rule, claiming that the flight-capable and stronger Decepticons deserved to rule Cybertron. A war broke out between Autobots and Decepticons. Megatron became increasingly extreme, and Autobot rule on Cybertron was overthrown. I realized that if Megatron's plan succeeded, not only would Cybertron be destroyed, but even other galaxies could be endangered. So I inherited the Autobot leadership from my predecessor..."
Afterward, Optimus Prime talked about the AllSpark and how Megatron, frozen in ice while searching for it, ended up on Earth. The group headed to the house Sam inherited from his grandfather. As Optimus and the others waited in the woods nearby to avoid alarming the neighbors, another group of uninvited guests appeared.
These were Sector Seven agents, added for comedic relief. Attracted by the items Sam put up for auction and the sudden arrival of the Autobots, they quickly identified Sam and Mikaela as direct contacts. They apprehended the two and prepared to take them to Sector Seven.
What followed unfolded much like before—Optimus tried to intercept the convoy but avoided fighting humans, resulting in Bumblebee and Sam being captured again. The camera then shifted to two other storylines: the Secretary of Defense's team and Captain Lennox's team, who had just returned to the U.S. Both were also summoned to Hoover Dam by Sector Seven.
At this point, multiple plot threads converged. The battle between Autobots and Decepticons was about to erupt.
Thanks to the glasses obtained from Sam, Optimus, Ironhide, Ratchet, and others arrived near Hoover Dam. It was here that Optimus uttered the line that best reflected his ideology—"Freedom is the right of all sentient beings!"
Through his conversations with Ironhide, Jazz, and Ratchet, the film further explored the Autobot leader's character. For the belief that freedom belongs to all beings and to stop Megatron's destructive plans, Optimus Prime, the youngest leader in Autobot history, never let go of any opportunity for victory even if it meant sacrificing his comrades, or even himself.
Beneath Optimus Prime's sincere, warm, and upright appearance, the flames of war gradually forged a fire seed that had grown relatively cold and ruthless.
At this point in the film, all major mysteries had been unveiled. The only thing left for the audience was to wait for the ultimate battle between Autobots and Decepticons.
According to Hollywood tradition, every famous American landmark has a secret purpose. Hoover Dam, built in the 1920s and 30s, was constructed to hide the AllSpark and Megatron. The Decepticon leader had been frozen inside the dam, like a slab of meat.
This subtly proved that Transformers weren't invincible, and humanity wasn't entirely powerless against these giants.
At the crucial moment, Frenzy jumped out of Mikaela's handbag and used the AllSpark's energy to repair the body that Sam had sawed apart, then relayed the location of the AllSpark and Megatron to the Decepticons.
Thus, temporary Decepticon leader Starscream gave the order to all Decepticon members who had arrived on Earth to launch an all-out attack.
Barricade, Blackout, Brawl, Frenzy, Thundercracker, Bonecrusher, and Starscream appeared one after another.
"All hail Megatron!"
Just one simple line of dialogue, yet it perfectly highlighted Megatron's status and prestige within the Decepticons.
As for how the other Decepticons arrived on Earth, the film's release would be followed by comics and animated shorts explaining it.
Starscream was the first to attack the power grid of the dam, coordinating with Frenzy to destroy Sector Seven's freezing system. Megatron awoke from his frozen slumber. Facing the threat of Captain Lennox's special forces team, Sector Seven had no choice but to hand over the AllSpark to Bumblebee. To prevent it from falling into Decepticon hands, Captain Lennox protected Bumblebee, Sam, and Mikaela as they fled to Las Vegas, a city easier to hide in. Meanwhile, the Secretary of Defense and his team used an old-fashioned shortwave radio—one the Decepticons couldn't jam—to contact the Air Force. A fleet of F-22 Raptors was scrambled.
Of course, they also had to deal with the ever-comedic Frenzy.
After regrouping with Optimus Prime and the other Autobots, the convoy raced onto the highway.
The film once again entered Duke's specialty—intense action. Barricade, Thundercracker, and Brawl arrived first, and a chase, battle, collisions, and explosions ensued nonstop. In just a few minutes of footage, dozens of GM vehicles were destroyed. Perhaps in regular 2D, these stunts Duke had pulled off before wouldn't be that impressive, but in IMAX 3D, the massive visual impact sent adrenaline levels soaring.
So far, aside from some scuffles with humans, Optimus Prime hadn't had much chance to show off his combat power. As the absolute protagonist of the film, moments like this demanded that the most courageous and battle-hardened leader of the Autobots take the front line.
After Barricade transformed, Optimus Prime also shifted into robot form. He pulled out his signature heavy rifle and, with just two shots, blasted Thundercracker and Brawl out of the sky. He then engaged the charging Barricade in close combat. The two Transformers fought from the highway bridge all the way down to the ground below.
Under the bridge, Optimus displayed overwhelming strength. His dual flaming blades popped out, and he decapitated Barricade like slicing through butter. Climbing back onto the highway, he caught up to Brawl just as he was taking flight again. Before the Decepticon could teleport, Optimus punched through his chest and crushed his wicked spark.
Thundercracker realized he was no match for Optimus Prime. Among all the Decepticons, only Megatron could go toe-to-toe with Prime. So, after a short-range teleport, he transformed into a jet and fled in panic into outer space.
These two battles delayed Optimus Prime from catching up with the convoy. Inside the city, Sam and the others now faced Ruckus, Brawl, and Starscream. Especially the latter, disguised as an F-22 fighter, blasted off Bumblebee's legs.
At the height of the crisis, Megatron arrived. The balance of power shifted dramatically. Getting the AllSpark to safety was the only viable option, so Sam inevitably embarked on a path filled with danger and explosions.
But before that, the relationship between the male and female leads needed some emotional buildup.
"Sam, no matter how this ends, I'm glad I got in your car."
With fire and explosions in the background, the two leads embraced.
The battle reached its climax. Just the mention of Megatron's name forced the Autobots into a strategic retreat. Unfortunately, Jazz was easily overpowered and ultimately ripped in half by Megatron.
With cover from Ironhide and Ratchet, Sam rushed toward the designated building to meet the Black Hawk helicopter. Along the way, he was intercepted by Starscream. When he fell, the energy leaking from the AllSpark activated a car and a phone booth. These Transformers, created by the AllSpark, revealed their evil nature the moment they came to life, going on an instant killing spree.