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In this new Transformers movie that takes place after the events of Bumblebee (in what is either a prequel or reboot of the original films; the whole thing's rather murky), the Transformers and their new human allies (familiar, right?) must stop the forces of the planet devourer Unicron (voiced by Colman Domingo) from bringing him to Earth.
On the plus side, this ditches all the weaknesses and questionable choices of the Bay films. However, what we get is a very average big blockbuster that doesn't differentiate itself from previous Transformers stories or other blockbusters. There is nothing particularly wrong about this film, but there is nothing that particularly stands out, either. There are definitely funny and solid character moments in this, but they don't happen consistently. If the movie wasn't two hours long, it probably would've been more robust. The first fifteen or so minutes really feel like they drag because the two human leads' setups and backstories are so by-the-numbers. (There's a bad boss in this that is so frustratingly simplistic.) The entire story is too by-the-numbers. It's yet another Transformers movie where it's a race against time against a new robotic menace in a search quest.
The best part of this is the Transformer Mirage (voiced by SNL's Peter Davidson). Admittedly, he's basically Bumblebee 2.0 in that he's a new car Transformer that befriends a human and gets more screentime, but he's a refreshingly different cup of tea than the other Transformers. He seems like a fun dude, is the most personable of the group, and gets the best lines. Human lead, down-on-his-luck, unemployed vet, Noah Diaz (played by In the Heights' Anthony Ramos), may not have the most original personal storyline, but the guy is likable, and Diaz makes him work better than you'd think with the basics of what he's given. This takes place in the early years of the Transformers, and we get a very different Optimus Prime (voiced by original voice actor Peter Cullen). He doesn't trust humans and is more bossy. Some might be annoyed with the change in character, but I thought it worked. You always understand where Optimus, who has the weight of leadership on his shoulders, is coming from, and it's about Optimus' growth into what he would become.
Computer animation and design is alright. The Transformers look decent and are less unnecessarily complicated as the Bay films, and the battles aren't too shabby andeasier to make out than the Bay films. However, the Bay films did have a weight to them, and you don't find that here in what is your regular CGI fest.
I particularly liked the design of Unicron's right hand Scourge (voiced by Peter Dinklage). He's an average villain, but I liked his rusted appearance. By the way, if you're a big Transformers fan and were hoping to see Unicrons' humongous humanoid form, prepare to be disappointed. He's strictly in planet form here.
I can't recommend paying a lot to see this, but it makes for a decent time-waster if you catch it on streaming or such. It's predictable, but competent enough. I'd rate this below Bumblebee and the first live-action Transformers, on the same level as the animated film, and above films two and three (haven't seen four and five, yet).
