Bumblebee

Just like Hailee Steinfeld sings in the end credits song, Transformers has been brought back to life. The 80s nostalgia is definitely fun, but what really makes this film is the heart and connection between Charlie and Bumblebee. Charlie is easily the most realized character in the franchise. I enjoyed the lower key approach of this film and actually being able to see what was happening during the action scenes. This was a much needed reset for the series and hopefully this level of quality will continue.

In 2007, Michael Bay showed the world that today's technology could bring the famed Transformers to life on the big screen. Sadly, he has the finesse of a brick to the face as his subsequent films for the most part are rusted pieces of scrap due to his crude style of filmmaking, lack of focus, and narrow demographic, leaving fans with only the 80s animated movie as the true "good one", that is until now.

Plot: Charlie Watson (Hailee Steinfeld), a teen girl struggling to move on after her father's untimely death, encounters the fugitive Autobot Bumblebee and the two form a heartfelt bond, which will be tested as they are hunted by both the secretive Sector 7 and a couple of Decepticons.

Knight knows what makes a film truly stick with people and that is in the story and how one tells it, something he excels at. He gives his films heart, thus the relationship between Charlie and Bumblebee feels natural. The central focus is this friendship with many scenes that are charming, funny, and hit hard in the feels. Unlike the stuttering and super uptight Sam Witwicky, Charlie has a lot of spunk and pathos. While having a predictable character arc, John Cena did a nice job with his role. I love that this film is not only set in the 80s (when the show came out), but lives and breathes pop cultural references and classic songs from that era (including a great callback to Stan Bush). While Bay's action focuses on huge zany explosion-fests that push believability and heavily involve the human military, here the action is smaller and much more personal, strictly Autobot vs Decepticon as it should be since it was what the franchise was built on. In fact, the portrayal of the Decepticons has improved; not only can I tell them apart this time thanks to their varied designs and color schemes, but they're given more personality and actually live up to their name.

The only thing that has me puzzled is the continuity as there's confusion over whether or not this is a reboot or a prequel given some conflicting elements. That being said, this is, in many ways, the Transformers movie I've been itching to see for a long time. I'd like to see more directors present their takes on the franchise and go to places both familiar and new as long as Bay stays out of the directing chair. To sum it up, Bumblebee's got the Touch.

Bumblebee is surprisingly fantastic, it had better written humor and characters. it's a transformer movie but with heart and soul. The action sequences are excellent and had far less unnecessary explosions and better editing as you can see everything clearly. The characters are well drawn and have personality. Bumblebee is such a lovable character in this one and his dynamic duo with Charlie is just perfect. The performances are very good; Hailee Steinfeld is well-casted, and she easily carries the film. The visual effects are stunning, and the soundtrack is amazing; it has a lots of classic 80s songs that fits well with the themes presented in the movie.

Overall, Bumblebee is one of the better films in the transformer franchise, it's well-written and has rich characters, and also very entertaining.

This movie was good for about 5 minutes then it got real bad, real quick. It's a boring kids movie with fan service that tries to use nostalgia to get real Transformers fans to think they like this but it's transparent to anyone who's not a complete moron. It makes the other Transformers sequels look great in comparison.

An entertaining film for fans and youngsters. When it comes to the editing and the story telling I feel it is lacking. There are many scenes where the viewer is left confused wondering or hanging. Some scenes are simply repetitive and I feel not cut smoothly to be cohesive. Bumblebee dies/gets killed and gets resurrected approx 10 times which gets old after a while. John Cena should just stop playing any serious roles. He is funny until he tries to be serious or bring emotions on the screen. Just does not suit him. Hailee delivers a solid performance and definitley is the perfect fit for the role. The Soundtrack is just awesome with the best of the 80ies. Not a "gotta watch it again" movie. The emotional component of the "missing father figure" and the "moving on" aspect is done nicely and gives the film some depth.