Transformers: Rise of The Beasts review – Maximal Impact

If there is any film franchise that has milked the goodwill of its fans to the point that they are left as dry husks, it’s Transformers. Under the direction of Michael Bay, what started as somewhat promising back in 2007 quickly mutated into a monster embodied by rampant editing, non-stop explosions, unlikable characters, and a blatant disregard for the source material. Make no mistake, we are talking about a franchise based on Hasbro’s transforming robot toys. But many of us grew up with those toys, and the offshoot media, and we know the potential of the stories they can tell.

Salvation for both fans, and movie critics, finally came in 2018 with the release of sixth Transformers film Bumblebee, a more constrained and focused affair. The trend continues with brand new Rise of the Beasts, the latest instalment of a (now properly) rebooted franchise. The good news is that, once again, this is a film free of the shame previously associated with being a Transformers movie. It’s not perfect, and it suffers from contrivances, but it yields the experience that many of us have been very patiently waiting for.

In terms of Rise of the Beasts’ plot, the year is 1994 and ex-soldier Noah Diaz (played by Anthony Ramos) is struggling to make things right in life. He’s unable to find a job and support his ill younger brother while living in New York City. Noah’s life takes a dramatic turn one night when he makes the acquaintance of Mirage (voiced by Pete Davidson), a member of the Autobots, a robot alien race otherwise represented on Earth by Bumblebee, Arcee, and their leader Optimus Prime.

The Autobots are on the hunt for an artefact that may let them return to their home planet Cybertron, but that quest is upended by the arrival of Scourge (voiced by Peter Dinklage), the leader of a group of evil Transformers known as Terrorcons, who are in service to planet-eating being Unicron – who obviously has his sights set on Earth. With the help of museum intern and artefact researcher Elena Wallace (Dominique Fishback), it’s up to Noah and the Autobots to stop Unicron, Luckily, help is at hand in the form of Optimus Primal (voiced by Ron Perlman) and his team of Maximals, another Transformers faction who have adopted animal forms, and who may be key to saving the planet they consider their second home.

Rise of the Beasts is the second part of a one-two punch at resetting the Transformers franchise. While Bumblebee successfully injected genuine emotion and light-hearted fun into the series’ overarching premise – and focused on exploring the relationship between the Transformers and humans – Rise of the Beasts is concerned with retrofitting the Michael Bay formula of the first five films with that same welcome tonal mix.

The stakes are higher; the story more epic. Humans and Autobots team up to fight a common enemy – you know the drill. And, like Bumblebee, Rise of the Beasts is successful in shaking off the bloat of its predecessors, going so far as to reboot the continuity (not that Bay ever concerned himself with continuity) and expand the universe in a new direction.

It’s not an original or unique direction, though. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is set in the mid-1990s, and that setting has seeped into the script, which is rooted in mid-90s tropes and character archetypes. This is a movie that could’ve released prior to 2007’s original Transformers and we would have been none the wiser. The plot is very predictable.

That said, a far more serious crime the film commits is the amount of screen time the titular beasts receive. While Optimus Primal and his airborne comrade Airazor (voiced by a bored-sounding Michelle Yeoh) enjoy the spotlight, fellow Maximals Cheetor and Rhinox receive very few lines. Heck, Rhinox doesn’t even speak. This can be attributed to a longer first act and focus on establishing the Autobots (yet again) along with their human companions. And while all parties come together in the second act for the final showdown, viewers can’t help but feel a bit of buyer’s remorse, especially if they’re there for the character associated with the beloved Beast Wars animated series.

On the plus side, spending time with the Autobots and humans is not a bad or frustrating thing this time around. Far from it. Both Noah and Elena are compelling and likeable, unlike past human characters in Transformers movies. Proactive Elena, especially, is key to the narrative and boasts a utility sometimes greater than that of Noah’s (if we are to have humans in these movies, they need to have something to do). Dominique Fishback proves to be an acting force within the confines of her role, while Ramos similarly and effortlessly impresses.

As for the Transformers, Pete Davidson as Mirage is an honest-to-God surprise. Though his humour may be laden with cringy 90s references, he’s a charming character and enjoys a sincere dynamic with Noah. Meanwhile, Optimus Prime – canonically a younger, less battle-scarred version of the one we know from the other films – is saddled with a simmering distrust of humans. That attitude forms part of an arc we’ve never seen from the character before, and it helps justify some of his decisions throughout the film. Joining the Transformers mix, Peter Dinklage as the villainous Scourge is downright unrecognisable (in a good way), while Ron Perlman comes close to being on par with Optimus Prime voice actor Peter Cullen as someone who can win wars just by delivering speeches.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts can be best described as robust production-wise. Director Stephen Caple Jr. proves to be a responsible steward of this franchise with cinematography and editing that keeps the action clean and clear. The film is notable for having been extensively filmed on location in Peru, which looks beautiful and whose jungle landscape contrasts well with the concrete sprawl of New York.

The visual effects work on all the Transformers is outstanding here. They feature distinct facial expressions and body movements that go a long way towards establishing their unique characters. The final fight scenes are a bit drab and certain elements surrounding the humans could have been more refined, but the film features a welcome visual clarity throughout – unlike Transformers films of the Bay era.

One sidenote: the Transformers fan in me is intensely puzzled by the redesign of Autobot fan favourite Wheeljack, who makes his debut halfway through the story.

As a movie, Rise of the Beasts isn’t some newly discovered species. Rooted in archetypal storytelling and a plot that goes exactly where you expect it to, it does little to innovate. Instead, it lands on the same narrative beats the previous films did.

However, the difference this time around – and it’s something Bumblebee also got right – is that you actually care. In Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, you are given room and reason to become invested in the transforming alien robots somersaulting across the screen and pounding the living daylights out of similarly kinetic CGI beings. It would have benefitted from the titular beasts being allowed to rise some more, but at the end of the day, it’s a movie that Transformers fans and casual cinemagoers can both get behind and enjoy.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts comes to South African cinemas, including IMAX, on 9 June.