Transformers: Rise of the Beasts serves as a sequel to a prequel to a franchise that’s already been needlessly convoluted. While some might think it’s not an entirely persuasive argument to carry on the series, I can’t help but admit that I enjoyed this entry much more than I expected. It’s a significant improvement over the bloated, joyless sequels that Michael Bay directed, and maybe the Transformers are finally getting the series they deserve.
This one stars Anthony Ramos as Noah Diaz, an ex-soldier trying to take care of his mother and younger brother, who has cancer. He’s offered the opportunity to steal a Porsche by his best friend, but little does he know the Porsche is, you guessed it, a Transformer. This vehicle morphs into the wise-cracking Autobot known as Mirage (Pete Davidson). Mirage always has a series of quips as he tries to convince Noah to trust him.
Mirage eventually introduces Noah to Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen), his leader, as well as the other Autobots: Airazor (Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh), a robotic falcon; Arcee (Liza Koshy), who transforms into a souped-up motorcycle; and of course, Bumblebee who continues to have no speaking voice except when he can quote movies or music to express his opinions.
Dominique Fishback costars as a museum researcher who stumbles upon an artifact that can allow other Transformers to enter other spaces and times. (No, this is not Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.) She gets caught up in the action with Noah and the Autobots, and soon they all encounter a group of evil robots bent on destroying the artifact as well as Earth itself. They’re called the Terrorcons, and their leader is Scourge (Peter Dinklage).
The Autobots also encounter another group of robots known as the Maximals, who have been hiding on Earth for thousands of years. They’re led by a gorilla named Optimus Primal (Ron Perlman). The Autobots and the Maximals know they have to unite or witness the destruction of both their races.
Like Fast X, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts pretty much gives us the same old, same old this series is known for, but there are elements that help make this entry a step above some of its predecessors that got swamped by mindless spectacle. This movie offers some interesting character development in between the action sequences that give us a rooting interest in these characters. There are moments where they get the chance to actually talk, and their dialogue does help advance the plot instead of hammering us with unfunny one-liners.
There’s a lot of heart and soul for these characters and their challenges, and that’s saying something for this series.
Davidson’s Mirage is perhaps the standout in this movie as he seems to be channeling a bit of Jim Carrey into his voice work, which helps give this character a personality and a great contrast to the other self-serious Autobots.
The special effects sequences do offer a sense of jeopardy as the filmmakers take time to establish the world that we’re in as opposed to giving us ridiculous, overblown moments that are simply there to be sound and fury.
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is a fun, undemanding summer entertainment that proves there just still might be something left under the hood.
Grade: B+
(Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and language.)
