Quartile rating: 5.5/10 · 1 rating
As humanity picks up the pieces after the battle of Chicago, 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 Cade Yeager, Optimus Prime and the Autobots rise to meet their most fearsome challenge yet.
Transformers: Age of Extinction is widely regarded as one of the weakest entries in an already divisive franchise. The plot is bloated, incoherent, and stuffed with redundant subplots that stretch a thin premise to nearly three hours. The acting is largely forgettable, with Mark Wahlberg doing serviceable work but surrounded by underdeveloped characters. Cinematography gets a slight bump for Michael Bay's kinetic, polished visual style — glossy and bombastic, if exhausting. Novelty is rock-bottom: this is a by-the-numbers sequel that recycles the same formula of city-destroying robot battles with little imagination. The ending is an overlong, CGI-saturated climax that resolves nothing meaningfully and simply sets up yet another sequel.