Movie critics didn't think too much of Michael Bay's Transformers: Age of Extinction, but that didn't stop it from becoming an international success. The Hollywood Reporter writes that the movie has earned $222.74 million in China, bypassing James Cameron's Avatar by a little over $5 million to become the top-grossing movie ever in the country.

Much of Transformers: Age of Extinction's success can be attributed to intelligent marketing. On top of casting regional stars Li BingBing and Han Geng in supporting roles, Paramount Pictures also ran a reality TV show to select four extra Chinese actors for the movie. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Age of Extinction is also rife with familiar imagery, ranging from "Chinese milk to PCs to Red Bull to authoritarian styles of government." However, the most brilliant piece of marketing is arguably the videos of the movie's stars wishing Chinese high schoolers luck in their entrance exams. As of this moment, Age of Extinction has netted $575.6 million worldwide, proving that review scores aren't necessarily everything.