Exhilarating! Review Of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023)
I watched a Transformers animated film as a child many years ago and loved it. The deep, baritone voice of Optimus Prime, the leader of the Autobots captivated me and I thought his Autobots, especially Bumblebee, were pretty cool. I still do anyway. And then I disliked Megatron, Unicron and the Decepticons simply because they were the bad guys trying to hurt my Optimus Prime and his Autobots. I cheered on my heroes and enjoyed seeing them win the fight to save Earth.
This childhood memory flooded my head when I downloaded the recent release of the seventh instalment in the Transformers live-action franchise, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023). It's about a Transwarp key, a portal-opening key, that the evil Unicron, who likes to devour planets, wants so he can dominate Earth and other planets. Unicorn sends his minions led by Scourge (voiced by Peter Dinklage) to find the key.
Scourge and his minions invade a jungle planet inhabited by animal robots called Maximals who have the key. Their leader ape takes the key and hides it while engaging in an epic battle with Scourge. Many years later, the key is found by Elena (played by Dominique Fishback) an artefact expert in their gallery. She sets off a beacon that draws the Maximals, Scourge and his minions and the Autobots to New York City.
At that same time, Noah Diaz (played by Anthony Ramos) goes down the deep end when he decides to steal a car to pay for his brother's medical treatment. It turns out he is about to steal an Autobot. Will these humans be able to prevent Unicron from getting the key and saving Earth?
Review
This instalment is an interesting standalone chapter in the franchise about the age-old battle between good and evil. Giant Autobots engage in intergalactic battle while trying to find a way to get back to their universe without hurting planet Earth, their temporary residence. This time around, the focus is on the "beasts" (the Maximals) making it a prequel to all the films.
The plot is thrilling and viewers cannot help rooting for the Autobots and Maximals to win the battle against the villains. The storytelling is good. Director Steven Caple Jr. does a great job of making the audience feel nostalgic with the accurate portrayal of the 1994 timeline in the plot. It's like travelling between the past and the present. The transformations of the robots are spectacular as always.
Caple Jr. keeps the franchise fresh with the introduction of new factions of Transformers: the Maximals (the beasts) and Predacons in this film. I hope he brings them back in future sequels.
The cast did great. The performance of the Transformers is amazing. The thrilling action sequences involving car chases, gun fights and battles between the Transformers are exhilarating. They kept me on the edge of my seat all through the two hours plus viewing time. The manner in which the CGI is seamlessly blended into the live-action is outstanding and enjoyable. The choreography is flawless and realistic.
Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback's performances are good. Caple Jr. injects an emotional side to this all-robotic film with the character of Ramos' Noah Diaz and his determination for a better world not only for himself but also for his sick brother, Kris Diaz. This is the first time I'm seeing Anthony Ramos in a film and his acting is energetic. He's charming, and relatable, making the audiences root for him as one of the protagonists.
I enjoyed the rapport and back-and-forth between Ramos and Pete Davidson as the voice of Mirage, the silver Porsche car. The Autobot is bubbly, and witty, possesses some cool stunts that take the villain robots by surprise and reminds me of Bumblebee. However, I didn't like that Bumblebee wasn't allowed to say much in this film. Mirage had more screen time. He was kind of the star of the show.
Overall, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is an intriguing blend of sci-fi and mythology involving the exploration of the Transformers' universe, their past versus the present. It's action-packed with nostalgic reminders and worth watching. I'll give it 3.5 stars out of 5. I'm hoping the next instalment will be even better.
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Other images are screenshots from the movie
Posted using CineTV