Transformers 4: What to Expect

With the fourth Transformers film flying into theaters this Friday, I thought it was only necessary to discuss what to expect in the new film, after seeing so much in the three previous films. With new trailers and TV spots spilling out all over the internet as the film nears closer, it's pretty easy to see, by some people, that a lot is different in the new film. However, while there are many differences, there are still some things that remain the same in this seemingly never-ending franchise. Here are my top things to expect in the new sequel:

Fresh Faces: 

Obviously scrapping the whole Shia LaBeouf-Megan Fox duo, Micheal Bay hopes to start over with a brand-new cast of humans, bringing in action-film vet Mark Wahlberg to lead the cast. Going for the family dynamic this time around, Bay has Wahlberg as single father Cade Yeager, who also acts as a struggling inventor/mechanic, to his daughter Tessa (Nicola Peltz). Also in the mix is Tessa's boyfriend, Shane Dyson (Jack Reynor), who so far comes off as the next Sam Witwicky, the scared teenager who thinks everything is awesome, even in the most dangerous of times. With the main cast rounding out...decently, we also have some other new faces, from Kelsey Grammer's paranoid government official to Stanley Tucci's arrogant robot designer, who may turn out to be the either the film's antagonist, or just another lousy human. However the cast ends up doing, I think Bay chose the smarter route in rebooting the cast, not wanting more and more fans hating on how annoying LaBeouf would be after his days in college. 

More Advanced Bots:

Set four years after the events in Dark of the Moon, you could say that the Transformers needed a bit of a remodel. As seen in recent trailers, we now know that our robot star Optimus Prime will take on a more revised look, appearing with more advanced armor and sort of a medieval sword in his grip. While he may still have his popular blue and red colors, Bay definitely amped up Optimus' look for a new age of robot ass-kicking. Along with Optimus, the rookie robot Bumblebee also holds a new look, not just in his car form, but also as he fights his way alongside Optimus. However, with a new human cast on the way, Bay also delivers a new robot cast also, bringing in fan-favorites like the Dinobots. Advancing his Transformers franchise with even more awesome bots, Bay already has fans aching to see this film, with promises of a Dinobot-riding Optimus, and more even more bad-ass robot high jinks. Let's just hope he doesn't give us another round of those gold-toothed twins in Revenge of the Fallen. 

A Few More Explosions:

As with every Micheal Bay Transformers film, explosions run rampant throughout the film, with every robot fight and every, well...robot fight. Already considered one of Bay's many clichés, there's nothing wrong with a few explosions here and there, especially for a film like Transformers. Explosions are yet again promised in this new sequel, along with even more bad-ass robot action. But is it going to be something we've seen before? With two massive city battles, and one less massive desert battle, in the conclusions of each Transformers film, by the looks of it, Bay once again promises a climactic robo-battle in the streets, this time with mechanical dinosaurs and double the amount of screaming damsels-in-distress. Even if explosions and robot-v.s-robot fights may excite us and even cause us to squeal in awe, it's not the greatest sign that you know how to handle a franchise if you continually reuse the same good-triumphs-evil ending for every film. Either way, I expect that this film will probably hold the same amount of explosive action we've seen before, but may do a decent job at delivering some powerful reveals and surprises along the way.

The Hero This Franchise Deserves:

With the original human cast scrapped, and Mark Wahlberg taking the reins for this ride, there seems to be something that this series has been missing: A truly bad-ass hero at the center. While there was Sam Witwicky, the troubled teen who stumbled onto the Transformers back in 2007, the series really didn't have a character you could really root for (Was I the only one who got somewhat annoyed with LaBeouf?) With Wahlberg in the mix now, and his character being somewhat important to the story (finding the hidden Optimus Prime in a junkyard), the series may finally get an ass-kicking human who's not afraid to jump right into the battle to save his family. From past encounters with Wahlberg, most recently in the powerhouse film Lone Survivor, he doesn't fail to deliver powerful performances, and has some great experience playing both a leader, and a wise-cracking action-star. Hopefully, with a good script and decent character development, Age of Extinction can show us a true hero among towering robot gods.

The End of Transformers On Earth?

As noted by the film's title, Age of Extinction, we know something somewhere is out to be destroyed. As seen in recent trailers, we now know that the one's in danger of becoming extinct are the humans...of course. But are we the only targets? Also apparent in the trailers, is the sudden unreliability of the Transformers on Earth. With the Transformers unneeded to protect the humans (until chaos unfolds), where else can they go but up? By up, I of course mean to the stars, where a mass amount of unknown territory rests, from the origins of Cypertron to other alien species on other planets. While these themes may have been apparent in previous Transformer installments, it may be time for the robots to leave Earth once and for all, and explore the outer reaches of space. However, all that of course depends on what happens in this film, making the future of the robots unknown to anyone besides the team behind the desk. In my opinion, and with the knowledge of two or three future films hanging in the balance, I think that it may be time to see the Transformers without their human counterparts, and on their own for a change. 

Well, that's all I have to say about that for now. Whether I end up seeing the film or not, I'll eventually see if these expectations make it to the screen. What do you expect in the new film? And what do you think should happen in future installments? Be sure to come back soon and check out my future reviews, and don't forget to share and comment for more.