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.
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.