Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is already blasting into select theaters and as audiences are rushing out to watch the latest Summer blockbuster, the reviews are pouring in from critics.
As of writing this, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is currency ranking 56% rotten on Rotten Tomatoes based on 104 Reviews. Here’s what critics are saying:
Valerie Complex from Deadline said, “Rise of the Beasts walks all of that back as another generic intergalactic menace from the sky carries all the plot predictability of a broken clock. Adding to its detriment, the thrill and urgency of the first act screech to a halt, replaced with exposition-heavy scenes that disrupt the rhythm of the narrative. The action sequences in the latter stages are undoubtedly impressive, though they can’t quite shake off the nagging feeling of convenient placements and obvious outcomes.”
Charles Bramesco from The Guardian had this to say, “Everything has a vague partial finish, as if director Steve Caple Jr and the five-person brain trust responsible for the script banked on the audience’s familiarity with the shape of a movie to fill in the gaps they’ve left. Noah used to be in the military, until he got fired or whatever, for being bad at teamwork or something. An unspoken aside of “who cares?” punctuates every line of dialogue, most nearly audible in those about the glowing rock that’s going to stop planet-sized monster Unicron (voiced by Colman Domingo and who has nothing to do with unicorns) from snacking upon our little blue marble. Noah and archeological intern Elena (Dominique Fishback, patiently awaiting the role worthy of her talents) must track down the Transwarp Doodad with the help of otherworldly droids taking the form of animals instead of hot rods, long absent due to cloudy rationales ultimately agreed upon as none of our business.”
Christian Zilko from indieWire said, “It’s as if some executive saw Mattel and Greta Gerwig turning Barbie into genuine art, so they made a George Costanza-style decision to veer in the opposite direction purely out of spite.”
Mark Kennedy from Associated Press also panned it mercilessly, “Look, maybe we should be anxious. ChatGPT clearly could have written a better movie.”
Dan Jolin from Empire Magazine said, “Don’t even get us started on its flagrant and clumsy attempt to set up a Hasbro Cinematic Universe. When toys collide…”
Mick LaSalle from San Francisco Chronicle had this to say, “I liked this story better when it was called The Lord of the Rings. I didn’t even mind it in 2018, when it was called “Avengers: Infinity War. Rise of the Beasts is like an unlistenable cover of a once-decent song.“
Adam Graham from Detroit News said, “Everything boils down to a big battle because that’s how these things go, and try as director Steven Caple Jr. might, it’s difficult to get invested in or excited about a bunch of CGI junk getting into a fight. The overriding theme is trans-species togetherness — robots working in harmony with humans for the sake of the planet, etc. — which, sure, if you want to, fine.”
REELated:
Not every critic hated it, as a matter of fact, the film received several favorable reviews!
Michael O’Sullivan from Washington Post gave it a “fresh,” yet mediocre review and said, “On the one hand, Beasts is a refreshing departure from the Michael Bay era: a sometimes funny, sometimes touching, sometimes incoherent CGI fight fest structured around a story of family, found and otherwise, and starring a diverse cast. But it’s still, despite a few mildly grown-up jokes, a quintessential Transformers film in one inescapable way. It should come with a different sort of content advisory: No one over 21 admitted without their inner child.”
Michael Phillips from the Chicago Tribune didn’t totally hate it and said, “Rise of the Beasts, at least, has some buoyancy, with little of the reactionary American exceptionalism (the Bay Transformers movies’ trademark) of its predecessors. The Peruvian location work helps. Also, Bumbleblee’s back, referred to simply as “Bee” by Optimus Prime. Two more Transformers movies with these new characters are lining up on Paramount’s runway, ready to go depending on the box office and the writers’ strike. And you know? If they’re this pretty-good, bring ‘em on.”
Brian Truitt from USA Today said, “There’s actually a bunch of inspired choices in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, the latest installment of the popular sci-fi action franchise with metal aliens punching and blasting other metal aliens. The series has thankfully, found its way out of the doldrums of the Michael Bay era and discovered a satisfying groove of nostalgic bliss. It’s still a whole lot of earnest diatribes, hokey zingers and assorted nonsense but it’s at least crowd-pleasing, candy-in-your-popcorn nonsense.”
Christy Lemire from RogerEbert.com had this to say, “It’s still a movie about giant space robots talking trash and smashing into each other, but Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is better than most offerings in the franchise.”
Tomris Laffly from TheWrap said, “With a script penned by a crowded group of writers that intermittently shows its too-many-cooks seams, Caple Jr.’s Rise of the Beasts continues this trend of “a good time at the movies,” through a sci-fi blockbuster that doesn’t forget to give the audiences everyday human characters they can root for, establishing their traits and hardships economically before dialing up the action. In that regard, if the ’80s-set Bumblebee promoted a Spielbergian awe, determination and reminiscence in the franchise, the ’90s-set Rise of the Beasts rekindles something akin to Sam Raimi’s first two Spider-man films, similarly remembering that at the heart of many an emotionally worthwhile mainstream flick, regardless of its scope or hefty VFX budget, are underdogs who defy their impossible circumstances.”
Soren Andersen from Seattle Times said, “No Michael Bay. No Mark Wahlberg. No oppressive bombast. Not your usual Transformers movie in other words. No kidding. Something way different is going on with Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. This iteration is set apart from its predecessors in the long-running series by genuinely sympathetic human characters, a very intelligent script (credited to a gaggle of five screenwriters) and uncommonly capable direction by Steven Caple Jr.”
Owen Gleiberman from Variety had this to say, “It’s got a relatable human story that works, and thanks to a script that actually has sustained bursts of dialogue, the robots felt more real to me as characters than they usually do.”
Frank Scheck from Hollywood Reporter said, “These Hasbro action figures, and their onscreen incarnations, are capable of reducing even the most mature, jaded adult into an awestruck child who just wants to get down on the floor and play with them.”
Returning to the action and spectacle that have captured moviegoers around the world, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will take audiences on a ‘90s globetrotting adventure with the Autobots and introduce a whole new faction of Transformers – the Maximals – to join them as allies in the existing battle for earth. Directed by Steven Caple Jr. from a screenplay by Joby Harold, Darnell Metayer, Josh Peters, Erich Hoeber, and Jon Hoeber and starring Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback, as well as the voice talents of Ron Perlman, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Yeoh, Liza Koshy, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Pete Davidson, Colman Domingo, Cristo Fernández, Tongayi Chirisa, and returning franchise regulars Peter Cullen, John DiMaggio, and David Sobolov, the film officially arrives in theaters June 9, 2023.
View the official trailer here:
