I have never played with the toys or read the comics, but I watched all of the Transformers movies. When Bumblebee came out I was fatigued and frankly disgusted with the quality of the franchise, so I just gave up. But after a comment from a blogger, saying that the film is not directed by Bay and that it's one of the best Transformers movies, I've decided to watch it. The verdict: a return to form. The action is set in the 80s, the effects look more mechanical and less CGI and the main character is a young girl. I find it befitting to what the franchise should have been from the very start.
However, because of the timing, this is too little and too late. A lot of people did like I did and just flat out skipped the film, while others did not like it because they were coming for big explosions and special effects. Plus, to be honest, it wasn't that original or inspiring, using the same tired "kid finds friendly alien" plot and starring Hailee Steinfeld, who is very cute, but kind of one track when it comes to acting. Also the character of the neighbor was completely unnecessary.
Bottom line: this should have been, perhaps, the first film in the franchise. It's not the best, but clearly a lot better than the latest movies in the series. Not sure where they will go from here, though.
Bumblebee
2018
Action / Adventure / Sci-Fi
Bumblebee
2018
Action / Adventure / Sci-Fi
Keywords: 1980srobottechnologyspin offbased on toy
Plot summary
On Cybertron, the Autobots, led by Optimus Prime, are on the verge of losing the Great Cybertronian War to their enemies, the Decepticons, had begin making preparations to leave the planet. The Decepticons led by Shockwave, Soundwave and Starscream ambush them during the evacuation, and Optimus sends a young scout, B-127, to Earth in order to set up a base of operations where the Autobots can regroup. B-127 reaches Earth alone in 1987, crash-landing in California and disrupting a training exercise being conducted by Sector 7, a secret government agency that monitors extraterrestrial activity on Earth. Sector 7 agent Colonel Jack Burns presumes B-127 to be a hostile invader and attacks, driving B-127 into the forest, where he is then ambushed by the Decepticon Blitzwing. When B-127 refuses to reveal Optimus' whereabouts, Blitzwing spitefully tears out his voice-box and damages his memory core. B-127 manages to destroy Blitzwing before collapsing from his wounds. Before entering stasis, B-127 scans and transforms into a yellow 1967 Volkswagen Beetle.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Top cast
Tech specs
720p.BLU 1080p.BLU 720p.WEB 1080p.WEBMovie Reviews
After Michael Bay's sFX extravaganzas, a return to form: a kid oriented film actually based on the toy line
"Transformers" as it is supposed to be...
Right, well the one and only reason for me sitting down to watch "Bumblebee" was because the rest of the family wanted to, so I gave in and joined them.
Which, I must admit, that I am actually glad that I did. Because this spin off on the "Transformers" live action movies was actually the best in the entire franchise. Who knew? A spin off movie putting every other single "Transformers" movie to shame and outshines them by a mile.
The story in "Bumblebee" was good, it had something for the entire family, because it contained action, comedy, love, and good vs evil. Everything that was required to entertain everyone in the family.
What also worked in favor of the movie was the fact that they had acquired a proper cast for the roles - well, with the exception of John Cena, as I can't really claim that he fit the role in this movie. But everyone else was really cast nicely for their respective roles and characters.
There is a good abundance of action in the movie, and it is done with elegance, whereas some of the movies in the actual main franchise seemed to focus more on just random destruction and violence, And the fact that there actually was a proper underlying storyline and plot to supported by the action just made it all the more enjoyable.
It is difficult not to get drawn in and be swooped away by Bumblebee himself in this movie, whereas I didn't have quite the same feeling or reaction in the countless previous movies.
This is actually how they should have started the entire franchise off, instead of giving us a continuous array of explosions and CGI bedazzlement. If you, like me, grew up watching the "Transformers" cartoons in your childhood, then you definitely should take the time to sit down and watch the 2018 "Bumblebee", because director Travis Knight really nailed it right on the head here.
One of the better films in the Transformer franchise
Bumblebee is surprisingly fantastic, it had better written humor and characters. it's a transformer movie but with heart and soul. The action sequences are excellent and had far less unnecessary explosions and better editing as you can see everything clearly. The characters are well drawn and have personality. Bumblebee is such a lovable character in this one and his dynamic duo with Charlie is just perfect. The performances are very good; Hailee Steinfeld is well-casted, and she easily carries the film. The visual effects are stunning, and the soundtrack is amazing; it has a lots of classic 80s songs that fits well with the themes presented in the movie.
Overall, Bumblebee is one of the better films in the transformer franchise, it's well-written and has rich characters, and also very entertaining.