Synopsis: During the 90’s a new faction of Transformers – The Maximals – join the Autobots as allies in the battle for Earth
Director: Steven Caple Jr.
Stars: Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback, Luna Lauren Velez
Summer Blockbuster Fun.
It’s the season. We have embarked on a time of year where movie theatres will be filled with explosions and special effects. Adding to this list is Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.
When the first live action Transformers film took to the screen in the 2000’s it was a massive success. On a budget of $150 million dollars, it made over $750 million.
This is the seventh film in the series. While they have all been profitable, from a critical acclaim standpoint, not so much.
The first one brought a loved cartoon to life. Adults could be heard making their way through cinemas making Transformer noises with their mouths. It was exciting and the movie was entertaining. The second film was an exercise in patience. Gone was the excitement of seeing these impressive machines but instead the audience was subjected to an ‘I Love You’ stand off by the characters played by Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox.
The other movies, except for Bumblebee, weren’t much better.
This new film is a prequel of sorts as in the order of films it takes places after Bumblebee but before the original Transformers film.
The film is set in 1994 and we meet Noah Diaz, (Anthony Ramos) who seems to be down on his luck. He is having financial issues and is trying his best to help provide for his family. He applies for a job but is not even granted an interview. Feeling at a loss he is reluctantly persuaded to steal a Porsche. Turns out the car is a Transformer, Mirage to be exact. And for those uninitiated into the Transformers world this means this car transforms into a fighting machine. Fortunately, Mirage is an Autobot, or one of the good ones. Now if there are good ones then there are bad ones as well and this time it’s the Terracons out to wreak havoc on the world.
This film is entertaining and somewhat of a reboot of the franchise. There is a departure of big stars like Mark Wahlberg with Anthony Ramos taking the lead. And while Ramos is popular, (Hamilton), he is not necessarily a household name.
While this wont rate better than the original it at least brings the focus back to the machines.
That doesn’t mean the film doesn’t have it’s share of head scratching moments, but we have to remember what this film is at it’s core, Summer Blockbuster fun!
Grade: B-
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