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| Mark Wahlberg |
Michael Bay and company are back with the latest "Transformers" outing, this time called "Age of Extinction" (unfortunately referring to the Transformers, not to the movie series) and with it comes a new human cast and some new machines. A few new shiny offerings doesn't necessarily equate to a better movie, and the modestly entertaining but wildly exhausting and overstuffed "Age of Extinction" only proves that Bay can pack even more into the clangy movie, represented by the 167 minute running time (and that's without credits). "Extinction" picks up a few years after the Chicago battle in the third movie. As humanity picks up the pieces, a shadowy group reveals itself in an attempt to control the direction of history...while an ancient, powerful new menace sets Earth in its crosshairs. With help from a determined Texas inventor (Mark Wahlberg), Optimus Prime and the Autobots rise to meet their most fearsome challenge yet and are swept up in a war of good and evil, ultimately leading to a climactic battle across the world. The excessively loud, action-packed "Transformers: Age of Extinction" may well be the biggest movie of the summer in terms of receipts, just don't expect it to be the best. Along with popcorn and soda, take a generous helping of Aleve gel caps and maybe a muscle relaxer to calm your nerves after finishing with the nearly three-hour opus, as you'll be considerably exhausted by it. The shiny, impressive visuals and action, like the previous two installments, is the most memorable, and one thing is for sure, this is where Bay and company consistently deliver, and I enjoyed seeing Optimus Prime as much as anyone. Everything else, including the story and acting, even with the talents of Wahlberg, not to mention a fun Stanley Tucci and a scowling Kelsey Grammer (yep, Frasier is the lead baddie here), is third-rate at best, though most will go for the special-effects and not for the depth of its human characters. On that note, the action-set pieces deliver just fine, though the redundant "Extinction" simply goes on and on much too long, with the final, headache-inducing, China-set battle going on for what seems like an eternity. Regardless of what I have to say about it, the uber-intense but overdone "Transformers: Age of Extinction," will clang its way to the top of the box-office, no doubt producing yet another chapter, "Transformers 5: The Migraine Age." Sprinkle some Excedrin on your popcorn and you'll be just fine.
Wes's Grade: C
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