 When it came to this franchise and its theatrical releases, this was (and still is) the only one of them I've missed on the big screen, and this review is based on a first-time viewing of it, seven years after its initial release. So before I get into this particular review, I'm gonna do a bit of a recap on things, not so much as far as plot goes. Essentially, it's pretty much always Autobots (good) vs Decepticons (bad) with humans in the crossfire, and both sides are after something of immense power, and potential to build and/or destroy to some degree.
Up to this point, we've had four of them. The first, I enjoy as a sort of nostalgic trip to my childhood, and for the time, an incredible special effects masterpiece. The second and fourth were probably my least favourite, if only due to the human element bickering and whining way too much. The third - we'll call it a guilty pleasure. The fight between Optimus and Sentinel was pretty epic... even if the autobots were ridiculously late to the fight! Now, here we are at movie #5, and this could very well take the cake for being the worst of the bunch. It has been mentioned at this point in previous 'Transformers' reviews that it irks me how these movies rewrite history, and this must be the biggest culprit of such things. It all starts with the audience questioning if they're at the right film, as it involves Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table battling the Saxons. Merlin (Stanley Tucci) asks the Knights of Iacon; a group of knight-like Tansfomrers, and he's given a staff, which is also... I mean, do I even have to say it at this point? McGuffin, McGuffin, McGuffin! Merlin is made to hide the staff, for it will one day be needed again, and we can pretty much cut to the chase on how all that unfolds at this point. The human element brings back Cade (Mark Wahlberg), who helps refugee Transformers, who have been deemed enemies of Earth because they level entire cities in every movie. Lennox (Josh Duhamel) is also back as the "good cop" working for the TRF (Transformers Reaction Force), and we even get a little Seymour Simmons (John Turturro). Now that the fans are satisfied, lets get to the new cast. First up, a rebellious young lady named Izabella (Isabela Merced) who's also a friend to the Autobots. Next, an accomplished scholar and obvious love-interest for Cade, Vivian Wembly (Laura Haddock). But by far the best character in the movie, and the only reason I got any real entertainment out of it is Sir Edmund Burton (Anthony Hopkins). He's spent his life dedicated to research on the Order of the Witwiccans; a secret society who has worked with Tranformers throughout history, and this is also where I get, as I've said, "irked." BUT Anothony Hopkins is hilarious in this. He's just having so much fun the whole time. As for our robots in disguise, Optimus (Peter Cullen) has headed back to Cybertron to face his "creator", stemming from the previous film, and comes across a strange Cybertronian being named Quintessa (Gemma Chan) who alters his conscience into Nemesis Prime, who becomes a sort of ultimate weapon. Decepticons try to open a gateway to let something terrible through, Autobots are generally hiding on Earth, and remember Galvatron from the previous film? They just threw him away, and brought Megatron (Frank Welker) back instead. So, I really must apologize if this review has been a bit of a mess, but to be honest, so is the film. If it wasn't for Anthony Hopkins treating his role like a ride at a carnival, I wouldn't see much entertainment in this at all - especially with such a busy, busy looking climax and ending. They've played with the lore a bit too much at this point, as well, and this movie is so damn busy and convoluted with everything going on (at least to me), it feels like we might need a bit of a breather... thankfully, that's precisely what the next film (and my personal fave of the bunch) provides. 1/5
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