5.4 | / 10 |
Users | 3.8 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.1 |
Autobots must escape sight from a bounty hunter who has taken control of the human serendipity: Unexpectedly, Optimus Prime and his remaining gang turn to a mechanic, his daughter, and her back street racing boyfriend for help.
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci, Kelsey Grammer, Nicola Peltz Beckham, Jack ReynorAction | 100% |
Adventure | 82% |
Sci-Fi | 65% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 MVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1, 1.90:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
English: Dolby Digital 2.0
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Four-disc set (3 BDs, 1 DVD)
UV digital copy
DVD copy
Blu-ray 3D
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Director Michael Bay brings a grace to cinematic madness much in the same way a director like Tobe Hooper does, but usually without so much gloom and terror mixed in and on a significantly larger and more audience-friendly and mass-appealing scale. Bay's atmosphere and skill with the camera -- his uncanny ability to find that perfect angle and position the action just so for a dazzling display of technical know-how meets real life meets the fantastical -- always produces guaranteed results, but results that may be tiring audiences. Now on his fourth Transformers movie, Bay's signature filmmaking style and his signature franchise continue to dazzle in a bubble, but the movies are growing old. The franchise was so exciting when it debuted. It was fresh and impactful, not necessarily the direction hardcore fans in their 20s and 30s who grew up with the toys and the cartoons wanted but a spectacle of epic proportions that has only been topped by additional installments in the series and this latest masterpiece of technical wizardry in particular. Yet the movies feel heartless and soulless, like the spark has been ripped from their chests. They show signs of greatness beyond the eye candy and deluge of pristine audio flowing into the ears, but they've really become technical highlight reels worthy of popcorn munching and practically nothing more. Transformers: Age of Extinction at least tries to push the series in a new direction while maintaining the signature look and style and precision, but it just winds up as more of the same, a lot of movement and chaos with loose story threads and flat characters and off-the-cuff humor that's been a little toned down but still presented in excess. Buckle up, because it's an eerily familiar, overly long, and really bumpy ride.
This shot wasn't in one of the other three movies?
Transformers: Age of Extinction isn't a whole new movie in 3D, but it plays better. The 3D presentation is spectacular, and mixed with a
whole lot of 1.78:1 IMAX footage, the movie just seems to tower. Even on smaller displays -- the 3D review display, for example, clocks in at a mere
50" -- the movie experience absolutely rocks in its bigger format. The blend of scope ands depth is truly something to behold, and this might very
well be the best example of 3D IMAX available on Blu-ray. Suffice it say, depth is significant, regular, and awe-inspiring. Deep landscapes, such as
the opening prehistoric fields and mountains and ravines and, after, long distance snowy landscapes, seem to stretch on for miles. It's so inviting
and real, especially in the big format, that audiences will be tempted to stand up and walk right through the screen and into Michael Bay's
playgrounds. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. The wide Texas shots look fantastic, whether stretching on out from a field towards the Yeager
ranch or seeing the expanse of the dilapidated movie theater or Yeager's robotics workshop in all their spatial glory. Battle scenes are hugely
impressive, whether on wide-open freeways or in the dense urban areas of Hong Kong. The entire movie feels like an open world of space and depth,
supported by a quite a few protruding visuals, particularly large Transformer gun barrels. Debris and other light, floaty elements sometimes appear
to exist beyond the front confines of the screen, and characters and terrain and buildings all enjoy a very real sense of volume.
Better still, the film loses no sense of its bold colors or tremendous detail in 3D. The image retains that excellent, natural texturing, which is actually
more evident here, particularly on the complexly constructed, weathered, and war-torn Transformers. The effect is only aided by the subtleties of
depth on display throughout their metallic bodies. Colors remain vivid and pleasant, and that slightly warm shading remains. Image clarity is
striking, again, as it is on the included 2D only disc. Black levels remain true, and flesh tones only slightly push
towards that orange shade. Of note is that the shift in aspect ratio between 1.78:1 and 2.40:1 is regular (a good example of rapid-fire shifting
comes in a dialogue scene between the Transformer Lockdown and Kelsey Grammer's character), but after a few minutes of movie the switches don't
really seem bothersome, though certainly audiences may be wishing to see the entire movie in the larger format, because it does work very well. In
fact, the movie was, for this reviewer, a fair bit more enjoyable in 3D, hence the slightly higher movie rating above compared to the score awarded
to the 2D-only review. Maybe it was just the
jaw-dropping visuals doing the talking, but the scope and scale really seemed to bring out the movie's best. It's still a flawed, overlong, and
repetitive
experience, but 3D is certainly the way to watch it. On another note, watch for a couple of shots that are not 2.40:1 but that are a little wider (very
small black bars) than the 1.78:1 frame. A shot at about the 1:16:58 mark is an example. Finally, note that all screenshots are from the 2D only
version of the film.
Of special note is that Transformers: Age of Extinction is the first Blu-ray to be available to the public with the new Dolby Atmos sound
presentation. Listeners will select the Atmos track regardless of whether they own compatible equipment in order to enjoy the included Dolby
TrueHD
7.1 lossless soundtrack. The following text accompanies the track: "This audio presentation is mixed specifically for Dolby AtmosŪ enabled receivers
and speaker configurations to produce full, multidimensional sound without channel restrictions in the home -- even overhead. Dolby Atmos is
compatible with current generation Blu-ray players. Also select this option for Dolby 7.1 TrueHD speaker configurations. For Dolby Atmos
playback, set your Blu-ray player to bitstream out and disable secondary audio. For more information, visit Dolby.com" (reviewers note: and a good
place to start is the Dolby FAQ page). Also included are blurbs about the
included
Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 discrete options. Also included is an English audio description track as well as French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1
presentations. English, English SDH, French, Spanish, and Portuguese subtitle options are also included. Unfortunately, Dolby Atmos gear and setup
was not available for review purposes at the time of publication.
With that out of the way, on to the review of the 7.1 TrueHD presentation. What? Review? Who needs it? The track rocks, end of story. Yup, it's
everything and a whole lot more, a reference level rampage of sonic harmony on an epic scale and throughout the entire range, from soft and subtle
effects to dazzling explosions and chaos. The film employs a classic Transformers sound design, one packed with nuance that comes
through even with all of the excess oftentimes going on around it. The precision with which the track handles all of the transforming sounds, all of
the gunfire, all of the movement, all of the excitement is really uncanny. Its balance is even more amazing as the entire listing area almost itself
transforms into Texas or Hong Kong, to realistically recreate the sounds of hot breezes or heavy machine gun fire. Indeed, atmosphere is
unbelievably natural, and even though most in the audience will have never experienced the sort of chaos the battles bring, there's no doubt that the
replication of real life is pitch-perfect. Every element enjoys perfect balance and nuance, even at volume. Explosions send debris scattering all over
the stage, all but leaving the listener in the rubble and dodging the immediate aftermath. Shots ring out of every corner, crashes plop into the
middle, and the corners are alive with activity every second of the movie. Musical delivery is clear and precise, excellently spaced and accurate
whether score or Pop. Dialogue reproduction is strong, with special note of the effortless spacing the track provides to a few lines in a cavernous old
movie theater from a sequence early in the film. Overall, this is a reference track and right up there with Godzilla as the best of the year,
with advantage to Transformers.
Transformers: Age of Extinction contains all of its supplements on a dedicated disc. Supplement subtitle options include English, French,
Spanish, and Portuguese. Audio presentation is Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 Kbps). No 3D exclusive supplements are included.
Transformers: Age of Extinction won't win any awards for originality or even creativity, but it is pretty much everything fans expect out of a Transformers movie. It's huge, it's loud, it's detailed, and it's gorgeous. But it's just too much. It's too long, too much of the same, and too frenetic. The characterization falls flat and the action feels repetitive. It's little more than a skin change compared to the original films. Michael Bay is an excellent craftsman and movie set field general, but it would be nice to see him take those practically unparalleled skills and use them to make something a little more dramatically robust, focused, and meaningful. But for fans looking for more loud Transformers action on an epic scale, this film delivers as well as, if not better than, the rest. Paramount's Blu-ray 3D release of Transformers: Age of Extinction delivers first-class video, fantastic 3D elements, incredible lossless audio (and the debut of Dolby Atmos sound), and a nice variety of supplements. Fans simply can't go wrong with a purchase, and this package comes recommended; the movie works better in 3D.
2014
2014
Optimus Prime Packaging
2014
Limited Edition Gift Set with Grimlock and Optimus Collectible Statue
2014
Blu-ray + KRE-O pack
2014
Bumblebee Mask Packaging
2014
w/Alternate Slipcover + 3 Figurines + Magnet
2014
Movie-Only
2014
with Limited Edition Drawstring Bag
2014
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1977
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2018
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Live. Die. Repeat.
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IMAX
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