Transformers: A Era da Extinção

I've been playing with Transformer toys since the beginning, loved the cartoon series and animated movie, but have mostly loathed what Michael Bay has done to my beloved franchise. His first movie was decent, the second appalling, the third passable, and when I left the movie theater after watching this fourth installment, my general feeling was, "Whatever." Being a little hard of hearing, I couldn't hear much of the dialog and was seriously confused about what was going on (not that Mr. Bay seems to worry much about telling a coherent story). I had been meaning to get back around to seeing it again at home where I could watch it with subtitles, and I was finally able to do just that. This time, I paid very close attention to try to understand the story and was rather surprised to discover that there was a very nice story that played out in a relatively orderly and logical manner, but with enough unanswered questions to leave you wondering where they might take the story in subsequent installments. Being all too familiar with Michael Bay's brand of humor and obsession with never-ending battle sequences, I had adjusted my expectation and found myself, overall, quite enjoying the film. I liked (or at least, didn't hate) many of the characters, including the main actors. There were also some very cool transformations and special effects. My main gripe with the movie (and I still have many of them) is that Michael Bay just doesn't know when to quit - this movie is entirely too long. He's made the same mistake before. The action sequences are so frequent and so long that I end up getting simultaneously bored and traumatized (never imagined that would be possible). If he could just scale back on the incessant action and ridiculous humor, I might start to actually form a moderately positive opinion of him - but I continue to hope that they'll hand the directing reins to someone (pretty much anyone) else.

First off, I want to say that by now people should know that a Michael Bay movie is not going to be a mind-blowing story. You're here for amazing action sequences. If you've seen or at the very least even heard about the past movies you should know this by now, so stop comparing him to James Cameron and quit complaining about the story because you already know whats in store.

That being said, this movie is on par with the first one back in 2007, and way better than Revenge of the Fallen and may even surpass Dark of The Moon. The CGI is incredible. It has come a long way even from the 3rd movie. The action is great, just what you would expect from a MB film. What everybody is complaining about is that the story lacks. Yes it does. But people need to stop being pessimists and start seeing the glass half full. The story is a lot more intricate than any of the other movies.I can't go into detail, but the plot really flows and fits together, albeit after a little thought is put into it. Forget the fact that it's Michael Bay or what's his name Ehren Kruger. The story is good. They really went all out. The funny moments don't feel as forced as they previously did, and let me just stress how much better the father-daughter idea fits than the boyfriend-girlfriend. Everyone plays an important role and has something to contribute to the plot. There were plenty moments where I thought, wow that makes sense. Especially with the dinobots. I love how they are delving more into the world of the Transformers, finally addressing ideas that a person would have. I must say as well Age of Extinction was definitely more emotional than the past three films, but in a good way. And, this time they really set it up for future installments quite beautifully.My absolute favorite part is how this time, every robot gets the proper amount of screen time,with the exception of a few, and they all actually have meaningful dialogue. The transformers are finally getting some character development.The few bots that don't have much screen time I'm completely OK with.As I said before, they did a great job setting up for the next film and those few characters who needed a bit more of the spotlight will definitely be back. The one thing I do see wrong with this film is that despite being nearly three hours, the plot is so much more involved that everything happens really fast and it does get a bit hard to follow. If you're a true fan however, putting in some thought won't kill you.

I said it before, and I'll say it again. You're not here for the plot, you're here for some amazing eye candy and a plot that is barely there. Boy does it deliver, not just in what you see, but the plot is an improvement. You would be making a mistake by not seeing this movie. You don't have to agree with me, but despite its flaws, Transformers Age of Extinction just may be the best in the series.

Age of Extinction holds a dismal 18% on Rotten Tomatoes and 5.6 on IMDB and whilst there are better blockbusters out there these scores are a bit harsh. Most criticisms focus on the subplot between Shane and Tessa (i.e. the Romeo and Juliet law scene), the catering to the Chinese market, and the product placement. These weren't unwarranted but there were some improvements, like reducing the number of Autobots down to five and giving them some characteristics. I would be lying if a scene where Optimus Prime fights a robot dinosaur appeals to my inner 10-year-old. I personally think the bulk of the plot where Transformers are getting hunted and an company experiments on them would have fitted better as the first sequel.

The fourth entry into the franchise is a misstep that squanders the will of the preceding entries.

Good, enjoyable action flick!

Mark Wahlberg looking tough, saving his daughter and the world.

Totally not necessary to be almost three hours long though!?

A sequel movie that is not afraid to make fun of itself though. One of the best lines, "Man, I hate sequels they always suck and never do as good as the first." Bonus points for self deprecation!

Worth a rental - but forewarning it's a three hour tour.