Transformers Rise Of The Beasts review: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ : Transformers: Rise Of The Beast Wars was an alternate Transformers animated show that was a different version of the original animated series. Likewise, after countless iterations in the live-action franchise, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts comes along and takes the franchise in a new direction. Check out my Transformers: Rise of the Beasts review to see how the film revived the franchise.
Please note: this Transformers: Rise of the Beasts The review will be completely spoiler free
Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts is a sequel to Bumblebee
![Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts review Bee.](https://nerdspin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/transformers-rise-of-the-beasts-review-bee.jpeg)
After some diminishing returns for the live-action franchise, which saw increasingly poor critical responses, it was time for a change. Enter the 2018 live-action film Bumblebee went more for a little girl and her pet vibe with a story that kept things on a smaller scale than its predecessors. The story largely focuses on a girl who lost her father and found companionship in an abandoned Transformer, Bumblebee himself.
Set in the 80s, Bumblebee was a soft reboot of sorts and a prequel to the other Michael Bay-directed film. Transformers movies. And while it was a great little story, it didn’t tie into the bigger one in any way Transformers lore, save for an amazing introductory sequence set on the Transformers home planet Cybertron. And despite some mediocre responses and lackluster box office collections, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is a direct sequel to Bumblebee.
Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts review is spoiler free
![Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts review meeting.](https://nerdspin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/transformers-rise-of-the-beasts-review-meetcute.jpeg)
Even though it is a sequel, Rise of the beasts keeps the references to Bumblebee quite minimal; actually just one direct line of dialogue. In a sense, though, this is a true reboot of the franchise in a completely new direction. The story focuses on Noah Diaz (Anthony Ramos) an unemployed former military soldier trying to support his mother and sick brother. Noah encounters a Transformer named Mirage (Pete Davidson) and becomes involved in their conflict.
The bigger threat is how a being named Scourge (Peter Dinklage) tries to access a key to open a portal for his master, Unicron (Colman Domingo), who consumes planets like Earth. The Maximals, Unicron’s sworn enemies, have kept the key safe for decades, but now it has been discovered. And the Autobots, who have been stranded on Earth since the events Bumblebee see the key as a way to return home to Cybertron. Noah and Elena (Dominique Visback) are the people involved in these events.
Characters that make sense
![Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts review Scourge.](https://nerdspin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/transformers-rise-of-the-beasts-review-scourge.jpeg)
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is a great new movie that introduces a new brand of Transformers: the Beasts. Adapted from the ’90s animated Beast Wars series, the film essentially turns these new Transformers into a very different breed of alien robots, from different home planets. This small change expands the Transformers live-action universe into brand new territory with so many more possibilities.
The film also gives so much more depth to the characters than any previous film. The legendary Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen) is a bitter leader who has lost a lot, making him very harsh and distrustful. This also plays with Noah’s own individuality, as they both fight to protect their own planets from Scourge. These different priorities often put them at odds with each other, which is a major conflict that both leaders must overcome. It’s a much more collaborative dynamic than we got from the other Transformers movies so far.
The characters are also voiced and written in such a way that the audience really cares about them. So the stakes feel earned and the danger they are constantly in actually creates tension and conflict in the story, drawing the audience in even more.
The special effects and character designs are top notch!
![Transformers Rise Of The Beasts review Cheetor.](https://nerdspin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/transformers-rise-of-the-beasts-review-cheetor-1024x683.jpeg)
Another thing that Transformers: Rise of the Beasts what we need to focus on is the special effects and design of the new Transformers. Now that the Beast characters have been introduced, the appearance of the characters is unique and a perfect blend of machine and animal. Even the battle sequences of multiple robots clashing and fighting stand out and are clearly visible. It’s easy to keep track of all the characters, and the CGI never detracts from the story as a whole.
These elements also make the characters much easier to relate to, making the thought of losing them much more impactful. The film’s serious moments are further enhanced by this connection to the Transformers characters, due to their unique designs.
Verdict – A must for Transformers fans
![Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts review Beasts.](https://nerdspin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/transformers-rise-of-the-beasts-review-beasts.jpeg)
Overall, the Transformers: Rise of the Beasts review is all about the heart that infuses the story in this plot about robots fighting other robots. The humans anchor the emotions, and their internal conflicts mirror those of the Transformers, making the connection between them much stronger. I hope this takes the Transformers live-action franchise in a new direction and that more films will follow.
Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts is now streaming on Paramount+.
What were you thinking? Rise of the beasts? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter (X) at @theshahshahid.
Rating: 4/5 stars