Release: 2017-06-16
Runtime: 2h 34m (154 minutes)
Humans and Transformers are at war. Optimus Prime is gone. The key to saving our future lies buried in the secrets of the past, in the hidden history of Transformers on Earth. Saving our world falls upon the shoulders of an unlikely alliance: Cade Yeager; Bumblebee; an English Lord; and an Oxford Professor.
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Provided by JustWatch
Genres: Adventure, Action, Science Fiction
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Anthony Hopkins, Isabela Merced, more
Mark Wahlberg
as Cade Yeager
Anthony Hopkins
as Sir Edmund Burton
Isabela Merced
as Izabella
Steve Buscemi
as Daytrader (voice)
John Goodman
as Hound (voice)
Stanley Tucci
as Merlin
John Turturro
as Agent Simmons
Tom Kenny
as Wheels (voice)
Laura Haddock
as Viviane Wembly
Omar Sy
as Hot Rod (voice)
Frank Welker
as Megatron (voice)
Josh Duhamel
as Colonel William Lennox
Humans and Transformers are at war. Optimus Prime is gone. The key to saving our future lies buried in the secrets of the past, in the hidden history of Transformers on Earth. Saving our world falls upon the shoulders of an unlikely alliance: Cade Yeager; Bumblebee; an English Lord; and an Oxford Professor.
Two worlds collide. One survives.
Transformers: The Last Knight is a science fiction action film released on June 21, 2017. Directed by Michael Bay, this film is the fifth entry in the Transformers series and serves as a sequel to Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014).
In this installment, Mark Wahlberg reprises his role as Cade Yeager, the inventor who finds himself entangled in a battle involving ancient Transformers. He is joined by Josh Duhamel, returning as Colonel William Lennox, while Anthony Hopkins and Stanley Tucci add depth to the cast.
The plot begins in 484 AD, where the wizard Merlin seeks help from the Knights of Iacon, a group of Transformers. They provide him with a powerful staff to aid King Arthur in his fight against the Saxons. Fast forward to the present day, and Cade discovers that Optimus Prime has been corrupted and is on a quest to recover Merlin's staff, which has the power to save Cybertron by draining Earth's energy core.
The film premiered at the Odeon Leicester Square in London on June 18, 2017. Despite its grand visual effects and an engaging premise, it faced heavy criticism. Transformers: The Last Knight grossed approximately $605.4 million worldwide against a production budget of around $217 to $260 million, leading to an estimated loss of $100 million for Paramount due to high marketing costs.
The story opens with Merlin and the Knights of Iacon. Fast forward to modern times, where Cade Yeager is hiding Transformers from a new task force called the Transformers Reaction Force (TRF). After a series of encounters with various Transformers, Cade discovers a Talisman that links him to Merlin's staff, hidden deep beneath the ocean in a sunken Cybertronian spacecraft.
With the help of an eccentric British professor, Sir Edmund Burton, played by Anthony Hopkins, Cade and his allies are thrust into a conflict that pits them against both the TRF and the Decepticons, who are led by Megatron. The story unfolds as they race to find the staff before it falls into the wrong hands, leading to a devastating confrontation at Stonehenge.
The film received negative reviews, holding a 16% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics pointed out its lengthy runtime and convoluted plot, often calling it "cacophonous and thinly plotted." Audiences, however, graded it slightly better, with a score of "B+" from CinemaScore.
While Transformers: The Last Knight didn't resonate with critics, it showcased Bay's trademark visual style and special effects. The movie serves as a reminder of the franchise's complexity and the challenges of maintaining its appeal over multiple installments.
Despite its shortcomings, the film set the stage for future projects within the Transformers universe, leading to the prequel Bumblebee, released in December 2018, which was received more favorably.
Transformers: The Last Knight is a visually striking film that, despite its financial success, struggled to meet the expectations of both critics and audiences. Its legacy continues as part of the expansive Transformers franchise, paving the way for subsequent films and a shift in storytelling direction.
