Transformers: Dark of the Moon

In the 1960s, the Autobot ship Ark crash-lands on the far side of the Moon; in 1969, Apollo 11 secretly investigates it. Three years after Egypt, the Autobots find a piece of the Ark at Chernobyl and recover Sentinel Prime, the former Autobot leader, from the Moon, and Optimus revives him with the Matrix. Sam lives with his new girlfriend, Carly Spencer. Sentinel reveals a deal with Megatron, kills Ironhide and uses the Pillars to bring in hidden Decepticons. The Autobots are exiled from Earth, and the Decepticons take Chicago to pull Cybertron into the Solar System. In the battle, Sam kills Dylan Gould, Carly's boss and a Decepticon ally, and Bumblebee destroys the Control Pillar. Megatron offers a truce, Optimus refuses, tears his head off and executes Sentinel.

• Mid-credits Right at the start of the credits, after the battle, Simmons kisses Mearing.

1. ReferenceSpock voices Sentinel Prime

   Leonard Nimoy voices Sentinel, and the film quotes Star Trek with Spock's line “the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.” Nimoy had already played Galvatron in the 1986 animated movie.

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2. CameoBuzz Aldrin meets Optimus

   The Apollo 11 astronaut appears as himself, meeting Optimus Prime at NEST headquarters.

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3. Behind the scenesJames Cameron's advice

   Bay was reluctant about 3D. James Cameron told him to use it for “emotion and character” and offered technical crew from Avatar.

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4. Behind the scenesChernobyl is in Indiana

   The Chernobyl sequence, pitched by ILM's effects producers, was shot in Gary, Indiana, standing in for Ukraine.

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5. Behind the scenesThe franchise's first billion

   It crossed $1 billion on August 3, 2011, becoming the second Paramount film to do so, after Titanic.

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