I didn’t think I would see a Transformers movie in the cinema in my lifetime, as I got burned one too many times by the one and only Michael Bay. And based on everything I heard about Rise of the Beasts, I wasn’t convinced that this movie would be that much different. However, the trailers in front of other movies did their job and got me interested, mainly as they showcased an action sequence with one long, uninterrupted take. That was the moment I thought this movie might just be worth seeing on the big screen, and when the reviews came out, and they were “fine” (which is the equivalent of getting an Oscar nomination for a Transformers movie), I decided to take a chance on this franchise, one more time. And I wasn’t disappointed.
There is no polite way of saying this, so I will just say it – getting rid of Bay (at least from the director’s chair, he is still a producer) was the best decision, and frankly, it was long overdue. I don’t hate Bay; it’s just his directing is very hyper, at times, sleazy (the Romeo & Juliet close from Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014) speaks for itself), but mostly he can’t work with/establish characters. That was the one thing all his movies had in common no matter how many talented people were in those movies, I have never cared about a single one. And since his background was in music videos, his action sequences were always a choppy, cut-to-death mess, so we could never even enjoy the big robots fighting each other. And this is where Steven Caple Jr. comes in.
It seemed like there was more to a Transformers movie than just the action. I liked how certain scenes had almost a horror feel to them (the museum hide and seek), whilst Steven seemed to try to give us characters we could care about. And guess what? He succeeded. I can honestly say that for the first time ever in this franchise (Bumblebee (2018) aside), I did care about our protagonists. I liked Anthony Ramos and his story arc; I liked his relationship with Dean Scott Vazquez (who played his brother Kris), and this relationship provided a theme of unity for this movie, what it means when others rely on you. Don’t get me wrong, nothing I just listed is by any means groundbreaking, but it shows that for this franchise if you do a bare minimum and give us some likeable, not overly horny/sexualised characters, it can work. I also liked Dominique Fishback‘s character, even though she wasn’t as fleshed out. But I appreciated she was the brains of this operation, and I also loved that there was no romantic tension between her and Anthony’s character. Yes, people can simply go through some shit together without falling in love, and I like to see more of that, especially in big blockbusters.
On the strengths of those characters alone, Steven has already taken this franchise to new heights, but he didn’t forget why you would go and see it in the cinema. This character work was a pleasant bonus, a great dessert if you will, but the main course is the action. And yes, the action sequences are (mostly) lit and shot well, with fewer cuts than ever. I can’t begin to tell you how much I appreciated that aspect, how I could tell what was happening, where everyone was, and it looked pretty cool. I might be in the minority, but I really liked the beast’s design; it was “simple” but effective. Another thing I appreciated was the music choice and how well it matched the action, especially towards the end. Not only did those scenes look cool, but they also sounded cool too, and that’s something this franchise lacked.
The voice casting was also strong; from Peter Cullen and Michelle Yeoh to Ron Perlman and Peter Dinklage, everyone did great. But there was someone who managed to stand out, and it was Pete Davidson. What helped him was he effectively played himself if he turned into a robot, but with his back and forth with Anthony’s character, you buy their bond over the movie. I bought it to the point that if there were a sequel or some spin-off (without saying too much, there is a clear path forward for this franchise), I would be down with it, as long as all the main actors return too. And believe me, being “fine” with another Transformers movie wasn’t on my bingo card for 2023.
Is this a flawless movie? No, far from it. There are some moments you question whether we needed that (Anthony’s involvement in the last battle, for example), and of course, if you go through the story, you will find big plot holes. But here’s the thing, that doesn’t negate anything I just wrote, as this is one of those “big, dumb blockbusters”. There is a shift towards more intelligent blockbusters, and I am all for it; however, I wouldn’t mind getting a few of these “big, dumb, but a lot of fun” movies, as long as they don’t forget to be a lot of fun. And that is what effectively beats any criticism here; I judge this movie based on the genre the film is in. It is a big, dumb, loud movie, but I had fun, and fun is what I hoped for. Therefore I am not disappointed; if anything, I was delighted that we finally got a decent Transformers movie.
Overall, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts exceeded my expectations a lot. I didn’t expect to have as much fun as I had, and I didn’t expect to care about any of the human characters, and I did. I try to judge every movie on its merits, but I can’t help to compare this one to those films that came before it in this franchise, and there is a clear improvement in every area. I had a fun time in the cinema, and if you go into this movie with this mindset that you are about to see a big, dumb and mainly fun film, you should not be disappointed.
That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!
Until next time,
Luke