Cut to the chase: Despite some shaky plot points, “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” offers a refreshing restart for a franchise that had become action-heavy and epically over-produced. The film brings it back to the heart of what Transformers should be: character- and robot-focused with an emphasis on kicking butts and saving the world.
Transformers, assemble!
Set, in terms of chronology, between the 1987 movie “Bumblebee” and 2007 film of the first Michael Bay-helmed “Transformers”, “Rise of the Beasts” rests comfortably in 1994 Brooklyn, a period portrayed with fond, bordering-idyllic nostalgia. Director Steven Caple Jr., whose only other feature film credit is the boxing drama “Creed II”, strikes a balance likely to appease and appeal to most viewers. There aren’t the long, sweeping shots of hyper-toned, glistening bodies or sun glinting through the creases of slow-motion Autobots. That was Bay’s specialty, and his style, while effective for the early aughts, has become somewhat passé. Viewers have matured in these 16 years, and glorifying and sexualizing a female lead by paring her down to a pair of booty shorts will no longer fly with modern audiences. And thankfully so.
There is still a shine to Caple’s shots, however, and 90s New York feels cozy, comfortable and engaging, even from across time and space. The soundtrack bumps. The characters, finally, feel less robotic than the actual droids. And the Transformers have life, thanks in large part to Pete Davidson’s Mirage, the primary Autobot of “Rise of the Beasts”. Bumblebee, a Transformer who can only communicate via pop culture audio like songs or lines from movies, is well-loved by fans and has been the focus of previous films, but it’s a relief to find fresh machinery in town to lighten the film.
Find the key, save the universe
It wouldn’t be a Transformers film, however, without an outrageous premise, and “Rise of the Beasts” can’t help but stick to the plan. Noah Diaz (Anthony Ramos) is a normal guy from Bushwick, struggling to help his single mother raise his little brother Kris (Dean Scott Vazquez), whose rare disease has caused the family to amass untenable hospital bills. In a dark moment, Noah attempts to steal a car for quick cash, but the car ends up stealing him, sending him on a high-speed police chase in Porsche-look-alike that is actually Mirage, an extraterrestrial being known as a Transformer.
Across town, a novice archaeologist Elena (Dominique Fishback) uncovers a long-buried alien antiquity, hidden on Earth by Maximals, an advanced race of beast-robot hybrids. They were forced to evacuate their own jungle planet. A world-eating god named Unicron (Colman Domingo) threatened to not only destroy their home but to steal the Transwarp Key, which can open portals through space and time. In lay-bot terms: the endgame for every planet and civilization in existence.
The intricacies of “Transformers” are simultaneously labyrinthine and inconsequential. The tangled web of players, breeds of robots and motivations are meant for the most ardent Transformers fans (not to mention the big revelation at the film’s end that teases a crossover with another major action property). That’s not to say that even viewers who aren’t familiar with Transformers can’t sit back, relax and enjoy the ride. In this film, that ride takes Noah, Elena and the animatronic crew from NYC to Peru where they must track down both halves of the Transwarp Key before Unicron via his invincible warrior Scourge (Peter Dinklage) unites the pieces and devours Earth.
A few mutations along the way
From a script by a handful of writers – there are literally five writing credits attached to the Transformers movie, which is typically not a positive endorsement of a film’s cohesive nature – “Rise of the Beasts” certainly dips into the territory of the absurd, pushing our limits of plausible believability. Often in films past, the utility of humans has been obvious and essential, a result of chemistry between the bots and people, as well as their situational needs. In “Rise of the Beasts”, the role of humans in saving the world is painfully contrived, as in: “The only way is through this small, person-sized tunnel! Who will fit to ensure our salvation?” Followed, ironically by shoot-‘em-up sequences that find the powerful, very capable Transformers getting to the target anyways. If there’s one thing viewers hate, it’s shaky logic.
Ramos as Noah, our unwitting lead, is wonderfully authentic, a sincerely charming character portrayal who carries the film’s emotional baggage. He and Mirage give tandem performances, each jiving with the other to a heartwarming, comic effect. As the film progresses, the ridiculous premise becomes a glorified treasure hunt with some swashbuckling skirmishes that are unsurprisingly fun. We may lose regard for the gravitas of the film’s premise, and we may know exactly where the film is headed. But it doesn’t keep “Rise of the Beasts” from rising above and delivering a clean, fun, monster-romping good time.
Know before you go
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and language
Recommended Age: 12+
Runtime: 117 minutes
Nightmare Inducers: For age-appropriate viewers, there is nothing set to terrify or traumatize. Viewers should expect Unicron and Scourge to be formidable machines, but no more so than previous Transformer villains.
Difficult Concepts or Emotions: Noah’s brother suffers from sickle cell disease which finds him in and out of the hospital, struggling with his health and bringing to mind thoughts of mortality. Noah himself, struggling with his family’s ongoing financial destitution, wrestles with issues of morality, weighing the prospect of committing a crime or watching his brother die. Unicron is a threat to the existence of every planet in every universe, and this impending obliteration of anything imaginable may cause existential dread among some smaller viewers.
