Michael Bay has a lot of chutzpah, to say the least. That is evident throughout his career and certainly on display with the Blu-Ray and DVD release of his latest, Transformers: The Last Knight. I mean, having Transformers be an integral part of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table? Told you!
This fifth Transformers movie finds star Mark Wahlberg returning for his second tour with the franchise. His last outing, Transformers: Age of Extinction was made watchable by the charismatic lead and its globe-trotting ways (especially the elements that took place in China). We’re not saying it was necessarily a good film, but it was certainly something that was painful to witness for those who aren’t stalwart fans of the series. Judging by the box office success of these last two films in particular, there are millions that adore it.
Even a memorable turn by Wahlberg cannot save a plot that is all over the place at its best and full of holes and nonsensical at the worst. This is by far the worst of the quintet of flicks based on the Hasbro toys to hit the screen. As we have a spin-off with Bumblebee coming next year and a planned six Transformers movie coming the year after that, don’t look for The Last Knight to be the final installment in this series. But, maybe it should be… as we eloquently explored more intensely in our theatrical Transformers: The Last Knight review.
Basically this time out, we get to go deep into the past of the aliens who can change from modes of transportation to militaristic robots. The key to our future, and theirs, is hanging in the balance this time out (isn’t it always?) and with the help of an English Lord (Sir Anthony Hopkins, picking up quite a paycheck for the Oscar winner), Wahlberg’s Cade Yeager must solve a mystery centuries in the making to save our – and the Transformers – world.
Joining Wahlberg in this fifth Transformers film is a returning series favorite, Josh Duhamel – back as Colonel William Lennox. Isabela Moner, Laura Haddock, Santiago Caberera and Jerrod Carmichael also star in the film that fans of the series are surely going to want to add to their collection.
The bonus features are crafted with fans’ passion for the series in mind. With 80-plus minutes of never-before-seen footage and insight, it is a Transformers appreciators’ dream. For what the film lacks in awesomeness, for fans of the series and the filmmaker behind it, these featurettes make this Blu-Ray compelling.
The highlights are led by Merging Mythologies, an almost 20-minute look at how the film runs a thread from the most unlikely of historical benchmarks, the Arthurian era and World War II. Bet you never know those two polar opposite moments are connected, did ya?! The featurette not only includes enhanced details in terms of the plot, but also how filmmakers crafted those ancient Transformers and the sets that were built as well. Actually, it’s quite interesting.
Climbing the Ranks shines the spotlight on the militaristic aspect of the Transformers films, which is especially nice given the return of Duhamel’s character from the first few episodes. Duhamel and others who portray the soldiers in the film chime in on how they prepared for their parts as well as how awesome and priceless it was to work with former Navy SEALs in an effort to bring a grounded reality to such a fantastical film series.
One of the more enjoyable aspects of the film itself is having the Transformers world converge on merry ole England. The Royal Treatment: Transformers in the UK is an almost half-an-hour look at shooting key scenes on location in America’s former ruling country and currently world BFF. It delves deeper than simply showcasing filming locales and dishes the knowledge with some entertaining facts, such as how the production was keenly aware of priceless and un-replaceable items that were featured in many of those English-based scenes.
As we stated, the featurettes are for the fans, and that is none more evident than on Motors and Magic. Thought you knew everything about Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Hot Rod, Hound, Crosshairs, Drift, Cogman, Sqweeks, Day Trader, Megatron, Barricade, and Mohawk? Think again!
Finally, Bay fans will not want to miss One More Giant Effin’ Movie. The seven minute featurette explores the nature of “Bayhem” and why the filmmaker’s sets are one-of-a-kind.
Film Grade: F
Bonus Features: B-