The number of quality movies available on Netflix, Hulu and other streaming platforms is staggering. We are starting off with the best live-action Transformers film, Bumblebee, which is available to stream on Hulu and Amazon Prime.
Steven Spielberg may be listed as a producer on every Transformers film, but Bumblebee is the first in the franchise to feel like a Spielberg film. Paramount’s decision to go with Travis Knight after helming the fantastic a stop-motion feature; Kubo and the Two Strings is a welcome change for the franchise.
The confusing action, convoluted plots and tone-deaf comedy that made up Michael Bay’s Transformers films are non-existent in Bumblebee. Knight’s Transformers film based on a script from Christina Hodson tells a very similar story to ET. With Bumblebee serving as the friendly creature trying to make sense of an unfamiliar place and an emotional bond forming between a teenage girl and an Autobot.
Hodson’s work on Bumblebee didn’t go unnoticed as she went on to write the script for Birds of Prey, which released earlier this year.
Let’s find out why this movie is more than meets the eye. I couldn’t resist using that line 
Fall of Cybertron Depicted in Bumblebee
There’s less minute-to-minute action in Bumblebee compared to the previous Transformers films. However, every action beat in this prequel carries emotional weight and the action itself is easier to follow than in any of the other films. While there’s an action setpiece in the 3rd act, the biggest battle sequence in the film comes in the film’s opening moments.
The ending moments of the battle between the Autobots and Decepticons on Cybertron is beautiful. From Autobots transforming into vehicle, Optimus Prime wrecking the Decepticons and the Decepticons transforming into fighter jets to chase down the retreating Autobots, it’s easy-to-follow and most importantly fun. We also hear Bumblebee’s actual voice for the first time (Dylan O’Brien) and are given background info on why Bumblebee is sent to Earth by Optimus.
Bumblebee’s Kal-El like escape from Cybertron to Earth doesn’t go without a hitch. The Decepticon trio of Blitzwing (David Sobolov), Shatter (Angela Bassett) and Dropkick (Justin Theroux) track down Bumblebee on Earth.
The reason for Bumblebee’s lost memory and voice is shown in the film. I’ll refrain from going into the how, but rest assured it works far better than Nick Fury losing his eye in Captain Marvel.
The Story of a Teenage Girl, a Beetle and the 80s’
The relationship between Charlie and Bumblebee carries the bulk of the movie. The scenes are beautifully reminiscent of ET. A teenage girl trying to overcome her grief, a scared alien creature trying to make sense of unfamiliar surroundings and setting the film in the ’80s are similar touchstones to ET that makes you care about the characters in the film.
Hailee Steinfeld as the teenage heroine, Charlie, delivers the best performance yet in a Transformers movie. Charlie is still working through the grief of losing her father and is putting in a good effort towards keeping her sorrow bottled up. She keeps the emotions at bay by fixing up her father’s old Charger in the garage, working at a local fair and scavenging for car parts at an old mechanic’s shop.
During one of these scavenging sessions, she comes across Bumblebee masquerading as a yellow VW Beetle and asks the shop owner how much for the car, which he gifts to Charlie as a Birthday present. After taking the Beetle, home she wakes up Bumblebee who has no memory or voice. Despite no memory or voice, Bumblebee and Charlie learn to communicate with each other through the car stereo.
Setting the film in the ’80s gives the film a unique opportunity to use songs from “The Smiths,” “Duran Duran,” “Tears for Fears” and many more.
Scene Highlight
In an attempt to generate laughs, the first live-action Transformers film featured a scene that involved Optimus Prime and the other Autobots stumbling around as they try to hid from Sam Witwicki’s parents. Bumblebee features a similar scene that’s executed in a more satisfactory fashion. Not only is the scene awkward instead of funny, but there’s no reason for the scene to be in the film. It’s almost as if the scene is designed to break the tension, except there aren’t any stakes established at that point in the movie.
For one, there are no humans in the scene, just Bumblebee stumbling around the inside of Charlie’s house. The scene is a great snowball of events beginning with sitting, squashing the couch and ends with Bumblebee electrocuting himself by sticking his finger into an electrical socket. The scene is cute, but also has stakes that connects to the rest of the film. When Bumblebee shock himself, he generates a power surge that alerts the Decepticons and Sector 7 to Bumblebee’s location.
Decepticons, Sector 7 and Side Characters
Sector 7’s presence in Bumblebee is the only tangible connection to the other Transformers films. Coincidentally, the entire subplot featuring Sector 7 trying to find Bumblebee’s location is easily one of the weakest elements of the film.
John Cena does a solid job as Agent Burns. He’s understandably antagonistic towards Bumblebee due to the Autobot unintentionally injuring and killing members of his squad during his rough landing on earth. When Shatter and Dropkick offer to work with Burns and Sector 7 to apprehend Bumblebee, it makes sense. Burns doesn’t stay on the Decepticon train for long.
They literally call themselves Decepticons. That doesn’t set off any red flags?
–John Cena as Agent Burns
Pamela Adlon as Charlie’s Mom gives a solid performance with plenty of humor. Stephen Schneider as Ron plays the type of stepfather that makes every effort to fit in with the family. Charlie’s younger brother Otis (Jason Drucker) has a couple of good moments, but overall the family element isn’t too big of a factor in the film. Charlie sees herself as an outsider to the rest of the family, so it makes sense as to why they don’t play a large role in the festivities.
The biggest misstep in the film is Tripp (Ricardo Hoyas). He’s set up as a love interest for Charlie and has the most screentime with the exception of Steinfeld. Unfortunately, there just isn’t much chemistry between Charlie and Tripp. He provides little value to the plot and has no role to place in the film’s final action setpiece.
Final Thoughts on Bumblebee
Bumblebee is the film that should have started the live-action Transformers film franchise. Keeping the story laser-focused on the relationship between Charlie and Bumblebee enables the audience to connect to the characters for the first time in a Transformers film.
The supporting performances with the exception of Cena and Adlon is the biggest issue in the film. Especially, when it comes to the aforementioned love interest, Tripp. I’d like to see what Travis Knight can do with Optimus, Megatron and the other Transformers in a sequel.
The Review
Bumblebee
PROS
- Fantastic lead performance from Hailee Steinfeld provides the emotional connection lacking in other Transformers films.
- Great live-action directorial debut for Travis Knight.
- The 80's setting is perfect for a film that maintain's a ET-like feel throughout.
CONS
- The lack of chemistry between Charlie and the supposed male love interest.
- John Cena is solid. The rest of Sector 7's involvement feels like it belongs in a different movie.
- Since this is clearly setup as precurser for bigger things, many of the more popular Transformers are given little more than cameo appearances. Although Angela Bassett and Justin Theroux are great voicing the villains in Bumblebee.
