Way more screen time for the DinoBots may have saved this movie.
I went to the movies on Friday July 27th, 2014, in Flag City USA, Findlay, Ohio. I saw Transformers: Age of Extinction, maybe the last weekend you’ll be able to see the movie at the Carmike 12, our local cinema. The movie was released 27 Jun 2014 and has made around $240M in the US.
Here’s 5 things about this relatively terrible film:
1. The “Legendary Ones” were well worth the wait and worth the $10 for a ticket.
The DinoBots were fabulous and should have been on screen way more than Marky Mark’s daughter. Two hours into the film, you’re quickly introduced to the “Legendary Ones” who quickly go into an awesome rampage and save the day. Character development on Grimlock? Plot development? Is this what Transformers 5 holds in store? I hope so because I feel terrible making my girlfriend go and see this movie. 2 hours and 50 minutes and they spend way too much time on the conspiracy with intermittent just ridiculous action scenes with giant boats crushing buildings in Beijing and the cast being flung through air in slow motion in the most unbelievable of ways, just to be saved by the Transformers at the last possible second.
2. Huge upgrade on transforming with the invention of “Tranformium”
I remember a lot of focus on the actual transforming of the robots and associated sound effects in the earlier films, especially the first one. The new way of transforming, an upgrade by America’s finest engineers, was extremely solid, for Galvetron and his army of human engineered robots. This part of the plot was interesting, maybe more of this and less of the down on his luck inventor who finds Optimus Prime. How did you get inside the old movie theater Optimus?
3. How disappointing was Marky Mark’s surfer buddy, played by T.J. Miller, death?
Down on his luck inventory who finds Optimus Prime has a buddy named Lucas and his dialogue in the movie was thoroughly delightful, T.J. Miller brought some heavily needed intentional comedy because at times the unintentional comedy was just too much. Having him die midway through left a hole in the dialogue, there’s a reason this movie has a 17% aggregate rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
4. Questionable choice of AutoBots.
Hound, voiced by John Goodman, who fit the role, with some terrible dialogue. Do they ever say the name of the ninja warrior voiced by Ken Watanabe or are we suppose to know this is Drift, a relatively obscure character from something called Tranformers: Armada? You’re obviously drawing from the entire Transformers universe with this choice, wouldn’t there have been a better choice for one of the surviving autobots than Drift? And since you’re drawing from the entire universe, who’s going to object to seeing the Insecticons or the Constructicons? Galvetron is going to need something to combat the DinoBots because if they aren’t involved in the plot line for Tranformers 5, it will be disappointing.
5. No way is Tammy a better movie.
Tammy is what my girlfriend wanted to see. Tammy is 96 minutes in length, I wouldn’t have been able to eat all the popcorn. Just a normal guy going with his girlfriend to the movies on a Friday night.