Who do you call when you need a franchise saved? Well, after The Italian Job and Planet of the Apes, Mark Wahlberg obviously…
When an inventor reactivates Optimus Prime, a mysterious transformer attempts to take Optimus captive. With the U.S. government now working against his Autobot allies, he must team up with a group of humans to get justice.
In recent years Mark Wahlberg has become the go-to action actor. With Wahlberg’s turn in both
The Other Guys and Ted, he’s even playing the comic card as well. After Pain and Gain, his test film with Michael Bay, we get the first in another Transformers trilogy. To my surprise, he’s actually rather decent in it!
Wahlberg plays a down-and-out inventor who is overly protective of his daughter; it’s this relationship that ultimately defines his character. He does a lot of whining, but his dad role makes these annoyances bearable. He’s now an uncool dad rather than the young jock – and this new dynamic works a treat.
Comical characters have previously plagued this franchise and yet again we’re introduced to another Transformers ‘funny’ character, who helps market the film purely for under 10s. Thankfully he dies a gruesome death early on, which marks a departure; no more cute laughs for this franchise! Having said that, a slightly quirky character played by Stanley Tucci mimics Steve Jobs as a revolutionary corporate thinker, but is spat out in the end as a subservient joker. This begs the question: is the next film going to be Transformers 2 all over again?
Optimus Prime shows his dark side.
The world itself is given a darker edge; first shown by a gruesome death and later by Optimus Prime’s vengeful attitude. Previously he’s been a shining light as the guardian of Earth, but seeing him reject this makes for more accessible adult viewing. What’s more, a new lead villain takes over from Megatron and appears even more lethal and epic than anything we’ve seen before. Formerly loved Transformers are killed-off, which helps the film’s plot to be the strongest of the franchise to date. It’s not perfect however; with such a strong lead villain already in place, Megatron’s return seems unneeded, but as a new trilogy it seems he’s essential villain fodder.
Basically, I’m astounded… Michael Bay has made a decent Transformers film that almost rivals the original. A refreshed cast, darker themes and a new villain finally update a franchise that needed it two films ago. Bravo!
Is it too late in the day to bring in weary crowds after so much disappointment? Let us know your thoughts below.
Author – Matt, Cardiff store
