Michael Bay has the transformers shtick down. I generally like these movies, even though, for me personally, they aren’t all that memorable later. I’ve seen them all exactly once each, and can tell you bits and pieces of what happened, but can’t really recall the whole plots of any of them. But it seems to be working, as the movies are exciting (while watching them) and the audiences still seem to be liking them too.
In the latest, it is more of the same. It has a whole new cast (except for good old Optimus Prime), but the formula hasn’t changed. There is more action than story here, but it is very good action. In the 165 minute film, there might be 20-30 minutes where something fantastical isn’t happening. The premise is the “makers” of the transformers, which is the same group that wiped out dinosaurs on our planet millions of years ago, have put a bounty on Optimus’s head, and a group has arrived to collect him. The battlefield is once again our planet and humans are caught in the middle.
Since Shia LaBeouf has been intent on flushing his career down the toilet, he was replaced by Mark Wahlberg as the new lead. I like the move, Mark looks more like an action star and Shia’s “antsy” style in the films grated on me. While there is nothing really new about Transformers 4, the recipe is still working, and for those that liked the first 3, you’ll like the newest as well.
Jons Movie Takes 