Review: Transformers – Age of Extinction

Transformers: Age of Extinction, the latest installment of the blockbuster franchise sees Mark Wahlberg and Nicola Peltz replace Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox in the fight to save the world… again. But this time, there's dinosaurs.

By Victoria Sommella

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Transformers: Age of Extinction, the latest installment of the blockbuster franchise sees Mark Wahlberg and Nicola Peltz replace Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox in the fight to save the world… again. But this time, there's dinosaurs.

Wahlberg, a struggling inventor, and Peltz, his somewhat useless daughter are living in a world 'post' "the battle of Chicago", the epic finale to the last Transformers movie that saw the city toppled. Optimus Prime has gone into hiding, and the government have taken a back seat to let a covert brand of the CIA (headed by none other than Kelsey Grammer) round up the evil Decepiticons robots responsible for the mayhem and lives lost. Despite this Grammer is also, plot twist, hunting the good guys – the Autobots.

After about 20 minutes, the action starts and literally doesn't stop til the end. Almost 140 minutes of the movie's 165 minute run time is robot-on-robot action. I'd love to know just how much of the movie's $210 million budget was spent on CGI, because it feels like there's barely a moment without any sort of visual effects.

Frustratingly, it seems like the Autobots spent most of the time trying to save the useless human characters. To be honest, the humans really didn't add much to the movie, and it would have probably been better without them.

While the storyline may as well be non-existent, Michael Bay never shirks on the special effects, and as usual delivers in spectacular style. The Dinobots and a giant warship are eye-candy highlights, and there some phenomenal set-pieces that will make your jaw drop. In terms of CGI and special effects, the movie is definitely a triumph and a testament to technology.

Despite the paper-thin plot, it's been made needlessly complicated; I tried reading the plot summary on Wikipedia after, and it still doesn't make any sense. By the end of the movie, we've been introduced to no less than four different villains. I really don't understand why, it's not like anyone watches a Transformers movie for a deep, meaningful story. Memento this 'aint.

It was impossible to take Transformers: Age of Extinction even a little bit seriously. It takes Bay's trademark excess to the excess, and as such, quickly wears you out. A shorter run time would have definitely helped the movie. But despite this, Age of Extinction leaves you with the spectacular image of the one and only, Optimus Prime, holding a massive sword and riding into a battle on a giant robot dinosaur.