Despite making a shedload of cash, it’s fair to say that the last Transformers sequel wasn’t universally loved. Even director Michael Bay seems to have a few problems with Revenge of the Fallen, promising that Transformers 3 will learn from the mistakes of its predecessor.

“I’ll take some of the criticism,” said Bay in a recent interview with USA Today. “It was very hard to put (the sequel) together that quickly after the writers' strike,” he said, before singling out one element of the writing in particular that he plans to change.

“One thing we're getting rid of is what I call the dorky comedy,” said Bay, with reference to the wisecracking twins Skids and Mudflap, who he promises are, “basically gone,” this time around.

Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura also agrees that a few things need tinkering to make sure the series ends with a bang. “We tried to do too many things in the second movie,” he told USA Today, “which didn't give enough time in any one of them. We were constantly jumping to the next piece of information, the next place.”

A refreshingly honest appraisal then, a rarity for a Hollywood big-gun like Bay, and one that hopefully bodes well for a leaner, meaner entry to the series.