The latest blockbuster addition to the Transformers franchise, Rise Of The Beasts, lands in cinemas today (June 8); the reviews are in and it represents, many critics say, something of a return to form for the toy-based saga.
What’s more, as many are further commenting, the revival in the franchise’s fortunes will further give a renewed lease of life to the Hasbro toys and assorted spin-offs. And, without giving away any spoilers, there’s a mid-credit sting at the end of the film which sets things up neatly for more toy-based activity from Paramount and Hasbro with the franchise going forward.
US film trade bible Variety summed its thoughts up succinctly in its headline, noting “a less bombastic, more relatable sequel shows that there’s still life in the machine”.
The review continued: “Set in a hip-hop-inflected 1994, it’s got a relatable human story that works, and thanks to a script that actually has sustained bursts of dialogue, the robots felt more real to me as characters than they usually do. But they’re still the Transformers.”
The review, liked many others, suggested that the departure of the franchise’s star director and guiding hand Michael Bay, famed for his over-the-top style, had potentially freed it from the bombastic heavy metal feel of the more recent films, concluding: “There’s a bombast built into the material, but let it be said that the “Transformers” movies have been transformed. They’re no longer the kind of fun you have to hate.”
Meanwhile, over on IGN, the review was even more supportive, kicking off with: “You son of a gun, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts — I’m back in. Consider me as shocked as anyone to be genuinely excited for more Transformers movies after the disappointing-at-best Age of Extinction and The Last Knight. The one-two combo of Bumblebee and Rise of the Beasts is a course correction that unites beloved Transformer clans, introduces decent human characters, and spotlights metal-crunching action that’s an upgrade from the nondescript animated slop we’ve been served in Michael Bay’s last few movies. It’s certainly not going to win over the Academy (outside a possible special effects nomination), but director Steven Caple Jr. executes Rise of the Beasts as a get-the-job-done summer crowd-pleaser that makes me feel like a kid watching Saturday morning cartoons again, only on a grander and more exciting scale.”
And in its verdict, the entertainment site added: “There’s a focus on a story with heart and heroics, and that’s never lost thanks to reigning in Michael Bay’s brand of sensationalist chaos. Rise of the Beasts returns to Transformers basics on a larger scale than Bumblebee, but never gets too big for its britches. It feels like playing with Autobots and Maximals action figures in your backyard on a weekend, lost in a smashy-fun adventure that might not save the galaxy, but is a good enough excuse to watch robots turn into cars and fight for a few hours.”
TnP was at the multimedia screening of the seventh in the series in London’s Leicester Square – replete with giant life-sized Transformers decorating the capital tourist hot-spot – on Tuesday night, ahead of a premiere on Wednesday and the film went down a treat with a diverse audience representing different ages. Whoops and cheers greeted the fight sequences and, as our junior correspondent (aged 15 years old) noted, it’s one of the best in the franchise and a hugely enjoyable action romp.
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