Not Much Magic Here

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
—     Arthur C. Clarke
Transformers:  The Last Knight  —  movie review
T:TLK (2017) is another push by Hasbro to sell its action figures to kids using mass-media marketing i.e. a Sci-Fi / Special Effects extravaganza.  This episode is the fifth in the series.  The movie has Mark Wahlberg in a T:4 role reprisal as Cade Yeager,  Anthony Hopkins is introduced as Yoda, I mean as Sir Edmund Burton – the last in a line of knights from the Round Table, Josh Duhamel (who has appeared in all of the “T” movies) again as Lt. Col. Lennox,  Laura Haddock as Vivian Wembley – the last descendant of Merlin the Magician – and Cade’s new love interest, and Isabela Moner as Izabella – who has no real role in the movie – just a young girl who is supposed to have a flair for fixing machines (like broken “T’s”).  The movie was very poorly reviewed and received:  both professionally (15%) and by the general audience (46%).  When more than half of your paying viewers don’t give the movie a good rating, the series is in “it” deep.
So, what did I think?  Actors:  I like Wahlberg in the role.  I thought he was decent in T:4 and he is even better in this sequel.  No, he’s not a great actor and, no, this isn’t a great role.  But, I like him in it.  He brings the right amount of comedy, physicality and easy-going charm which suits the role.  I would add, though, that Mark is starting to show his age and really needs to get into some more mature acting roles sooner rather than later.  Hopkins is meant to bring a certain amount of gravitas to the film.  He does, and humor too.  Duhamel has had the same role since the beginning and it’s basically “fit, military looking male of appropriate age”.  He’s been there, done that, and got the T-shirt.  Haddock is basically a Megan Fox (“T1” and “T2”) look-alike without having to pay for Megan.  Having said that, Haddock is better in the role.  Not that the bar was set very high by Fox, but Haddock has a few funny lines and a few disdainful glances which she manages to pull off.  I’ve not seen her in anything else (I haven’t yet looked her up), but again, she was okay.  Moner rounds out the major actors with screen time and, as near as I can tell, is only present to try to convey a “family” theme which runs through all of the prior “T” films.  I guess the writers felt one-way calls between Cade and his daughter (who is away at college), didn’t get the message across enough.  Deep down though, I have a feeling Moner’s role is a shallow attempt to get young female “SMART’s” to buy “T” toys.
Plot: Wow!  So much, so wrong…  It’s hard to know where to begin.  I won’t bother.  The movie doesn’t make sense.  The movie doesn’t really follow prior continuity and doesn’t really have continuity within itself.  Worst of all, the movie tries to squeeze in so much it “feels” long.  I don’t know if there is a much more damming comment you can give an action movie than: “It feels long…”
Special Effects:  Nothing really jumped out at me as “new” or “wow”.  That doesn’t mean the f/x weren’t any good.  They were.  It really is just more of the same.  Chases, explosions, lots of ammunition, folks tossed around, etc; but nobody (human) really gets injured or killed – except for a few of the spare “T’s” in the movie.
Final recommendation:  This is NOT the worst “T” movie.  It is actually quite watchable as long as you are approaching it in the spirit it’s intended:  chases, explosions, lots of ammunition, folks tossed around, etc; but nobody (human) really gets injured or killed AND a light sprinkling of humor every 10-15 minutes.  (Okay, someone is gonna say:  “What about Hopkins?”  Yes, his character dies, but even that is handled gracefully with a good-bye from his butler.)  If you’ve spent 8+ hours of your life watching the other four “T” movies in this series, another 2+ hours watching this one is probably not going to hurt too bad.  I give it a moderate recommendation based only on watchability and humor.  A final note: this is clearly a lead in to at least one more sequel.  If director Michael Bay doesn’t step up his game and get better writers, hopefully, the next will be the last, cause while this isn’t the worst in the series, it’s not a very good movie – stand-alone or in the series.
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On This Day In:
2022	Especially If He Blogs Excessively
2021	Table Talk
	No One Left To Blame (Carefree Highway)
2020	Plant Roots For A Hundred Years
	That Seat Is Taken (Love The One You’re With)
2019	Shining In The Dark
2018	Sometimes Wisdom, Too
2017	What Do I Know… (What Do I Know)
	Not Much Magic Here
2016	Rare Competition
2015	Now Where Did I Put That Thing?
2014	Reckoning
	Orange October (VIII) – Giants Win Game 1 Of 2014 World Series!!
2013	Trying To Capture Serenity
2012	Above The Vaulted Sky
2011	Active Learning

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