1. SENTINEL WAS GOING TO KILL HIM ANYWAYS
Doesnt anyone remember before the part where Megatron saves the day, Sentinel was going to use his sword thing to destroy Optimus?
2. SENTINEL KILLED ONE OF OPTIMUS'S FRIENDS
3. SENTINEL WAS GOING TO ENSLAVE THE HUMAN RACE
Optimus was friends with many of the humans. He didnt want to enslave them. Earth was a fine home.
4. OPTIMUS WAS TIRED TO WAR
He had been in this war for many years. Many many years. Despite the fact he is an absolulate killing machine, he doesnt like this war and just wants it over. Even if Megatron offered a truce, it was obvious Megatron was going to betray him sooner or later.
5. MEGATRON TRIED TO KILL PRIME BEFORE
remember in the 1st and 2nd movies?

 

True, I guess... But why, Megatron? How bout a truce this time, one that works?

 

the autobots killed countless decepticons and you really think after that battle in chicago that their going to just simply stop?

 

Except Megatron's idea for the truce was was still his and Sentinel's, Just with Megatron in charge.

 

I don't mind Optimus killing Sentinel and Megs. Screw a truce, it's easier and safer just to kill them instead of risking more attacks.

What I did have a problem with though, is how abrupt and short it was. There should have been more dialogue to flesh things out to justify Prime's actions a bit better and a longer fight scene.

 

Having watched the movie today for the first time since the theater, I understand why Prime kills Megs. Megs clearly says, "How about a truce, one that works. All I want is to be in charge." Never heard that "in charge" part before.

 

Don't mind Optimus killing them, but as far as Megatron goes, I think he could have been left out of the movie entirely and that some other Decepticon was allowed to shine and strike the deal with Sentinel.

 

Optimus made up his mind to end them all before the time came. Besides, Prime's supposed to be the better Cybertronian, no?

EDIT:

This topic has been talked about (in length) since the movie came out. Why are you trying to change the minds of those who disagreed with the killings when they happened during the movies life in theaters?

 

if you think about the autobots were the true traitors the let Primus get sucked in a giant black hole

 

Note that I said one that works.

 

I don't think you should show mercy to a psychotic tyrant who explicitly screams "THIS IS MY PLANET!!!" while disemboweling his former partner.

 

A couple more:

6 - Both Megs and Sentinel broke every single Rule of War by that point, they'd be dead in any possible trial.

4 - Optimus Prime is the only remaining member of the Cybertronian Government, he literally is Judge, Jury and executioner ['cause, y'know, the Cybertronian judiciary system has been destroyed].

 

The backlash from Optimus killing Sentinel and Megatron puzzles me. Imagine if you had Moammar Qaddafi at gunpoint and that he is saying that he'll stop being evil if you let him go. Would you let him go? Heck no! Granted, you could take him prisoner, but you have to remember that Megatron was armed with a gun and it was obvious that he only fought Sentinel because he wanted to be leader. He even yelled ''This is my planet!'' Sentinel was unarmed, but there is no way to keep a twenty foot tall robot(who is also a prime) as a prisoner. Also, Sentinel was heavily wounded and Optimus put him out of his misery with a double tap to the head and chest.

 

How about Sentinel put his sword to his head about 3 times, he cut his arm, killed IH, made a deal with Megs and uh was gonna stab him in the back.....

 

So Prime killed Sentinel purely as an act of vengeance. That's also how I saw it. Guy was defenseless, and Prime killed his ass, because of the points you mention, instead of letting him live and imprisoning him and/or sending him off to the Negative Zone or something. In a lot of cases, I could understand that. But this is Optimus freakin' Prime. He's supposed to be a great, noble hero, who is above petty acts of vengeance. In my mind, he should be above killing a defenseless enemy, even if he must kill enemies in battle. But then again, G1 Prime (the only Prime that really matters in my mind) =/= Bay Prime (brutal killing machine that allows hundreds or thousands of humans to die just to prove a point and feed his ego, etc.).

I was trying to imagine a human doing this to another human in a movie, and in no case would that human resemble the noble character that Prime is in my mind. I can see a John McClane doing it, or Punisher, or Rambo, or Mad Max, but none of them resemble Prime very much.

 

EXACTLY. The way I see it, People that claim prime shouldn't have killed Sentinel and Megatron, are as guilty of saying we should let Hitler/Manson/Bin laden live as long as they promise not to do it again.

Its a tired argument. They claim their opinions, albeit completely short sighted, but these people will NOT give in to the obvious. They want a flying nun Optimus, not one who actually wants to win the war.

I'd like to introduce the naysayers to a quote from Prime, in a movie I'm sure, they obviously didn't see. ''One shall stand, One shall fall'', its not ''One shal stand and kill everyone, while the other one talks him down''

 

Yes because Megs and OP shaking hands in a truce would be a better ending...

Seriously, Optimus isn't stupid, teaming up with Megatron is clearly a bad idea

 

He was obviously being melodramatic, seeing as how he sat there, with Megatron beaten, pointing his blaster at Megs, and just kept yapping away until Hot Rod jumped in and killed Prime  

 

Yes, and he was giving the type of ''One liner'' quotes people bash him for.

Pointing his gun at a fallen foe, taunting his pleas of mercy. ''You, who are without mercy, now plead for it? I thought you were made of sterner stuff''

Do you really think, he would of let Megatron live? Especially in that movie, where dying bots DOES happen, I say thee nay

 

This argument has spanned countless hours and numerous threads, and is still getting nowhere.

One camp just won't understand that the other camp has no problem with Prime killing Decepticons, but merely wants him to do so without spouting thuggish lines, executing fallen opponents and yanking out spines/ripping off faces.

One camp just won't view any of the other camp's views as valid - the views that state anything goes when dealing with villains, including extreme violence and brutality.

I propose we just put it to bed and waste time on other things.