With a $135 million budget, Bumblebee grossed over $460 million worldwide, making it the lowest-grossing of the series. Despite this, the film was the highest-rated entry in the franchise, earning a 91% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. While it wasn’t as commercially successful, Paramount decided to move forward with another sequel, formally announcing it in 2019. Travis Knight chose to return to his animation studio, Laika, so Creed II director Steven Caple Jr. was hired instead. For this installment, the filmmakers incorporated characters from the highly regarded CG-animated series Transformers: Beast Wars. Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback played the human leads, with Peter Cullen, Ron Perlman, and Michelle Yeoh voicing the robots. The movie was shot in and around Los Angeles, Peru, Montreal, and Brooklyn from June to October 2021. After premiering in Singapore in May 2023, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts hit theaters worldwide in June.
%
Rating
Synopsis
Noah Diaz (Anthony Ramos) is a tech expert looking for work to support his sick brother Kris (Dean Scott Vazquez). Desperate for money, Noah agrees to steal a Porsche for his friend Reek (Tobe Nwigwe), which doesn’t go as planned. The Porsche turns out to be Mirage (Pete Davidson), one of a handful of Autobots living on Earth. Meanwhile, museum intern Elena Wallace (Dominique Fishback) uncovers a mysterious object that releases a massive energy surge. It just so happens the artifact is part of a key that can open portals through time and space. Its reappearance triggers the arrival of Scourge (Peter Dinklage), leader of the Terrorcons, and the Maximal Airazor (Michelle Yeoh). Airazor leads the Autobots to Peru, where they meet the other Maximals, including their leader Optimus Primal (Ron Perlman). The Autobots and Maximals must stop Scourge before he can restore the key and summon his master, Unicron.
Review
If you asked me back in 2017 if I was excited about another live-action Transformers movie, I would’ve said “No.” However, after being surprised by how good Bumblebee was, I anxiously anticipated what would come next, hoping for the best. And while it’s not quite as good, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is leagues above the Michael Bay movies. Like the last installment, the human characters are way more likable and not as insultingly unfunny as the Witwicky family. Anthony Ramos does a great job playing a guy struggling through life and trying to make the most of it. Dominique Fishback can sometimes get annoying, but she gets better and has solid chemistry with Ramos. Like always, Peter Cullen is excellent as Optimus Prime and Ron Perlman gives an equaling commanding performance as Optimus Primal. Michelle Yeoh is also great as Airazor, and Pete Davidson’s Mirage is hilarious.
Peter Dinklage is virtually unrecognizable as the voice of Scourge, though he does a decent job as the villainous Terrorcon. While the last film was more emotionally driven, this one is more focused on big action sequences. Granted, there are some dramatic moments, such as Noah and Kris’ relationship and the scenes featuring the Maximals. As cool as it is to see Optimus Primal, Cheetor, Rhinox, etc., on screen, they aren’t featured very prominently. Like the other films, this one ends in a big CG-fest of giant robots fighting and blasting each other. Thankfully, you can at least see the action on screen, and it never feels like it’s dragging. Plus, this movie clocks in at two hours and seven minutes, which makes it infinitely better than the Bay films. Overall, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts isn’t perfect, but it’s another step in the right direction.
Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.
