Transformers: The Last movie (probably not)

Di Bonaventura and Paramount pictures promised a fresh and heroic chapter in it’s newest Transformers installment, a promise that it almost fulfilled.

The film was a disappointment for all, which leaves fans and critics alike wishing that “The Last Knight” was the last film.

Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg; “Deepwater Horizon”) must team up with an Oxford professor (Laura Haddock; “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2”) and an earl (Sir Anthony Hopkins; “Silence of The Lambs”) to save Earth from the combined forces of Megatron (Frank Welker; “The Transformers 1984”), Nemesis Prime (Peter Cullen; Transformers 1984), and Quintessa (“Gemma Chan; Humans”) the creator.

The “new” plot is very similar to the other films, and borrows a large portion of previous events to propel the story. On the other hand the film does manage to shed the franchise’s shallow tone, and induces more suspense.

New and exciting themes build up a great deal of tension, but they do so for the wrong audience. This entry is best when thought as it’s own movie, rather than anything resembling the cartoon.

A movie’s reception can typically be determined by the amount of money earned on it’s opening week, but not in the Transformers franchise.

The previous film, “Age Of Extinction” raked in hundreds of dollars more than it’s competitors, despite being the most poorly received in the series.

“The Last Knight” started with a slow weekend, though many fans will end up watching the film’s next few showings. It is estimated that the film will be the lowest grossing film in the franchise, yet it is still thought that it will make up for the 350 million dollar it cost to make it.

The flick managed to get the hype train going, but did so with the wrong kind of fuel. Now it is at a halt, and people realize that this was not they are on the wrong train.

Numerous fans of the original series were enticed by the film when it introduced classic characters. The fans who went could only look on in terror, as their childhood friends were butchered by other characters.

In other cases the director was doing the dismantling, as few of the characters had their original personalities. This is likely the reason the film is struggling against competitors such as “Wonder Woman,” “The Mummy (2017),” and “Despicable Me 3.”

The majority of the people involved in the film manage to do their job in a very efficient manner. Actors (and those who cast them) portray their characters as though they were them, with an especially golden performance from Hopkins.

The special effects that the artist boasts of are present, and every scene is made with painstakingly sharp detail. However these excellent performances are too well done for the movie’s own good. There are too many things for the ears, eyes and mind to take in at once.

Whenever more than one subject appears at a time the details become unclear, and major plot elements are missed. Over time, each element loses it’s value as it is upstaged by every other detail, and keeps the audience from actually enjoying anything the film has to offer.

Seeing this film is certainly worth the wait, but the same cannot be said for the price of a movie ticket. Digital platforms that allow the viewer to rewind the film when they do not catch something is the best viewing option, as is the ability to skip when the film gets too “mature” for young viewers.

The film has lessened the franchise’s crude humor, but families should follow the movie’s PG-13 suggestion to avoid any mistakes. Anyone infuriated by the previous installments inaccuracy should avoid this one. Others may just become enthralled by the newest addition.

This flick’s worth may vary person to person, but overall the film is just okay. One thing it has done is forever transformed the series, perhaps into something that is more than meets the eye.