14 thoughts on “The Drive Home Breakdown 009 – Transformers: Age Extinction

  1. So i dare to say that am one of those who have movies as a casual enjoyment. I thaught this one was okay. Pretty cool action stuff with indeed a script that were lackluster
    I do what you guys said. Switch off my brain and just enjoy the good ILM animations. Since i worked a bit with effects myself i know what they are doing is crazy impressive. I cant say i have any affinity towards the older cartoons or anything like that.
    Guess am a idiot then 😉

  2. Couldent edit my post so I had to make another one to elaborate a bit here.
    Me and my friends did indeed like the prev 3 also, maybe not so much the second one.
    Maybe its just comes down as always to taste. But I really got the feeling that you guys were saying indirectly: “Hey you are stupid if you like these movies”. Which I never thought I get that feeling from you guys that i´ve listen to for years now. And that I respect so much!

    For some ppl. Me, my brother and a few of my friends, robots fighting is enough, cause we did not expect more, ofc we agree that the plot is silly and have more holes then a swizz cheese. But as you said Brent: Its not enough for you. Well for some others it is. Its entertaining at least which me and my friends want from these movies.
    Should I have to feel like a dumb human being for liking a ridiculous action movie?

    I suspect that since we kinda like the design of the Transformers helps as well
    Am trying to think what it can be. But it just dosent bother me that much all the things you guys talked about. i know they are flaws but I can look past em. And am by no way a dumb human being. Nor am I a kid at the age of 31.

    Can it have something to do with movie culture? Since am from Sweden myself perhaps? maybe.
    Cause just look at the comedies that hollywood makes. The best rated one over the past few years just havent worked over here. Cause it seems like ppl just dont dig that 90% of the humor in US comedies are “Boobs boobs and yet another sex joke”.

    I dont know guys. Just ranting atm. I just dont think anyone should have to feel like a moron for liking or not liking a movie.

    /long time listener of all EBA stuff. Cheers:)

  3. Another hilarious episode. I think I actually prefer the episodes where you guys don’t enjoy the film xD.

    Anyway, I have also seen the previous 3 transformers movies. I’ve always had a problem with logic holes in the series and felt that transformers certainly deserved someone better than Michael Bay to direct them.

    First of all, the transformers movies are very formuliac.
    It’s not unsimilar to how you’ve discussed how EA approaches videogames. It’s like there’s a bullet point list micheal Bay adheres to:

    • Hire a Model to hyper-sexualize
    • Insert explosions every 15 minutes.
    • Make one of the transformers resemble a Racial Stereotype.
    • etc., etc.

    I do think, (like you guys pointed out), it’s an insult to fans of the old transformers cartoons, and it’s a true shame that this IP can’t get the same treatment that the Marvel movies get.

  4. Since the bad points of the film have already been mentioned here’s what I like about the film:

    Mark wahlberg was way better than Shia lebouf. I can believe him as an action hero

    No whitwicky parents. I wish lockdown had incenerated them instead.

    Tucci and grammers performance. Tucci was way over the top and grammer played a bad ass.

  5. As I watched this movie, I looked around and noticed all the families and kids in the theater and realized that these movies are really meant for kids from 5 to 15. They have simplistic plot, dialogue, and juvenile humor. If you’re a graphic artist or someone who likes special effects then you can appreciate the film more. The initial wonderment of watching live robots transform on screen has worn off for me though. Been there seen it. They need to hire a real screenwriter or writer in order for me to come back next time. I don’t mind Michael Bay’s direction when it comes to action but I can no longer tolerate his idiotic juvenile humor, over the top dramatization, and horrendous dialogue which just makes no sense. I guess I want more than just pretty special effects from a transformer movie now.

  6. Loved the episode guys!
    i went over the weekend to watch the flick and im in complete agreement, i knew going in it would be bad but….. DINOBOTS!
    sadly they just werent what i wanted, maybe i was just ready for bed by the time they got on screen haha
    I went home and watched the orignal 80’s movie, which lets face it is the best one so far, crap but enjoyable plot, great soundtrack and of course….Grimlock!
    I will say the worse part of the film for me was the human transformers transforming. Why wouldnt they stay in swarm block mode! you can trun into anything! but a car? why? use your imagination!!! a giant robot cat that shoots lazers out of its nipples! the scientist guy is making random shit in the back ground, its a stoners dream! but a car! jesus a tank would have been an improvement. And yes i know, marketing and all the shit that goes with major holywood films, but we go to the cinema to escape reality for a few hours, we dont want to be reminded to buy bud light! BUD LIGHT! the films aimed at 8-15 year olds! that cant drink! WHY WOULD YOU ADVERTISE ALCOHOL! jesus im suprised that there all not smoking all the way through, mmmm smooth malbrough red, smoking so cool, fuck its just dawned on me that hound was constantly smoking, have they pattentid his cigar? must have fucking done. the world is truly a grim place.
    sorry to go on, i fininsh wihy..
    GOD i fucking hate Bay, if the rumors are true and he gets the Evangelion progect i swear to GOD im gonna find and skin the prick!

    love the show guys!
    keep up the good work!

  7. I live in Taiwan, Transformers is really popular here it seems. I am an English teacher and the kids are all hyped up about the new movie. They are like 12 though and their opinions mean nothing… The truth is these movies are shit. To be honest I only saw the first one, it was shit. Then I saw clips of the second one with the racist twin robots and metal robot testicles and humping dogs… I didn’t decide to watch that one.

    I think people who don’t think about movies very much like these movies because metal metal boom boom explosion. A lot of people actually go to see movies all the time and have no opinions about them even 5 minutes after leaving the theater.

    Have you ever talked to one of these people? It’s painful.
    “What did you think of the movie?”
    “Ehh, it was good.”
    “What did you think about ____.”
    “Yeah, I liked that. It was good.”
    “Well, I didn’t really like that part though.”
    “Ahh… It’s a movie… It was good.”

    Ouch.

  8. It is curious to me how people that don’t like the Transformer movies act like Michael Bay personally murdered their family. I’m not saying hating the movies is wrong, but loving them is not wrong either.
    What is more stupid? Going to every Transformers movie because you enjoy them or going to every Transformer movie expecting a different movie even though 99% of the people making the movie are the same.
    Why on earth would Michael Bay change up the formula when every time he uses it he makes a billion dollars. Unfortunately artistic integrity doesn’t always pay the bills in the same way. I watched the cartoons to see giant robots fight the same as the current movies. They entertain me and so I enjoy them. A lot of people seem to have nostalgia glasses on because the G1 cartoon had mostly garbage plot lines to get Autobots to fight Decepticons. Beast Wars was cool but you had to trudge through a lot crap before more interesting plots came into play.

    As to a few points, Lockdown only had one ship and a hand full of guards. Why risk all your resources when you’re coming to an Earth that is post-Chicago where the world is on alert to blow up Transformers on sight. So strike a deal and use the humans’ greed to do the majority of your work and also annihilate themselves in the process. Win-win for Lockdown even though he grows impatient at the end of the film and tries to take of business himself and then loses.

    In the beginning Optimus was very righteous and driven by morality. He felt responsible for bringing the war of cybertron to Earth and swore to protect the humans, when in actuality Earth has been influenced by Transformer visits in the distant past. After Chicago Optimus is much more conflicted since he was betrayed by the Prime he respected and followed unquestionably, as well as being blamed for Chicago and hunted. I could see how Optimus would be pissed and done with Earth and would just want to leave even though he would really love to kill humans he is still conflicted with morality and honor in the face of having everything he fought for ripped from him. Cybertron is gone, many friends are gone, allies are gone, beliefs gone, and his creator basically tells him he’s been doing everything wrong.

    I suppose we could write off Michael Bay’s transformers off as racist and leave it at that, but I look at it from a different perspective. These are robots and aliens, do they truly understand culture and emotion and the minutia of feelings. They seem to scan the planet and find something that strikes a cord with their supposed personality, Only they may not truly understand the culture they reflect and are only a shallow representation. Jazz was a streetwise hiphop thug, Bumblebee the angst ridden teen that speaks through pop culture quotes. Hound the machismo filled gun nut that spouts off derogatory cursory. I like to think of it like the explanation of Superman in Kill Bill where his Clark Kent persona was a clumsy, bumbling oaf because that’s how he saw humanity. However at some point Clark was also Kal El where as the Transformers’ personalities are always in a perpetual state of juvenile.

    The big CGI action fest will always kill overseas, other countries hate reading subtitles as much as the US does and the finer points of context get lost in translation. It’s the same as most of what china exports here as being kung fu action films. On a side note I used to live in China and they do walk slowly in front of you and I was basically like Tucci in just wanting to run them over with a car.

    So in the end, I like Marky Mark over Shia, I like Tucci yelling over Tuturro yelling, I like Lockdown, I like the inclusion of the Creators, I like the CGI and action. I like Transformers and most importantly it entertains me.

  9. You ripped it a new one, but here’s a few things you missed-

    The Retarded Dinobots (who can’t speak because reasons) get to the bridge at the end and someone who isn’t retarded says “DEFEND THE BRIDGE!”…..
    AGAINST WHAT?! AND THEY DON’T HAVE ANY MORE SCENES ON THE BRIDGE!!!!!

    Marky Mark works in garage he wears t-shirt and jeans. As soon as he is inventorising, he wears glasses FOR SMART. SERIOUSLY.

    Best Shit Dialogue goes tooooooo LOCKDOWN! “I have a saying too. I DON’T CARE”. THAT’S NOT A FUCKING SAYING YOU DICK!

    The Seed has a tracker on it. Lockdown starts destroying the city to bring the autobots and the Seed to him. WHY DOESN’T HE GO STRAIGHT TO THE FUCKING BOMB AND MAGNET THAT BITCH!????!

    Blonde crying chick who cries.

    The plot- guy makes robots to fight the autobots and needs the autobots to fight the robots. To fight the autobots to fight robots robots autobots roboautobots FUUUUCK!!!!!!

    That wasn’t Galvatron. He is not made of Rubix Cubes.

    Asian guy American football.

    Kelsey Grammars motivation in the last third of the movie was made redundant. He’s chasing a family because they know about Lockdown. SO DOES FUCKING CHINA. ALL OF CHINA. AND THE GUY WHO HAS THE SEED AND ANYONE THAT GUY FEELS LIKE TELLING. KILLING THE FAMILY WHO HAVE GONE WEEKS WITHOUT TELLING ANYONE ACHIEVES!??!?!?!??!?!?!??!?!??!

    Asian elevator guy karate champion fighting because reasons.

    Trench coat guy. Everything he said and did was literally wrong.

    The elevator wouldn’t work because it was too heavy with 4 people and a bomb??? Fuck off.

    Why didn’t the guy with the Seed just pay Kelsey Grammar? Like for the Seed, like they agreed? And then just not use it? Or TELL HIM he’s gonna use it, then get Grammar arrested?

    OPTIMUS. IN . SPAAAAAAAAAACE! Wait why the fuck didn’t he fly to the moon and become a wizard there when the humans started attacking the autobots? Why not- ah fuck it.

    Over all, the movie was a solid 6/10.

    (lol jokes there isn’t a score low enough)

  10. Finally got to watch it and it was worse then I expected. A new low in horriblehttp://drivehomebreakdown.com/2014/07/04/the-drive-home-breakdown-009-transformers-age-extinction/#comment-form-load-service:WordPress.com characters; the chief of staff was a bumbling Wooddy Allen caricature et al, and major plot holes; how the hell did MB think he could juggle four badguys (two humans and two transformers) without loosing track of their storylines… Insanity!

    I have almost a Star Wars ep 1-3 similar feeling regarding Transformers. The Star Wars movies are horrible, but they do have jedis and lightsabers. The Transformers are even worse, but Peter Cullens voice and the robots make me feel 7 years old again, playing with my toys on my mothers carpet. The final monolog on the first Transformers gives me goose bumps, every single time.

  11. I’ve only now gotten around to listening your thoughts on Transformers 4. I speak for myself when I say that while I DO understand where you guys are with this movie, for me its a question of whether there’s enough good to outweigh the bad. I can say that I like the first one ( I don’t love it, just like it) enough because the good outweighs the bad by a small fraction, but if people like you told me you hated it I would reply “I don’t blame you at all.”
    As for Iron Man 3, though, I feel like that scene in Star Trek with Kirk on one side & Spock on the other: You guys say that Iron Man 3 is the worst P.o.S. and I’m not seeing how. You question how I’m not enlightened how it isn’t, so like Kirk says to Spock, “Enlighten Me.”

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