Paramount has delivered the first trailer for Michael Bay’s Transformers: Age of Extinction, the fourth film in the ongoing cinematic Transformers franchise that introduces a new human cast lead by Mark Wahlberg, Nicola Peltz and Jack Reynor.
Unlike the brief Transformers: Age of Extinction Superbowl spot that crammed non-stop adrenaline into 30 seconds, this first 2:30 trailer unveils the bones of the story. The world has moved on since the destruction in Chicago in Transformers: Dark of the Moon, as referenced by a “Remember Chicago” billboard along a rural Texas road and a concerted effort to hunt down and eliminate any and all remaining Transformer aliens. Cade Yaeger (Wahlberg) has purchased an old beaten up semi-truck cab that he plans to fix up and support his family with, including helping pay for his daughter Tessa’s (Peltz, whose Bradley character is becoming increasing psychotic on Bates Motel) college education.
Take note of the toll-free phone number on the billboard to report alien activity, 855-363-8392, and give it a call. I suspect this is the first phase of a bigger viral marketing campaign that is just now getting underway.
As Cade discovers, and as fans of the 1980s Transformers cartoon and comics figure out given the semi cab’s shape, it’s no ordinary truck. Before long some gruff government types led by Savoy (Titus Welliver, the Lost smoke monster) come looking for the truck, who they know is Optimus Prime, but Prime doesn’t take too kindly to Savoy throwing Tessa to the ground and threatening her with a gun.
From there we briefly meet Joshua (Stanley Tucci), who tells Bumblebee and another Autobot that the world doesn’t need them anymore. Of course we know that’s not true as the trailer then kicks into action mode and a giant spaceship flies over a city (Hong Kong?), sucking up a boat and flinging it around high in the air like an F5 tornado. We also witness what appears to be return of Megatron, only now he has been reborn as Galvatron and has an armada of ships at his disposal. The big question is this: will Galvatron be “born” the same way he was in the 1986 animated movie as a creation of Unicron, the planet-devouring Transformer?
The Transformers: Age of Extinction trailer ends with a shot similar to the closing shot of the Superbowl spot. Only instead of Optimus Prime riding atop the dinobot Grimlock, he’s defending himself against the charging incensed robotic t-rex.
Watch the Transformers: Age of Extinction trailer below, followed by four new posters for the film featuring Wahlberg, Reynor, Peltz, and Optimus Prime striking a Voltron pose, sword and all.
Transformers: Age of Extinction stomps into theaters on June 27.
