Close Menu
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    The Lamplight Review
    • Movie Reviews
    • TV Reviews
    • Features
    • Interviews
    • About Us
    • Live Music
    The Lamplight Review
    You are at:Home»Movie Reviews»Movie Review: ‘Transformers: Age of Extinction’
    Movie Reviews

    Movie Review: ‘Transformers: Age of Extinction’

    By Chris CawthorneJune 27, 2014Updated:September 18, 2014No Comments3 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Share
    Facebook Twitter Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Email

    In this year’s installment of in the “did we really need another of these” series of films, Michael Bay returns the Autobots to the big screen in a triumphantly awful fashion. Several months back, after an interviewer said that Bay’s movies were for thirteen year old boys, the director replied with “so?” At the time I agreed with him: the world will always have big budget explosion-fueled blockbusters, and not all of them have to be intelligent in the plot department.

    Unfortunately, Transformers: Age of Extinction didn’t really pull itself together long enough for that to work. What viewers receive is a whopping two hours and forty minutes of drawn out, bloodless, high-octane set pieces. Not all of those even worked, due to a convoluted series of events unfolding throughout the film, and one brutally awkward robot fight scene that was clearly done entirely with computer graphics on top of a single, unmoving backdrop. I’m no xenobiologist, but when a giant alien robot creature falls into a thin concrete structure at a high speed during a fight, you’d think there would be some damage left behind.

    XXX TRANSFORMERS-AGE-EXTINCTION-MOV-JY-4659-.JPG A ENT

    Not everything about Transformers: Age of Extinction was bad. The addition of Mark Wahlberg to the saga was a much-needed relief after three movies of Shia LeBouf shouting “no no no no no!” over and over. Instead, we get Wahlberg helping the Autobots shoot the bad guys in the junk. Stanley Tucci’s greedy scientist with a heart of gold gave some solid comedic relief and offered the film’s only character development. The absence of shaky-cam this time around was much appreciated, as it actually allowed you to see the giant alien robots fighting: you know, the entire reason for watching the movie to begin with.

    Those things aside, the rest of the movie was pure slop. The runtime of the film is excruciating, thanks to the poor pacing, and some people actually left the screening well before the film was over, shaking their heads in defeat. Nicola Peltz’s character was only in the film to be repeatedly thrust into awful situations so Mark Wahlberg (playing her father) didn’t just say “screw this, I’m going home.” The best part of the film was T.J. Miller’s character, but he was barely around for the bulk of the movie.

    Transformers Age of Extinction cast photo - featured

    Bay also apparently forgot all of the flak he received over the racial stereotypes in the previous films, and included an Autobot with a Japanese accent straight from a Pacific Theater War Bonds film from 1943. Ken Watanabe has a heavier accent, but boy did they have him turn that dial up to eleven. Oh yeah, by the way, Kelsey Grammer was in this movie, folks. He was an integral part of the film, but it was so long that he only had a few major scenes where he played an irredeemably awful human being.

    When the credits have rolled, what you end up with is the same hot garbage as the last three Transformers films, but this time there are dinosaurs, guys! This time there are dinosaurs. Don’t go see it. Don’t even bother watching it on a sleepy Sunday morning. I doubt you’ll stay awake for the whole thing.

    chris cawthorne reviews featured mark wahlberg michael bay Nicola Peltz Transformers: Age of Extinction
    Share. Facebook Twitter Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous ArticleInterview: ‘Wilfred’ Star Jason Gann Talks the Mythology of the Final Season
    Next Article TV Review: ‘Under the Dome’ – “Heads Will Roll″

    Related Posts

    Interview: ‘Father Stu’ star Mark Wahlberg talks faith and physical transformation

    April 12, 2022

    Movie Review: ‘Transformers: The Last Knight’

    June 21, 2017

    ‘Supergirl’ Interview: Melissa Benoist on Donning the Iconic S-Shield

    October 25, 2015
    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    Follow Us
    • Facebook 2.2K
    • Twitter 1.2K
    • Instagram 139
    • YouTube
    Sponsors
    Latest Posts

    Movie Review: ‘Fountain of Youth’

    May 23, 2025

    Movie Review: ‘Fear Street: Prom Queen’

    May 23, 2025

    Movie Review: ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’

    May 20, 2025

    Movie Review: ‘Thunderbolts*’

    May 2, 2025

    Movie Review: ‘Yadang: The Snitch’

    May 1, 2025
    Sponsors
    Copyright © 2025 The Lamplight Review.
    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.