SINCE the mid ‘80s, Transformers have been beloved by generations of kids. After all, what could be more awesome than giant robots who could change into cars and trucks? (Maybe mutated teenage turtles who were also ninjas?)
A big criticism among longtime fans was that the designs of the Transformers in the (five!) Michael Bay directed movies were overly complicated and ruined the classic look of the characters. There was also a mean-spiritedness to the movies that was out of place from the original cartoons.
2018’s Bumblebee was a reboot of sorts for the movies, bringing back the story and characters to their ‘80s roots, with the Transformers looking the way they were meant to look. There was also a warmth to the relationships between the characters, different from the nasty cynicism of the earlier movies.
Rise of the Beasts takes place in 1994, which is fitting because that’s the year Beast Wars premiered. A spin-off of Transformers that featured robots transforming into beasts (surprise, surprise), it featured an epic story of its own with iconic characters like Optimus Primal set in an ancient Earth.
Unfortunately, that story isn’t to be found in Rise of the Beasts, which keeps its plot fairly simple – bad guys will do a bad thing (destroy the Earth) if they get ahold of an ancient artefact, so the heroes need to get to it first.
This time our hero is ex-soldier Noah Diaz (Anthony Ramos), Brooklyn born and raised, who’s struggling to find a job and support his family. He volunteers to steal a car for his friend, but unfortunately for him that car happens to be Mirage (Pete Davidson), who brings him along to a meeting with the other Autobots, including the iconic Optimus Prime (voiced by the equally iconic Peter Cullen).
Meanwhile, aspiring archaeologist Elena (Dominique Fishback) is looking into a mysterious ancient statue that’s more than meets the eye. Both Noah and Elena soon come into the crosshairs of Scourge (Peter Dinklage), a servant of the planet eating big bad Unicron (Colman Domingo).
Eventually Noah and Elena, working with the Autobots, come face to face with the Maximals led by Optimus Primal (Ron Perlman) and Airazor (none other than Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh). Despite their differences – which are quickly resolved – they decide to team up against Scourge and Unicron.
Along the way there are a handful of epic action sequences, including the climactic battle during the last chunk of the movie. While a lot of the action is well-staged – especially in comparison to the overly chaotic Michael Bay movies – there’s nothing especially incredible about them. In the post Avengers-era of epic computer generated spectacle, it takes a lot more to stand out.
That being said, the special effects are uniformly excellent, with the Transformers looking better than ever. Optimus Prime going from truck to robot is always epic, while Optimus Primal looks awesome in both forms. Mirage is the one Autobot that we spend a lot of time with, and the character does a really good job of channelling Davidson’s energy.
The human storyline is just fine, which is an upgrade over the awful human plot in the Michael Bay movies that had the cringiest type of humour known to man dragging down every scene. It’s also grounded a lot in an early ‘90s New York vibe, with a soundtrack that samples the hip hop classics of the era.
Ultimately, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is a solid piece of entertainment if you’re interested in giant robots punching and shooting each other, with likeable human characters backing them up. There are no real surprises – besides a name drop in the final scene – but who goes into a Transformers movie expecting twists and turns. – The Vibes, June 9, 2023
.jpg)
