Film: Transformers: Age of Extinction
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci, Kelsey Grammer, Peter Cullen
Director: Michael Bay
Half an hour into the new Transformers movie, I started to feel a bit uneasy. This is not what I expected. It was more like a Disney sports movie than a lifeless metal flick. There is a familiar story of heroes falling out of favour, a clichéd-but-sweet father-daughter relationship, a reluctant friendship between an inventor and a ‘machine with a soul’, a misguided Government official on a mission and a megalomaniac who wants to rule the world. Nothing that has not been seen before, but definitely not in a Transformers movie.
To those who are not big fans of this franchise (self included) I always point out that there are other toys that have been made into movies and yet none have experienced success remotely near this. There is something about this that clicks with a lot of people. Well, that something is basically the sight of wickedly good-looking automobiles transforming into giant robots, who then start smashing each other, causing immense damage to the scenery. And glass shattering. Lots of glass shattering. Age of Extinction seemed to be eschewing the formula altogether. Then, almost as if waking from a strange dream, with a boom here and a bang there, normal service is resumed. Director Michael Bay says ‘enough of the sap’ and the anger games begin. Cue ticket counters across the world ringing in millions of dollars.
One major upgrade in this episode is Mark Wahlberg. He excels in playing the everyman, but one that can kick some ass, as well. He brings sincerity into his role that the film does not deserve. Without too much histrionics, he makes you root for him. Shia, who? Nicola Peltz and Jack Reynor are there as the obligatory NG representatives. Kelsey Grammer is interesting as a villain. Guess someone was missing Boss. Stanley Tucci does what Stanley Tucci does. Have loads of fun and pass that on to you. New Transformers include John Goodman, voicing an Autobot with a paunch (!) and chewing a metallic cigar, and Ken Watanabi voicing one that looks like, you guessed it, a samurai!
As far as casting goes, Transformers will forever have credit for bringing to us Peter Cullen. (No, he is not related to Edward Cullen!) Peter Cullen will always be known as the voice of… No, Peter Cullen will always be known as Optimus Prime. Cullen’s voice brings so much pathos to a metallic object that we immerse ourselves in the smooth baritone. He is given the cheesiest of dialogues, but Optimus Prime never comes across as anything less than Superman. Come to think of it, the two do have a bit in common. And in this movie Optimus flies.
There is a storyline about the metal that the Transformers are made of, a seed, a galactical bounty hunter, a Transformer-hunting task force called Cemetery Wind and other stuff. But, seriously, if this is your kind of movie, then all you need to know is there are a lot of metallic clashes and glass shattering and it lasts for almost three hours. And, yes, there are even metallic dinosaurs. Enjoy.
