Bumblebee is a character-driven film from the Transformers franchise. The film provides the backstory of one of the most beloved characters in the Transformers universe, B-127, known lovingly to fans of the series as Bumblebee. This is a film I have been anticipating since the first trailers started in appearing in theaters months ago. It has been heavily hyped, but is not likely to make the money previous films made in spite of the character chosen to highlight in this film. It was not executed as well as it should have been.
As Decepticons ravaget he autobots home planet, Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen) sends Bumblebee (Dylan O'Brien) to Earth to protect the planet as a future home for the autobots. Bumblebee takes the form of an old Volkswagen Beetle, finding refuge in a salvage yard. He is discovered by a teenage girl, Charlie (Hailee Steinfeld), who is struggling with the death of her father and finding her own way in the world. When she is gifted the battered car for her eighteenth birthday, she discovers she has been given much more than just a car. She inherets and autobot, the wrath of her parents, the attention of the US Government S-7 Unit and a coming Decepticon invasion. The government is personified as Agent (Colonel) Burns (John Cena). Charlie is aided in her quest to save the planet by her neighbor and fellow geek, Memo (Jorge Lendeborg Jr.).
Bumblebee was written by Christina Hodson. I am not sure how she got the nod to write this film with only two films to her credit at the time. Neither film was successful. The writing was the foundational flaw in Bumblebee failing to reach its full potential. The dialogue was peppered with throw-away lines. It's attempts at humor often fell short of the mark. The narrative felt forced and contrived at times. The characters seemed shallow and in need of a heartbeat. I didn't feel connected. I was sorely disappointed. The pacing (and Hailee Steinfeld) may have been about the only redeeming qualities in this film. Okay, add in the special effects as a redeeming quality. The visual aspects of this film were amazing. The transformations of the autobots and decepticons were seamless and credible. The CGI was flawlessly executed. There are plans for a Bumblebee 2. I sincerely hope someone makes the sage decision to find a new writer. If Hodson gets the nod, I will probably skip it.
The casting for this film was a mixed bag. Oscar-nominee Hailee Steinfeld was perfectly cast in the lead role. She was definitely the bright spot in a film that lacked a heartbeat. I can stomach John Cena in films like Daddy's Home 2, but he has been officially "over-exposed." Cena was horrible in this film. Aside from the fact the writer doesn't know the difference between an agent and a full bird colonel, Cena would not be believable in either role. He may look the part of a badass, but his delivery is as weak as his muscles are solid. He has awkward timing and stunted delivery. His role often felt contrived (not his fault), making his performance feel even more uneven. I didn't care for Jason Drucker as Charlie's younger brother, Otis, either. I wanted to like the kid, but just didn't. Jorge Lendeborg Jr. was cast okay as the nerdy neighbor. I'm not sure how much this film could have been improved with better casting, but it certainly could have been better.
The MPAA gave Bumblebee a PG-13 rating. The film doesn't have much objectionable material. The rating is the product of science fiction violence, which includes human beings being vaporized. Or liquefied as the case may be. The majority of the violence is machine-on-machine violence, to bastardize a phrase. One other thing I noted that kind of stood out to me. Hodson seemed to like to make the boys take their shirts off. Were it done in just one scene, I might not have thought much about it. But three scenes is a trend. I am not sure what that is all about, but male teens with shirts off is not objectionable, it is reality. But it did make me wonder what point she was trying to make. It wasn't part of a natural flow of storytelling, at least on one occasion. In any event, I would not restrict this film by age. It was made for younger viewers. If kids are prone to nightmares, skip it. Otherwise, it should be fine.
I was disappointed by Bumblebee. The film had great potential, but failed to hit the mark. As a fan of the franchise, I have to say that I still eked out some enjoyment. Bumblebee is a great character to build a film around. The concept had a decent foundation, but the execution was poorly conceived. The casting could have been better and much of the film was contrived to fit. The film was also derivative. I found myself saying lines or predicting what the characters would do next. It was that predictable at times. It was enough of a mess that there are going to be critics who completely pan this film. The 7.3 rating currently enjoyed at IMDb is likely to slip into the 6 range. Because of fan-driven ratings, I doubt it will drop lower, but it could. Seriously. I am a fan and will rate it accordingly. I liked seeing a Bumblebee centered film. I am just begging the franchise to find a new writer if they do a Bumblebee 2. Please, please, please! This film should have been so much better. 7/10. (a generous rating from a fan).
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