海角大神

鈥淭ransformers鈥� fans, today may be your lucky day. Forget one sequel 鈥� there are reportedly four more films in the 鈥淭ransformers鈥� series on their way.

Steven J. Davis, chief of the toy company Hasbro that releases the toys on which the films are based, recently said there are more 鈥淭ransformers鈥� films being planned.聽

鈥淪tay tuned,鈥� Mr. Davis . 鈥溾�橳ransformers 5鈥� is on its way, and 鈥�6鈥� and 鈥�7鈥� and 鈥�8.鈥欌�澛�

Transformers toys got their own TV series which aired in the 1980s and depicted the struggle between Autobots and the Decepticons. Both groups are alien robots from the planet "Cybertron" that can disguise themselves as objects like cars or airplanes.

The first 鈥淭ransformers鈥� movie debuted in 2007 and stars Shia LaBoeuf and Megan Fox. Like other Hollywood franchises such as the 鈥淔ast and the Furious鈥� movies, the 鈥淭ransformers鈥� series has seen a lot of cast turnover. Ms. Fox appeared in the first two films and Mr. LaBoeuf appeared in the first three. Neither appeared in the fourth film, the 2014 movie 鈥淭ransformers: Age of Extinction,鈥� which stars Mark Wahlberg, Nicola Peltz, and Jack Reynor.聽

Along with these cast departures, the 鈥淭ransformers鈥� movies have usually not done well with critics. The 2007 movie got mixed reviews. However, the next three each got a markedly poorer reception from critics, with The聽海角大神 Science Monitor's film critic Peter Rainer writing that the most recent movie, 鈥淎ge of Extinction,鈥� is simply 鈥渧ast clangor,鈥� writer A.O. Scott calling the whole series 鈥減rofoundly exhausting,鈥� and critic Peter Travers calling "Extinction" 鈥渄ull鈥� metal crushing metal with no purpose, logic, or letup.鈥澛�

So has the franchise run its course? Not according to their box office numbers. There the 鈥淭ransformers鈥� series continues to dominate. While the highest-grossing entry in the series is still the second film, 2009鈥檚 鈥淭ransformers: Revenge of the Fallen,鈥� and takes have decreased since, the 鈥淭ransformers鈥� movies are still a force. The latest film became the seventh-highest-grossing movie of 2014.

Are audience members just ignoring the reviews? For the opening weekend of the newest 鈥淭ransformers鈥� movie, 鈥淓xtinction,鈥� 64 percent of the audience was male and 58 percent was 25 and above. The fact that the audience skewed a little older indicates that perhaps the movies draw fans of the original 鈥�80s cartoons. In addition, the 鈥淭ransformers鈥� movies have always opened in the summer. That鈥檚 prime time for spectacle-based movies with lots of battle scenes.聽

In addition, one should never underestimate audiences鈥� desire to see something big and impressive on the big screen. Anyone who sees the trailers for the 鈥淭ransformers鈥� movies knows that the films will be full of robot battles and disaster scenes, and those looking for an eyeful could be drawn by that. In the current age of often-expensive movie tickets and quality television, many audience members can't be drawn to the multiplex without spectacle.