Review: 'Transformers 5' brings viewers back to Dark Ages

MANILA, Philippines — From the Stone Age to ancient Egypt, “Transformers” again revealed how Cybertron and Earth's history collided but this time, during the Dark Ages.

Going along with what the past “Transformers” movies had done, its fifth installment, “Transformers: The Last Knight,” will show how the Transformers who left Cybertron played a crucial role in the mythological battle between King Arthur and the round table knights and invading barbarians.

Mark Wahlberg returns as Cade Yeager, the average American Joe and keeper of the Autobots in hiding. Joining him is Laura Haddock, who plays Vivian Wembley, an interesting Oxford professor with an enthralling family tree; as well as Isabela Moner who portrays Izabella, a young talented kid taking refuge with the Transformers.

The movie also stars Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins as Sir Edmund Burton, a noble English man who is part of a secret organization who knows about Transformers. Josh Duhamel also returns as Lt. Colonel William Lennox, the decorated leader of the military unit designated to assist the Autobots to hunt down the Decepticons.

As a veteran of the silver screen, Hopkins knows how to play his role well, sometimes, underplaying his role so he will not hog the scene and removing the spotlight from the main characters.

The fifth "Transformers" movie shows the primordial relationship of Cybertron, home planet of the Transformers and Earth. It aims to answer the question why the Transformers keep on coming to Earth.

Nonetheless, there are weak points in the plot. The movie does not give enough emphasis on the "the last knight." He is portrayed as just someone clueless and caught in the crossfire between two worlds. The movie gave more emphasis on the last knight's companion.

Director Michael Bay went with his signature style of filling the screens with elements that do not necessarily take your attention away from the subject and the beautiful computer graphics and effects.

"Transformers: The Last Knight" is now showing in Philippine cinemas. It is distributed by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.