Rise of the Beasts (spoilers)

[Clay]

Saw it today at the first showing here in town.

It's fine. I imagine this (or a movie much like this) is what a lot of people have been wanting since 2007, and I don't begrudge them for finally getting that. But it doesn't really take risks like the earlier films to do something novel. It feels more like a live action crossover/remix of parts from G1 and Beast Wars. Again, I think it'll go over really well, but it's just so... safe.

[HotdogDivebomb 2.0]

I'll take a competently shot safe movie with a straightforward plot over the last two Bay films any day.

[Clay]

I'll take a competently shot safe movie with a straightforward plot over the last two Bay films any day.

I can (and have) made a case for AOE, but yeah. Like I say, I don't have any problem with people watching ROTB and breathing a massive sigh of relief while saying "finally."

Pete Davidson did really well with it, too. I expected him to phone it in, but he went for it. Come to think of it, this one had the most stunt-casting of voices since the 1986 one, yeah?

[Skyquake87]

Saw this last Thursday; audience seemed quite excited for the film beforehand with a lot of chatter. At the end, there was a single cry of "Awesome!".

I enjoyed it. Not as good as Bumblebee, but not far behind. Really enjoyed Noah Diaz in this and forgot for a minute I was watching a Transformers film and that robots should be in it. Elena was less well served, just getting to enter a PIN number into a space ATM. Mirage was just the right side of irritating, and I enjoyed how all the Transformers got to emote and interact with each other. Would have liked to see the Beasts get to do a little more, as aside from Mirage, this was very much Optimus film and ...I dunno, I find Optimus such a boring character, with his big pontificating speeches and bizarre and violent turns of phrase. Half actual person and half The Little Book Of Calm. He did have a decent arc, though. I am just not a big Optimus fan and would have happily had him sidelined like Bee was (whose 'death' was something I could have done without).

All the exciting voice cast was lost on me, as half of the characters sound the same or are processed so much that they do.

[Mr_Hi_n_Mitey]

Yes Fellow TF Fans, I finally saw TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS (2023) on Thursday, June 29, 2023 - and as usual, I knew that I was in for a treat. The movie's Opening Scene itself mentioned just about everything - with the idea of our most favorite interstellar, globe-consuming Devil Planet that we love (to hate) of all time - Unicron . After Apelinq ordered Optimus Primal and the other Maximals to leave that ringed planet while he stayed behind to fight Scourge, the Terrorcon Leader, I pretty much guessed what was going to happen next, which was pretty cliché but still very dramatic. By the way, speaking of the Terrorcons, Predacon Scorponok drones, those Freezer creatures that were (bio)mechanoid, insect-like and creepy - and everything else that was evil, hideous - and working under Unicron's orders - I now know that there was actually supposed to be a total of 4 Terrorcons. There was Scourge (post-apocalyptic rig), the Team Captain; Battletrap (post-apocalyptic tow truck); Transit (mass transit motor coach) and Nightbird (HOT NINJA FEMBOT who was also a post-apocalyptic street racing car). I didn't even know that Transit even existed, let alone supposed to being in this film until I ran across IMDB and/or WIKIPEDIA. So, what happened to Transit and why was he not shown in this movie then? Also, a few people that I talk to - not me myself though - had an issue with Unicron's VOICE simply because it wasn't deep, dark and/or intimidating enough. [Unicron's Voice Actors :: THE TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE (1986) - Orson Welles and TF: ROTB - Colman Domingo] Of course, none of that voice stuff would really even be relevant to me if some Celestial Demon From Beyond was actually coming to digest our Beloved Planet Earth up; I don't care if he sounded like Malebolgia, MAD Lord Doctor Klaw, Skullmaster and/or Ebenezer Scrooge ("Bah! Humbug!") - it would still definitely spell DOOMSDAY and TROUBLE for all of us Humans (and other organic lifeforms that we share the Planet with). Anyway, the scene(s) of Scourge consulting with Unicron almost reminds me of this scene from THE GOLDEN CHILD (1985). I noticed that they played a nice, modern-day rendition of "Unicron's Medley" too. After the opening credits, I do admit that I eventually got bored as the scene shifted from an extraterrestrial planet being devoured by a Cosmic Entity to New York City during the mid-1990s - complete with some of the most prominent hip-hop tunes from that time period! (Up until now, it's very seldom that the entire TF Universe has had any affiliations with Hip Hop music at all.) I didn't have any problems with the 2 main characters - Noah Diaz (US Military Veteran!) and Elena Wallace - but it's just that I felt that the beginning dragged on a little bit too much. Also, I agree with Skyquake87 (up to ninety percent anyway) that Optimus Prime was ... well ... not his usual self. He was often portrayed as being very cynical and harsh towards the Humans - such as Noah Diaz and Elena Wallace.

Saw this last Thursday; audience seemed quite excited for the film beforehand with a lot of chatter. At the end, there was a single cry of "Awesome!".

I enjoyed it. Not as good as Bumblebee, but not far behind. Really enjoyed Noah Diaz in this and forgot for a minute I was watching a Transformers film and that robots should be in it. Elena was less well served, just getting to enter a PIN number into a space ATM. Mirage was just the right side of irritating, and I enjoyed how all the Transformers got to emote and interact with each other. Would have liked to see the Beasts get to do a little more, as aside from Mirage, this was very much Optimus film and ...I dunno, I find Optimus such a boring character, with his big pontificating speeches and bizarre and violent turns of phrase. Half actual person and half The Little Book Of Calm. He did have a decent arc, though. I am just not a big Optimus fan and would have happily had him sidelined like Bee was (whose 'death' was something I could have done without).

All the exciting voice cast was lost on me, as half of the characters sound the same or are processed so much that they do.

It was sad to see both Bumblebee and Airazor get seriously wounded, but I'm glad that at least Bee came back to help fight off Scourge and Company while flying around in Stratosphere - despite the fact that I still miss Skyfire/Jetfire though. ("Don't Call It A Comeback/'Cause I Been Here For Years ... " - "Mama Said Knock You Out" by LL Cool J, © 1990 Def Jam Recordings) Arcee held her own pretty well while riding around in ... well ... a certain Cybertronian VW bus/van, slow-motion missile scenes and all. Note: I'm glad that Arcee made more of an appearance in this TF movie as opposed to some of the other live-action TF movies; I've been admiring both her and Airazor for a long time! During BEAST WARS, yes, Airazor was a little rough around the edges in her robot mode - but she was still always cute to me; it's sad that she had to "die" again in this movie like she did in that old CG-cartoon show. Still, I found it amazing as to how both Stratosphere as an old-school military cargo plane and Airazor as a peregrine falcon were seemingly flying together at the same speed and velocity (?) all the way down to South America.

I know that Optimus Prime and Optimus Primal briefly discussed how the Earth Humans (particularly those belonging to ancient civilizations) were able to advance themselves without the assistance of any extraterrestrials of any type; I know that in Real Life, it's been an ongoing subject of debate for some time - just read CHARIOTS OF THE GODS? by Erich von Däniken. It's great that Noah held his own while fighting off those ferocious Predacon/Freezer Hordes (thus proving himself to both Optimus Prime and Primal); Mirage becoming Noah's own personal mobile battle suit paid off really well. Of course, Scourge received a well-deserved fate for following Unicron and carrying out his orders; I couldn't imagine a more fitting demise for something as evil as he as once again, both Prime and Primal along with some Allies, save Earth from yet more impeding doom brought on by a Newer Generation of Evil. Lastly, I found it interesting the way Elena could still scan that Secret Code with that Ancient Alien Machine - despite the fact that the Code was merely written on a piece of paper in pen.

Overall, even though ROTB still had its share of ? marks, I still thought it to be worth seeing - especially from any DIEHARD TF fan, such as myself. I've even given this movie the Honor of both being the first 2023 cinematic presentation that I've seen while STILL playing in the theatre and being the first cinema movie that I have ever seen AFTER the Great COVID Lockdown. Note: Starting with the Animated TF Movie from 1986, I've seen every major TRANSFORMERS movie while it was still playing in the cinemas thus far, and I hope to further continue that tradition as well! I just almost always wind up in an indescribable state of euphoria for a few days or so after seeing each TF movie especially; I can't even explain why. (No, I don't do any illegal drugs either!) On a scale of 1 to 10 - 1=Cinematic Abomination and 10=Cinematic Masterpiece - I chose 9. What did the rest of you all think about ROTB?