"Transformers:Age of Extinction" and "Freakonomics"

Saw this at the theater and just bought it and watched it again. I still think it's the best of the franchise. Could be the story line or maybe it's just Mark Wahlberg. I'm really not above that kind of shallow bias.

BTW - SPOILER ALERT!

Things I loved:
Mark Wahlberg - duh!  Seriously, he just keeps getting hotter and hotter and I think he's turned into a terrific actor. I will pretty much watch anything he's in. Period. Dot. The end. I don't think this needs a lot of explanation.

Stanley Tucci is so funny in this. I adore him. In pretty much everything (Shall We Dance, Hunger Games, Julie & Julia, The Terminal).  He's so charming and cute and flexible in roles he plays.

I liked the daughter (Nicola Peltz) and boyfriend (Jack Reynor) characters and actors.

Loved the quirky sidekick guy (TJ Miller). So much fun!

Loved the little blue-haired twitchy transformer that was being used and abused by KSI.

Loved Titus Welliver (playing James Savoy, the head CIA Hunter guy). He is such a stellar bad guy.

Loved Thomas Lennon (playing the President's Chief of Staff). He's funny as hell. Love him in everything.

Loved John Goodman as Hound. And how they made Hound look. Seriously, the beard alone was phenomenal.

Things I didn't love: 
I was a little puzzled by the other 'knight' level transformers like Optimus Prime - puzzled that they were dinosaurs and dragons. I dunno. And why Optimus had to fight them after freeing them and why they capitulated so quickly once he did beat them. How exactly did  he beat them? They didn't make a lot of sense to me. But whatever - they were there to save the day. I found it funny that they went to live in the wilds of Japan ( I hope it was Japan and not China. If it was, then my epic apologies). I just kept thinking that they could be mecha-godzillas for future destruction or salvation.

Hated that the quirky sidekick died. :(   He was so much fun.

Hated that Ratchet died :(

K - if anyone wants to tell me why any of the other movies in this franchise is better, I'm listening!