The movie seems preoccupied with an obsession for cars, a simplistic battle between good and evil characters, immigrant aliens causing trouble—and they're portrayed as being in the country illegally—along with displays of military power and some nods to conspiracy beliefs. There’s plenty of action sequences, but very little depth beneath the surface. It's best avoided unless you're a younger viewer.

The galaxy has countless planets, yet the battling Cybertronian factions – the "Autobots," considered the heroes, and the "Decepticons," the villains – have come to Earth pursuing a lost artifact. This "allspark" arrived on our planet long ago and had been unknowingly held by the US military’s capable “Section 7,” now under the direction of "Simmons" (played by John Turturro). It turns out there's a clue about where …