In Defence of Transformers: Age of Extinction

I’ve got to be honest, with all the negative reviews and bad word of mouth surrounding the fourth Transfomers movie I was expecting the worst. Yet after watching it I’ve got to say I actually enjoyed it the most out of any of the installments.

Now, let’s give that some context.

I’ve always had issues with the previous 3 movies, I didn’t expect high art and I’ve always enjoyed the spectacle and the special effects but I’ve hated the stupid humour, Shia Labeouf in the lead, the quirky sector 7 agents, it always pulled me out of the films. Now Transformers: Age of Extinction gets rid of everything I disliked in the franchise and just leaves the bits I enjoyed!

I’m not saying it’s a good film (anyone could pull that argument apart in seconds), it’s overlong, plot threads are introduced that don’t get answered and the over-arching story is very simple yet presented in a very convoluted way. But if you go with the attitude of switching off your brain and just going with it (which I did) it’s a fun movie and you definitely get your money's worth in terms of spectacle.

Now I’ve heard a lot of people not accepting the “just turn your brain off” argument, that we should expect more from these films and I’m here to say really?! We should expect more from a film about transforming alien robots made primarily to sale toys based on an 80s cartoon that was made primarily to sell toys? That seems pretty nuts to me, there’s no point arguing about the finer details. Ultimately what I’m saying is “manage your expectations and be realistic about what this film is and why it exists in the first place.”  

This is not a classic summer blockbuster in the same vein as Jurassic Park, The Dark Knight or even the recently released (and magnificent) Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. But (and here’s the point!) it’s really not trying to be, so you shouldn’t judge it in the same way – it delivers what it sets out to deliver and being the fourth in a series it’s not like critics or viewers haven’t had any indication of what that is.

So for me it was nice to get more of the stuff I enjoyed and none of stuff I didn’t. Win.

And you’ve got to give Michael Bay props once again for ensuring every dollar spent on his movie is up on screen!