Bumblebee

Given how disappointed I was with the second instalment of Transformers, the four stars I’m giving to this flick are quite an improvement. The authors went back to basics and delivered an incredibly simple story, whose script however contains everything I need to grow fond of Bee and enjoy some plot twists. While watching this movie, I realized that today’s blockbusters usually lack a certain charm that would make them stand out from the average and arouse some emotions in me. This film succeeded in doing so, even though I didn’t expect it to. Of course the 1980s feel, so popular in these days, played a huge part in that. Plus I must say that John Cena was a great casting choice. I hope to see him in more movies. (13/08/2019)

The Transformers under Michael Bay's control seemed to have grown stale and overwrought, no one really cared about them anymore, but newcomer Travis Knight made Bumblebee a very enjoyable film. Bumblebee is 80's retro as fuck, with an excellent 80's soundtrack, the amazing Hailee Steinfeld, who is turning out to be a great actress and singer, and it was a delight to see John Cena as a soldier. Bumblebee himself is as cute as ever. There's not so much action though, the film is more intimate, fateful, emotional and atmospheric, yet when it comes to the action it's filmed clearly, briskly and confidently. The scene where Bee escapes from the garage to her apartment is one of the film's funniest. Not a huge hit, but the Transformers franchise is going in the right direction and it definitely works much better that way. 75% (20/12/2018)

This was really good, and if Transformers continues in this form, I'll be happy to go see it. Travis Knight has handled the move from animation to live-action CGI spectacle flawlessly, and he's absolutely confident in the action scenes – which are considerably clearer than in any of the Transformers sequels. They're also usually significantly smaller, of course, but again, in one-on-one fights, you get to enjoy the robot MMA considerably more, and when it comes to epic battles of armies, there's plenty to watch too, and it's never a mess. In fact, after the opening scene, I was thinking that I wouldn't mind at all if Knight actually ended up directing the third Guardians of the Galaxy. But what's especially nice is the fact that the film isn't afraid to slow down and tackle the characters, both the human and transformer ones. Bumblebee relies on a nice 80s atmosphere, a fun soundtrack and the feel of adventure films like the ones Steven Spielberg made in that decade. Besides, Hailee Steinfeld does a fine job as both a selfless teenager and a determined heroine, and John Cena doesn't get in the way either. It looks good, it's good to watch, and it's just long enough, though it could have been paced a little more briskly in the middle section. The phrase "less is sometimes more" applies 100% here, and this is by far the best film in the Transformers franchise after the first. As it stands, Transformers still has a lot to offer, so hopefully people will go see it. Although I understand that after The Last Knight, what I write here is probably hard to believe. But give it a chance, you'll be pleasantly surprised. (19/12/2018)

After the very first film, where the direct influence of Steven Spielberg was clearly evident, and out of the whole foursome, this third installment is for me the most enjoyable contribution to the whole metallized saga. What I like most about Bumblebee, which only references Spielberg here and there, is that it has real soul. The protagonist is not only pleasing to look at this time, but she's also natural and believable, and well, the rather big news for me was that I believed that a friendship really did develop between her and the revived yellow Volkswagen. It was more important to me than the otherwise pretty ridiculous storyline about people falling for the bad guys (although Agent Burns, played by John Cena, very commendably trashed it whenever he could). The gimmicky scenes were kept down to earth this time, and it was a good thing (remembering the last time Michael Bay literally drowned me with them still makes me a little sick).The only disappointment was Dario Marianelli's score – I thought his involvement was a rather odd choice, and whatever I think of Steve Jablonski, I like hearing his main theme. (05/08/2019)

I didn't expect to be able to sell Trasformers as a fairy tale to my daughter, but I did! Dumb Bumblebee with no memory won her over by being scared, dancing and spitting tapes of crappy music. Travis Knight returned the brand to its roots and instead of Bayhem, he offers a nice story about a young girl's relationship with her VW Beetle. Hailee Steinfeld is very good, so is John Cena, and the others don't really need to be mentioned, except for my friend Paul, who almost destroyed the planet with his trust in bad aliens. Great action, nice music, bring in the sequel. (22/01/2023)