Review by John M. Delia, Jr.
The world of the Transformers is back with more action, adventure, and science fiction fun for everyone. The film Bumblebee gets its title from the most loved Autobot from this fantasy world and delves into the history of the Transformers explaining where these troubled characters all began.
As the battle of Cybertron comes to a conclusion the Autobots make their move to flee from the Decepticons to an unknown location to later meet up and regroup. Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen) tells B-127/Bumble Bee (Dylan O’Brien), that he must flee and head to earth and hide until it is safe to meet up again.
Once on earth Bumblebee must find a place to be unnoticed. He must find a secure safe location for his fellow Autobots and defend earth until Optimus Prime returns. During his landing on to earth he encounters a team of soldiers training for battle called Sector 7. This team is led by Agent Jack Burns (John Cena) who fears for the lives of his men when the capsule transporting B-127 crashes in the forest nearly on top of his squad.
In present time Charlie Watson (Hailee Steinfeld), a teenage girl struggling through high school, is trying to find her way. Suffering from the death of her father, she is not transitioning well, while her mother, Sally Watson (Pamela Adlon) and brother, Otis Watson (Jason Drucker), have begun to move on. With the addition of her new Step-Father, Ron (Stephen Schneider), Charlie is desperate to find a way out.
When in search of a car to be able to show that she belongs to the in-crowd at school, she stumbles across a yellow Volkswagen bug in a desperate need of mechanical and physical attention. This is where the two protagonists meet (Charlie and Bumblebee) and the real story begins.
Director Travis Knight establishes the theme in the storyline very quickly and manages to continue the flow of the script perfectly. He includes remarkable special effects that make this futuristic world come alive and nearly compels us all to believe these characters really exist. Along with some great acting, an excellent sound track, and lots of action, this film will keep you entertained for the very beginning to it’s exciting finale.
The production of this in-depth remarkable origin story makes this hands down the best chapter of all the Transformer films. It includes a well-balanced adventure that is sure to entertain, especially those teenagers that never seem to like anything.
Final Comment: Â I base the following grade on the well detailed and outstanding storyline that plays out with impressive special effects, and amazing action scenes. (4 out of 5 Stars)
Additional Film Information
Cast: Hailee Steinfeld, John Cena, Jorge Lendeborg Jr, Jason Drucker, Lenny Jacobson, Pamela Adlon, and John Ortiz.
Directed by: Travis Knight
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi action violence.
Running Time: 1 hour and 53 minutes
Release Date:Â December 21, 2018
Distributed By: Paramount Pictures
Released In: IMAX. Dolby Digital, Dolby Surround, DTS, and Standard.