Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

Released June 9, 2023

Directed by Steven Caple Jr.

*Very Mild Spoilers *

As problematic and ridiculous as the first Transformers (2006) was, it is a very re-watchable popcorn action movie. Unfortunately, each sequel was progressively worse than the last, making it difficult to stay excited for the franchise. That changed with 2018’s Bumblebee. It wasn't perfect but a step in the right direction that set up Transformers: Rise of the Beasts to capitalize on the franchise's soft reboot. As a 90’s kid my first exposure to Transformers media was the Beast Wars TV Series. For a show made to sell toys it was surprisingly deep and made for some solid sci-fi storytelling. Sadly you don’t get much of that here, and the titular beasts (Maximals) are terribly underdeveloped and don’t really rise to their potential.

In classic Transformers fashion there is an artifact that the good guys have to get because if the bad guys get it the world ends with a big hole in the sky…its cliche and boring and has been done to death both in Transformers and in action movies in general. Bumblebee was a success because its focus and smaller scale. There weren’t too many characters and the story centred on the relationship between Hailee Steinfeld’s character and Bumblebee. Rise of the Beasts does this with Mirage and Noah Diaz but they were just one part of a crowded cast with too many under-developed characters. I liked the arcs for Airrazor and Optimus Primal but as a whole the Maximals were completely wasted (Rhinox and Cheetor had zero characterizationand barely even a single line of dialogue) and the story would have been more impactful if they focused on the squad of Autobots instead.

The robots in the Michael Bay movies were notorious for their overly complicated and jagged designs. Transformation sequences were intricate and interesting but the fighting was an indiscernible mess of grey clashing metal. It didn’t help that it was framed way too close and in a shaky handheld style that made it nearly impossible to follow. Rise of the Beasts thankfully retains the blocky and colourful designs from Bumblebee and the action sequences are framed from a distance with smooth tracking shots. For the most part it was even a step up from that movie. Easy to follow and exciting.

Unfortunately the ending battle fell into another tired trope. A drab brown barren landscape with hundreds of indiscernible grey minions. They nailed the designs of the heroes but the villain's army looked like random chunks of shrapnel flying across the screen. Those complaints aside, director Stephen Caple Jr. (Creed II) does a wonderful job building momentum and setting up the stakes for the climactic moments. I hope he gets another opportunity at the franchise with a better script. The rapid pacing made this 2 hours and 10 minutes feel more like 90 minutes. It was a rush that flowed from sequence to sequence with just enough exposition between action scenes to keep me engaged throughout.

All of the voice actors were great. Peter Cullen is showing his age a bit as Prime but no one can deliver iconic lines with gravitas like him. Ron Perlman (Hellboy) is perfect casting for Optimus Primal but his performance felt phoned in, and I suspect his role was cut down in this version of the film. We didn’t see him enough to appreciate what he was doing. Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once) as Airrazor had a wise motherly quality that fit very well. Despite not being in the movie for long, I connected to her character the most. Pete Davidson (King of Staten Island, SNL) as Mirage was surprisingly charming, cheesy, and awkward in the typical Transformers way, a bit annoying at times but I enjoyed his performance overall. (Maybe because I didn't know it was Davidson at the time :P)

The villains were lacking flavour or depth, but what we saw was definitely intriguing. Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) as Scourge was arrogant and badass, with one line delivery in particular that was truly epic. It was even punctuated by a massive explosion behind his character. So metal.

The human characters were fine. While not as endearing as Hailee Steinfeld in Bumblebee, the two human leads were exponentially better than Shia Laboef or Mark Wahlberg. Anthony Ramos (Hamilton) as Diaz was more nuanced and likeable than either of the previous male leads and it was refreshing that Dominque Fishback (Judas and the Black Messiah) was competent and equally developed from the start.

The Transformers franchise has consistently had excellent sound design and it is still the case here. The ratcheting mechanical clanks of each transformation were as satisfying as ever, and the metallic impacts and thudding foot-steps gave the characters an appropriate sense of weight and scale. Not everyone will appreciate it but the sound mixing in this is probably the best of the year. Dialogue is crystal clear even when there is blaster fire, pounding music, and giant robots crashing into each other nearby. Every element is distinct, placed clearly in the theatre's soundscape, and punchy enough without compromising intelligibility.

The musical score was solid but when I heard callbacks to Steve Jablonsky’s themes I missed how iconic those were. The score does its job but is a far cry from the memorable themes of the previous movies. On the other hand the licensed music in this is fantastic. The story takes place in the mid 90’s and is full of some the best Hip-Hop tracks of that decade. If you open your movie with C.R.E.A.M. by the Wu Tang Clan I will be instantly hooked, and if you play Biggie Smalls’ Hypnotize while a robot is diving out a plane and blasting other robots I will leave happy. These song selections and the overall vibe of Rise of the Beasts probably earned the movie a higher score that it otherwise deserves.

6/10 - Rise of the Beasts is a capable and fun summer adventure that continues with some of the improvements of Bumblebee but ultimately regresses into the same issues and cliches that plagued the earlier Michael Bay movies. Fans of Beast Wars should lower their expectations, as this does not capitalize on the inclusion of those characters. If you like Transformers, 90’s Hip-Hop, and over the top action, you will have a good time, but don’t expect anything deeper than that. Half the fun of this is the spectacle so a big screen and big sound will help.

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