Review of Bumblebee (2018) by Dmitri M — 22 Dec 2018

15/12/2018.

4 out of 5 Stars.

The Last Knight was garbage, the plot made no sense, the action was incoherent, all the characters were unlikable, the dialogue made me cringe and the movie went on for an hour longer than it should've. Bumblebee is none of the above.

The plot was simple and easy to follow. They narrowed the scope to just 3 Transformers and it did two things. First is put a focus on its human characters and second is allow the viewer to know what is going on with all the characters at all times. It even follows the 3 act structure that all movies should follow and all the Transformers sequels (bar Age of Extinction) neglected.\.

I won't go into any details but I will say that the movie does remind me a lot of the first movie, learning about new characters, the smaller scope and the simple popcorn plot. Its definitely the X-Men First Class of the franchise. The movie is nowhere near as memorable as the first movie, but certainly more memorable than any of the sequels.

Since there are only 3 Transformers, the main human character will end up having the carry the plot. The main character carries the plot effectively, she has compelling and relatable motivations, and even if you fail to find her relatable she's at least likable. Main human characters have never been the series' weak spot, and this movie is no exception.

The series' weak spot has always been the side characters. Often irritating, and full of dialogue to make you cringe, they can often drag down the movie with them. In Bumblebee, the side characters aren't strong, but they are mostly inoffensive. If anything, they're definitely cliche but nothing that can really take away the enjoyment of the movie.

The action was also easy to follow, the fights are framed well and there aren't endless shards of metal flying everywhere. There also isn't a constant barrage of noise so you can even hear yourself think. The fights are well done, there aren't a lot of them but it makes the few that are there have some significance.

Transformers Movies (barring The Last Knight) all have a song that's made for the movie and seeks to convey either the tone or the emotion of the movie. Bumblebee has no such song, but instead replaces it with 80's nostalgia. It gives the movie a bit of a Guardians of the Galaxy vibe, but doesn't remain in your head like that movie's soundtrack.

Finally the movie's length. The last 3 movies have all went on for too long, usually half an hour too long with The Last Knight being the worst offender, which was two hours and a half too long. The movie's length is still a little bit too long, but doesn't go on forever. I'd say it was about 15 minutes too long, which isn't a deal breaker.

So the score I'll give this a 4 out of 5, the same score I gave Transformers and Age of Extinction (which I will still defend!). It encapsulates what I liked about the first movie, and rejects what I hated about most of the sequels. In all, its a solid movie and a step in the right direction for the franchise.