bumblebee
DIRECTOR: Travis Knight (kubo and the two strings)
STARRING: hailee steinfield, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., john cena, and jason drucker
REVIEWER: lyall carter
On the run in the year 1987, Bumblebee the Autobot seeks refuge in a junkyard in a small California beach town. Charlie, on the brink of turning 18 years old and trying to find her place in the world, soon discovers the battle-scarred and broken Bumblebee. When Charlie revives him, she quickly learns that this is no ordinary yellow Volkswagen.
Do you remember the last Transformers movie Transformers: The Last Knight? You're not alone it was a fairly forgettable film. Seemingly to lose their way in a visually expansive but convoluted story, the Transformers franchise seemed to be finished. And then they made Bumblebee the film that not many people seemed to be asking for. But its the Transformers film we were all longing for.
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The story opens as Cybertron is under siege and Megatron sends Bumblebee to earth to protect the planet and set up a base for the Autobots. Upon landing on planet earth, Bumblebee is immediately attacked by Jack Burns and Sector 7 who see him as a threat. Bumblebee disguises himself as a Volkswagen Beetle where he is discovered by Charlie, a teenager who is trying to find her place in the world after her fathers sudden death. The two become friends but little do they know that two Decepticons and Sector 7 led by Jack Burns are hunting Bumblebee down.
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Bumblebee rights all of the wrongs of the last couple of Transformers films. Instead of rushing all over the world, the majority of the story is set in suburban San Francisco. Instead of a highly intricate story its just the simple tale of a girl and her robot buddy. We are given time to get to know both Charlie and Bumblebee and by the climatic ending we care for the main characters instead of only being entertained by the visual extravaganza set before us. Its not vast or expansive in scope or scale but thats half of its charm.
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We also see what its like to really be a Transformer in a suburban environment as Bumblebee attempts to disguise himself and when he tries to move around inside a house - with disastrous results.
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Bumblebee restores the childlike joy and wonder that really does belong to a Transfomers film, the opening scene on Cybertron is fantastic, and the Bumblebee's humorous mishaps will have you chuckling away.
There are a couple of moments where it ever so slightly drags and we don't really get to know the supporting characters as well as Charlie or Bumblebee, but overall Bumblebee is a fun filled ride that you will throughly enjoy.
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Bumblebee is the Transformers film we've all been waiting for filled with childlike joy and wonder.
Bumblebee is available on DVD, Blu-ray, 4KUHD and digital from all good disc and digital retailers.
