Parents' Guide to Transformers: Age of Extinction

This movie is saddled with cliched dialogue, sexist and stereotypical characterizations, and an overlong plot that never seems to end. Michael Bay is known as an overconfident director of mega-budget action films. While he admittedly has the technical skills to make the genre occasionally thrilling with his signature use of slow-mo shots during fast-paced battle sequences, there are really only a few moments when a discerning audience will feel they got their money's worth in this latest, ridiculous installment. Otherwise, unless you're a tween/teen, it's probable you'll end up rolling your eyes through the bulk of Transformers: Age of Extinction.

Let's not even harp on Reynor's terrible Irish accent (the screenwriter should have just made him Australian, since the Aussie actor's Irishness was only brought up once), on the gratuitous but predictable shots of women's bodies (every female character looks like a model and wears tight or revealing clothes), or on the laughable plot developments that reduce all Chinese characters into martial arts experts and all political employees into either hacks or traitors. In the end, the run time tells it all. With very few exceptions, action movies have no business being nearly three hours long. At least Tucci looks like he's having a blast playing a Steve Jobs-like innovator, and the friendly Autobots will be met with applause. But even a few admittedly awesome, jump-worthy action moments can't save this from being yet another hugely expensive but ultimately mediocre installment in a franchise that just needs to end.