Hollywood director Michael Bay returns for the fifth installment of the toy-robot-based film franchise depicting a world in disorder, where trust between robots and humans has disintegrated in the absence of Autobot leader and Optimus Prime, who in the beginning of the film journeys to his origin planet of Cybertron. 

But the Autobot leader's highly anticipated return to Earth is let down by weak subplots. The charismatic ‘good guy’ figure is hypnotized by the opposing side, but is just as easily returned to his original state after a brisk clash with old friend Bumblebee.

Meanwhile, growing fears of alien threats to Earth fire up a paramilitary group called "Transformers Reaction Force" (TRF) in a mission to fight against all robots, both Autobots and evil Decepticons alike.

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Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg) is the hero that ultimately unites the colliding worlds with the help of stylish and sharp-witted Oxford professor Viviane Wembly (Laura Haddock). The two are inadvertently dragged into a hidden web of a medieval legend involving mythical knights infused with magical extraterrestrial superpowers, which draws ties between humans and the origin of Cybertron itself.

Secret keeper Sir Edmund Bunton (Sir Anthony Hopkins) sheds light on the centuries-old history hidden beneath the sprawling grounds of his castle. Bunton's sometimes comical, always loyal butler robot, Cogman, has served his family for generations and also assists the eventual couple. 

The movie overall delivers its expected explosive action sequences, which this time around were shot on an IMAX 3D camera, upping the ante of the viewing experience. The film attempts to spruce up the franchise with a touch of magic by tying the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table into an already jam-packed alien robot-cum-superhero plot line. For all its spectacle and fun, overindulgent fights and car chases become tedious and stretch the film to a lengthy two-and-a-half hours.

Moreover, while a decade has passed since the first installment of the franchise, confusion may still linger in attempts to distinguish Autobots from Decepticons, or how many are in each camp, especially when the two sides engage in battle. In the end, it's probably best to just sit back and watch the action unfold. (jes)