Director: Michael Bay
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Nicola Peltz, Jack Reynor, Stanley Tucci, Kelsey Grammer
Running Time: 165 minutes
Certificate: 12A
Synopsis: An automobile mechanic and his daughter make a discovery that brings down the Autobots – and a paranoid government official – on them.
A few years after the battle of Chicago the Autobots are in hiding and the American government have found a way to make their own Transformers without having to answer to their former alien friends. When Cade Yaeger (Mark Wahlberg), engineer and junk hoarder, comes across an old truck, he soon discovers that there’s more to this truck than he first thought. Discovering Optimus Prime and attempting to repair him brings a covert government team down to his Texas home and puts the lives of himself and his daughter Tessa (Nicola Peltz) at risk.
There’s a slightly dystopian feel to this new TRANSFORMERS outing, with corrupt, blood-thirsty people in power and desolate buildings to wander through. Of course, this is still Michael Bay so there’s plenty of hot young females to see in tiny shorts and some truly beautiful cars to watch in action.
Despite the often atrocious dialogue, Kelsey Grammer and Stanley Tucci bring some real acting class to the film. Grammer is truly menacing and Tucci is somehow serious and the comic relief at the same time. However, many of the other supporting cast, including Sophia Myles, are entirely wasted thanks to the ridiculous dialogue and forced emotional drama that never properly lands.
One way in which even the other TRANSFORMERS films are completely surpassed in this outing is the product placement which doesn’t even try to hide or be subtle. Yet, for all that makes it awful – and with the expected Bay super slo-mo, gratuity and over indulgence, there is plenty to make it awful – when the Transformers are on screen, the visual effects are stunning and well worth the 3D. The action sequences are superb and the last act is especially gripping. It’s just a shame it takes so long to get there.
Overall, TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION is overlong, far too indulgent and utterly ridiculous. Yet somehow it is still so much fun.
[usr=3] TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION is released in UK and US cinemas from Friday 4th July, 2014.
Dan B
Jun 28, 2014 at 3:38 pm
I think it’s a mistake to try and expect plot from any action film, sure a few do it, but these things are undoubtedly there to entertain and we all know Bay does it in a ridiculous fashion!