Nice Peter, of Epic Rap Battles of History fame, as Michael Bay once said he “even made Mark Wahlburg make some mother f***in’ money!”. Can we please make sure that the one Transformers movie worth the cash Bay can generate actually makes some money? #KeepBayAway
Bumblebee is set in 1987 and follows the titular Autobot’s journey to Earth after escaping the war on Cybertron. He lands, beaten and without his memories, in a small San Francisco beach town where he meets Charlie (Haliee Steinfeld), an 18-year old girl who is lost in her own home.
From the opening scene, Bumblebee is lightyears better than the past 5 (or what seems like 20) Michael Bay explosion fests. The scene opens up with everything that fans of the old cartoon have wanted for the past decade: a visually stunning battle on Cybertron complete with with 80s-clad Autobots and Decepticons, Optimus’ iconic voice, and great robot-on-robot violence. Once we follow Bumblebee from Cybertron to Earth, it is quickly apparent that Director Travis Knight avidly avoided the grandstanding war-torn, caricature-ridden, pop-culture driven storylines of his predecessor. Well, at least 2000’s pop culture. Bumblebee’s reverence for Tears for Fears and Alf sets up a charm that takes the audience on a fun adventure with characters for whom you care. It’s the family film you should see this holiday season.
Knight, Steinfeld, and the other actors find a human story out of the ashes of Transformers’ cold reputation. It still has the same beats of most family films: emotional tugs at your heartstrings, embarrassing dad jokes that evoke cute chuckles, and an adorable “girl and her dog” relationship between Charlie and Bumblebee. But the tugs, jokes, and relationships are paced just well enough for you to secretly (or not so secretly) want more. You can see the entire movie from a mile away, but it is so much fun getting there. Whenever it does venture to the overly predictable, it quickly brings you back with surprisingly significant stakes (explosions don’t MIRACULOUSLY miss every person in the vicinity).
The action is well put together, especially the one-on-one Autobot vs. Decepticon battles, and keeps a stabilizing synergy with the loveable characters. Hailee Steinfeld shows how she can fully morph to any role she is given, embodying the film’s endearing spirit. John Cena (Agent Burns) knows his lane but brings enough nuance to give even more credence to his star power. Yet amongst the enjoyable performances and engrossing robot action, Jorge Lendeborg Jr. (Memo) is the emerging star. His dramatic range (see The Land) comedic timing (see Spider-Man: Homecoming) and magnetic charm (see Love, Simon) are so apparent that you can be sure he is a face you will see on the big screen for years to come.
Bumblebee is a charming, heartfelt story that brings a nostalgic draw for older generations and a kid-like wonder for their children. It reinvigorates a long-dead franchise, making you (*gasp) want to see more Transformers films. I am giving Bumblebee 8/10 Peter Cullen Optimus Prime “Autobots… Roll Out!”