Transformers: The Last Knight – Movie Review

At this point, trying to review a “Transformers” movie is like trying to tell someone that a hamburger served on a donut is not very healthy. I loved the first film, but each sequel has been pretty awful, “Dark Side of the Moon” sucking a little less than the others.  The latest installment is nothing more than 149 minutes of large action sequences, connected by the flimsiest of narratives. It’s honestly just more of the same, so if you liked the previous films, you will probably enjoy this too.

Mark Wahlberg returns for a second time as Cade Yeager. This time his daughter is away at college and he spends his days, fighting to protect the Autobots.  Optimus Prime has traveled back to his planet Cybertron to destroy his creator Quintessa, who wants to rebuild their planet by destroying Earth.  The plan goes south when she brainwashes Prime and gets him to do her bidding.

It turns out that the Transformers were a big part of King Arthur’s history in regards to the knights of the round table. Merlin (Stanly Tucci) was given a powerful weapon to help defeat the enemies and now Quintessa wants that weapon to wipe out the human race.

There are so many problems with “The Last Knight”, I can’t even begin to list them all.  Anthony Hopkins is cashing a paycheck here playing Sir Edmund Burton, who is basically on screen to inform the good guys (and girls) about the history of the Transformers and about the knights.  Hopkins looks like he is just trying to get through his lines and put this movie behind him.

The comedy elements don’t work here either. I was hoping Bay would have moved on from some of these stereotypical racist transformers but nope, they are even more prominent here.  John Turturro has been brought back as Agent Simmons and completely wasted.  Bay also loves his eye-candy when it comes to cars and women and he treats his leading lady, Laura Haddock as not much more than that.

I keep telling myself, THAT’S IT!  I can’t watch another one of these “Transformers” movies, but then a few years go by and I forget how much I hated the last one and I allow myself to get sucked into seeing the next one.  That is why this is one of the largest movie franchises in the world.  Bay knows he doesn’t even need to try and make a good movie. Hopefully things will get better when he gives a fresh filmmaker the chance to get behind the camera.

By: Marc Ferman