Everything You Cared for Will Be Consumed.
★★★☆☆
Released in UK Cinemas: 8th June 2023
Directed by Steven Caple Jr.
A ’90s globetrotting adventure that introduces the Maximals, Predacons, and Terrorcons to the existing battle on earth between Autobots and Decepticons.
The Transformers franchise has experienced its share of highs and lows over the years but after 2018's Bumblebee the future looked bright for the series. Rise of the Beasts continues the trajectory of reinvention with new allies and enemies joining the fight but falls back into old habits as every minute ticks by.
Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback lead this new instalment taking audiences back to the 90s giving the series a much-needed diverse and fresh perspective. As Transformers old and new begin to arrive on the scene, the film slowly takes one step back fading into CGI Soup with a plot that goes from globetrotting adventure to 'close the sky beam/wormhole/portal before the bad guys win' in an instant.
That's not to say its as unwatchable as some previous adventures - Anthony Ramos' signature charisma and a surprisingly great voice performance from Pete Davidson help the film to hold onto its personality while ticking all the metal-crashing boxes you'd want from a film where a robot gorilla and semi-truck from outer space fights a planet eating mega-villain.
Michael Bay bought these characters to a new generation but it’s the right time to hand over the creative reigns and although it has a significantly less distinct style, Steven Caple Jr. has created a solid blockbuster that absolutely needs the big screen experience to have the intended impact.
In a year of many 'Part Ones', Rise of the Beasts is absolutely in the running for one of the most insane endings cinemas will deliver us in 2023.
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