It’s hard to dismiss the appeal of pure spectacle, and Steven S. DeKnight seems aware of that, bringing in John Boyega and Scott Eastwood for a visually driven experience continuing from the 2013 film. "Lambert" (Eastwood) is tasked with training his squadron as they face an even more formidable force—not “Transformers,” but rather “Kaiju”—while a gateway between our world and theirs opens, creating significant peril…

It’s hard to find fault with this film except for the unexpected twist of Charlie Day playing the bad guy. However, the constant action sequences were really impressive.

Boyega is a somewhat more interesting protagonist than Charlie Hunnam was in the earlier film, although Eastwood's co-pilot role feels just as lifeless as Hunnam’s performances. _Uprising_ follows an extremely familiar pattern, mirroring the original _Pacific Rim_'s highs and lows. Those who enjoyed that first movie will likely find enjoyment here too; conversely, those who disliked it are probably in for a similar e…

This film struck me as a really enjoyable showcase of visual effects. I actually found myself liking it more than the initial installment in some respects. Of course, the plot itself is pretty far-fetched. It’s hard to buy into fighting enormous creatures with bulky robots that require two people linked together mentally—it seems silly. A few fighter jets and some explosives would have sufficed, really. But then a…

This installment of Transformers manages to have a bit of substance, which is refreshing. And seeing Scott Eastwood is just a bonus—he’s reliably great and makes any movie better. Really!