Thursday, June 29, 2017

Transformers: The Last Knight Review











Transformers: The Last Knight


Release Date: 22nd June 2017 - Australia


Production Companies
Paramount Pictures
Hasbro (in association with)
Di Bonaventura Pictures
Huahua Media
Ian Bryce Productions
Amblin Entertainment (Uncredited)
Platinum Dunes (Uncredited)

Distribution
Paramount Pictures Australia


Genre: Sci-Fi/Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 149 minutes


Budget: $260,000,000

Box Office Gross: $605,425,157 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary
Humans are at war with the Transformers, and Optimus Prime is gone. The key to saving the future lies buried in the secrets of the past and the hidden history of Transformers on Earth. Now, it's up to the unlikely alliance of Cade Yeager, Bumblebee, an English lord and an Oxford professor to save the world.


Cast

The Humans
Mark Wahlberg - Cade Yeager 
Josh Duhamel - Lt. Colonel William Lennox
Laura Haddock - Vivian Wembley
Isabela Moner - Izabella 
Jerrod Carmichael - Jimmy
Anthony Hopkins - Sir Edmund Burton
Stanley Tucci - Merlin
Liam Garrrigan - Arthur
Martin McCreadie - Lancelot
Rob Witcomb - Percival
Marcus Fraser - Gawain
John Hollingworth - Tristan
Daniel Adegboyega - Saebert
Ben Webb - Hengist
John Turturro - Agent Seymour Simmons
Glenn Morshower - General Morshower
Nicola Peltz - Tessa Yeager (Voice) (Cameo)

Autobots
Peter Cullen - Optimus Prime (Voice)
John Goodman - Hound (Voice)
Ken Watanabe - Drift (Voice)
John DiMaggio - Crosshairs (Voice)
Omar Sy - Hot Rod (Voice)
Jim Carter - Cogman (Voice)
Reno Wilson - Sqweeks (Voice)
Steven Barr - Topspin (Voice)
Tom Kenny - Wheelie (Voice)
Frank Welker - Canopy (Voice)
Steve Buscemi - Daytrader (Voice)
Mark Ryan - Bulldog (Voice)

Deceptions 
Frank Welker - Megatron (Voice)
Jess Harnell - Barricade (Voice)
Reno Wilson - Mohawk (Voice)
John DiMaggio - Nitro (Voice)
 
Others
Gemma Chan - Quintessa (Voice)


Crew
Executive Producer/Director - Michael Bay
Story - Akiva Goldsman
Story/Screenplay - Art
Marcum, Matt Holloway
and Ken Nolan
Executive Producers -
Steven Spielberg, Brian
Goldner and Mark Vahradian
Producers - Tom DeSanto, Lorenzo Di Bonaventura and Don Murphy
Co-Producers - Matthew Cohan and Michael Kase
Co-Producer/First Assistant Director - K.C. Hodenfield
Casting Director - Denise Chamian
Production Designer - Jeffrey Beecroft
Senior Art Director - Sebastian Schroeder
Costume Designer - Lisa Lovaas
Director of Photography - Jonathan Sela
Second Unit Director/Supervising Stunt Coordinator - Mike Gunther
Stunt Coordinator: Opening Scene - Rob Inch
Special Effects Supervisor - John Frazier
Special Effects Coordinator - Jim Schwalm
Visual Effects Supervisors - Scott Farrar, 
Jason Smith, Wayne Brinton, Sheldon Stopsack,
Antoine Whyte and Rohit Prakash Gujar
Visual Effects Supervisors: ILM - Julian Foddy 
and Dave Fogler
Effects Supervisor - John Hansen
Animation Supervisors: ILM - Paul Kavanagh 
and Rick O'Connor
Editors - Roger Barton, Adam Gerstel, 
Debra Neil-Fisher, John Refoua, 
Mark Sanger and Calvin Wimmer
Music - Steve Jablonsky


Review
Ten years after the beginning of the 'Transformers' film series tentatively nicknamed by fans as "Bayformers" because Michael Bay was behind its influence. The director unveils a fifth chapter which was his last feature with the toy-line based movie franchise before he could oversee its growth into a cinematic universe. Although Marvel, DC and Star Wars are usually one step ahead of their successes, it doesn't mean that 'Transformers' will continue through a change of direction in a oncoming spin-off and future movies. Though Steven Spielberg and Paramount were the ones that began this explosive series of five movies with an almost fully-capable director. Critics were hostile to the series of its increasing lengths, shaky cams, plotting and lowbrow humour but warmed to the unrealistic action, eye-popping visuals and big explosions. The fans were divided on each movie that was considered the best and the worst with the first instalment being a mild exception. 

Now there hasn't been a 'Transformers' feature this toxic since 'Revenge of the Fallen' came out with a huge critical disdain. 'THE LAST KNIGHT' is outgrowing fans' anticipation as it was a bit self-aware, disjointed, silly and formulaic in its storyline and characterisations. It devoted on the secret history subplot which has been done a few times on the previous films and shown too much screen-time on the humans than most of the Transformers. Even Optimus Prime being brainwashed into Nemesis Prime could have been necessary if it had not been brief for the whole movie. As far as it goes, Bay could be losing his touch with the latest chapter which itself was distinguished by too many writers. It probably wasn't the moment that he was expecting in his send-off for the robots in disguise.

Mark Wahlberg returns as Cade Yeager as well as a few familiar actors like John Turturro and Josh Duhamel from the original three movies are back in this nadir. Newcomers like Isabella Moner and Laura Haddock are welcomed in the newer 'Transformers' movie but their acting wasn't quite up the par with Wahlberg's saving grace of his performance. The other standout player was Anthony Hopkins who was truly a distinguished gentleman whom like John Malkovich and Stanley Tucci are each of the supporting players cast in an instalment of giant robots. Hopkins gets the most fun than they've deserved as he shines in a prominent role as the keeper of the Transformers' hidden origins.

It's time for the franchise to change its gears as 'THE LAST KNIGHT' holds no secrets of being less fun and less exciting in the year's action-packed and power-charged blockbuster. Despite its overhype and shimmering potential, it will soon be the end of 'Transformers', but maybe not. In my opinion, it was subpar and the least unforgettable entry of the series. I'm sorry to say that this is not the movie what fans had wanted to see as the director has worn out of his welcome.

Star rating: (5/10) Average

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