“Transformers: Age of Extinction” Is All About the Fans

Summer just got better, now that there is a huge blockbuster film to indulge in. Transformers: Age of Extinction hits theaters this weekend and Optimus Prime, along with the Autobots, are ready to roll out to save the world once more.

Similar to the past Transformer films, there has been much excitement and buzz about the new installment of the franchise, both from loyal followers and renowned critics. This of course has raised the debate as to whether or not the film will be a huge hit.

The storyline takes place five years after the invasion in Chicago from Transformers: Dark of The Moon (2011), where humans are now hunting alien robots and both Decepticons and Autobots are hiding to save themselves.  The film also follows Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg), who is an inventor and buys, then sells junk he refurbishes for money in order to provide for his daughter Tessa (Nicola Peltz) and put her through college. Cade joins forces with Optimus Prime, whom he finds while searching for scrap metal.

The plot thickens when the Autobots find out that the federal agents that are hunting them down have an unusual alliance with a galactic bounty hunter called Lockdown, who wants to capture Optimus and is willing to exchange a powerful weapon to Harold (Kelsey Grammer), the leader of the Black Ops known as “The Seed.” If that isn’t enough, the Autobots face another threat, CEO of the technology Kinetic, Joshua Joyce (Stanley Tucci), who uses information from destroyed transformers to build his own set of robotic soldiers. And of course, they face their old Decepticon rivals, led by an old foe, but with a huge upgrade.

As overwhelming as it may be, not all hope is lost for the Autobots. Cade, Tessa and her boyfriend Shane (Jack Reynor), who she has been keeping a secret from her father, join forces to combat Lockdown and The Seed. Shane provides a lot of assistance, but they also get help from the long awaited Dinobots.

Much of the critique stems from the thought that the movie is extremely long (167 minutes to be exact), exhausting and a headache of explosions. Critics also mention that the plot is very confusing, if not pointless. Even with all of the complaints that exist about this film, there is no doubt that Michael Bay’s work with CGI is unmatched and takes visual effects and action to a whole new level. Nevertheless, the ultimate critic is the fans.

What makes this franchise so unique is that Transformers originated from toys and later became a cartoon series. Additionally, transformers has a built in fan base that has followed the toys since the 1980’s. Sure there might be a fan with a complaint here or there, but the following is strong, which is why the franchise has made millions in the box office, despite harsh critiques.

When thinking about the movie as a whole, it needs to be taken for what it is and not so much what top critics have to say about the films. It’s a movie made for the fans. Even though it may not have strong character and plot development, it has great action and awesome robots. So when watching Transformers: Age of Extinction, keep in mind the film is more than meets the eye.