Review: Transformers: Rise of the Beasts – Metal on metal fun
Directed by Steven Caple Jr.
Starring Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback, Lauren Vélez
7/10
With any major franchise, sequels upon sequels can start to lose their flare or excitement. Sometimes the sequel is better than the original, whilst others crumble under the weight of their own imagining. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts…forgive the pun, is a beast all its own. It sits comfortably as a subtle sequel to Bumblebee, whilst having the strength to stand on its own as a prequel to the major series.
Set during the early nineties, the film is stylised through society’s earliest years of technology – where people were still dancing in the streets and tinkering with electronics. This aspect is equally reflected in the almost Indiana Jones storyline or alien archaeology – as the audience is transported to Peru, through a very Jones/Croft escapade in finding a lost treasure…only to be hunted by a team of rusting alien robots, which a planetary ending synthetic-God on their doorstep!
Rise of the Beasts still holds the level of pop-culture humour we are used to, whilst also grounding it (which some previous films had trouble with). The film itself runs for just over two-hours, and although there are unnecessarily long establishing scenes, the overall experience doesn’t seem to exhausting to watch. Audiences are kept engaged from start to finish, between witty one-liners, sweeping establishing shots of New York and Peru, to the blockbuster rampage of robots across ancient landscapes.
The film has a steady format, and many audiences will be able to see similarities with the original series – such as the “introduction” of a human lead with the Autobots, playing out similarly to the first wave. The film also has subtle commentary on the American social and medical system, which still play out today – where saving the world, and America in particular, is the “bare minimum” you can do before healthcare is provided to your family. Although the live-action leads are outshone by the acting of CGI robots, Anthony Ramos’ performance became stronger as the fight scenes dominated.
Tailgating the success of Bumblebee, Rise of the Beasts has accelerated into a promising series separate from the original series, with stronger lead characters, and inter-personal growth with characters the audience want to succeed. With a couple of unanswered questions looming, the final scene from Rise of the Beasts teases an interesting crossover for Paramount and Hasbro’s next-gen series, as Noah Diaz (Anthony Ramos) is handed a business card for the G.I. Joe secret organisation.
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is a fun and enjoyable action movie that does what every Transformers movie must: wrap up with a seemingly endless battle sequence, with debris and metal blasted across the landscape, with humour, explosions, and a reminder that anyone can stand up to what they believe is right, and that change comes from working together.
JOSHUA HALL HAINES