This is the fourth instalment in Hasbro’s, Transformers franchise directed by Michael Bay. You either love’em, or hate’em. I love’em. These movies have it all; good guys, bad guys, the hero, one or two female beauties, the comic relief and a stack of action packed special effects, mayhem, and destruction of some of the world’s most iconic wonders.

Age of Extinction is set five years after the third Transformers movie (Dark of the Moon). The CIA has almost rid the world of Autobots and Decepticons following their battle in Chicago. Of course our favourite Autobots have been in hiding and emerge when called by Optimus Prime, to go into battle one more time. This time, their more advanced enemy includes a new man-made race of transformers that can transform through metamorphism rather than through the usual, less spectacular mechanical way. Mark Wahlberg (Ted, Lone Survivor, and stacks of other movies) plays the lead man, Cade Yeager, a not so genius inventor and single parent to his, of course, beautiful 17 year old daughter. Discovering Optimus by accident, the Yeagers are thrown into a roller coaster ride, as new friends to the Autobots, in a crazy, unbelievable, and sometimes purposely ridiculous quest to save the world.

Having 2 teenage daughters myself, I had a few laughs, and the odd wince while relating to Marky Mark’s relationship with on screen daughter, Nicola Peltz (The Last Airbender), during the introduction of her boyfriend, Shane played by Jack Reynor (Delivery Man). Their frequent moments of teen affection razzles Wahlberg up to instinctively protect his ‘innocent little girl’ from the clutches of this super cool Irish young man; a task I am very familiar with.

Without the special effects, insane stunts and massive scale action scenes, it would have been like watching an episode of Home and Away; the actors seemed disconnected somehow when reacting to the craziness that was happening around them. Their performances were like a stone skipping over the surface of a pond of emotion. It was all surface. There was no depth to their reactions. It was almost like they had been through the same situation before, or were rehearsing their lines. Personally, I would have liked to have seen Megan Fox come back to reprise her role as the token hot chick! The Transformers franchise is ultimately for the fans though so the human element is always secondary. One things for sure, this one definitely has plenty of transforming going on.

Sit back, put on your 3D glasses and prepare yourself for 2hr 37min visual and sensory overload. If you love Transformers, this one is a must see and the best of the four movies.

The Movie Lad rates this: a bag of maltesers and a super size multi-flavoured Slurpie followed by an almond magnum.