On Cybertron, the Autobots, led by Optimus Prime, are on the verge of losing the Great Cybertronian War to their enemies, the Decepticons, had begun making preparations to leave the planet. Optimus sends a young scout, B-127, to Earth to set up a base of operations where the Autobots can regroup. Upon landing on Earth in 1987, B-127 surprises the training of a group of soldiers under the command of Colonel Jack Burns who attacks him. However, he is ambushed by a Deception that damages his memory core and voice box. But B-127 defeats the enemy and transforms into a yellow 1967 Volkswagen Beetle. Charlie Watson finds the Beetle in a junkyard and looks after him whilst being hunted by two Decepticons and the military. This prequel/reboot spin-off to the live-action Transformer film series is a surprising delight that pays homage to the source material of the 1980s, whilst delivering a fun and charming adventure. I loved this movie so much. Being a fan of The Transformers (TV Series 1984-1987) and the live-action movies, this one combined the two creating the best Transformers movie in the live-action franchise. I have always had a passion for the 1980s and since I never grew up in them, I have sought out so much content from the decade when I saw this film it connected with me instantly with my appreciation for the time. I can only imagine how amazing this was to people who grew up then. From the clothes, food products, posters, hairstyles, and movies to the music, this film is the true 80s experience. Out of all these aspects, the music will always be the highlight with a fantastic roster of hit songs that is sure to be considered one of the best movies soundtracks out there. The coolest inclusion was hearing Stan Bush's 'The Touch', which was an original song for The Transformers: The Movie (1986) and was a great reference. This feature is full of tie-ins and references to the entire franchise with my favourites being all of the ones from the original series. Seeing Bumblebee back in his yellow Beetle appearance was incredible to see again, especially with the phenomenal use of CGI on display with his overall look, as well as his transformations. My favourite easter egg in the whole film was during the scene where Bumblebee fights the Decepticon, Dropkick, reenacting the iconic moment from the intro from season 1 of the show where a Decepticon throws an Autobot who transforms into a car before driving back around, launching back at them. Seeing it put into the fight sequences was so cool and a fun nod to the series. The opening of the film alone is something to be praised. Seeing a live-action G1 style Transformers battling on Cybertron was simply magical. The voices of these beloved characters were so accurate, like Soundwave who has those iconic vocoded vocals, which were so on point I couldn't stop grinning. Even some voice actors reprising their roles like Peter Cullen as the legendary Optimus Prime who has some epic action sequences during the battle. For the remainder of the story we are on Earth, which has some magnificent visuals with sunny bright days making for some beautiful imagery of Bumblebee driving around combined with 80s tunes on full blast, it is a breathtaking thing for any Transformers fan to see. I enjoy having a rewatch during the summer on a sunny warm day to get the full experience. In most films like this one, human interactions tend to be quite boring and feel unwanted however I found them to be very entertaining and a valued part of this story. Most especially with our human protagonist, Charlie Watson played by Hailee Steinfeld who plays a troubled, newly turned, 18-year-old trying to come to terms with loss who has some heartfelt moments throughout. I also enjoyed John Cena's performance as Colonel Burns who was both intimidating and comedic, whilst not an actor, I think he did a brilliant job and the same can be said for the rest of the cast. Overall, I adored this adventure, which returns the franchise to its roots with superb visuals and acting, making for a must-see family experience that will please fans and entertain any movie-goer. Also, check out the sequel Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023).
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