Where is Optimus Prime? That’s the big question, as the CIA and Technology tycoon Joshua Joyce (Stanley Tucci) are desperately searching for the leader of the Autobots, a.k.a. the good guy Transformers. However, Cade Yeagar (Mark Wahlberg) knows where the beloved robot is. Cade runs a robotic repair shop in Texas. He was repairing an old truck, hoping to fix it up and give to his daughter Tessa (Nicola Peltz). Though Tessa never got the truck, the truck started to talk and move, the truck became…Optimus Prime! Now the action and adventure begins for Cade, Tessa and her boyfriend Shane (Jack Reynor) as they become involved in a war of good vs. evil.

Rating: 3 out of 5 buckets
Release Date: September 30, 2014
MPAA Rating: PG13
Best Age Group: 10+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent Content: Extensive
Crude or Profane Language: Extensive
Drugs and Alcohol: Mild
Will it Appeal to teens? Yes

Talking Points:

I liked the father/daughter relationship in the film. Initially Tessa gives her boyfriend all the credit for rescuing her, however she eventually comes to realize that her father is the true hero in her life!

The film is action packed, and humorous in parts, having said that it is way too long…165 minutes! I noticed kids in the theater getting fidgety after two hours.

Sexual Content: Mild

• Two characters kiss.

Violent Content: Excessive

• Cade and his daughter Tessa are beaten and thrown to the ground by the black ops team. They also threaten to blow Tessa’s brains out while pointing a gun to her head.
• Characters are beaten, punched, smashed and thrown through windows.
• Robots beat humans.
• There are gun shots, explosions and disasters throughout the film.
• Gigantic Dinobots destroy the town with their spiked tails and long teeth.
• Mechanical dogs attack characters.
• An alien space craft destroys buildings, vehicles and railroad cars.
• Transformers are brutally beaten, decapitated and blown to shreds.

Crude or Profane Language: Excessive

• The f-word is said. We also here “sh-t,” “a–,” “h—,” “b–ch,” “d–n,” and “b-tard.”

Drugs and Alcohol: Mild

• Tessa and her high school friends discuss “getting wasted” after graduation.
• We see Cade drinking a beer.

Will it Appeal to kids/ teens? Yes

• I interviewed two boys, 8 and 13 years old. The 8 year old boy liked the film a lot, but thought it was too long. The 13 year old loved  the action and the Dinobots.  The film held his attention the whole time. Neither boy was scared. I interviewed there father as well, who liked the film but thought there were too many swear words.

Overall this is an action packed, entertaining film…though too long!!! Parents need to be aware of the excessive violence and profane language throughout the film. Depending on the child, I recommend this for kids ages 10 and up.