Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023)

During the early 90s, Optimus Prime and the Autobots take on their biggest challenge yet. When a new threat capable of destroying the entire planet emerges, they must team up with a powerful faction of Transformers known as the Maximals, led by Optimus Primal, to save Earth. Planet eater, Unicron, sends his Terracons and Predacons, led by the treacherous, Scourge, to obtain the Transwarp key. It is a device that can open portals in space-time, which Unicron will use to travel to as many planets as he wants for devouring. The Autobots also want the key so they can get to their home, Cybertron and will fight against the forces of evil for it. I enjoyed this new instalment in the live-action Transformers movie franchise, but it isn't part of the first 5 Bay-verse films. It follows on from the reboot story of the Bumblebee (2018) movie, where Rise of the Beasts continues the story of the Autobots residing on Earth in the year 1994 since the previous adventure, during 1987. With time having passed, the Autobots want nothing more than to get back home after having been trapped on the planet for so long, despite only intending to use it as a base to regroup. However, once the key is activated, it becomes a race to claim the device before the enemy uses it to bring about Earth, and their home's destruction. I loved seeing the Autobots again in their iconic G1 style we caught a glimpse of in the previous film. There have been some changes, especially with characters like Wheeljack, whose design has drastically changed, and I want to say for the worse, as I preferred his last look, which was more accurate and honestly perfect. Every other character looks fine and extremely cool with my favourite new addition being Mirage, who gets some of the most screen time. His ability to self-duplicate with holograms is brilliant both in terms of practicality and appearance. He is also the funniest character and delivers some great comic relief whilst remaining a helpful ally in times of need. I was so happy to see Bumblebee again after the last movie now dawning his Chevy Camaro look. I appreciate the acknowledgement of his experiences in the last feature however, I was disappointed that he wasn't in this a lot. He comes into play much heavier in the final 3rd where he steals the show with some phenomenal moments. The biggest highlight from B was his arrival to the final battle where he lept out of the plane in a sequence that had me grinning instantly. I could understand his departure since he had his own one already, but it was still a shame. I equally liked Optimus Prime's design and that we get to see him undertake quite a bit of development. His demeanour to humans is drastically different to the one we are familiar with in the early Bay movies, only caring for his people until he works with humans Noah and Elena, but also, the way the Maximals have befriended and trusted people, even with their most prized possession. Speaking of the Maximals, they make their debut in live-action pictures following their show Beast Wars: Transformers (TV Series 1996-1999), which I hadn't seen at the time of watching this. Although we don't spend much time with them (and even when we do), it is with a selective amount, with other members taking the limelight till the final battle, which they are pretty awesome in. Another returning concept was the planet killer himself, Unicron, who first appeared in The Transformers: The Movie (1986) He looked simply magnificent. His depiction felt like it was lifted straight from the film and it was a true sight to behold, but alas, he bearly made an appearance leaving me very disappointed. I absolutely adored the final 3rd of this flick, which is where it truly shines with that huge battle full of explosive action. Seeing the robots transform during their fights was insane and had beautiful special effects present. Overall, I had lots of fun with this latest Transformers outing. Knowing what the other movies entailed helped me prepare for what I was getting into, making this viewing more entertaining. I will never grow tired of seeing giant space robots duking it out. If only they would lose some of these human elements. Definitely not a bad addition to the franchise, but not one of the best.

Runtime: 2h 7m

Director: Steven Caple Jr.

Genre: Action / Adventure / Sci-fi

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Transformers: The Last Knight (2017)

Three years after Optimus Prime left Earth in Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014), the Autobots are still considered a world threat and are continuously at war with the Decepticons. Cade Yeager finds a dying Transformer who gives him a Talisman, however, the U.S. Military and the Decepticons soon find Cade and the Autobots who must now go on the run. Cade meets a Transformer known as Cogman who tells him and Bumblebee to head to London with him. They discover the key to saving the future of the human race lies buried in the secrets of the past and the hidden history of Transformers on Earth. Now, it's up to the unlikely alliance of inventor Cade, Bumblebee, English lord Sir Edmund Burton and Vivian Wembley an Oxford professor to save the world. I have mixed feelings about this film. The Last Knight is the fifth instalment in this movie series and at this point, we know what to expect going into it. I guess having that acceptance of what we are going to get somewhat makes it better although of course, it has many flaws, however, accepting this makes it quite enjoyable. I found this film to be much more entertaining than the previous film which was just boring and I at least had a good time with this one. It follows some similar issues mainly being what feels like the first few movies de-canonize in regards to the Transformer's creators. I thought it was the Allspark but now it seems another entity and even more mystery is thrown into the mix with the introduction of Quintessa who is a remake of the Quintessons from the original series who were controversial back then and seem to be all over again. We still follow Cade from the last movie who is much better in this film but still not amazing. He is much more battle-worn and has some cool moments mainly using alien guns to fight back as well as using the Talisman that turns into a sword, which is pretty cool. We are introduced to many new characters like Sir Edmund Burton, Vivian and Cogman. My favourite has to be the robotic butler Cogman who I thought was pretty funny being quite kick ass with some hilarious moments and quips. The best part about him is the fact he is voiced by Downton Abbey (TV Series 2010-2015) butler Carson, which made his character all the funnier to me seeing how in that film he is a very serious figure in that show as a butler in the 1920s/30s then going on to voice a robotic butler. The other characters are fine they have their moments but besides that, there isn't much else to say. Other actors returned in their roles from the earlier films but only acted as a means for moving the plot forward or giving some exposition but it was nice to see some older faces back. The greatest return was Megatron with a new cool design but his return back to Megatron from the last one as Galvatron goes unexplained, which is strange, especially his look changing as he now transforms normally like every other Transformer, unlike that horrific effect in Age of Extinction. The plot is very overcomplicated and has so many pieces to the puzzle that is so unnecessarily convoluted. But like I previously mentioned, if you have seen the last films you know it is a lot of rinses and repeats in aspects of the story and that is just part of what these films are, plus we are kind of just here for the action, which I have to say is great. The final battle is actually quite awesome. Seeing Cybertron enter Earth's atmosphere and combining Earth and Cybertron in the fight was so cool and visually stunning. The special effects have never looked so beautiful which is a shame that it is mashed with a far-fetched plot. Optimus Prime has some entertaining sequences, especially when he is turned into Nemesis Prime as his fight with Bumblebee is a truly unexpected event to see and I really enjoyed it. We even get a chance to hear B's voice which was very surprising. Overall, this film isn't the worst nor is it the best in this franchise. It has some cool ideas but like the last one the execution just isn't on par. I love the visuals and the action is superb which is all we wanted from a film like this so in that aspect, it excels but in a story not so much. Also, check out the spin-off prequel/reboot to the live-action franchise Bumblebee (2018).

Runtime: 2h 28m

Director: Michael Bay

Genre: Action / Adventure / Sci-fi

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Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)

Five years after the Decepticon invasion of Chicago in Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011), the Autobots were granted sanctuary on Earth. However, believing that they are a threat, they were secretly eliminated by an elite CIA unit with the help of a Transformer bounty hunter, Lockdown. Because of this, Optimus has since lost his faith in humanity after an ambush, which caused him serious injury and even considers leaving the planet until Cade Yeager, a mechanic, convinces him to reconsider his faith after helping him recover. Together with his family, they join the Autobots to exterminate the bounty hunter, the reincarnated Megatron (in the form of Galvatron), and the Cemetery Wind (the elite CIA unit tasked with killing Transformers). Age of Extinction is the 4th instalment in this movie franchise and in all honesty, I wasn't a great fan. I think this story should have ended with the last film making a decent enough trilogy to wrap things up but of course, that wasn't going to happen. So following the previous film where the Transformers helped save the world, they are now being executed by the CIA whilst misinforming the world that they are only destroying Decepticons because they want all Transformers gone from this world. How people couldn't tell them apart baffles me as the Autobots have been portrayed in these films with bright colours with more human-like features, unlike the completely grey and darker colours of the monstrous-looking Decepticons. I hated seeing Autobots being killed in the opening of the film. It felt like a betrayal to the previous movies to see these heroes being killed unjustly. We are introduced to the character of Lockdown, a Transformer bounty hunter who is a very cool concept being neither Autobot nor Decepticon but ultimately doesn't bring a great deal to the movie if anything just leaves us with more questions. I think the greatest dishonour of this film was the characteristics of Optimus Prime. Throughout each film, he has become progressively more violent in his battles and now shows a hatred for humans, especially in this film after his Autobots brothers are killed and scrapped. It doesn't feel like the Optimus Prime we know and love who is a great leader that leaves fighting as a last resort. The other Autobots follow a similar issue where they are constantly fighting among themselves and can't seem to get along. Their designs are very cool I will grant them that with some interesting choices and some cool action sequences in the final battle. However, our human protagonists are no better with the only exception being Cade who is pretty bearable since he actually does stuff like fighting back with alien guns. His daughter and her boyfriend are quite forgettable and left no impression on me. We also get to see Galvatron's introduction into live-action after his appearance in The Transformers: The Movie (1986) and I have to say like everything in this film, it is underwhelming. He is a human-made Transformer using the data from the head of Megatron, which causes his essence to take over it but the worst part about him and the other man-made robots is the transformation effects. They are practically nonexistent as we don't even get to see the intricate look of each piece change before our eyes but instead polygon particles that just dissolve and reappear again. It looks horrible and lazy in all honesty and I wasn't a fan. Besides that, the special effects continue to look amazing but the storytelling just doesn't hold together, which is a shame since the ideas are there but the execution is not. The dino bots also make their first appearance and are really cool but are in it for such a small amount of time and feel very underused. The introduction of the creators is also confusing and kind of de-canonized the first film with the Allspark as I thought that created the Transformers so I didn't like that it ruined that. Overall, I wasn't a fan of this fourth movie. It was too long and just didn't offer anything new and when it did, it caused too many problems. It ruined characters and felt boring. I would personally stick to the first 3 and leave it there but there is one more film in Transformers: The Last Knight (2017).

Runtime: 2h 45m

Director: Michael Bay

Genre: Action / Adventure / Sci-fi

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Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)

Picking up two years after the Egypt incident in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009), the Autobots and their human allies discover a lost piece of Cybertronian technology, which has been in human possession for several years. Its revealed that the artefact is part of an Autobot spacecraft which has crashed on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission to the Moon and carries a special technology and the legendary Sentinel Prime (Optimus Prime's old mentor). However, Sam discovers a conspiracy by the Decepticons who plot to use it for evil purposes. Optimus Prime finds that they are up against a menace who plans to use it to enslave humanity to restore Cybertron. Dark of the Moon is the third instalment in the live-action Transformer movie franchise and it delivers on some grand-scale conflicts matched with outstanding visual effects that continue the ongoing war raging on Earth between the Autobots and Decepticons. I enjoyed this film for multiple reasons and certainly had as much fun as I did with the previous two movies. We open with an interesting concept with the space race in the 60s when something strange crashes on the moon which hastens the journey to get there in what would become the Apollo 11 mission. It's an intriguing idea that the moon landing was done, with the sole purpose of uncovering an alien mystery and was kept secret from the world. After that sequence, we are brought back to the interconnecting stories of the humans with Sam and his new girlfriend, Carley and the Transformers. I was very sad to see that Megan Fox's character, Mikaela, wouldn't be returning, especially after all the two had been through together and how it could have rounded off their story perfectly had she been in it. However, Carley's character isn't that bad but nor is she that memorable so there are no issues really. Sam is much better in this film, in my opinion, with some true emotions on display which is great to see. One moment I really liked, was a scene of Autobots watching Star Trek (TV Series 1966-1969) where Spock goes crazy, which is a little bit of foreshadowing to later events of the film for one character, who eagle-eared viewers may hear the voice of Leonard Nimoy. The first two acts of this feature are easily the weakest. Seeing Sam try and get a job is not as exciting as a huge-scale war even though I admit there are some hilarious moments scattered here and there from many characters, but once we get to that third act, this film becomes phenomenal. Transformers 3 has a darker and grittier feel to it with quite a depressing tone for the end of this trilogy, however many people, including myself, actually love it for this reason. The final battle is in Chicago, which is an extremely climactic war that combines both practical effects with CGI to make for some outstanding action. I love how this film didn't rely completely on special effects and combined CGI with real-life stunts, which is what movie magic should be. Seeing soldiers use wingsuits to jump from helicopters into the decimated Chicago as helicopters crash around them was such an insane sequence and a true spectacle. My favourite moment was when a skyscraper begins collapsing in half and our characters have to jump out, sliding down the building only to break the windows to get back in where they started falling inside. It was easily the highlight of this feature and one I could watch repeatedly, the same goes for this entire battle. Whilst watching this conflict, I noticed how similar it was to the war in The Avengers (2012), and since this film came first perhaps this inspired it since there are similarities, notably a huge beam in the middle of the city going up into space and alien ships. We are also introduced to familiar characters like Shockwave who is pretty cool but doesn't do a great deal but look menacing. Overall, Dark of the Moon is a great end to this trilogy that is so much fun, mainly in the third act. It's much grittier than the other movies, especially more violent. Like super violent. Personally, I think it should have ended here but unfortunately, there's more and it goes downhill from here sadly. Check out the fourth film in Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014).

Runtime: 2h 34m

Director: Michael Bay

Genre: Action / Adventure / Sci-fi

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Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)

When college-bound Sam Witwicky learns the truth about the ancient origins of the Transformers, he must accept his destiny and join Optimus Prime and Bumblebee in their epic battle against the Decepticons. A presidential envoy believes it's because of the Autobots they are still around; he wants them gone. He's wrong, however, as the Decepticons need access to Sam's mind for the glyphs imprinted there, which will lead them to a hidden object that, when inserted in an alien machine disguised in Egypt, will give them the power to blow out the sun. Revenge of the Fallen is an entertaining sequel to Transformers (2007) that continues the ongoing conflict between the Cybertronian race living on Earth, the life of Sam, who is now trying to move on in his life away from the fight and the significance of the now-remnants Allspark. Personally, I quite enjoyed this follow-up despite all the hate and criticisms it received. I grew up with both this and its predecessor, therefore making them a significant part of my childhood, which is why I consider this to be a guilty pleasure of mine. I do admit it has its faults, especially with the over-complicated plot, but at the end of the day, it's a movie that features heaps of mindless action and entertainment to orb out to. The plot is easily the most distracting element of this feature. It is head-scratching at times, even baffling and with having a long runtime, it certainly added to the complexity and drawn-out effect. I did find some elements that felt improved upon since the last film, especially in terms of the action. It was so much easier to focus on with fewer crazy camera angles and a more steady approach. I could appreciate more of the special effects used and it helped amp up the coolness being able to see all the amazing takedowns on display in every climactic sequence. Once again the CGI and visuals are worthy of recognition in this movie as they still manage to hold up with today's standards (even rivalling them to some degree) and are certainly deserving of praise. Each Autobot and Decepticon look incredible with some superb designs. Optimus Prime still looks as phenomenal as ever alongside Bumblebee, Megatron, Starscream and more. Even new characters have some interesting designs like the Fallen and Jetfire as well as more returning original robots like Arcee, Soundwave and Devastator who get new appearances. I found Soundwave's new look to be the most unique having him disguised as a satellite feeding information to all the Decepticons and releasing his projectile robots down from space around the world, which was an awesome concept. My favourite segment in the whole film, which is easily the most popular moment, is seeing Optimus Prime going up against 3 other Decepticons in the woods whilst protecting Sam. It's magnificent. Prime grabbing trees and utilising them against Megatron was simply brilliant. As more Decepticons turn up, the stakes only grow as Prime takes a real beating, still managing to hold his own for the most part. Such a fantastic scene that ranks very highly as one of the Transformer's best moments ever. The final all-out battle is also something to behold coming in pretty equally with the previous film's conflict in terms of scope and action. I adore the scene where Bumblebee sneaks attacks one of the villains and has a kick-ass fight with some unbelievable moves matched with well-timed slow-motion effects. No matter how many times I see it, I feel the need to jump up and cheer in awe. During the story, we are reintroduced to elements from the original product with the main one being the first appearance of the matrix of leadership, which was first seen in The Transformers: The Movie (1986) and made for a nice callback. Overall, I still love this film. It was so fun giving this a rewatch and it even made me realise I happened to remember a great deal of it, yet I still had a blast. It may not be the best or most beloved in the franchise, but it is one I found genuinely enjoyable. For those looking for some laid-back viewing with big explosions and impeccable visuals, then this is the perfect viewing for you. Also, check out the next instalment in Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011).

Runtime: 2h 29m

Director: Michael Bay

Genre: Action / Adventure / Sci-fi

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Transformers (2007)

When teenager Sam Witwicky buys his first car, what he doesn't know, is that it's an alien robot. This isn't the only alien to arrive on Earth. Optimus Prime and a fellow group of transforming robots have arrived in search of the Allspark. But Optimus Prime and the Autobots aren't the only aliens to appear. Megatron and the Decepticons are also searching for the Allspark, and they would do anything to get it, even if it means destroying the world. Based on the popular cartoon show: The Transformers (TV Series 1984-1987), this movie took on the task of revamping the franchise in a modern setting, returning familiar characters with new looks in live-action. This film and a few of the sequels were part of my first introduction to The Transformers universe and were a huge part of my childhood, much like how the original series was for those who grew up in the 1980s and I even had toys from this film. Rewatching this film just hit me with nostalgia and it's likely why I love it so much. This movie was the first-ever attempt at bringing the Transformers into this medium and they did a fantastic job. I honestly can't believe how beautiful the CGI looks in this film. You can easily see the amount of effort and detail that has gone into each character and scene, managing to still hold up today, despite being from the early 2000s. I would even say it trumps that of modern-day CGI which have slowly gone downhill in terms of quality and effort unlike this, which feels built to last. I will never forget the first time we got to see the Autobots transform. It was a magical scene that no matter how many times I see it, I still get goosebumps. Optimus Prime's transformation was the most insane, and visually stunning, moment in the whole film series, matched with the music as we witness every single part move and alter before our very eyes was breathtaking. On my latest viewing, I completely forgot how little the Transformers were actually shown in this one, with most of this long film being spent with human interactions from three separate interlocking story threads. We have stories between Sam and Mikaela, the U.S. army forces and the Defence teams aiming to discover all about these alien occurrences. Not to say that all these moments are entirely annoying because there a quite a few hilarious sequences throughout, and interesting parts whilst mainly telling a somewhat serious story. One of my favourite scenes is when the Autobots are just waiting at Sam's house causing all sorts of trouble whilst he is searching his room. It's incredibly funny. It took a while before we got to see these robotic soldiers get their time to shine in the conflict, which is what we wanted to see the most and when it finally arrives, it is the coolest thing in the whole movie. Director Michael Bay is known for his flashy action with a whole manner of crazy big explosions and battles, which is easily visible in this climactic final attack. I did find some of the action to be quite difficult to focus on at times with so much going on and the camera angles being a bit all over, matched with the lens flares too, it was hard to see what was going on. However, besides those small complaints, the whole sequence is truly exciting. I loved seeing so many iconic names get their live-action variants like the menacing Decepticon leader Megatron and Starscream who have some marvellous transformations and fight scenes. The strangest choice I found was giving Optimus a mouth. His iconic guarded mouth is in the film but only used during fights, it's just a nitpick because I think it looks cooler that way, but we were atleast treated to the superb voice acting of Peter Cullen who returned for the role. Another interesting addition to the story is that of the Allspark which gave life to the Transformers and, when it touches any technology, it turns them into one, which is so creative and intriguing. Overall, Transformers is a brilliant movie that brings iconic characters to live-action in a more adult/teen-themed manner with crazy action and stunning visuals worthy of today's standards. Certainly worth checking out for all Transformer fans and general moviegoers. Also, check out the sequel, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009).

Runtime: 2h 24m

Director: Michael Bay

Genre: Action / Adventure / Sci-fi

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Bumblebee (2018)

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).

Runtime: 1h 50m

Director: Travis Knight

Genre: Action / Adventure / Sci-fi

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