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Transformers: The Last Knight Movie Review

Reviewed by on Jun 21, 2017
Rating: 3 Star Rating

Is Transformers: The Last Knight the best in the series of films yet? Is the plot too busy? Check out Kidzworld’s movie review.

By: Lynn Barker

In Transformers: The Last Knight, inventor Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg) who helped save the world in the last film, is now a wanted man hiding in his junkyard with the few Autobots not destroyed by a government hit squad. Will he and his buddy Bumblebee be able to lead the charge when the entire dead planet of Cybertron is about to collide with Earth and will Optimus Prime return to help or hinder humankind?

Optimus Prime is now Nemesis PrimeOptimus Prime is now Nemesis Prime

Backstory

Over a thousand years ago, King Arthur leads his knights into a battle they will surely lose.  Arthur asks magician Merlin to conjure up some help. Merlin’s power actually comes from a long-ago crashed spaceship harboring a Cybertronian Transformer Knight who gave him a magic staff of ultimate power. The Knight also gives Merlin the aid of Transformer Dragonstorm who arrives at the battle winning the day for Arthur and his knights.

Are Yeager and Lennox on the same side?Are Yeager and Lennox on the same side?

Enter Izzy, Yeager and Bumblebee

Today, Optimus Prime has left earth to find his maker and Transformers are targets for destruction on Earth. However, more keep arriving. Why? The Transformers Reaction Force dedicates itself to hunting down and destroying Transformers whether Autobot or Decepticon. In an area of war-torn Chicago, a group of kids stumble upon a crashed alien ship with a Transformer Knight inside. A TRF walker finds them but 14-year-old Izabella (Isabela Moner), a war survivor, and her robot pals Sqweeks and Canopy try to help the kids escape however, Canopy is shot down. Cade Yeager and Bumblebee swoop in and rescue the kids. The dying Knight gives Cade an ancient metal talisman.

Izzy and kids run from a walker in wrecked ChicagoIzzy and kids run from a walker in wrecked Chicago

Izzy’s buddy SqweeksIzzy’s buddy Sqweeks

Meanwhile Cybertron Approaches

In the last few days, the Transformers' now dead home world, Cybertron, has been approaching Earth. Optimus Prime crash-lands on the planet and confronts his creator, a powerful sorceress named Quintessa who mesmerizes Prime to destroy Earth, which she calls Unicron, and Cybertron will live. Lennox (Josh Duhamel), a former N.E.S.T. soldier member who now works under the TRF, has learned about the presence of an ancient alien technology buried on Earth. If Cybertron gets close enough this tech will destroy it but it’s tied to the ancient staff of Merlin. To find it, the TRF makes a reluctant deal with Megatron and his fave Decepticons. Yeager has a talisman that could lead to the staff. Find him!

Megatron confronts LennoxMegatron confronts Lennox

Junkyard War and a Kidnap

Yeager hides out in his junkyard, which serves as a sanctuary for many of the surviving Autobots. Yeager finds that Izabella, “Izzy” has followed him back. She has no family and wants to stay and fight. When Megatron and his pals arrive, she comes in handy. Most of the Decepticons are killed but Yeager is basically kidnapped by a robot butler named Cogman and, meanwhile, in the U.K., Oxford professor Viviane (Laura Haddock) is grabbed by Autobot Hot Rod. All are brought to the U.K. estate of Sir Edmund Burton (Sir Anthony Hopkins), the last living member of the Witwiccan Order, sworn to protect the history of Transformers on Earth.

Viviane is kidnapped by BurtonViviane is kidnapped by Burton

Burton’s butler CogmanBurton’s butler Cogman

Find the Staff and Stop the Machine

To stop an ancient Cybertronic machine from being activated on Earth, Viviane, the last descendant of Merlin, must find his staff. She is the only one who can bring it to life. Yeager was given the talisman as has been chosen as the Last Knight to protect the planet. Viviane’s late dad, an Arthurian scholar and secret Witwiccan should have known where the staff is hidden. She and Yeager delve through his library looking for info.

Viviane and Yeager inside a Transformer submarineViviane and Yeager inside a Transformer submarine

The Quest for the Staff

It is the TRF, Megatron and a couple of Decepticons, Quintessa and the altered Optimus (now called Nemesis) Prime versus Bumblebee, Burton, a few Autobots, Yeager, Viviane and young Izzy. Will the good guys find the staff and destroy Cybertron before it wrecks Earth? Who will live and who will die? What part will Yeager’s talisman play? Will Optimus remain a traitor? Will Lennox stay a “baddie” or defy orders? How many amazing adventures and battles stand in the way? Can the Autobots restore their destroyed world?

Megatron wants his world backMegatron wants his world back

Wrapping Up

Every time a Transformer film comes out, I think they can’t throw in more action and CGI effects. They can. In Transformers: The Last Knight, battle action rarely stops and some is a bit more creative than before and we do get to know some of the Autobots a bit more personally. It’s cool that much-loved Bumblebee is very instrumental in saving the day.

Nemesis Prime vs. BumblebeeNemesis Prime vs. Bumblebee

The film’s convoluted, overly-complicated plot goes on too long and is mind-boggling (if you even care to figure it out) but the movie also contains more humor than the last couple of Transformer flicks. Some of the jokes fall flat but a few are funny and charming. Beefy Mark Wahlberg still takes his character seriously and the addition of mega-actor Sir Anthony Hopkins who, with humor and verve, describes the backstory as best he can, is a big plus. Laura Haddock who plays a sexy but super smart descendant of the wizard Merlin, is a good, classy match for Wahlberg’s down to earth country boy.

Burton has Hot Rod kidnap VivianeBurton has Hot Rod kidnap Viviane

Stick around for a few credits because a scene is added in which some scientist types inspect something on Earth and Quintessa, now disguised as a hot human sorceress, arrives and offers help…yeah right. So, I guess Wahlberg may not be onboard for more of these movies but that doesn’t stop the toy-based mega-train.

Izzy cuddles up with some mini AutobotsIzzy cuddles up with some mini Autobots

If you are a huge Transformers fan, you will be onboard with all the action despite a confusing and overwritten plot. We go three stars. 

Transformers: The Last Knight Movie Rating: 3

Transformers: The Last Knight Movie PosterTransformers: The Last Knight PosterCourtesy of Paramount Pictures

 Transformers: The Last Knight is in theaters now!

 

Have Your Say

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