Alan Dee’s film preview: Another truckload of Transformers tosh

Oh, if only we could be sure that the title was a guarantee – this week’s big blockbuster release is Transformers: Age of Extinction, and we can only hope they will keep their word.
Mega machine mayhem in Transformers: Age Of ExtinctionMega machine mayhem in Transformers: Age Of Extinction
Mega machine mayhem in Transformers: Age Of Extinction

But as long as punters rock up to buy tickets and popcorn, this franchise will keep pumping out the metal mayhem.

Mark Wahlberg, Kelsey Grammer and Stanley Tucci are among the human beings overshadowed by the shape-shifting robots in Michael Bay’s latest migraine-inducing movie, the plot is peurile and the dialogue dreadul – but fans don’t care.

They want to see incredible CGI-generated machines bashing each other to bits, and Mr Bay is only too happy to meet that need even if he falls short in every area that could contribute to credible cinema.

Mega machine mayhem in Transformers: Age Of ExtinctionMega machine mayhem in Transformers: Age Of Extinction
Mega machine mayhem in Transformers: Age Of Extinction

Keira Knightley goes low budget and romantic in Begin Again, in which her expat singer/songwriter is talent-spotted by washed-up producer Mark Ruffalo in a New York bar.

He hatches a novel plan to record an album and overcome complications in her private life – her ex (Adam Levine of Maroon 5, making his acting debut) is already a chart-topping star.

It’s billed as a witty, moving and romantic hymn to the healing power of music from John Carney, the writer/director behind cult hit Once, which covered the same sort of territory.

Inevitable sequel time: the first instalment was a bit of a charmer and much-praised as well as profitable, so here comes How To Train Your Dragon 2.

Voice talent includes Gerard Butler, Cate Blanchett, America Ferrera and Jonah Hill, and we pick up the story as our hapless hero Hiccup the Viking and his less than terrifying dragon sidekick have to go on the front foot to tackle a new villain and his ice cave full of menacing wild dragons.

There are few surprises in this amiable animation, cranked out in time for the summer holiday market and a fair follow-up to the Oscar-nominated original.

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