Lets start Transformers Age of Extinction Review but first, WELCOME MARK WAHLBERG!
Three things caught my eye when I first read about this 4th film in the transformers franchise.
1) Dinobots
2) Shia LeBeouf is NOT reprising Witwicky
3) Mark Wahlberg
Starting Review of Transformers 4
The movie begins in a time where the world is still recuperating from the battle in Chicago and the destruction done by the Autobots and Decepticons. Harold Attinger (Kelsie Grammar) leads a CIA task force in hunting down hiding Decepticons and destroying them.
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However, in secret he is working with an advanced transformer bounty hunter and actually seeking out both Autobots and Decepticons and destroying all that he finds. The parts he ships to a research company that breaks/melts them down into their basic metal; the metal scientists are calling “transformium”.
The goal: to create a US military group of man-made and controlled transformers; the obvious answer to any future alien threat. The leader of this military army: Galvitron. Looks like Megatron. Acts like Megatron. Hmmmm….
When the hunt started, all transformers went into hiding. The government believes the CIA is only destroying Decepticons, but Grammar’s character doesn’t care if it is Autobot or a Decepticon. It doesn’t belong, so it’s going down. So even the Autobots go into hiding.
Enter, Mark Wahlberg, a much better main character. He plays a tough but fun loving inventor and single dad. His inventions lack something; workability. During a job bid at an old movie theater, he discovers an old junk truck that he gets for $150 to fix or to scrap.
That begins the repair and befriending of Optimus Prime.
What People Think
Basically the premise is that we have a human race now terrified of transformers. A human race needing rescued by Transformers. A group of Autobot Transformers now reluctant to come to Earth’s rescue because of being hunted for so many years.
Let me go on record here:
This is a great movie. At 2 hours and 45 minutes, the length of the movie never fazed me; actually could have kept going and I would have kept watching.
The acting was so much better than previous ones. I don’t mean to bash on LeBeouf, but there are few roles I feel he pulls off. I love Holes; he plays a great clueless kid. I loved the first Transformers; he plays a great terrified teen trying to be cool. Probably my favorite role is Jack in Lawless. Other than that, I struggle to buy into him. I feel like too many movies have anchored themselves on him and they have fallen short.
Characters
Here you have Wahlberg, TJ Miller, Grammar, Tucci and John Goodman all pulling out great characters.
The transformation are fabulous. They have sleek new designs and more vibrant colors. It seems like in this one they were even slowed down a little and more detail was shown. It’s simply at a higher level than the previous ones.
The idea of transformium is pretty cool and the new Decepticon transforming is ok, just not my favorite. Actually my biggest complaint is the introduction of transformium.
My wish for the movie… more Dinobots. Watching the original transformers when growing up, I loved the Dinobots. Some liberties were taken with them to create more Dino-dragons, but they are still awesome.
Will there be another. YES!
The reboot was contingent on how this one did and it’s done very well. Wahlberg has agreed to all 3. So I’m excited for what the future will hold.
As we strive to do here at LTBM, I was thinking about Biblical connections. 2 really struck me. First is how Satan slowly penetrates our brains and our country. Immorality is rampant all around us. Step back and see how much of it starts in our television shows, movies, and music?
Maybe it didn’t start there, but it is supported by those areas. Satan seeps in drip by drip, image by image, and sound by sound. The infestation of the new government controlled transformers happens the same way. A little bit at a time the Decepticon personality seeped in.
The other aspect that caught my mind was that Paul was a Dinobot! Yes, you read that correctly. Think about the reaction that the Apostles displayed when Jesus chose Saul to be an Apostle. They were scared of him. They doubted his ability. They doubted his sincerity.
The Autobots have the same reaction when Optimus releases the Dinobots from the ship of the bounty hunter. They doubted them. They didn’t trust them. However, in the same way that Paul was the help to the other Apostles to win over Gentiles, the Dinobots were the help to the Autobots to win over the Decepticons.
I really enjoyed this movie. I’m ready to see it again. I’m eager for the next installment.
Personal Rating
This has to be a 5 star from me.
If you like Sci-Fi, robots, action, and a good triumphs over evil movie… this is a great movie for your money.
