Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, 2023.
Directed by Stephen Caple Jr.
Starring Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback, Luna Lauren Velez, Dean Scott Vazquez, Tobe Nwigwe, Peter Cullen, Ron Perlman, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Yeoh, Liza Koshy, John DiMaggio, David Sobolov, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Pete Davidson, Cristo Fernández, Tongayi Chirisa, Colman Domingo, and Michael Kelly.
SYNOPSIS:
During the ’90s, a new faction of Transformers – the Maximals – join the Autobots as allies in the battle for Earth.
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is obsessed with 1990s pop culture (also the film’s setting). Characters (and I’m not referring to mute Autobot Transformer Bumblebee, who communicates through movie and TV lines using the built-in radio) reference everything from E.T. to Indiana Jones to Sonic the Hedgehog and more. Not only is this consistently awkward, but it’s a reminder of better media one could consume. It’s as if director Stephen Caple Jr. (and the crowded screenplay team consisting of Joby Harold, Darnell Metayer, Josh Peters, Erich Hoeber, and Jon Hoeber) know that there isn’t a single original idea here, oddly embracing it.
To be fair, moviegoers don’t come to Transformers flicks for groundbreaking storytelling and refreshing concepts, but considering this is the seventh entry in the live-action franchise, it’s not a good look to wear repetition and lack of creativity as a badge of honor (especially coming off Bumblebee, which had heart and substance). Aside from the destruction sliding over to open fields in Peru halfway through, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts offers the same ugly monochrome color palette backdrop for robots viscerally ripping one another apart in emotionally weightless battles centered on possession of an ancient artifact the heroes and villains seek.
The year is 1994, and Anthony Ramos’ Noah (of course, these movies need a generic storyline involving humans driving forward the Transformer action) is a disgraced Army veteran struggling to find work. This greatly frustrates him since his younger brother Kris (Dean Scott Vazquez) suffers from sickle-cell disease, and the family, including his mom (Luna Lauren Velez), is financially buried under missing payments and needs money to get him more treatment. The bond between brothers is meant to be the story’s heart, although the dialogue often feels corny and forced.
Meanwhile, museum intern Elena (Dominique Fishback) is researching the authenticity of artifacts, some of which happen to have Transformers iconography engraved. Her poking around reveals the artifact to be a key between worlds that the Autobots have been looking for to get back home, whereas another robotic faction dubbed Terrorcons (led by Scourge – the voice of Peter Dinklage) want the Transwarp so they can open a portal to feed the planet to the higher power they serve, Unicron (voiced by Colman Domingo).
The Autobots (once again led by Peter Cullen’s Optimus Prime) come into contact with Noah, who joins the fray, realizing that to save his brother, he must first save Earth. Much like Shia LaBeouf, Mark Wahlberg, and Hailee Steinfeld bonding with Bumblebee before him, Noah also makes a personal connection, albeit this time one is formed with Mirage (an Autobot voiced by Pete Davidson, who can create exactly what the name implies). Naturally, Pete Davidson is giving a comedic turn, but his persona also feels dialled down somewhat (possibly somewhat due to the robotic voice modifications). He is entirely serviceable in the voiceover role but never reaches the energetic height it feels like he should, partly because the tone here becomes too serious.
Then there are the titular beasts, robotic animals properly referred to as Maximals, who had their homeworld swallowed whole by Unicron and are hiding out on Earth. In addition to Optimus Primal (yes, that’s actually the name of the robotic gorilla leader voiced by Ron Perlman), there is a Maximal peregrine falcon voiced by Michelle Yeoh, who participates in fights and strategizing the next move for the heroes. The best that can be said about all these robots is that their CGI is impressively detailed; the color palette is typically bland, but the effects themselves are top-notch.
Respectfully, there is a first-act effort to put forth a modicum of self-awareness about how silly these movies are, but as the plot keeps building and the mayhem kicks into high gear, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts functions as another dull, often colorless, battle for the fate of the universe. The only reprieve is when one character receives an exoskeleton, allowing the filmmakers to shake up the combat visually.
Fortunately, the robots are convincingly brutal in combat with one another, but this is yet another Transformers movie that doesn’t generate much engagement beyond surface-level spectacle. There are attempts to juxtapose Noah and Optimus Primes as the same despite their different personalities, and Peter Cullen is once again strong in the voiceover role giving the robot a semblance of characterization, but it’s all thin.
Thankfully, due to a tantalizing pre-credits reveal, there is hope that something new can be done with this franchise. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is forgettable fun that could be a Transwarp Key to something much more exciting.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
