Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

• Directed by Steven Caple Jr.
• May 27, 2023 (Marina Bay Sands) / June 9, 2023 (US)
• Based on the Transformers toy line

The Autobots and the Maximals protect the Transwarp Key from the Terrorcons who wish to use it to bring their master Unicron to Earth.

I keep hearing this links to the Michael Bay films but as somebody who paid attention to them (for better AND worse) I am not sure how Transformers: Rise of the Beasts fits in. The Autobots are apparently trapped on Earth yet it seemed like in Transformers they could travel through space on their own. Plus Wheeljack (here Cristo Fernández) who was in one of the first where he was nothing like he is here. Am I mistaken or is this a case of the creatives not knowing the material?

The gimmick that is at the center of the plot is a piece of crystal technology called the Transwarp Key. Unicron (Coleman Domingo) somehow learns of it and sends his minions to the Maximal homeworld from which they flee and bring it to Earth. They do a rather poor job of hiding it by leaving directions to the other piece on the statue in which one is hidden. And if this is technology then could it not be taken apart in some way? Don’t ask questions.

I grew up on Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen) being a kind and gentle leader who was also tough enough to handle Megatron. Here he has a tinge of bigotry and deep emotional problems. Why do I say that? Because he views all humans with the worst possible qualities. Rather than taking them as individuals he takes them as a group based on only the negative experiences and not the positive experiences. I know this isn’t tied to the G1 series, but bigotry in a leader is usually not a good sign of a leader’s abilities. 

He is also all about murder and doesn’t give any fucks about anybody beyond his own small group of Autobots. He screams about killing his enemies and flies off half cocked. He’s really a terrible example of leadership. Or a prime example of what you don’t want in your leadership. Take your pick. This need to make Optimus Prime super aggressive and super tough just comes off as unintentionally comical to me. I laugh. It borders on psychotic and emotionally unstable.

I can’t say I’m a big fan of Pete Davidson. I find him rather irritating. I’m one of those people who cannot comprehend how he ever became famous and how he maintains his fame. And I can’t say those feelings are any different with him doing the voice work for a robot. His Mirage is just as irritating and unlikeable as he is.

I like how they made Unicron look like his G1 inspiration. I always thought it was a good design. I just can’t get past why he needed the Transwarp Key. I know it took him directly to planets that were rich in energon (so is it a substance now and not something that gets manufactured by the destruction of a star as in Revenge of the Fallen) but why does he need the device? Was he just staggering around the universe eating whatever hoping it contained enough energon to sustain him? Or is this whole story about him being too lazy to put in the time and effort to find a meal so he gets desperate for something to do it for him? Don’t think too hard. 

This movie isn’t so much Rise of the Beasts as it is the beasts just show up. Optimus Primal (Ron Perlman) and pals are not that big of a deal to the story other than having built the gimmick that Unicron has the hots for. They came across as almost supporting characters.

The characters keep using the line “No matter the cost” in the script. It is a clear reference to The Transformers: The Movie which introduced Unicron to the Transformers concept. While originally it implied Prime would give his life to stop Megatron, here it starts to feel like it is about the ends justify the means.

While not the most cohesive of stories and with an unnecessary focus on humans over Transformers, it is a better film than many of its predecessors. The story is better done and there’s less undermining with unnecessary humor of the action and tension that’s built up. It is certainly not perfect but better.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is an improvement on the previous films but like all of the previous films it is nothing truly great. It won’t disappoint you, but it’s nothing that will greatly stick with you.