​FILMS

transformers: age of extinction

Transformers: Age of Extinction (Action/Science Fiction): 53 out of 100: Not being a huge fan of the Transformers series, this fourth film is an over bloated exercise of marketing.

 

At a staggering 165 minutes, it can be a huge test of one's patience seeing these ugly looking machines fighting it out in an over abundance of action scenes that are soulless and eventually become boring. It didn't matter to this viewer whether the Transformers lived or died. With all this action accompanied by an overbearing music score, this movie must officially rank as the loudest ever! It was like watching a live action cartoon with all the use of CGI.

 

The director, Michael Bay, doesn't help matters by employing headache inducing shots including numerous close-ups, low angle camera shots, and quick pans and edits. It is an advertisement in how not to direct a film as his technique is as subtle as a sledgehammer.

 

It's not a complete failure of a movie however as the scenic locations of Hong Kong are beautiful to look at and Stanley Tucci is as solid and dependable as ever. The frequent injection of humour also helps lightens the mood.

 

You can count on another Transformers movie as it's such a money making machine but this viewer won't be in a panic if it's not made soon.

Starring Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci and Kelsey Grammer
(165 minutes)
Parental advice: Low level violence

Additional scene during or after credits: No
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=p56_y43UuEk (Movie trailer)

(Reviewed on Wednesday 2nd July, 2014)