"Transformers: Rise of The Beasts" Review: More of The Same & A Little New
I didn’t have big expectations going in to Transformers: Rise of The Beasts. I told my kids they could expect loud sound. I went to get snacks during the opening of the film. They ran out of the theater as I was coming back with snacks and said it was too loud. Just like my kids, over the course of the film, I got adjusted to the usual noise and wound up enjoying the experience. Let me explain.
Set in 1994, the film introduces us to Noah Diaz (Anthony Ramos), an army vet who is looking for work while looking after his sick little brother, Kris (Dean Scott Vazquez). When an interview doesn’t work out as he’d hoped for due to some marks on his record, Noah turns to Reek (Tobe Nwigwe) to boost a car. Elsewhere in New York, Elena Wallace (Dominique Fishback) has found an interesting artifact (it’s always something “mysterious” with a Transformer logo that just needs to be touched or turned the right way) that even as an overqualified intern/expert in hieroglyphs and artifacts, she can’t figure out what it is. When the mysterious key starts working unbeknownst to her, it brings Autobots and Decepticons out of hiding, and thus Noah and Elena’s paths cross.
The big baddy this go round is Scourge (Peter Dinklage). Scourge wants the key to bring his planet eating master to dinner on Earth or a dinner of Earth.? Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen) sees it as a way to get off the planet and home. The race is on and thus you have another Transformers movie.
Let’s get back to the noise I mentioned in the beginning. So many of these films have the same cliché beginning, middle and end. An average Joe gets stuck in the middle of an intergalactic feud and fights for the fate of the world. The dialogue and comedic punch lines feel so paint by the numbers you’d be hard pressed to laugh when the music dies down just enough for them to stick the line. That’s where this film fails. Even the heartwarming big bro, little bro relationship between the Diaz brothers feels forced rather than earned. Although, some credit should be given to the young Vazquez as he gives a pep talk to his older brother.
Where the movie succeeds is allowing you to take in the spectacle of it all. Sure, some may say it’s CGI heavy, but it’s great seeing the Maximals take the stage, seeing the jungle of Peru, and the imaginary worlds created. Another win is the ‘90s soundtrack that the film is infused with. If you grew up during the decade and loved hip hop, there is plenty there.
A few noteworthy performances are Anthony Ramos as the lead, Pete Davidson as Mirage, and Tobe Nwigwe as Reek. It’s easy to like Noah and root for him due to Ramos’s portrayal as an every man. Davidson doesn’t go too overboard with the black culture influenced Mirage that was probably written on the page. Thus, Mirage becomes a memorable Autobot. If you know you know when it comes to Tobe Nwigwe. It’s been amazing to watch his career. He’s an amazing creative and to see him go into film is great, but to see him actually create a well rounded bit character speaks to his talent.
Transformers: Rise of The Beasts is a summer, popcorn blockbuster. Nothing more. Nothing less. It’s a good choice for the movies this weekend if you haven’t already seen Spider-man: Across the Spider-verse. Just prepared to witness more of the same and just enough uniqueness to make this an alright installment in the franchise.
Rating: C-
