A decade ago, Master of the Spectacular Michael Bay launched Transformers, the first film in what would become the massive live-action feature film franchise for Hasbro and Paramount Pictures. At the time, fanboys the world over cried out, "Michael Bay is ruining my childhood!" despite the boatloads of cash that film (and the sequels that followed) raked in. It's hard for fans to be critical of a filmmaker, the studio, and their choices when those same fans reward them with hundreds of millions of dollars in ticket sales, each time hoping that the new outing will be better than the last. Still, it felt like a sub-par adaptation was better than nothing at all, so fans kept turning out in droves to see the latest spectacle.

Enter: Transformers: The Last Knight, a film that appears to be a kitchen sink of history, Old World mythology, and the Transformers mythos. Oddly, it's that latter aspect that is getting diluted in this new film; yes, a Transformers movie is taking away fan-favorite elements of Transformers lore in order to cram in King Arthur, Nazis, and whatever a Cade Yeager is supposed to be. This isn't just me being MadOnline™ about it (well, maybe a little); Paramount's own synopsis says, "Prepare to rethink your history. The Last Knight shatters the core myths of the Transformers franchise, and redefines what it means to be a hero." Here's a novel idea: Maybe actually tell the story that made the Transformers franchise one of the most beloved properties in the world instead of clanging giant robot balls together for easy laughs. But hey, money talks.

Check out the teaser trailer for Transformers: The Last Knight below, and be sure to return Wednesday for the full look:

Here's the official synopsis for Transformers: The Last Knight:

Prepare to rethink your history.

 

The Last Knight shatters the core myths of the Transformers franchise, and redefines what it means to be a hero. Humans and Transformers are at war, Optimus Prime is gone. The key to saving our future lies buried in the secrets of the past, in the hidden history of Transformers on Earth. Saving our world falls upon the shoulders of an unlikely alliance: Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg); Bumblebee; an English Lord (Sir Anthony Hopkins); and an Oxford Professor (Laura Haddock). There comes a moment in everyone’s life when we are called upon to make a difference. In Transformers: The Last Knight, the hunted will become heroes. Heroes will become villains. Only one world will survive: theirs, or ours.

And for more on the latest Transformers movie and the massive franchise surrounding it, be sure to take a look at our recent write-ups below:

• Movie Talk: 14 ‘Transformers’ Sequels in Development; ‘Call of Duty’ Shared Universe
• Watch: Michael Bay Explains Why You Need to See ‘Transformers: The Last Knight’ in IMAX 3D
• ‘Transformers: The Last Knight’ Motion Posters Reveal New and Familiar Faces
• ‘Kubo and the Two Strings’ Helmer Travis Knight to Direct ‘Transformers’ Spin-Off ‘Bumblebee’
• ‘Transformers: The Last Knight’ Extended Super Bowl Ad Features More Robot Angst and Destruction