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Nikki's Review of Transformers: Age of Extinction
11 years ago
I'd like to start this off just by stating that I didn't go to see this movie because I wanted to, but as a favor to my family. Would I recommend it? Not in theaters. Maybe if it's on TV or online and you feel like wasting three hours of your life. If you're one of those types who likes to watch bad movies on Netflix (which I, admittedly, am. As of writing this review, I'm watching Scar on Netflix), you might get some enjoyment out of it - if you're not paying for it. I'm also not a fan of Transformers. I grew up in a different era.
Okay, so, compared to the other three Transformers movies, this one is the best out of them, by far. I like how the Humans actually do things in this movie. They actually act, rather than only get acted upon. They play the part of heroes and villains, as much as Humans can in a Transformers movie anyways. Mark Wahlberg and Stanley Tucci know how to really sell their parts, too, unlike Shia. Even though the movie is not any good, Wahlberg and Tucci are so earnest in their roles that it's endearing when they're on the screen, especially the latter. The plot also isn't as bad as Revenge of the Fallen. As far as plot goes, it's interesting. The three factions play off thing is fun to watch. Unfortunately, the plot does take a while to get rolling, and when it does...
It just never stops. Never stops. Once things actually get into motion, this movie is a non-stop ride from one action set piece to another. Yeah, the Humans do things, and I like that, but there's too much doing in this movie period. It never gives you a break to stop and process things, to let your mind catch up to what's happening. It's mentally exhausting, which is weird because you kind of have to turn your brain off to enjoy the movie anyways. By the middle of the second act, this movie was really starting to grate on me. It's a long movie just on its own, but other long movies, such as LOTR, attempt to mediate this by injecting moments of rest, moments that aren't so fast paced as the rest.
Transformers: AoE just doesn't know when to stop. Its pace is out of control and the effect is the same as movies where they're not doing much of anything: it makes the movie feel far longer than it is. It's three hours of excessive action and it seriously got on my nerves after a while.
It does give me some hope that Michael Bay might actually manage to produce a good Transformers movie, though. As said, the human characters are a lot better compared to the previous three. Wahlberg sold his role. I also liked how Optimus Prime wasn't so white and shiny and pure-hearted in every little thing he says or does. There was some gray there; some rust. The comic relief in this movie also isn't as hammed up as the others, thank god for that. There's no racist Jar Jar robots in this movie.
Michael Bay just needs stop being so excessive and he needs to trim the fat - of which there is a lot. If he can find balance between the action and non-action, that might just be a movie worth paying for.
Okay, so, compared to the other three Transformers movies, this one is the best out of them, by far. I like how the Humans actually do things in this movie. They actually act, rather than only get acted upon. They play the part of heroes and villains, as much as Humans can in a Transformers movie anyways. Mark Wahlberg and Stanley Tucci know how to really sell their parts, too, unlike Shia. Even though the movie is not any good, Wahlberg and Tucci are so earnest in their roles that it's endearing when they're on the screen, especially the latter. The plot also isn't as bad as Revenge of the Fallen. As far as plot goes, it's interesting. The three factions play off thing is fun to watch. Unfortunately, the plot does take a while to get rolling, and when it does...
It just never stops. Never stops. Once things actually get into motion, this movie is a non-stop ride from one action set piece to another. Yeah, the Humans do things, and I like that, but there's too much doing in this movie period. It never gives you a break to stop and process things, to let your mind catch up to what's happening. It's mentally exhausting, which is weird because you kind of have to turn your brain off to enjoy the movie anyways. By the middle of the second act, this movie was really starting to grate on me. It's a long movie just on its own, but other long movies, such as LOTR, attempt to mediate this by injecting moments of rest, moments that aren't so fast paced as the rest.
Transformers: AoE just doesn't know when to stop. Its pace is out of control and the effect is the same as movies where they're not doing much of anything: it makes the movie feel far longer than it is. It's three hours of excessive action and it seriously got on my nerves after a while.
It does give me some hope that Michael Bay might actually manage to produce a good Transformers movie, though. As said, the human characters are a lot better compared to the previous three. Wahlberg sold his role. I also liked how Optimus Prime wasn't so white and shiny and pure-hearted in every little thing he says or does. There was some gray there; some rust. The comic relief in this movie also isn't as hammed up as the others, thank god for that. There's no racist Jar Jar robots in this movie.
Michael Bay just needs stop being so excessive and he needs to trim the fat - of which there is a lot. If he can find balance between the action and non-action, that might just be a movie worth paying for.
I haven't seen any of the Transformers movies in theaters, and this is coming from someone who DID grow up in that generation and who adored the toys, comics, and cartoon series as a kid. I knew after the first one that Bay was basically just going to roll with turning the series into another special effects marvel that would hopefully distract people from the lame human characters and the hackneyed "plot" in most of them.
The only thing I found promising in the trailers of this one is the fact they finally got rid of Shia. (Seriously, I can only listen to him running around with wide eyed screaming "BUMBLEBEE!!1oneone" so many times. -_-) The thing is, Shia isn't a "horrible" actor, but the role and dialogue they gave him in the Transformers movies is pretty painful.
I'll probably watch it when it hits DVD, if for no other reason than the Dinobots.
Of course, don't let that compliment towards AoE fool you. It's not a good movie. I just think there's some hope for one.