Review: 'Bumblebee' finally gives us what we want in a Transformers film

Bumblebee is, hands down, the best Transformers movie ever. Admittedly, that isn’t a particularly high standard to beat — the previous films by Michael Bay weren’t particularly renowned for their cinematic merit. And after the previous movie, Transformers: The Last Knight, had a less-than-stellar performance at the box office, the planned slate of Transformers films were unceremoniously cancelled. However, Bumblebee was scheduled to go ahead, presumably because it was already in the middle of production.

Bumblebee is set before the rest of the Transformers franchise and revolves around the titular character’s first days on Earth, as he attempts to fulfil the command given by Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen). He meets new allies in the form of humans Charlie (Hailee Steinfeld) and Memo (Jorge Lendenborg Jr.). But Bumblebee (Dylan O’Brien) has to contend with two villainous Decepticons, Shatter (Angela Bassett) and Dropkick (Justin Theroux), as well as disgruntled military man Lieutenant Jack Burns (John Cena).

It’s a wonderful coming-of-age tale with a strong emotional anchor in the form of Charlie, who provides the human connection for the audience. The friendship between the two characters is what makes the film incredibly endearing — it’s a genuine, platonic relationship that echoes the growing up woes of the target age group (i.e., children). Ultimately, for both Bumblebee and Charlie, it’s a story of accepting the world around them and understanding their raison d’etre.

Of course, no action movie would be complete without exciting combat set pieces, which Bumblebee provides at opportune moments. The battle scenes are structured in a way to show you just how competent Bumblebee is as a fighter, without taking away from the lethality of the threats he has to face. The tension doesn’t come from whether Bumblebee will survive — since you know he will, this being a prequel movie and all. Instead, it comes from whether or not Bumblebee will win his battles by himself, as there’s always that possibility that his Autobot allies might make a last minute appearance and save the day.

Bumblebee is set in 1987, during a more idyllic and simple era. The film doesn’t try to ram nostalgia down your throat, like many films set in a similar time period are wont to do. The setting is just that — a setting, and it serves its purpose without fanfare. The retro props and sets are a treat, and the colour grading helps to fit the bright yellow character into a realistic setting.

For Transformers fans, Bumblebee is a godsend! It does so much more with so much less — in terms of budget ($102 million vs Transformers: The Last Knight‘s $206 million), characters (three main Transformers vs twenty-something in the previous film), and locations (Bumblebee is set in a small Californian beach town, as opposed to the globe-spanning locations of previous films).

Yes, it may be a smaller story compared to the epic scope of previous Transformers films, but this allows for a tighter focus on the plot, stronger character development, and breathing room for emotional scenes. Travis Knight has a strong finger on the pulse of story, bringing everything back to the characters. And this is where Bumblebee shines. Its ability to focus on just Bumblebee and keep us engaged through the film is what makes Bumblebee stand out from the chaotic, explosive messes that previous Transformers films have been.

Most importantly, the human characters in Bumblebee don’t suck. They aren’t screaming their heads off at every opportunity, and they’re realistic, well-rounded characters with motivations and a back story. There’s no over-sexualisation of the female characters either. Main human character Charlie’s backstory has her as an acrobatic diver, which is rife for opportunities to put Hailee Steinfeld in a swimsuit. But with Travis Knight at the helm, it’s treated as natural part of her past and an important plot point, with absolutely nothing lewd about it. Needless to say, the crass humour that plagued previous Transformers films has finally been shed, allowing us to take the story seriously.

There’s plenty of fan service as well — from the overt, like the scenes on Cybertron (the home planet of the Transformers), to more subtle touches, like props and callouts. If you’re a Transformers fan, you’ll be thrilled to spot and name all the Autobots and Decepticons battling on Cybertron. And the references to the classic Transformers vehicle modes (like Bumblebee’s Volkswagen Beetle form, which he assumes for the bulk of the movie) are a joy to behold.

And we get to actually to enjoy the visuals for once! The fights are not as frenetic as those of previous Transformers films, allowing you to actually identify and see each Transformer in detail. Yes, they may be brightly coloured and less gritty than before, but you can actually recognise and distinguish each Transformer. The CGI quality is a little lower than previous movies, but as mentioned earlier, the budget was wisely spent on bringing fan favourite characters to life rather than going for hyper-realistic CGI with movements too fast for the naked eye to catch.

If there’s anything to gripe about Bumblebee, it’s that we didn’t get to see more characters and that the stature of the featured characters (Bumblebee, Shatter, and Dropkick) aren’t as impressive those in previous instalments. Charlie’s family can also be startling obtuse at times, but they are supporting characters after all, and they are ultimately sincere and well-meaning.

Bumblebee is the Transformers movie that we’ve been waiting 11 years for. Even if you’re not a fan, Bumblebee is a touching story about a teenager being forced to mature beyond her years and a film with proper cinematic merit. If you’re a fan, Bumblebee has finally given us what we’ve wanted to see in a Transformers film. It may not be a perfect film, but Bumblebee accomplishes everything it sets out to do.

Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? Yes.

Should you watch this more than once? If you’re a Transformers fan.

Score: 4.0/5 (non-fan), 4.75/5 (fan)

Secret ending? No.

Running time: 114 minutes (~2 hours)

Bumblebee is directed by Travis Knight and written by Christina Hodson. It stars Hailee Steinfeld (Charlie Watson), John Cena (Lieutenant Jack Burns), Jorge Lendeborg Jr. (Memo), John Ortiz (Dr Powell), Jason Drucker (Otis Watson), Pamela Adlon (Sally Watson), and Stephen Schneider (Ron). It features the voice talents of Dylan O’Brien (Bumblebee), Peter Cullen (Optimus Prime), Angela Bassett (Shatter), Justin Theroux (Dropkick), and David Sobolov (Blitzwing).

Related stories:

• Review: Transformers: Age of Extinction leaves unanswered questions

• Review: ‘Transformers: The Last Knight’ is epic but confusing

Marcus Goh is a television scriptwriter, having written for popular shows like “Lion Mums”, “Crimewatch”, “Code of Law”, “Incredible Tales”, and “Police & Thief”. He’s also a Transformers enthusiast and avid pop culture scholar. You can find him on social media as Optimarcus and on his site. The views expressed are his own.

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