Ok, another Transformers movie. All the others (6 in total if you include Bumblebee) have been pretty solid fan favorites under the direction of uber-action director Michael Bay. I was expecting more of the same this time around…. but hang on, not so fast. This is different.
TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS is set in 1994, and for those keeping score, that’s a whole 8 years before the Bay-helmed Transformers: The Movie (2007). And because this installment is more like a prequel, it doesn’t have to worry about being a continuation of the same story. One of the more noticeable differences is that unlike the first film, the Transformers are not here to save and protect the human race, rather they are suspicious and view humans as enemies. They are “hiding” on earth because there is something preventing them from getting back to their home planet.
This is where we come in. A giant, malevolent, planet-eating dark god known as Unicron is out to destroy every planet in the universe, starting with one that is inhabited by a faction of Transformers known as the Maximals (yes, there are other Transformers besides Autobots and Decepticons). Before the planet is ultimately destroyed, the leader of the Maximals, a gorilla named Apeling, sacrifices himself and sends what is left of the Maximals through a time-traveling portal to prehistoric earth. This includes Airazor (Michelle Yeoh) a peregrine falcon, and Optimus Primal (Ron Perlman) a lowland gorilla that was named after the hero of the Autobots, Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen).
Back to 1994, Brooklyn, NY. When museum researcher Elena (Dominique Fishback) accidentally cracks open a bird sculpture relic with strange markings, it turns out to be a Transwarp Key that can open a portal that either gets the remaining Autobots on earth back to their home planet of Cybertron, or much worse, it can allow the aforementioned evil Unicron to use the portal to destroy the universe.
Across town, Noah Diaz (Anthony Ramos) is an ex-military electronics expert, trying to support his family. He attempts to steal a silver-blue Porsche 964 Carrera, and once inside discovers that it’s really an Autobot named Mirage (Pete Davidson). Let me just stop here and say, yes, THAT Pete Davidson. Whoever made the decision to cast him in this role was GENIUS. Davidson delivers with the sarcastic, smart-ass wit and humor of Bugs Bunny, combined with the ultimate heart of Bumblebee. He connects so well to the audience that it makes me wonder why the past Transformers movies didn’t think to make use of household names to voice the Transformers. It really made a difference here (this reviewer secretly hopes for a stand-alone Mirage movie because Davidson is so fun!)
Meanwhile, Optimus prime becomes aware of the Transwarp Key and puts out a call for all Autobots to assemble. Unicron is also coming for the key, and he sends the Terrorcons, led by the especially nasty Scourge (Peter Dinklage) to retrieve it. This is where Mirage enlists Noah’s help and convinces a skeptical Optimus Prime to let him join the team. The Terrorcons have snatched the key and the only way to get it back is to combine forces with the remaining Maximals to get it back and thus, save the universe.
Again, director Steven Caple Jr.’s TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS, feels so different than previous Transformers movies. You have the new characters, the Maximals, who because they have the characteristics of the animals they embody, they feel more real and more personal than what was, in the past, just basically talking robots. There is much more emotion in their existence. And speaking of emotions, it’s really quite a feat that the star and most recognizable of the Autobots, Bumblebee, still elicits such a reaction from the audience. Any time Bumblebee is onscreen in this movie, the audience goes absolutely nuts.
Another cool aspect of TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS is the music. The score from film composer Jongnic “JB” Bontemps is fantastic, but what really connects is the early 90’s hip hop tracks that are used to pump up the action sequences. They fit nicely into the time frame and has the audience moving in their seats. This fun film will delight fans of the classic ’90s animated television series “Beast Wars: Transformers.”
All in all, TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS is the best TRANSFORMERS of them all and is exactly what the franchise needed. It feels fresh and the infusion of the new characters is what is needed going forward, and we are ready for more of the same! Transformers, Roll Out!
4 out of 4 stars
TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS arrives in theaters June 9, 2023.
