When the first live-action Transformers film came out in 2007, no one could have imagined that the film would launch a mega-franchise. The first film, directed by Michael Bay, went on to earn an impressive $709.71 million at the worldwide box office and launched a new film franchise for Paramount. There was a total of five Transformers films that, while they performed well at the box office, seemed to take a dive in quality with each new installment. Bumblebee, a standalone film starring Hailee Steinfeld, seemed to bring back a love of the franchise, but only managed to secure $467.99 million at the worldwide box office. With Rise of the Beasts, Paramount hopes to launch a brand-new Transformers franchise. Thankfully, the film is a much-needed new direction for the franchise, one full of promise.
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts takes place in 1994. The film stars Anthony Ramos (Hamilton) as Noah Diaz, a former soldier who is doing his best to support his family. With a sick brother and a mother trying to make ends meet, Noah just wants to be able to provide some sort of financial stability for his family, but he can’t seem to catch a break. Until one day he stumbles upon a certain car that’ll change his life forever. Right off the bat, it’s hard not to enjoy Rise of the Beasts. Noah is a charming character who wants to do whatever he can to help his younger brother, Kris (Dean Scott Vazquez). It’s his desperation to help Kris that leads to him meeting the Autobots. What ensures after is a chaotic thrill ride that shows there’s plenty of steam left in the franchise.
Ramos and Dominique Fishback, who plays Elena Wallace, are a hell of a duo. Both young actors are absolutely captivating, and Rise of the Beasts easily proves Ramos and Fishback are worthy of leading more blockbusters like Transformers. (Of course, Ramos is already set for a villainous role in Marvel Studios’ Ironheart.)
As great as Ramos and Fishback are, though, the robots themselves are better than they’ve ever been. The charm that Bay’s Transformers films lacked is more than evident in Rise of the Beasts. Their character designs are great, the action scenes are absolutely thrilling, and fans will easily find themselves on the edge of their seats wondering what will come next. The CGI is never overdone, and neither are the fights. Rise of the Beasts is everything fans wanted from the first films; it’s thrilling, charming and exciting.
And the ending? Well, it seems Paramount has a lot in store for fans. Try to avoid spoilers as much as possible because the surprise ending is sure to delight.
Overall, Rise of the Beasts is everything Transformers fans have been wanting from the films. It’s action-packed, led by two of Hollywood’s most promising young actors and serves as a great new starting point for the Transformers franchise.
