It has been 12 years since Michael Bay decided to make a toy line a global phenomenon. Ever since its debut, every Transformers movie has garnered attention on a scale very few franchises ever achieved.However, this attention has not been positive through and through, as many critics openly panned Bay’s movies more and more with every iteration, calling them bland movies that objectify women and fetishize explosions. After the last film, Transformers: The Last Knight received harsh criticisms, Bay decided to leave the mantle of director and bring an end to Bayhem, a phrase coined by Transformers actor Shia LaBeouf.
The departure of Bay didn’t bring the end of Transformers, however, as a new movie in the franchise provides producers with tantalizing financial benefits. Paramount decided to bring in Travis Knight, a successful director behind well-received films such as Kubo and the Two Strings, and started working on a solo movie for the character Bumblebee, one of the most known characters within the Transformers universe, right after Optimus Prime. After all these efforts, we have Bumblebee before us.
How is Bumblebee? It is one of the best Transformers movies that could be made. Considering the fact that the only source for Transformers is a toy line and a TV show created to sell that toyline, Bumblebee does more than bring these characters to life, but it manages to deepen their backstory and give them more life.
The story of Bumblebee is not new or revolutionary in any way; in fact, director Travis Knight has stated that he was inspired by The Iron Giant while making Bumblebee. The story begins in Cybertron, as the war between the Autobots and the Decepticons has exhausted the planet, causing Optimus Prime (voiced by the legendary Peter Cullen) to initiate an escape plan. It is because of this plan that Bumblebee gets sent to Earth, and after a brief confrontation, he goes into a dormant state, unable to remember anything. The story then shifts to the perspective of Charlie Watson, a teenager shaken by the passing of her father and trying to move on with her life. It is where these two characters meet that the story turns into one of self-exploration and family.
If you are expecting to walk into Bumblebee and see everything explode, the military deploy everything it has onto aliens, Bumblebee is not the film for you. Bumblebee successfully shrinks the scope of the story down, as there are much fewer antagonists and side characters. Every character’s motivation is explained and their arcs make sense, unlike most of the characters within Bay’s Transformers films.
The score of Bumblebee is much more at the forefront this time. The 80s songs are meant to highlight the period as well as the mental state of Charlie, while the dramatic, orchestral pieces are meant to highlight the importance of an irreversible event. Even Hailee Steinfeld, the actress playing Charlie Watson, has a special song for the film, which seems to be a nice gesture.
Besides the score, the color scheme is much more unique and purposeful in Bumblebee. Compared to the high-contrast, orange and blue, harsh, sharp colors of Bayhem, Bumblebee opts for a softer, more diffused, almost pastel color palette. The movie presents itself as a warmer, more genuine film. Bumblebee is noticeable with his yellow chasse, a trademark that increases the comedy when he is left alone in Charlie’s home composed of light greens and light browns.
The camerawork and editing of Bumblebee are much more clear as well. One is able to comprehend who is fighting whom, where are they fighting, and where are they in relation to everything else in the setting. The cuts are less harsh, the camera is fluid and follows the action. There are some long takes within the movie to take in every moving part of the Autobots and Decepticons in their full glory. The designers have made the Autobots and Decepticons in a way in which what they transform into is clear during their robot form.
One element that stands out is the characteristics of the Decepticons and how they contrasts Bumblebee’s. Shatter and Dropkick, unlike in the previous movies, have clear and distinct personalities. They are willing to betray, joke and even taunt. In comparison to them, Bumblebee is friendly, willing to sacrifice and joke. Although John Cena and Hailee Steinfeld do a good job with their roles as well, Bumblebee steals the spotlight in every scene he is in.
Overall, if you like Transformers as a concept, but have not enjoyed Michael Bay’s interpretation of them, Bumblebee will be a breath of fresh air for you. If you are looking for a good time and a modern re-interpretation of The Iron Giant arc, Bumblebee is a good time. •
