Transformers 4: AOE (2014) Released on 27th June in India

Transformers – 4th Installment

Directed By – Michael Bay
Cast – Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci, Nicola Peltz, Jack Reynor, Kelsey Grammer
Written By – Ehren Kruger

Description –

The battle between Autobots and Decepticons gets worse as the government joins the evil side and start hunting down the Autobots on Planet Earth making it difficult for Optimus and his metal buddies to survive.

Past –

Many of us during our childhood days used to be hooked to that one cartoon show that we watched religiously and used to whine when we missed an episode and created a hue and cry over the same. One amongst these favourite shows used to be Transformers created by HasBro and had a huge fan following during its heydays. It was simply robots going berserk on Earth, a group called the Autobots-the good guys trying to defend the human race and Decepticons- The bad guys going all out to create havoc on Earth. The show was such a huge hit that it even had a 1986 animated movie reboot that pretty much worked and was well received by the fans. And the entire Transformers universe was converted into a CGI loaded, action packed trilogy by Michael Bay who is known for directing high-budget action films characterized by their fast edits, stylistic visuals and extreme use of practical special effects.

The trilogy starred then not-so-famous Shia LaBeouf who used to mouth his dialogues insanely fast and also had some really hot ladies as his arm candy!(pun intended). The movie, though not critically well received did end up earning humongous amounts of money at the box office worldwide and new sequels were expected! And when Bay announced a reboot with Mark Wahlberg at the helm of proceedings, it sent up expectations soaring sky high and finally, it has arrived on the big screens with a bang!

Movie Review

Transformers: AOE starts off 5 years after the battle between Autobots and Decepticons in Chicago(the climatic battle sequence of Transformers-Dark Of The Moon). The Autobots are no longer considered friendly by the government and are termed as fugitives being mercilessly hunted down by the CIA along with the Decepticons. Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg) comes across a junk truck and discovers that it is none other than Optimus Prime, the leader of the Autobots. And he and his family becomes a target of the CIA. The movie also brings in two new villain bots (scroll down for their pics), Lockdown as the cruel Decepticon bounty hunter and Galvatron, a bot created by humans, but is a possessed mind of the evil Megatron who goes rogue and both try to destroy the Autobots and gain an upper hand over control of the Earth. Kelsey Grammer as the paranoid evil government official is impressive yet the role remains one dimensional and not much attention is paid to character development.

Lockdown with his Ship (plays Lamborghini Aventador)

The movie is the longest in the series, 165 minutes long (ensure visiting a toilet before you enter the cinema hall) and also the human angle still remains unexplored and not delved deep into! But who cares when you have $165 million dollars as the movie budget and Michael Bay at the pedestal! Bay goes all out to create a stunning mix of CGI effects and 3D sequences and that make up for the glaring loopholes in the plot! The logic does go for a toss at times and it also has some terrible dialogues but those gleamy bots and their fight sequences make you forget everything and you get engrossed in the proceedings!

Galvatron in attack (plays Freightliner Argosy Cab-over-trailer)

It also introduces a new group of bots, the Dinobots who give you some of the most whistle inspiring paisa vasool moments!! And I still feel awe for Peter Cullen, the man behind the voice of Optimus Prime who has been doing this for almost three decades now! This movie is a bang for your buck for its marvelous special effects, a refreshing cast and some surprising and intriguing twists that keep you at the edge of your seat! You do wish the movie had a better story line but this one is purely made by Bay for the fans of the series and he has upped the ante on action and given a mostly satisfactory yet not a great reboot!

Pros-

1. Optimus Prime (I mean this guy is the reigning force behind the Transformers universe and I still don’t feel enough of watching him onscreen!)
2. Mark Wahlberg
3. CGI effects coupled with some stunning 3-D sequences
4. Dinobots (you would have to see them to believe them!)

Cons-

1. Some glaring loopholes in the plot, doesn’t have a strong human back story!
2. Might be a turn off for some due to its long runtime (I didn’t find it a hindrance since it keeps you hooked all the way!)

Verdict-

If you are looking for some serious storyline and so on, you better be at home because it doesn’t have much of it! But those who are in the mood for some popcorn munching entertainment and are awestruck by Michael Bay’s vision and his previous movies shouldn’t miss this one and catch it at the nearest cinema hall for pure unadulterated dosage of action! And it would be surely ending up as one of the biggest money spinners at the box office worldwide!

 P.S.  I heard some rumours that the further sequels might be a crossover with Jurassic Park and G.I.Joe too!!! Hope they do come true!

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