Transformers Rise of the Beasts review

Transformers Rise of the Beasts

Transformers Rise of the Beasts: This reboot of a much-loved sci-fi action and adventure franchise is a perfect summer release. With action shifting from galaxies beyond to different parts of our planet, this CGI-heavy film aims high but sticks to the basics for its dominant themes. There are men of honour who would do anything to protect their tribe and a woman with a conscience who will nudge the moral compass of those around her to point in the right direction.

Familial love, of course, is the first to be established. When an ailing younger brother tells his older brother: “You told me once I can do it, now I tell you, you can do it, too”, they already have the audience cheering for them. Emotions aside, the movie banks on action and spectacle to entertain the audience.

The film opens with the home world of the Maximals, a race of beast-robots being attacked by the planet-eating dark god Unicron. At his behest, the Terrorcons led by Scourge (Peter Dinklage), try to secure the Transwarp Key, which can open portals through space and time. Maximal leader Apelinq sacrifices himself to allow his tribe to escape.

Transformers: The story moves to New York in 1994, when people are still using pagers. On a day everything goes wrong for Noah (Anthony Ramos), who is still dealing with the ignominy of quitting the army, one can only hope that it will get better for him. And, it does. He steals a Porsche to make money but the car turns out to be Autobot Mirage (Pete Davidson) in disguise. With the much-loved Bumblebee getting limited screen time in the movie, Mirage emerges as the coolest Autobot with funny one-liners.

Noah is sucked into the inter-galactic conflict that the Autobots, led by Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen), have with the Terrorcons. So does museum intern Elena (Dominique Fishback) who studies an ancient statue of a falcon bearing the Maximal symbol. They become part a globetrotting adventure with the Autobots. The humans become allies of the Autobots in this epic fight of good versus bad.

As expected, the movie showcases a series of thrilling combats. The visuals are overwhelming as the film takes us back to the Transformer Universe and action shifts from New York to Peru. The human characters are interesting but not as compelling as the robot aliens. They are the ones who steal the show with their transformations and stunning presence.

Just before the end credits appear, the film teases about a possible GI Joe crossover in the next Transformers movie. Now, that might be something worth waiting for.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

Director: Steven Caple Jr

Cast: Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback, Pete Davidson, Michelle Yeoh, Peter Dinklage