Bumblebee (I) (2018) User Reviews

Finally the Transformers movie we deserve.

[kevinxirau · 8/10 · 30 December 2018]

In 2007, Michael Bay showed the world that today's technology could bring the famed Transformers to life on the big screen. Sadly, he has the finesse of a brick to the face as his subsequent films for the most part are rusted pieces of scrap due to his crude style of filmmaking, lack of focus, and narrow demographic, leaving fans with only the 80s animated movie as the true "good one", that is until now.

Plot: Charlie Watson (Hailee Steinfeld), a teen girl struggling to move on after her father's untimely death, encounters the fugitive Autobot Bumblebee and the two form a heartfelt bond, which will be tested as they are hunted by both the secretive Sector 7 and a couple of Decepticons.

Knight knows what makes a film truly stick with people and that is in the story and how one tells it, something he excels at. He gives his films heart, thus the relationship between Charlie and Bumblebee feels natural. The central focus is this friendship with many scenes that are charming, funny, and hit hard in the feels. Unlike the stuttering and super uptight Sam Witwicky, Charlie has a lot of spunk and pathos. While having a predictable character arc, John Cena did a nice job with his role. I love that this film is not only set in the 80s (when the show came out), but lives and breathes pop cultural references and classic songs from that era (including a great callback to Stan Bush). While Bay's action focuses on huge zany explosion-fests that push believability and heavily involve the human military, here the action is smaller and much more personal, strictly Autobot vs Decepticon as it should be since it was what the franchise was built on. In fact, the portrayal of the Decepticons has improved; not only can I tell them apart this time thanks to their varied designs and color schemes, but they're given more personality and actually live up to their name.

The only thing that has me puzzled is the continuity as there's confusion over whether or not this is a reboot or a prequel given some conflicting elements. That being said, this is, in many ways, the Transformers movie I've been itching to see for a long time. I'd like to see more directors present their takes on the franchise and go to places both familiar and new as long as Bay stays out of the directing chair. To sum it up, Bumblebee's got the Touch.

One of the better films in the Transformer franchise

[Abdulxoxo · 7/10 · 25 December 2020]

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.

"Transformers" as it is supposed to be...

[paul_haakonsen · 7/10 · 20 January 2019]

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.

After Michael Bay's sFX extravaganzas, a return to form: a kid oriented film actually based on the toy line

[siderite · 7/10 · 1 October 2020]

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.

The best live-action Transformer film

[Rectangular_businessman · 7/10 · 1 May 2020]

This movie was a pleasant surprise.

Simple, but entertaining, and much truer to the characters and the spirit of the 80s cartoon than the Michael Bay films. The CGI is nice, and there is a good balance between the serious and comical moments.

Without being a masterpiece, this movie is a decent-watch for the whole family.

I hope the future "Transformers" movie keep a similar tone to this (Or at least, to the initial scene on planet Cybertron, which is easily the highest point from this feature)

Smells Like 1980's Spirit

[OMTR · 9/10 · 26 July 2019]

Bumblebee is the 'unofficial' sixth installment in the Transformers' franchise and it is actually a spin-off. I bought the DVD before coming back home last week, with the idea that it would be a good family movie, and I was far from being wrong. This is not only a great film to watch with the kids, but also the best episode in the saga. 'Bumblebee' takes us back to the year 1987, and it looks and smells like if it was made in the 1980s with a great cast and an awesome soundtrack. I am listening to it while I am writing this review and I am already looking forward to watching 'Bumblebee 2' in theaters in 2022.

Great family film

[bradcol · 7/10 · 9 January 2019]

Must watch family film with a good sense of humour and just the right amount of action

Best Transformers film

[Floated2 · 8/10 · 2 October 2019]

Bumblebee lived up to its highly hype and has delivered upon its expectations. As a film what makes Bumblebee enjoyable and the best of the Transformers film is that there is enough heart, the comedy isn't forced, the characters are likable (mainly Hailee Steinfield as the lead) and the action isn't over the top.

Perhaps not much of the other Transformers but this is more of a film to watch for its story. Also this film has a noticeable shorter run time of under two hours than the previous Transformers film.

Heartwarming prequel, but the writing was too amateurish and childish

[Top_Dawg_Critic · 7/10 · 19 January 2019]

Heartwarming story, but seems tailored to be more enjoyable to the 8-12 year old's as an upgrade from the 80's animated series. It's not your expected typical adult action filled Transformers installment. You can tell this was written by an inexperienced amateur writer, Christina Hodson. The directing was fairly decent, considering this was Animator Travis Knight's first live action film he's directed. Not sure why the producers (especially Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg) decided to cheap out on these key elements, and then have to pay for pretty much every fake 10/10 review this film has on here. The film's soundtrack was a good throwback to some good 80's songs. Hailee Steinfeld was perfect as always, but pairing her up with Jorge Lendeborg Jr. and his banana seat bike, made them both look like they were 12 years old. Although still enjoyable, I expected more. Would I recommend it? Yes for kids, not really for adults. Would I see it again? Nope, but I'm sure my 8 year old nephew will. It's a 7/10 from me.

This is the best one huh?

[HungryforCheese · 4/10 · 7 January 2021]

Despite a kickass opening, what is supposed to be the best Transformers has cliche and stupid, childish writing, awful characters, pathetic villains, and well, just, just... whatever. Not even my 7 year old self's obsession with this character can save this one for me.

Thoroughly enjoyable

[daisypromoii-496-392693 · 8/10 · 14 December 2020]

Was looking for something to wile away an evening and this, Bumblebee's back story, fit the bill. Action, feels and laugh out loud moments - Bumblebee's definitely not a fan of the Smiths - made my evening. The damn fine 80s sound track was the icing on the cake

A Satisfying Film

[damianphelps · 7/10 · 13 April 2021]

Steps outside the Transformer series really well to be a successful standalone entry.

Provides all the fantastic shinny things the movies are renowned for but has a much better story than the later Transformer movies.

Very enjoyable movie that will keep most moviegoers entertained :)

Very Disappointing

[elieatallah · 2/10 · 30 December 2018]

I was a Transformers and Beast Wars fan from the 90's, I enjoyed the first two movies from Michael Bay, then the rest was horrible.

The first 5 minutes of Bumblebee were good, then its goes to sh**. 90% of the movie focuses on the teenager's life and lame complications and fears. We barely see some action from Bumblebee, he is mostly being all cuddly and acting like a puppy. Instead of focusing on the origins of the Transformers and Orion Pax, we are hear watching the girl being bullied for not taking the dive... then conveniently having to take the dive in the end of the movie to... I don't know how she helps bumblebee underwater.

That scene on the road where she aske her friend to take off his shirt to just wrap it around her head and scream out of the car...when she is clearly wearing a shirt over a t-shirt... stupid..

That Salute sign from Cena at the end..

I felt like i was watching a combination of Mighty Joe Young and Herbie Reloaded. Horrible..

A Transformers Movie With Heart!

[namashi_1 · 6/10 · 6 January 2019]

The Transformers Movies, lets be honest aren't movies that offer soul. Despite making over billions with the Michael Bay films, Transformers are often noted to be mindless, soulless blockbusters. But with a new Director calling the shots and the focus being on just one of the Transforming Heroes, 'Bumblebee' is a pleasant surprise, that is indeed a Transformers Movie with Heart!

'Bumblebee' Synopsis: On the run in the year of 1987, Bumblebee finds refuge in a junkyard in a small Californian beach town. Charlie (Hailee Steinfeld), on the cusp of turning 18 and trying to find her place in the world, discovers Bumblebee, battle-scarred and broken.

'Bumblebee' works because the film focuses more on emotion than on action. Sure, there is action here and there as it has to be, it's a Transformers movie after all, but what is served here, intelligently, is a story offering soul. The relationship of Bumblebee and Charlie, is the film's heart. I liked the way their relationship is built up and how the emotional connect works. It comes across as genuine, rather than manipulative. And that's where 'Bumblebee' scores, it's more about love and bond, rather than just mindless action.

Of course, there are flaws. The biggest one being that this is a familiar story and the beats are predictable. And the entire E.T. vibe is hard ignore. But again these are manageable flaws, in an otherwise charming film.

Christina Hodson's Screenplay is well-done. And it seems the Writer has been influenced hugely by the prolific John Hughes, since her story has flashes of the late/great genius's craft. Travis Knight's Direction is perfect. Cinematography, Editing, Art and Costume Design, are quite good. Graphics, as expected, are excellent.

Performance-Wise: Hailee Steinfeld shines as Charlie. She plays the protagonist and her performance is completely likable. John Cena, in a role with grey shades, clearly has a ball. Jorge Lendeborg Jr. is cute. Pamela Adlon is superb as Charlie's mother. Of the vocal performances, Dylan O'Brien as the voice of B-127 / Bumblebee, Peter Cullen as the voice of Optimus Prime, Angela Bassett as the voice of Shatter and Justin Theroux as the voice of Dropkick, are pretty solid.

On the whole, 'Bumblebee' is a charming film that brings back the Transformers franchise into the game.

A Cute Robot E.T./Herbie Story

[daniel-85197 · 6/10 · 27 December 2018]

An entertaining film for fans and youngsters. When it comes to the editing and the story telling I feel it is lacking. There are many scenes where the viewer is left confused wondering or hanging. Some scenes are simply repetitive and I feel not cut smoothly to be cohesive. Bumblebee dies/gets killed and gets resurrected approx 10 times which gets old after a while. John Cena should just stop playing any serious roles. He is funny until he tries to be serious or bring emotions on the screen. Just does not suit him. Hailee delivers a solid performance and definitley is the perfect fit for the role. The Soundtrack is just awesome with the best of the 80ies. Not a "gotta watch it again" movie. The emotional component of the "missing father figure" and the "moving on" aspect is done nicely and gives the film some depth.

The best Transformers movie yet

[cardsrock · 8/10 · 2 January 2019]

Just like Hailee Steinfeld sings in the end credits song, Transformers has been brought back to life. The 80s nostalgia is definitely fun, but what really makes this film is the heart and connection between Charlie and Bumblebee. Charlie is easily the most realized character in the franchise. I enjoyed the lower key approach of this film and actually being able to see what was happening during the action scenes. This was a much needed reset for the series and hopefully this level of quality will continue.

A step in the right direction for the franchise and overall a great movie

[Sicaa369 · 7/10 · 29 September 2020]

Honestly I skiped watching this film when it came out because after Revenge of the Fallen i lost interest in any Transformers related media. This not only took me by suprise, when i watched it during lockdown, but also weirdly became not only my favorite TF movie, but also one of my top 5 movies of all time!

The movie is more focused on character work than plot (like Alita battle Angel and Shazam for example) yet it worked. Bumblebee and Charlies relationship was so much fun to watch grow and actually made me cry during some scenes of the movie. They are the heart and soul of the movie which made it more rewatcable. It also makes sense since Bee in every other version of TF is suposed to be the human side of Autobots, caring and more friendly, and always had a human side-character next to him, which makes sense to ad Charlie as support to him. This also brings down a negative because most people may not be that interested in a Mean Girls type story with "finding your place in the world" theme, with some quiet and more lighthearted moments not excpected from this type of movie.

Now for the script, it feels like an actual 80s friendship movie (Karate Kid, The Iron Giant, Free Willy), chessy, funny, emotinal and overall easy to follow. It might be boring to some people, but it worked for me.

There was a scene similar to the 2007 movie, which was in the trailer, where he trashes the house which later links to the story going foward, which was cute and funny, but it kind of ruined the more emotinal parts which i adored and loved with the goofynes, and thats the only scene i kind of didn't liked.

The casting of the movie was very good in my opinion, with Hailee Steinfeld shining as Charlie, and John Cena actually being not that bad as Agent Burns as i excpected him to be. I also have not found any other character to be anoying, and Dylan O' Bryan was perfect as Bumblebee and i want his voice back for the sequel. Decepticions were great and well realyzed. More positivity, the action sequences were pretty great, the 80s vibe of the movie with his Best of soundtrack and overall story was enjoyable and designs were great and in my opinion better than in Miachel Bays films.

The movie may not be enjoyed by people who liked the previous films or don't want another 80s growing of age story, and maybe because of the design changes, focus on character and the movie not having a clear plot like in most action/adventure movies, but that is on you to decide. The movie is more about friendship and overcoming your problems and finding someone who can understands, cares and listens to you and helps you move foward as a person.

Overall, this was a breath of freshair for me and a big number of people who were fans of the franchise but not invested in the mostly bad Bay films, (I loved the first one) with great action, characters, soundtrack , G1 cybertron with full on fan base material and visuals that made it a pleasure to watch, witch gives it a special place in my heart.

Definitely recommend you see it and form your opinion. 8/10 for me

Not a prequel, a MUCH needed (Soft) Reboot.

[thelastemaililleveruse · 9/10 · 25 November 2020]

I would give this film an 8.5, rounded up doing my part countering the many poor reviews I'm sure exist, made by A portion of the people whom enjoy the Micheal Bay films.

If you're like me and let the film Bumblebee pass you by based on the previous Transformers installments, I urge you to see it. Not only is it an immense improvement for Transformers but it's quite good a film in general. A very smart move using the established and adored Bumblebee to craft the reboot.

This movie has a strong structure with conflict, action, sediment, relatability, and resolution without making it feel as forced as many films tend to do. The full circle moment at the end was still like,"Oh, of course that would happen" but instead of it feeling annoyingly cliché I heartwarmingly accepted it which speaks volumes of the method used by the director/scriptwriters.

The acting is solid all the way around, again even the cliché moments for the characters behavior is welcomed with a smile.

This film really shows how much the Micheal Bay Transformers movies looked like over-budgeted straight to DVD garbage with the exception of Bay's first attempt(which this film still exceeds). Yet the film Bumblebee still salutes the first installments with a nod at the very end which I thought was very humble and polite of them so I enjoyed that too.

The Best Live Action Transformers

[stephenpadilla · 7/10 · 23 December 2020]

From the opening alone I loved this movie. It felt like the old cartoon. Welcome additions to the Auto Bots even if for a minute the real RC, not the abonation from ROF. The writing isnt stellar but its serviceable. Nothing will be as bad as 4 and 5. I like that it was a smaller story. Instead if all tje clutter of some world ending event.

John Cena was good, though him being super serious is a tough sell. Hailee Steinfeld was a great choice for the lead. Sorry to Shia, but she was a better protag. The family was annoying, but I guess its the staple of the franchise. Dylan O'Brian was a great voice for Bee. Kinda wish he didnt have to use the radio.

If it was the first Transformers in the Franchise it wouldnof been a 10 out of 10. But, since its a prequel. Cant go higher. Wish we could continue this as an alterante history.

What is this?

[taukais · 3/10 · 24 December 2018]

I can't believe there are so many good reviews. Plot: it is very predictable and doesn't bring anything new. You may notice some plot holes. Also it messes with timeline of previous films. Characters: nothing interesting about them, they are just flat: good guys, bad guys. Bumblebee acts as infant child 80% of the movie. He is also always protected by a plot armor, no matter how much damage does he take, he is still alive. Movie is oversaturated with oneliners. There were only couple decent jokes, all others fell flat all the time. Action scenes are just mediocre. Previous transformers had better ones. In conclusion, Bumblebee is neither personal film nor an action movie to watch in a company.

Just what it needed: no Michael Bay directing.

[Johnny-the-Film-Sentinel-2187 · 9/10 · 1 January 2019]

Bumblebee comes as a shocking surprise to me because up until now, ALL the Transformers movies since 2007 have given me migraines due to all the nauseating CGI (specifically the CG-robot mouths imitating human lips *ech*) that didn't know when to moderate action with character, or drama with spectacle (not drama OR spectacle). Bumblebee addresses all of those problems and then some in Travis Knight's live-action directorial debut: his second feature since Kubo and the Two Strings. Knight has given us, hands down, the BEST Transformers movie to date. Its emphasis on human-and-robot drama and galaxy-traveling and its focus on character dilemmas amidst the action (as opposed to directionless action sequences) makes this film a blast to watch.

What does this film do right where the others failed? It introduces the Autobots on Cybertron and establishes them as people fighting as a struggling resistance, not as CGI puppets who turn humans into computer rag-dolls whenever they hit them. Its plot also borrows elements from The Iron Giant, E.T. and even the original Star Wars; and it uses those tropes to make for a familiar yet refreshing experience at the movies (an actually GOOD live-action Transformers); and the 1980s Cold-War back-drop is just perfect for this film.

This is what course-correction for a tired franchise looks like: it is to the Transformers franchise what Wonder Woman is to the DC Extended Universe movies. It's a film that left me pleasantly surprised and I want to see more of THESE types of Transformers movies. Fan service CAN be balanced with story and character, and this film is concrete proof Hollywood knows what the f##k it's doing with that; so there's no real excuse to expect less in that field now.

Bumblebee gets 4.5/5 stars; I never thought I'd love it.

Fun!!

[castoirebenjamin · 7/10 · 27 December 2018]

Great for kids of all ages!!! Funny and has lots of heart. Dives into the characters, not just a peddle to the metal type movie. It's has great story telling and funny moments as well heart. The best transformer movie ever!!!

Such a waste of time

[noelleinc · 4/10 · 28 December 2018]

This movie was terrible. The pacing was slow, there was no story to fill in the time, just a bunch of driving around. The family scenes were forced and I felt no connection at all to any of the characters. The love interest was incredibly lame. John Cena's character was one of a typical dumb soldier, I much prefer all of the military characters from the first movie to him. At least they were funny. Not senseless shells of dumb.

Bumblebee was cute, like a kitten, not the badass Transformer he's been in the past movies. The action scenes were typical and boring. Honestly the best part of the movie was the first 10 minutes. After that it was not fun, funny or even interesting. I almost left the theater and I am a huge Transformers fan. On top of that this film makes no sense in the world of the previous Transformer movies. Optimus Prime and the others didn't come to Earth until the first Michael Bay movie and in that movie they had no form yet. There are so many plot holes which makes the story even less interesting. This is almost a direct copy of Sam's story. Losers life that sucks then he/she gets a cool car and their life changes forever. Blah blah snore.

I don't understand why everyone is saying this is the best Transformer movie ever. The first one was the best by far. People are looking for a Transformers movie that properly pays homage to the 80's Transformers we love, this movie is definitely not it. Don't waste your time or money.

A welcome change from the past 10 years

[ronaldlfields · 7/10 · 22 December 2018]

This movie was a breath of fresher air compared to what we've seen in the Bayverse. Some of the story was cliche and predictable, but it was entertaining. The CGI wasn't nearly as high-quality as what we've seen in the Bay films, and as always the Transformers took a backseat to the humans. Give us a movie with no humans, set on Cyberton, and we will watch it. In all, I think this movie is to the Transformers series what Rogue One was to Star Wars.

Finally, a good Transformers movie

[marczarbal · 7/10 · 26 April 2020]

I'm not saying it's a good movie, but based on the fact that it belongs to a universe with no narrative depth, this movie knows what it's telling and leaves behind the burdens of Bay's direction.