"Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" Feature Talkback (Spoilers)

[Yojimbo]

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 to save Earth.

Release date: June 9, 2023 (USA)
Director: Steven Caple Jr.

Related Links
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-Rise of the Beasts News Thread

 

[Pooky]

This kind of won me over by the end, but I was hoping to like it more.

The good; pretty much everything with Unicron is done very well. Colman Domingo has a good Wellesian bass, and Jongnic Bontemps gives him a theme that recalls but doesn't specifically derive from Vince DiCola's iconic theme. I’m a bit confused as to whether this incarnation actually eats planets or just send bots to colonise them, but whatever.

As a lowlife Trukk not Munky type I don't know how the average Beast Wars fan feels about how their boys/gals/bots were treated, but for me they were a welcome additional element if nothing else. Their relationship with the people of Peru was interesting, as was the contrast in philosophy between the Optimuses, Primal ironically being the more measured and reasonable. Not sure why they’re still insisting on having Prime be a short-fused barbarian rather than the “cowboy diplomat” of old, but at least they kind of have him grow a little here.

I guess the close-to-G1-as-possible designs of Bumblebee were a one time only thing, but the designs here are still a step-up from the Bay films. I do wish Prime had kept the face plate the whole time. Petty yes, but I do.

As usual the balancing act between the human and robot characters isn't quite pulled off. The human plot is better than in any of the Bay films, but not quite good per say. It’s less tacky and offensive than Bay’s films, but on the flip side it’s much blander. The action scenes aren’t as incoherent as Bay’s worst, but I have to admit they certainly aren’t anywhere near as impressive, exciting and innovative as his best. There’s one money shot that was really impressive in the trailer, but doesn’t hit here. Bumblebee was a deliberately small-scale spin-off, but this just feels kind of like the Bay films done on the cheap. A lot of the imagery seemed quite derivative of The Last Knight in particular. To be fair this was apparently filmed partly while significant lockdown restrictions were still in place, that might account for the empty feeling of several scenes, but so was the last Jurassic World, which I liked less than this but didn’t seem so cheap.

Like Bumblebee they seem to have not quite decided if this is a slightly illogical prequel to the Bay films, or a reboot. That doesn’t necessarily matter but it does suggest a lack of clarity in the production.

Supposedly the soundtrack is full of the most recognisable Hip-Hop classics of the time and place its set (1994 Brooklyn). I only recognised a couple. Never my scene. But I do know it’s crazy they’d use that soundtrack and not bring in Soundwave or Blaster. We were still using cassettes in 1994. They could have put a CD drive on their backs if they felt that was necessary.

I really didn't like the first Bay film back in 07, and if this had come out then I suspect I would have loved this, or at least liked it quite a bit more. But after 15 years, 5 more films, and many similar CG driven spectacles, it doesn’t quite cut the mustard, especially after the refreshing Bumblebee. But I am glad to have seen it once. A generous 3/5.

I don't know if Paramount was happy with how this performed; it did beat some tracking predictions, but it grossed less than The Last Knight, which was considered borderline disastrous at the time, and even less than Bumblebee on around twice the budget. If they follow up on the, let’s just say, “special event film” teased at the end of the film, that could be fun, otherwise it might be best to take another breather with these live action films until they come up with something truly fresh. Hopefully the animated film coming next year will be the true rebirth.

 

[AdrenalineRush1996]

I enjoyed it when it came out in June, though I still disagree with Di Bonaventura on that this is a prequel to the 2007 film and I'm curious on what the next live-action film will end up being, given the G.I. Joe tease in the end.