You don’t typically expect to hear words like “sweet,” “heartfelt,” “thoughtful,” and “well-acted” to describe a Transformers movie. Enter “Bumblebee.” In stark contrast to it’s longer, noisier predecessors it’s about 40% “Iron Giant,” 40% “E.T.” and only 20% action-y blockbuster. It’s simple, focused, and tells a fun, small-scale story about a girl, her car, and the power of friendship.
The movie focuses on the life of teenager Charlie Watson as she struggles through the aftermath of her father’s sudden death. She works on cars to escape her well-intentioned but unhelpful mother, brother, and step-father, and also as a form of nostalgic connection to her late dad. She inadvertently stumbles upon the amnesiac Bumblebee in a scrap yard, and the two begin their life-changing journey together.
What You’re Going to Like
“All Hail” Hailey - To say Hailee Steinfeld shines as “Charlie” would be understatement. She’s beyond fantastic as a vulnerable, charming, witty, and sassy teen who is able to bring you to tears with her affection for an alien robot car. That’s great acting.
Nostalgia ad Nauseum - The movie goes out of it’s way to generate big-time nostalgia and feels like a true 80’s movie. The cars, clothes, hairstyles, and even the props are spot on from “Breakfast Club” and “Alf” references, to wood-panel station wagons and great hair band music. The music, in particular, is a real plus in this film.
The “Toy” Look Returns - The Transformers in this movie actually look like the cartoons and toys most fans grew up with. Optimus Prime doesn’t have lips. Bumble Bee is actually a VW Bug. Imagine that?
Small Scale Story -- The movie focuses on a very small handful of characters, but provides more invested development for those characters. The pace is much slower, but the movie is much easier digest as a result.
The Action is Still Good - There is a lot less of it, but this IS still a Transformers movie after all. Gotta have at least two solid chase scenes.
Less Potty Humor - No more horny robots, machines with brass balls, or Autobots “lubricating” humans. The laughs in this movie are clean and family friendly.
What You Might Not Like
Another Over-the-Top Agent - It felt as if John Cena made it a point to outdo John Turturro’s hammy portrayal of Agent Simmons in the original series. Everything he did from his lines to his gestures just felt a bit extra.
Second Fiddles - The secondary characters in this movie were both generic and forgettable. Fortunately, the movie stays squarely focused on Charlie & Bumblebee, but the ancillary characters in past movies offered a little more entertainment value.
Drama, Drama - The slower pace means less fights and fewer explosions, so if brooding and introspection aren’t your thing the film may drag in a few spots.
Simply Story - The story for this movie is extremely simple, and that's both good and bad. It makes the movie easy to follow, but it also means there aren't many twists and turns, and the conclusion becomes a bit predictable.
Movie Rating
Plot - 7/10 - Simple & straightforward.
Dialogue - 8/10 - Solid, but not memorable. John Cena’s lines are a bit hammy.
Characters - 9/10 - The side characters are very average, but Charlie and Bumblebee are beyond lovable.
Music/Score - 7.5/7.5 - The soundtrack is HUGE in this movie as 80’s classics are used to match the moods and events of the story.
Emotion - 7.5/7.5 - This movie is nothing if not touching and heartfelt.
Visuals - 6.75/7.5 - It has top-rate CGI and a great throwback to the classic TV look of several popular characters at the beginning of the movie.
Originality - 4.5/5 - It manages to avoid rehashing major plot points from the Michael Bay movies by focusing on the relationship between Charlie & Bumblebee.
“It” Factor - 9/10 - This is a film that just doesn’t have many flaws. From beginning to end it’s coherent, fun, and entertaining.
Final Score: 59.25/67.5 = 88% (A+)
The Final Verdict
“Bumblebee” trades explosions for strong emotions and keeps both the visuals and the story much closer to the source material. The result is a focused, easy-to-follow journey that is well-told and entertaining. While much slower than the past installments, Hailey Steinfeld’s unbelievable job as Charlie makes the movie EASILY the best film since the original, if not better than the original itself.
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