Blu Ray Review: Transformers: Age of Extinction

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Transformers: Age of Extinction

Synopsis:

Review:
Mark Wahlberg plays Cade Yeager, who stumbles upon a severely damaged Optimus Prime as the US military, led by Harold Attinger (Kelsey Grammar), hunts the Autobots and Decepticons to extinction. But aiding the humans in their hunt for Autobots is another mysterious, alien force.

Transformers: Age of Extinction starts off a bit slow, as we get to know Cade and his family. Though, T.J. Miller provides a bit of comedic relief. The rest of the film gets darker as humans unleash their own version of robotic copycats that threaten more than just the remaining Autobots. Big explosions and impressive CGI make for a fun experience. At first glance, it seems like a rehash of previous film plots. But the alien bounty hunter provides an air of mystery. But that fizzles out too. The big showdown finale happens in Hong Kong this time, which makes for a nice change instead of yet another generic, US metropolis. The addition of pretty scenery and Dinobots, however, come too late in the film. It feels much too long. And by the end, I had quit caring what would happen. It’s a mindless, fun film for Transformers fans, but I was hoping for a bit more.

Blu-ray Combo Pack Includes:
Disc 1 (Blu-ray):

· Feature film in high definition
Disc 2 (Blu-ray):
· Bay On Action—In-depth interview with Michael Bay about his vision and approach to the film’s mind-blowing action sequences.
· Evolution Within Extinction:
o Generation 2—A look at where the fourth film picks up as we meet new faces—both man and machine—and a Transformers world after the Battle of Chicago.
o Drive Like Hell—Two entirely re-envisioned models of OPTIMUS PRIME and BUMBLEBEE appear in the film, along with an intimidating new nemesis, LOCKDOWN, as a Lamborghini Aventador plus other incredibly cool cars including a sophisticated Bugatti Veyron and a sleek Pagani Huayra. Check them out and see how actor Jack Reynor learned how to drive his Sonic rally car for the intense chase sequences.
o Small Town, Big Movie— When Transformers rolls into some small Texas towns, the normally quiet and picturesque countryside is suddenly alight with explosive action. Explore the different locations with members of the show’s art department and hear from robotics students whose designs appear as part of Cade’s lab.
o Shadow Protocol Activated— Follow the production to Detroit with unprecedented access to GM’s Lansing plant and Milford Proving Grounds test track; watch an impressive indoor car chase created in an auto parts factory; return to Chicago where location managers discovered a historical movie theater that served as the backdrop for Cade’s fateful first encounter with OPTIMUS PRIME; and finally travel to Washington state and the unlikely site of a never-used nuclear power plant.
o The Last Stand—A vacant lot in downtown Detroit is turned into a square block of Hong Kong. Watch as it literally takes shape from the ground up—then marvel as the crew blows it up piece by piece.
o The People’s Republic— China plays an extremely prominent role in the film both on-screen and behind-the-scenes; in fact, four Chinese actors were chosen from thousands of applicants on a reality TV show to appear in the movie. In addition, the production traveled to Hong Kong, the beautiful valley of Wulong Karst National Park in Chongqing and the Great Wall in Beijing to capture breathtaking footage.
o Rise of the DINOBOTS—Several new TRANSFORMERS characters make their live-action debut in this film. Get a brief history of the new recruits and then go inside Industrial Light & Magic to see how they were designed and conceptualized for the film.
o The Finishing Touch— Watch Michael Bay work like you’ve never seen him before. The director connects virtually with his Santa Monica headquarters, visits the editing bay and then checks in on the visual effects house in San Francisco—all from the comfort of his Miami home office. Also, get an in-depth look at the music contributions of Imagine Dragons as they collaborate with the film’s composer Steve Jablonsky. Finally, get exclusive red carpet access to the film’s world premiere in Hong Kong.
· Just Another Giant Effin’ Movie—Discover the fun, frenetic and amazing way a movie like Transformers: Age of Extinction gets made.
· A Spark of Design— Enjoy an exclusive look inside Hasbro’s creation of TRANSFORMERS: Age of Extinction Stomp and Chomp Grimlock action figure from concept and development to sculpting and painting, and then ultimately to the assembly line.
· T.J. Miller: Farm Hippie — Actor/comedian T.J. Miller never imagined he’d be part of a massively successful franchise like Transformers so he sets off to personally thank the people who made it possible. Come along as he visits Bay Films, gets some pointers from Kelsey Grammer, and even stops by
Mark Wahlberg’s house in this funny piece.
· KRE-O TRANSFORMERS: Take Us Through the Movies! – OPTIMUS PRIME will bring you up to speed on all of the TRANSFORMERS movies one by one in this hilarious, animated short where the TRANSFORMERS KREON figures act out the movies while building and rebuilding each scene…brick by brick.
· The Angry Birds TRANSFORMERS: Origin Story – Bonus content tells the origin story of how the EggSpark has landed on Piggy Island causing the eggs on the island to turn into evil Egg-bots, wreaking havoc across the whole island. The EggSpark has also caused the Birds and Pigs to turn into Autobots and Deceptihogs, who must team up in order to stop the Egg-bots before it’s too late!
· Trailers

Disc 3 (DVD):
· Feature film in standard definition