Film Snail

5.9

Transformers: Age of Extinction

PG-13·2014·165m

Science Fiction

Action

Adventure

Science Fiction

Action

Adventure

Summary

As humanity picks up the pieces after the battle of Chicago, a shadowy group reveals itself in an attempt to control the direction of history…while an ancient, powerful new menace sets Earth in its crosshairs. With help from Cade Yeager, Optimus Prime and the Autobots rise to meet their most fearsome challenge yet.

Cast

Mark Wahlberg

Cade Yeager

Peter Cullen

Optimus Prime (voice)

Stanley Tucci

Joshua Joyce

Kelsey Grammer

Harold Attinger

Nicola Peltz Beckham

Tessa Yeager

Jack Reynor

Shane Dyson

Frank Welker

Galvatron (voice)

Sophia Myles

Darcy Tirrel

Li Bingbing

Su Yueming

Titus Welliver

James Savoy

John Goodman

Hound (voice)

Ken Watanabe

Drift (voice)

John DiMaggio

Crosshairs (voice)

Mark Ryan

Lockdown (voice)

T.J. Miller

Lucas Flannery

James Bachman

Gill Wembley

Thomas Lennon

Chief of Staff

Charles Parnell

CIA Director

Erika Fong

CIA Analyst

Han Geng

Convertible Passenger

Michael Christopher Collins

CIA Analyst

Zou Shiming

Elevator Boxer

Richard Riehle

Theater Landlord

Patrick Bristow

Landlord's Grandson

Cleo King

Realtor

Calvin Wimmer

Realtor Client

Glenn Keogh

Arctic Site Foreman

David Midthunder

Arctic Site Guard

Richard Gallion

Air Force Operator

Nick Horst

Air Force Technician

Kassem Gharaibeh

Wembley's Associate

Edward T. Welburn

KSI Executive

Yanis Kalnins

KSI Security Chief

Peter A Kelly

KSI Guard

Jessica Gomes

KSI Spokesmodel

Andreas Beckett

KSI Scientist

Alexander Leeb

KSI Scientist

Jamison Haase

KSI Robot Controller

Drew Wicks

KSI Robot Controller

Gene Shieh

KSI Factory Executive

Woei Bee

KSI Factory Executive

Wang Ying

KSI Greeter

William Wang

KSI Worker

Melanie Specht

Joshua's Assistant

Abigail Klein

Joshua's Assistant

Greg Matthew Anderson

Joshua's Assistant

Austin Lin

Attinger's Driver

Victoria Summer

Joshua's Assistant

Kevin Covais

Dorky Driver

B. Adam Baillio

Robot Thief

Mikal Vega

Cemetery Wind Team

Andrew Arrabito

Cemetery Wind Team

Tyrone Smith

Cemetery Wind Team

Kenny Sheard

Cemetery Wind Team

Kevin Kent

Cemetery Wind Team

Michael Wong

Hong Kong Police Chief

Winston Yeh Ying-Wen

Hong Kong Man in Suit

Ray Lui

Motorcycle Owner

Candice Zhao

Woman in Elevator

Li Jun Ting

Hong Kong Police Officer

Howard Y. Woo

Hong Kong Police Officer

Jingsheng Yu

Hong Kong Police Officer

Ben Wang

Hong Kong Police Officer

Eddie San Chan

Hong Kong Police Officer

Zhang Tianyu

Pangu Hotel Greeter

Wu Gang

Chinese Minister of Defense

Teresa Daley

Assistant to Minister of Defense

Robert Foxworth

Ratchet (voice)

Reno Wilson

Brains (voice)

Michael Bay

Truck Passenger (uncredited)

Crew

Director

Michael Bay

Writer

Ehren Kruger

Reviews

TheGSides

November 4, 2014

Is there any excuse available that will justify spending 2 hours, 45 minutes to watch this film? Or why I am gifting it three stars?

It was a free rental at Redox. I normally enjoy Mark Wahlberg movies. I love Bumblebee.

Do any of these hold water?

I know one thing that doesn’t hold a lot of water – the story. Does it really matter at this point in the franchise? There are good guy Transformers called Autobots and bad guy Transformers called Decepticons and standing between them are stupid humans that betray their species for profit – normally it’s the U.S. Government. BUT wait – there is one hero that will change all of this and talk Optimus Prime (Autobot Boss Daddy) into fighting one last battle (for the fourth or fifth time – I’ve lost count at this point) while some hot-looking woman runs around explosions in short-shorts.

You now know all you need to know about the entire _Transformer_ franchise.

For this incarnation we trade out Shia LeBeouf for Mark Wahlberg and Courtney Fox for Nicola Pelz. And now for the twist…wait for it… Mark Wahlberg plays Nicola Pelz’s FATHER. That’s right – the FATHER. Yeah, it totally doesn’t work. At all.

There’s a point in the movie about 90 minutes in where it looks like all the loose ends are going to get tied up and I thought: You know, that wasn’t so bad. Good action flick, a bit hoaky at points but watchable.

And then the movie keeps going. And going. For another 90 minutes. And you basically watch the movie again except instead of it being in Texas and Chicago, it’s in China and Hong Kong.

It’s too long, too many explosions, too many American flags and Texas flags in the background. This movie desperately needs an editor or it needs to be euthanized. Probably the latter.

John Goodman and Ken Watanabe lend their voices serve as decent comic relief but there’s not a lot that can save this film. Bumblebee deserved better.