Review: Transformers: The Last Knight
‘Transformers’ films are loud, bloated, and full of explosions. Its fifth entry in the franchise is no exception. If you have not noticed, quality has not seemed to be the priority. The fourth film, despite being the worst-reviewed film in the franchise which received 7 Razzies nomination (winning two), was the highest-grossing film of 2014 and is the 15th highest-grossing film of all time. Time will tell if this one will follow its predecessor’s box office success.
Plot has never been the strength of ‘Transformers’ film, but the filmmakers clearly work extra hard to up the ante here. They not only turned Arthurian legends into history, but also shoddily have the Autobots join the Knights of the Round Table and fight Nazis. There is a reveal about Unicron which will make fans of the Transformers lore cringe and groan.
There is also a sense that the characters are simply running through the motions, instead of saving the world out of their own volition. Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg) is involved because he is the titular last knight. Viviane Wembly (Laura Haddock) is practically kidnapped by Sir Edmund Burton (Anthony Hopkins) to join them because she happens to be the last descendant of the wizard Merlin, who is an actual historical figure in this film. The talents of Anthony Hopkins feel wasted as he is mainly used to deliver expositions. Wahlberg and Haddock are fine, although the rushed plot often does not leave them with much room to emote. Wahlberg has a few good scenes about how he misses his daughter, Tessa. Haddock often comes across as yet another damsel in distress.
Despite being featured heavily in the trailer, Izabella (Isabella Moner) does not have a big part to play. We see her moments at the start and a little bit towards the end, but she is completely missing from the middle chunk of the film. Moner is a good actress, though, and would be welcome in the sequels together with Sqweeks. William Lennox (Josh Duhamel), who returned from the first three films and Joshua Joyce (Stanley Tucci) from the fourth film did not make much contribution to the plot although returning actors are always welcome, for better cohesiveness. By the way, Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime is always spot on. “Goosebumps”, as one of the Autobots describe how it feels when he speaks.
Quintessa (Gemma Chan) is a rather plain and unintimidating villain in this film. She is definitely not as charismatic as other villains like Megatron (Frank Welker, Hugo Weaving in previous films). The plot of sacrificing Earth to rebuild Cybertron is a rehash of ‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’ and is also similar to ‘Man of Steel’. Delving into the mythology on why Transformers keep coming to Earth sounds compelling but is not very well-explained in the end.
Despite apparently being the first ever film to be shot entirely in the brand new IMAX 3D cameras, it did not look impressive. It definitely does not look as flat and stiff as most 3D films out there, but it does not add much to most of the scenes. Save your cash and watch it in digital. The CGI by Industrial Light & Magic is as impressive as usual.
Overall, ‘Transformers: The Last Knight’ is yet another loud, bloated, explosive adventure which fails to elevate the franchise. Michael Bay claims that it will be his last ‘Transformers’ film, which might be taken with a pinch of salt since he said the same thing after the third installment. However, he has certainly laid out the paths for future films such as the ‘Bumblebee’ spinoff and the sixth film. Don’t forget to catch the scene just before the credits teasing the plot of its inevitable sequel. - Freddy
