Bumblebee

After having missed the last Transformers movie I knew I was not going to miss this one. And I am more than glad to have not missed it. Depending on whom you ask, some refer to this movie as a reboot and others as a prequel. I would say it is a reboot, but I recall the events of the previous film that prove otherwise. In it, there is a scene that shows Bumblebee was a decorated member of the Transformers, one of their best that fought for centuries on behalf of humans who knew about the Transformers, yet Bumblebee had no memory of those events until he had the sense beat back into him as well as regaining his voice.This film not only shows how Bumblebee lost his voice and memory but at the same time proving his mettle to another human being with troubles like him. That someone is Charlie Watson, a girl from 1987 California. She is her own person who though lives her life with her own style of clothes, music, and interests she is not exactly happy. In fact, she is still mourning the loss of someone close to her and as she approaches her 18th birthday, she feels alone. But she gets the surprise of her life, of anyone’s life when the old car she gets for her birthday comes to life. It is Bumblebee having been damaged but having transformed into a vehicle as Charlie inadvertently reactivates him. Doing her best to repair him and attempting to communicate with him, he becomes something more than just her car but her best friend. All this while Bumblebee having lost his memories of what brought him to Earth leads to several days of nice moments leading to the eventual revelation of what sent him to Earth.Basically, this movie has the Autobots having lost Cybertron to the Decepticons and in their loss have moved to a new base of operations, the planet Earth. Bumblebee was given instructions to set up a rendezvous on Earth, but he was attacked by Decepticons and is still hunted down by a pair of them out to stop him. Charlie ends up being caught in the middle of this fight but there is no fear in this young woman as she is ready and raring to fight for her new friend.After the previous Transformers films, this one is different being more grounded and less of an extravaganza. But that is what happens when you replace Michael Bay. Still, this is not simply good it is special. I heard someone went so far as to say that this is the perfect 1980s movie for the 2010s. And I can see it in the same way movies like E.T., Explorers, and Flight of the Navigator in that this movie follows in the same spirit of kids coming together in a sci-fi adventure that brings warmth and hope as the best of humanity meets the best of an alien civilization. I left the theater feeling great after watching this movie, but not just for the story but everything in it. I only saw Hailee Steinfeld in one movie, the True Grit remake, but this proved that she is a great actress that she can portray so much warmth with a CGI character as if it were a real being. You feel the love and I could watch it over and over again and not believe otherwise. The action was great as always as well as the nice nods to the previous, or I should say eventual movies. Peter Cullen’s role is more of a cameo but hearing him as Optimus Prime always gives me hope.An awesome movie like the rest of the films in this franchise, I was definitely happy that I did not miss this one. I love that the movie was filmed in IMAX, it is more than deserved and I am happy to get that in its 4K Blu-ray release. The special features were nice, I loved the deleted scenes! It definitely added more depth with Charlie and other characters. The digital copy is more than appreciated.Bring on more movies Paramount! Transformers are here to stay.

I like this movie: good for original fans of the transformers or new fans.

I love this him , as a friend

What a refreshing take on this franchise and a perfect spot to hit the reset button to get away from the Michael Bay USA military propaganda/male gaze party that was the 2007-2017 run. This movie has real characters doing some nuanced work that Bay was never able to do amidst the belly shirts, explosions and American flag waving that marked his versions. On top of that, the casting is astronomically good, the score is great and the soundtrack slaps. Bumblebee rocks.But man, do I ever hate the whole missing voice box thing that’s carried over from the Bay adaptations. It’s so annoying, especially since they have a wonderful voice for Bumblebee in the opening of this film. Fix that, y’all. It’s dumb.

I'm disheartened that most negative reviews I've seen here don't include *why* they dislike it because I'm extremely critical of movies that obviously at least *try* to take themselves more seriously than a fancy light show. I'm more accepting of fancy light shows (like the second Transformers movie and onward) than most, probably, but I recognize them for what they are and a simple CGI showcase---this one is not.It's funny, it's witty, it's very relatable for anyone who has lost a parent and it's easy to sympathize with the charming and strong lead character regardless. She's an amazing actress and when the ending was set up in a way that (probably deliberately, in case the next installment won't be able to have the same woman) splits the possibility of her return 50/50. Either way, as long as the same team is responsible for its production, I'm actually more excited to see the returning or new humans in the next movie than the Transformers themselves--in a good way. Bee is amazing and I'd gladly allow him to accidentally wreck my house to have a Transformer like him in my life too, though.Easily one of my favorite movies. Great acting, good pacing, fairly minimal screen time dedicated to being mindless eye candy (compared to the movie's ancestors, anyway!) but extremely good effects the whole way through still, as one may expect. The setting is 1987 and the welcome nostalgia is in every minute. The humor in these films had begun to feel progressively more forced, but the humor here is as bold and real as my laughter.If I had to name a criticism of it, it's the inevitable military involvement (not a spoiler--they're never not a thing in Transformers in the Earth setting) acting predictably hyper-aggressive to drive the story along but at least it's less of a circus this time and the interactions feel meaningful enough.Also:Probably worthy of my personal top 3 recommendations for a movie for everyone. The #1 is K-Pax by far and I believe Bumblebee is #2. #3 is Gone In 60 Seconds which I admit I only hold in the highest regard and want the world to see because it makes me crave a family of friends like the characters way more than any human bond-centric movie while being a car heist one and its atmosphere resonates with me.But my reasons for the Bee making #2?: It might be the most feel-good action film I've seen in a decade, it deserves recognition and promoting it to be seen feels well enough like a civil service. :} Fun for the whole family, and it caters to them in a way even Transformers 1 didn't.Do you like action, 1980s quirky nostalgia perhaps and likeable leads you might *want* to know more about for once? There's great charisma and it's a shame she didn't steal the show but there's something to be said for the art of keeping characters simple without building them from cardboard, so you may want to try this movie out and meet them! Have fun!

Awesome movie! Been wanting to buy it for a while now I finally have it! 😁

Wer Transformers liebt, muss diesen Film gesehen haben. Lustige Story mit Aktion. Bild und Ton super.Filmspass garantiert. Gehört in die Filmesammlung.

Excellent film, beaucoup d'émotion et de rire.

Nice

The opening was excellent. Transformers as they should be!The follow-up story was decent however it felt to me the halfbaked love interest and the annoying family subplot could easily have been binned for more Transformers action and developping the main characters further.A true Transformers opening followed by a halfdecent schizophrenic family movie.