Set a few years after the events of the third film, Dark of the Moon, this new film opens with the bleak reality that humans have had enough of the Autobot/Decepticon war destroying Earth, the devastation of Chicago made as a public reminder of their menace. But the CIA has gone a step further: allying themselves with a mercenary Transformer called Lockdown, they are hunting down and killing all robots, including Autobots.
Optimus Prime, who has been in hiding since Lockdown's appearance, is discovered by kind hearted inventor Cade Yeager (that's quite the name) his daughter and her boyfriend. Optimus then vows never to defend Humanity again... the cost has become too high...
Let's talk about what's wrong with the film first. The robots have been given a new appearance, all except Bumblebee for the most part, and I don't really like them. What I like about the first films (especially 2007) is how you can see the vehicle (or alt) mode on the robot, here the characters are better and more distinctive, but the vehicle they turn into is completely lost. Example: the Autobot character Crosshairs has a longcoat, I have no idea how the coat goes into his car mode! Or Lockdown, he has a Lamborghini alt mode, but before he transformed into one I had no clue.
There are also new Transformers. Sufficed to say, humans have acquired technology to make their own Transformers, and they have a very, very different way of transforming; think of particles, totally breaking down and reforming. I didn't like that.
And tonnes of product placement. Good lord.
But you could say these things are superficial, I really enjoyed the film. I enjoyed the hell out of it!
You know all that dumb, childish, toilet humour of the first three films? You know: Sam's Mom; robot fart and pissing jokes; "Deep Wang"; Wheelie humping Mikeala's leg; basically all of TF:RotF? None of that presents itself here, and I am not exaggerating! With the focus on Mark Wahlberg's Cade the story takes a more mature, edgier feel. Sure, there's still humour, but it is wittier than the teenage-grade jokes before. Bumblebee has some very funny dialogue.
You know all that terrible rapid cutting and editing that plagued the first three films? Bay has actually listened to complaints and the action here is actually far more legible!
You also remember all the overpowering glorification of the US military in the previous films? Gone. The military doesn't even feature in this movie!
The robots take a more prominent role too. Lockdown is a vicious new villain! I really like his character, and the Autobots were lively, had very humanoid faces (something the fandom bemoaned about the first trilogy) and all very distinct from each other.
The first act is decent. We see that our human characters are genuine (if very borderline pretenteous, something Bay must avoid doing in the future!) I think Wahlberg knows how to work for Michael Bay, and the second act does some intense, dark stuff! I was actually surprised with some of the things they did: they clearly want to separate this from the pulpy, teenage melodrama of the previous films!
Of course, the third act becomes overlong and the film's runtime is barbaric at two hours forty-five minutes! Completely unnecessary. But as these films go on, I feel like I am watching a TV series and just binging on a whole season at once!
I will say it: I am stoked for more movies! If they can maintain what this film is going for, and don't screw it all up like they did with RotF, we could be on to a really good trilogy! I know what they are building up to now, there was a heavy theme of creators and creation in this film, and any fan will be able to tell you what's coming next. I liked this a lot.
If you never liked the original trilogy, this probably won't change your mind too much (despite the lack of toilet humour and edgier tone) but if you are one of those people who are on the fence, uncertain, this will make you a fan again!
Additional Marshmallows: Something else worth noting. The "Witwicky Trilogy" was certainly fun in a childish way, but what could happen is that this new trilogy goes too serious, that it stops having its sense of self-awareness.
I know that's what's in right now; to "Nolanify" everything, but I will be honest Transformers: Age of Extinction does borderline this sort of severity at times, and really... it doesn't work. Not because it is Michael Bay, but because it is a franchise based off toys!
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