Transformers 4: Age of my Brain's Extinction...

I actually saw the film on friday but have been really busy on a short film set for the past week and have only now gotten the time to write my review. I'll actually be posting a blog about my role on the set of the short film later this week but let's get on with my review.

If you'd like a more visual experience here is my video review on youtube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmQYBUeM4OU

This is a Michael Bay film and I must say that I am in no way a fan of his work. So, before I tear into him with pent up rage I'd like to take the time to appreciate the hard and underpaid work the visual effects artist of this film did. Now, my review really begins...

Now I actually like the first Transformers film, it wasn't amazing cinema but if was pretty fun and exciting. Unfortunately the films to follow were terrible and Transformers: Age of Extinction is too. Once again it is directed Michael Bay and written by Ehren Kruger and once again it is a long and boring mess. In what was meant to be a semi-reboot comes a movie that is more of the same except with added Marky Mark and jailbait instead of Shia 'crazy' LaBeouf or fashion models...but in all seriousness this film wastes a cast that on paper would get any film fan excited; Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci, Kelsey Grammer, Titus Welliver, T.J. Miller and young up-and-comer Nicola Peltz (who has done good work on the series Bates Motel).

The film follows Optimus Prime and the gang as they're hunted down by the government and a transformer bounty hunter called Lockdown. Stanley Tucci's character is harvesting Transformium (a name that is just as ridiculous as Avatar's unobtainium) which is what transformers are made and is also in cahoots with Lockdown. Texan inventor Cade (Mr Marky Mark himself) aides Optimus with the help of his daughter and her boyfriend.

Believe me when I say this film is absolutely ridiculous; it's horribly plotted with horrendous dialogue, incoherent (actually more like unintelligible) storytelling and incredibly sloppy editing. The score sounds like a Hans Zimmer copycat mixed with Tron Legacy's Daft Punk score but not awesome and the cinematography is your usual Michael Bay music video style.

With all that said and done I can't deny that Michael Bay knows how to shoot action. The fight scenes are pretty awesome and that is why these movies get made and make money (also because of the toys). Each action scene is crazy and goes all out but this actually causes the awesomeness to fade away making what should be exciting actually rather boring. Also when every action scene is executed like it's the climax of the film this causes the actual climax to be rather anticlimactic.

To me this film is everything I don't aspire to be as a filmmaker; it's bad storytelling with soulless filmmaking and no respect for the audience...and it will make a lot of money... For some reason these films draw in a massive audience and this never ceases to confound me but unfortunately there is nothing I can do about it except tell you that this is a waste of your time and money (and you'll probably see it anyway).

1 out of 5 stars (and also the worst movie I've seen so far this year)

Let me know your thoughts on the film in the comments and thanks for reading my review.