It is widely acknowledged that the Transformers franchise, while popular at the box office, is far from perfect filmmaking. Director Michael Bay’s bombastic style has led to the creation of a new word: Bayhem! The five films he helmed were loud, nonsensical, lacking in character and depth, and had a testosterone-fuelled attitude to violence, humour and an uncomfortable level of sexism. These popular toys turned movie stars were not what people wanted, and while they were desperately hoping for something close to the 80s cartoons, they progressively got worse. Until Bumblebee a few years ago, which was everything a Transformer movie should be. Bay had moved to a producer role, and the film was all the better for it. Now comes Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, again without Bay behind the camera, so is this on the same level as Bumblebee or back to the old ways?

Earth is under the perils of a new threat that brings the Autobots out of hiding and searching for a key that has been missing on the planet for thousands of years. With the help of a former soldier, a museum intern and another breed of Transformer, the Maximals, this band take on a creature that destroys planets.

The new edition to the franchise, directed by Steven Caple Jr, whose previous credits include Creed II, does have a different feel. Gone are Bay’s trademark lens flares and overuse of slow motion. Gone are the macho, All-American soldiers who are constantly getting in the way of the warring Transformers. Instead, Caple Jr has tried to introduce some human elements to the proceedings, with a sympathetic character who becomes involved in the battle after trying to steal a car to raise money for his ailing brother. In fact, the film’s first part has very little action and is more about creating characters.

Noah Diaz is a former soldier being turned down from every job he applied for due to his attitude and the lack of teamwork he experienced during his time in the military. His brother, suffering from sickle cell, needs constant medical help, yet they cannot afford the bills. Turning to a life of crime is his only option, but when the Porchse he steals becomes the wise-cracking Mirage, Noah finds himself at the heart of this secret war and is willing to risk everything to help these robots. We also get Elena Wallace, an intern working for a museum who is wasted in her position and is far more intelligent than her boss seems to recognise. When she discovers the first key, she, too, is caught up with helping the robots.

Once the humans are established, it’s back to business as the film becomes one long fight sequence with little else to substant the interest. Robots fighting robots with a soundtrack that is turned up to 11. This is not a quiet film with grinding, smashing and banging throughout. This is the major problem with the Transformers movies. Once you’ve seen one fight, you’ve seen them all. There’s also the confusion of which is the good robot and which is the bad, so not only does it get boring quickly, you care little for the outcome. There’s no real peril.

This is also supposed to be events before the first movie, but setting it in 1994 doesn’t work as there is very little to distinguish it from modern times apart from the image of the Twin Towers in the distance and the mention of cable TV (which would be lost on British audiences).

The performances are fine, with Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback doing the best with their roles as Noah and Elena, while the voices of the Transformers, including Oscar-winner Michelle Yeoh, Peter Dinklage and Ron Perlman, are somewhat overshadowed by Pete Davidson’s comic turn as Mirage.

Transformers: Rise of the Beast is less painful than the previous movies but falls short of Bumblebee. It needs fresh eyes to try and find a way to get over the issues that drag the film to the levels of Bay’s movies. Maybe a total rethink is what is needed. Either that or stop making them altogether.

3 out of 5

Director: Steven Caple Jr

Starring: Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback, Luna Lauren Velez, Dean Scott Vazquez, Peter Cullen, Ron Perlman, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Yeoh, Pete Davidson

Written by: Darnell Metayer, Josh Peters, Erich Hoeber, Jon Hoeber and (also story) Joby Harold

Running Time: 127 mins

Cert: 12A

Release date: 8th June 2023