Transformers: Age of Extinction broke the box office record previously held by the James Cameron 3-D film Avatar in China.

The movie directed by Michael Bay and starring Mark Wahlberg has been panned by reviewers for overly long action sequences, which gave it a running time of nearly three hours, product placements and what critics say are token elements in the film targeted at Chinese audiences.

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But the complaints did not stop Chinese fans from watching the movie. Since screening started in China less than two weeks ago, Transformers has made more than US$221 million in ticket sales, compared with $175 million in the U.S.

Age of Extinction is the fourth movie in the Transformers franchise. Shia LaBeouf starred in the first three films, which were based on the Hasbro toys.

According to CNN Transformers producer Paramount Pictures and Bay set their sights on the expanding Chinese movie market right after the third instalment in the series, Dark of the Moon.

Dark Moon earned US$1.1 billion overseas of which 69 percent came from Chinese ticket sales, CNN reported.

To boost Transformers' appeal to Chinese fans, Paramount enlisted the help of a local production company, included Chinese actors Han Gen and Li Binging in the cast, shot scenes in Hong Kong and the mainland, and awarded minor roles to winners of a television reality show competition.

Bay's effort to woo Chinese movie fans explains the scene in Age of Extinction where "Texas, USA" appears on the screen. Bay did not put that information for U.S. audiences but for non-Americans he intended to draw into theaters to watch his movie, according to CNN.

The director's moves paid off. Age of Extinction premiered in Hong Kong and was given a strategic release date in China.

CNN, citing a Los Angeles Times report, said the Chinese box office continues to grow, rising another 22 percent this year, and is expected to overtake the American market within four years. 

TagsTransformers: Age of Extinction, Michael Bay, Hong Kong, Avatar, Chinese box office