In December 2018, the Transformers blockbuster saga decided to reboot by dedicating an entire feature film to its faithful Bumblebee. Today, the darling of the Hasbro company is no longer alone on earth! The Autobots have found sanctuary on the blue planet, except it’s the calm before the storm, and this one’s called Unicron! Robots and humans are in danger, but they can count on the Maximals (an alien species that is half animal, half robot) to defend themselves. We got a chance to see them in action in the preview, and here are our impressions!
Sixteen years later, Transformers are anything but rusty. Under the leadership of Michael Bay, he was among the blockbusters that mattered in the second half of the 2000s. The license to make aliens half-vehicle, half-warrior now weighs in at billions. This seventh building block should also enable sales of five billion dollars! So it was better not to drop it, even if, as we had every right to hope, not all the cinematographic components shone at the time. Although the franchise was well established, it failed to recover over the next decade. Still, the 2020s seemed more promising, thanks in particular to the trick of the start anew and the franchise’s greatest mascot, Bumblebee. Certainly, the feature film was released in 2018, little more than a year and a half after the trigger The Last Knightdid not make it to the top of the box office, but brought a breath of fresh air that delighted viewers.
Beyond the operation a Soft reboot of the franchise featuring the feature film referred to above transformers traveled back in time and transported viewers straight to the mid-1980s. With Rise of the Beasts, transformers deals with the 90’s, sometime after the final events of the film bumblebee. We want to assure you now that you are under no obligation to find outorigin story the loveliest pile of junk before you jump into this one. Rise of the Beasts actually brings a new topic to the table. If you want to know the context, You can take a look at our article that offers an update on the new movie of the saga before reading our impressions in the following lines. In short, here we are seven years later, in 1994, as the earth prepares to suffer the consequences of a war not its own, but in which humanity has literally and figuratively played its part will play. And that’s just the beginning as we know the (mis)adventures of Sam Witwicky, the main protagonist of the first trilogy! No Shia LaBeouf this time, though a new hero named Noah, as well as a new threat (the Terrorcons / Unicron) and most importantly… new allies, the Maximals!
Noah and Mirage, a (h)as bro duo that’s anything but monotonous
In the hearts of fans of the license, Bumblebee inevitably holds a very high place! It was not for nothing that he was entitled to a feature film in his name, you will tell me. However, this time the Autobots have a new star and it’s called Mirage.. The adventure turns turbulent for this new member of the Optimus Prime band, especially when he crosses paths with young Noah. Determined to prove himself, willing to take any risks, he eventually finds himself on a quest beyond his limits.. He, who on the one hand has to raise the funds to pay for his younger brother’s medical treatment, becomes against his will the new ally of the Autobots, who have been living in seclusion on the blue planet for seven years. Voiced by YouTuber Mister V, is the robotic alien well hidden behind a Porsche body One of the strengths of the film and of this new duo that works just like the one that connected Sam and Bumblebee. However, when Mister V does “Mister V” there, his overall performance doesn’t quite match what he can deliver as a YouTuber, as we know he’s more inspired and hilarious at what he usually produces himself on the internet.
We think the French version behind her is well protected starting talentwanted to highlight Mirage’s new robot character as well as its flagship voice talent, even if that means multiplying the speeches that (unfortunately) make up oodles of it. An unfortunate finding, as the scenario and his relationship with Noah manage to give him enough space and importance without the need to force the line.. Yes, there are good ideas, but the implementation remains a bit shaky and difficult. What makes up for that a bit is the fact that the duo look brotherly on screen (like real ” brothers ‘), and it allows us to have a good time. Aside from having ties to Mirage, The character Noah is also the ideal protagonist to create a parallel with Optimus Prime throughout the film. This resemblance also fuels the psychological development of these two heroes, especially the leader of the Autobots, who thanks to this reboot appears in a new light who is not yet particularly familiar – not to say reluctant – with the idea of working together with humans. Despite everything, the galleys and the fact that you have to prove yourself, it brings you closer! It is mainly through this that Noah meets Elena, an ambitious young archaeologist who, like him, dreams of proving herself. In short, the cast works well and this new installment doesn’t make the mistake of instilling a romanticized relationship that doesn’t add anything to the script, which is entirely welcome. “Speaking of characters…”
A nostalgia that destroys the old and defiles the new
While some of the cast passed the test and did well in front of the camera, There’s another one that makes the screen pop. Thanks nostalgia! Because yes, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is a great gift for adults who grew up in the 90’s. In this new part, the Autobots have the chance to fight together with the Maximals against the Terrorcons and above all against the immense threat called Unicron (a planet-eating being). More than 25 years ago, some Generation Z kids discovered TV and cartoons animutants (Beast Wars: Transformersin the original version) and thus get to know Optimus Primal, Rhinox, Cheetor or Airazor (all four can be found here) in a much less demanding and brilliant version than that of this feature film. There is no doubt that the nostalgia is working, and that should please some viewers. On the French side, we didn’t hesitate to add a layer of nostalgia and push the cursor one step further, betting on a cast of voice actors and stars who will speak to a large gallery of viewers who will then head to the cinemas travel (Dorothée). , Ophélie Winter, credits signed MC Solaar, …).
For others, don’t worry: The origin of these Maximals is effectively explained and the combination between them and the Autobots works beautifully. If you’re picky, you might regret the fact that this new robot quartet is a bit set back when it’s sort of the heart of the story and the movie – it’s not for nothing that this seventh part is called ” Rise of the Beasts ! – But it’s just a detail. As explained above, bumblebee was just a kind of introduction and gave no hint of what is at stake and what adventures this sequel will bring. Those who shy away from going into dark rooms can go there with their eyes closed (at least not too often) without fear of getting lost lore Or you may get your brushes tangled up in the unfolding of events.
A well-filled specification: classic but effective!
With this seventh episode Rise of the Beasts gives us a blockbuster transformers as we would like it to be and returns to a more traditional formula. In contrast to theorigin story on Bumblebee, which is more (and with amazing accuracy) into the genre ” teen movie (a teenage girl devastated by the tragic death of her father who thrives on adventuring alongside Bumblebee) c.e Rise of the Beasts resumes a classic pattern (a hero, a goal, a threat, a solution) with elements that almost make us think of an adventure Indiana Jones / Benjamin Gates. Nevertheless, This classicism is by no means a major flaw in the feature film, because it stages what we can expect from a film transformersAnd that without getting bored or having to look at the clock throughout the projection. For nearly two hours, while mastering his pace well, Rise of the Beasts digs a bit into all registers with pure and hard action – we are already feeling the effectAvengers: Endgame in this kind of movie! –, moments full of tension and emotions, a personal and initiating search and the famous deus ex machina that one would normally expect.
Yes, it definitely feels like we’re dealing with it a feature film that respects its specifications but in the end we face a challenge something solid in his register. However, this was not the case with all productions transformers… This is where most of the battles take place in uncluttered landscapes – not without scratching some historic sites along the way – This makes it possible to give more honor to the action scenes who, in passing, benefit from a little more verticality thanks to certain characters. However, if it is diligent and scientific, Rise of the Beasts was surprising at a very specific point in time and touched on the video game genre. An originality that we did not yet know in the license! Other than that, I’m going to see a movie transformersEveryone is well aware of their personal expectations. This once Rise of the Beasts ticks all the right boxes and happens to be a classic but well-oiled blockbuster that gives us the regressive pleasure we’re looking for. After Age of Annihilation etc The Last Knightc.e Transformers: Rise of the Beasts has not stood still and must not be scrapped under any circumstances.
