Transformers fans, get ready for the upcoming Transformers movie in 2023, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, which promises to be as exciting as ever. Director Steven Caple Jr. successfully executes the movie as a summer crowd-pleaser that brings back the nostalgia of watching Saturday morning cartoons. Following 2018’s Bumblebee, the story picks up in 1994, providing comfortable distance from the previous less successful Transformers movies. The upcoming movie will feature new characters and beloved Transformer clans coming together to stop the world-eating, planet-sized villain Unicron.
The Maximals are Back!
In the midst of all the action, the movie introduces animal-themed Maximals who, though not the first non-Autobot or Decepticon faction to appear in the Transformers universe, make a more impactful entrance. With Ron Perlman’s guttural bellow as lowland gorilla bot Optimus Primal and Michelle Yeoh’s soothing voice as the wise and majestic peregrine falcon bot Airazor, it is a delight for both old fans and newcomers to see the clear distinction between their connection with nature and Earth and the untrusting and more militant Optimus Prime. This dynamic, along with the clean and crisp animation, sets this movie apart from previous Transformers movies.
Exciting Transforms Battle Choreography
Cinematographer Enrique Chediak brings the battle sequences to life, allowing the combatants to shine with their unique fighting techniques. Liza Koshy’s Autobot Arcee is a guns-akimbo Ducati 916 that darts around like a seasoned assassin while Optimus Primal employs thunderous ground-and-pound ferocity. The Terrorcons are equally impressive, with tow truck Battletrap swinging his chain weapon and neon-pink-detailed Nightbird’s aerial maneuvers scaring the engine oil out of Mirage. These contained battles allow for effective Transforms fight choreography that Bay’s previous Transformers movies failed to deliver, with their constant cutting making action scenes feel like they’ve been run through a junkyard blender.
Amazing Voice Cast and Animation
The voice cast behind the rubber-burning heroes and villains fit their characters suitably. With Pete Davidson’s wisecracking Mirage dropping Wu-Tang references and jokes, Peter Dinklage’s excellent performance as Scourge, and Coleman Domingo’s intense sternness behind Unicron’s threats, every character stands out. The animation brings planet-devourers and Autobot saviors to life and is exhilarating outside a few scenes where Transformers technology covers an actor aside from their still-visible faces, which has an inorganic feel to it.
Not Without Its Faults
Though Rise of the Beasts is a delight for fans of the Transformers franchise, the human characters feel like cogs in a machine where their presence isn’t always necessary. They provide sustainable performances as Transformer allies, but their characters feel typical as Transformers tagalongs, and interactions where Transformers and human actors engage with one another physically have an inorganic feel to them.
Conclusion
It’s only a matter of time before fans find out if Rise of the Beasts will live up to its hype. The movie promises a lot, but the course correction of this movie franchise with the one-two combo of Bumblebee and Rise of the Beasts shows potential. With amazing animations, battles, voice cast, and nostalgic animal clans coming together to save the world, it’s an excellent watch for fans and newcomers alike. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is set to release on June 9, 2023, and you can join the excitement by watching the trailer for the movie on YouTube.