The reviews for the latest installment in the Transformers franchise, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, are now in. So, does Transformers: Rise of the Beasts effectively bring the Beast Wars saga to the big screen? Or is this just another chaotic outing for the robots in disguise? Well, it certainly sounds like it’s the former, with Transformers: Rise of the Beasts debuting at a promising 70% on the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes.
We shall begin with MovieWeb’s own Julian Roman, who compares the latest outing in the franchise to 2018’s Bumblebee and praises the movie for how it “smartly cherry-picks the best elements of franchise lore and repurposes them with better defined characters.”
“Transformers: Rise of the Beasts continues the better narrative footing established by Bumblebee. The sequel of sorts again reshapes the franchise with an action-packed, throwback adventure loaded with exciting new characters.”
The praise continues courtesy of Variety’s Owen Gleiberman, who applauds the “human story” at the center of all the mecha-on-mecha action and spectacle.
“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.”
Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter relished in the way that Transformers: Rise of the Beasts takes audiences back to being children playing with their Hasbro action figures. In the best possible way.
“These Hasbro action figures, and their onscreen incarnations, are capable of reducing even the most mature, jaded adult into an awestruck child who just wants to get down on the floor and play with them.”
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Lands in Theaters on Friday
Sadly, not everyone was as enamored with the child-like delights of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. Some critics have been quite brutal, with Christian Zilko of IndieWire giving the Transformers outing a ‘D’ grade and comparing the lackluster approach to the intriguing one teased in another upcoming toy adaptation, Barbie.
“It’s as if some executive saw Mattel and Greta Gerwig turning “Barbie” into genuine art, so they made a George Costanza-style decision to veer in the opposite direction purely out of spite.”
The brutality continues courtesy of The Guardian’s Charles Bramesco, who awards the movie a savage 1/5.
“Everything has a vague partial finish, as if director Steve Caple Jr and the five-person brain trust responsible for the script banked on the audience’s familiarity with the shape of a movie to fill in the gaps they’ve left.”
Despite these ruthless reactions, the majority found much to enjoy in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. Mike Ryan of Uproxx praised the direction of Steven Caple Jr., commending the filmmaker for his clear love of the characters.
“It’s kind of remarkable what can be done with a Transformers movie with a director who actually likes these characters.”
Finally, Liam Crowley of Comicbook.com gives Transformers: Rise of the Beasts a near-perfect 4/5, and reveals that the sequel/prequel/reboot leaves the franchise in “the most intriguing position” it has been in for some time.
“Transformers has always been about spectacle, and Rise of the Beasts delivers on all accounts. The action is pulse-pounding. The relationships are heartfelt. The threat is palpable and most importantly, it leaves the franchise in the most intriguing position it has been in in years.”
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts finds Optimus Prime and the Autobots taking on their biggest challenge yet. When a new threat capable of destroying the entire planet emerges, they must team up with a powerful faction of Transformers known as the Maximals to save Earth.
Starring Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback, Ron Perlman, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Yeoh, Liza Koshy, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Pete Davidson, Peter Cullen, and more, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is scheduled to be released on June 9, 2023, by Paramount Pictures.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
