Transformers: Age Of Extinction – 19 Easter Eggs & References

Paramount PicturesWe've just finished getting our heads around how facepalm-inducingly bad much of Michael Bay's latest Transformers movie is, but like just about any big-budget blockbuster these days, it's packed chock full of sneaky visual and aural easter eggs that relate to its universe as a whole, as well as sly references to various other projects outside of it. Now, while Age of Extinction doesn't exactly boast the finessed line-up of hidden content that, say, X-Men: Days of Future Past did, there's a surprising level of attention-to-detail paid to slotting in the geeky references and basically giving viewers plenty to look out for amid all of that flying metal. Fun though these references are to pick out, it's just a shame that Bay's screenwriter Ehren Kruger didn't put anywhere near as much consideration and thought into the actual script as Bay did the added value. We've got classic film references, call-backs to iconic visuals from the Transformers animated series, bizarre cameos, and yes, even a reference to My Little freaking Pony. We're sure there's even more to pick apart, though we'll have to inevitably wait for the Blu-ray release to follow-up on the last few rumoured easter eggs we just couldn't substantiate. Did you catch anything we missed? And what do you make of these easter eggs and references? Let us know in the comments!

19. The Big Lebowski

Paramount PicturesWho doesn't love the classic Coen Brothers comedy The Big Lebowski? Apparently even Michael Bay is a fan, as he decided to have Bumblebee quote the movie, using the line spoken by Walter when The Dude tells him to calm down, retorting "I'm perfectly calm, Dude". As if this wasn't cool enough, Walter is of course played by John Goodman in the movie, who not-so-coincidentally voices the bulbous, cigar-chomping, beardy, foul-mouthed Autobot known as Hound in Age of Extinction. Hopefully Bay will continue to use Bumblebee as a voice-box for some not-so-subtle references in future movies, because for all of the humour in this film that completely stunk up the joint, this brief reference got a decent, honest laugh out of us without needing to resort to crude sexual innuendo or casual racism. It's entirely possible that we missed some of Bumblebee's other quotes too, considering how quickly they're fielded out amid all the action, so let us know if you caught any other zingers.