MANILA, Philippines - The fourth installment of the series, Transformers: Age of Extinction gives everything you would expect from a movie of the robot-morphing franchise: the same formula of a thin plot, unappealing script and stunning visuals all in another lengthy screen time. But despite its negative reception, Michael Bay's newest creation is still worth watching and delivers what is made to do.
At 165 minutes, this is the longest Transformers film to date, with some critics describing it as "bloated." Bloated with seemingly endless giant robot action, yes, though the story-telling is unbalanced while the pace may be slow and boring at times.
Taking place few years after the third film, Age of Extinction introduces four new sets of Transformers, and they are the same reasons this is still a badass flick for robot fanatics:
1. You get the best Transformer villain yet
In Transformers: The Dark of the Moon, the final battle between the Autobots and Decepticons caused massive deaths and devastation in Chicago. This prompts mankind to declare war against all alien robots, whether good or evil. In the latest film, the US government is hunting down the surviving Autobots and Decepticons with the help of another Transformer, the bounty hunter Lockdown.
Perhaps the best villain in the series so far, Lockdown is unlike any of the Transformers seen in the previous films. He has an almost omnipotent presence and easily overpowers other Transformers, including Optimus Prime. He has a giant robot army and an epic spaceship that can devour human cities. And oh, his head can turn into a weapon. Watch him in the early part of this video:
2. The new Autobots are impressive
While Lockdown and the US government search for the remaining Transformers, cash-strapped inventor Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg) buys an old semi-truck and plans to sell its parts for the college education of his daughter Tessa (Nicola Peltz). They then learn that the vehicle is actually an injured Optimus Prime as government operatives and Lockdown target them and storm into their farm. The humans eventually escape with the help of Optimus Prime and Tessa's boyfriend and car racer Shane Dyson.
Optimus Prime later assembles the remaining Autobots who are all equipped with interesting traits. Among them is Hound, a trigger-happy, cigar-smoking robot loaded with weapons; Drift, a samurai Transformer; and Crosshairs, a wild Autobot paratrooper. With Prime and Bumblebee, the newly introduced Autobots battle Lockdown and a new breed of Transformers, with Cade, Tessa and Shane caught in the crossfire.
3. The new, human-made Transformers are more impressive
Government operatives hunting down Transformers are working with the Kinetic Sciences Institute (KSI), a technology firm of business tycoon Joshua Joyce (Stanley Tucci). Experimenting on captured and destroyed Transformers, the company discovers "Transformium" from the shape-shifting robots and uses the metal to create new and upgraded giant machines.
KSI's new Transformers appear to be more powerful than the surviving Autobots and morph in a sleek and much cooler fashion (watch it below, around the 0:08 mark). Led by the unstable and menacing Galvatron, these killing machines chase down Optimus Prime and his allies, from US to China then Hong Kong.
4. The Dinobots are here!
To defeat their new powerful enemies, the Autobots team up with the Dinobots, which are larger Transformers who morph into mechanical dinosaurs. It is disappointing, however, that the Dinobots have lesser screen time. But hey, you still get to see Optimus Prime wield a sword while riding a fire-breathing Tyrannosaurus Rex.
The mega-franchise won't go extinct
With more unending robot action, the usually impressive aesthetics and the trademark Michael Bay chaos, Age of Extinction turns out to be better (if not the best of the series) than the second and third Transformers films. And with the new set of Transformers introduced, the supposed reboot of the franchise looks a little promising. -Louis Bacani