Bumblebee

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. (2018-12-19)

It really tries to go back to a series of emotions and at the same time follow the current trend of back to 80s. It really wants to be "cute" and have soul, so much so that it falls into a mindless schematic. All of the things are so ostentatiously assembled according to a manual that they have trouble communicating with each other. Moreover, if someone laughed at Bay that his female heroines seem artificial, this is a different type of art - Charlie is constructed as an essential outsider with emotions so consistently that her alternation of teenage angst and sadness seems purely robotic. As well as the constant incorporation of 80s realities and references into the story. I get that naivety is a trademark of films for teens, but even these can be done so that they do not act like the result of a focus group session. Unfortunately, that's exactly what Bumblebee comes off as. Props for the cameo Optimus and the unintentionally funny John Cena. I hereby disconnect from the series and I will be happy to remember Bay's total sociopathy of the last episodes. In some ways, it was more stimulating than this colorful nostalgic junkyard. (2018-12-19)

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% (2018-12-20)

I had only seen the first film of the Transformers saga in 2007 at the time of its release, so Bumblebee was a return to the franchise for me after more than a decade. Thankfully, Bumblebee isn't cluttered with visual effects and explosions compared to Michael Bay's films, so it all feels more uncluttered and doesn't make your eyes hurt. Basically, it's a fairly straightforward film with a straightforward plot and a clear ending that is blatantly reminiscent of E.T. through the main characters and the 80s look, but it was still nice to watch, the plot flowed, the action scenes worked, there was the occasional laugh out loud scene and there was a modest amount of relationship and family themes. An unpretentious diversion for the whole family that surprises mainly because of how nicely and pleasantly it is filmed. (2019-01-21)

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. (2019-08-13)