Transformers: The Last Knight Parent Guide

The Transformers are back for their fifth (that’s right) round of colossal clashes. However casual followers of the film franchise may still have a hard time distinguishing who’s good and bad—especially when one of the good guys goes rogue.

Like E.T., Optimus Prime (voice by Peter Cullen) wants to go home. But when he does, he finds a dying planet, one he is responsible for destroying. Using electrified handcuffs to get Prime’s attention, the Creator charges him with finding an ancient artifact hidden below Earth’s surface. The long-lost object will restore the alien home world.

Back on the blue planet, humans have outlawed Transformers and sentenced them to life in prison or hiding. But everyone knows the uneasy peace is only temporary. Why else would audiences pay to spend 2 ½ hours confined to their seats?

Unfortunately, viewers will also have to stay focused on the screen. This storyline jumps between locations and time eras with no more effort than a hop and a skip.

Early on we meet a bloodied and battle-weary King Arthur (Liam Garrigan) trying to hold off invading forces. Meanwhile a boozy Merlin (Stanley Tucci) trots across the countryside in search of help from a hidden alien. (It seems the Transformers have shared space with us for a very long time.) The medieval conflict turns in favor of King Arthur when Merlin receives a magical staff. Centuries later, a secret society of humans still safeguards the location of that ancient relic—the one the Creator wants and the military is determined to find.

If rapid scene changes aren’t enough to keep you confused, toss in a sexy history professor, a wannabe hero, a spunky orphan, a stuffy British Lord and his C-3PO-style butler, a nervous computer geek and a vacillating military leader. (Played by Laura Haddock, Mark Wahlberg, Isabela Moner, Anthony Hopkins, Jim Carter, Jerrod Carmichael and Josh Duhamel.)

Yes, it sounds complicated. Yet while these flesh and blood characters engage in their own moments of conflict, their real role is to add a human element to the epic combat between the alien enemies. And epic battles are what we get—in a remote junkyard, the busy streets of England, and even in a sunken space ship at the bottom of the ocean. These titanic transformers flatten cities and rip through earth’s surface like meringue on a pie.

Hardcore fans of the franchise may relish the action, the explosions, the decapitations and the smack talk. But for the rest of us, it all feels a little long, loud and labored after 90 minutes.

However, if you’ve bought into these toys turned film stars, don’t let the title Transformers: The Last Knight fool you. The movie’s conclusion hints this won’t be the final battle between the Autobots and Deceptions.

About author

Kerry Bennett

Kerry Bennett is interested in media from both a journalist and parent perspective. Along with authoring articles for several family-oriented publications, she has written for Parent Previews for over 15 years. As a parent herself, she believes parents play a powerful role in teaching media literacy in their homes.