BUMBLEBEE: Not Your Regular Explosions Flick

I would never have expected that Bumblebee would be my first movie review on this site. I’ve never been a big fan of the Transformers franchise. Probably because I don’t really care about transforming cars. The idea of cars turning into robots never really interested me. Against all odds, I still decided to watch this movie. I was, and still am, blown away by how extremely good this movie is. It’s truly insane that a movie about a transforming robot can be this good. But what is this movie exactly about?

This is the sixth Transformers film in the (already) 12-year old franchise. Not only is it the first spin-off film of this franchise, but many have claimed that it is also the first GOOD, no, GREAT film of the franchise. I haven’t seen any other Transformers film before this, so I can’t judge this for myself. But I have seen Bumblebee twice now so I can judge this film. The film is about the Autobot Bumblebee who takes refuge on Earth when his home planet Cybertron collapses. He accidentally meets teenage Earth girl Charlie Watson, played by the oh-so-talented Hailee Steinfeld, and soon after their first meeting, they befriend each other.

Action with Meaning

From the beginning of this movie, it was clear to me that this would be different than some dumb explosions-filled fight-and-brawl film. If there was one thing every film/commercial of the earlier Transformers films showed us, it was explosions and dumb action. This time however it seems very different. Newcomer Travis Knight has taken the directing role from Michael Bay and he has put his own mark on the franchise. Knight decides to make every explosion, every punch, every fight count. He does this by limiting the action to moments only when it’s truly needed. All this action now has a right to exist and every punch feels like a (positive) blow to our own minds and bodies. The stakes are higher and we, as the audience, feel this.

The Art of Letting Go

There’s one thing that makes Bumblebee stand out above the other Transformers films. I’m talking of course about its heart. What do I mean by that? Well, instead of focusing on the mindless brawling between robots, the focus lies on the strong emotional connection between a transforming robot and a human teenager. They’re the heart of this film and also the strongest part of this film. The acting by Steinfeld is nothing less than great. You’ll not only feel her friendship with Bumblebee, but also her loss, pain, and mourning. But there’s another actor who weightlifts this film to another level. I’m talking of course about… Shatter, the greatest Decepticon we’ve ever seen. But no, in all seriousness, there’s another semi-villain that makes this film even greater, namely, John Cena as Agent Burns. This might be one of Cena‘s best roles (yet). He’s charismatic, funny and a true definition of an anti-hero. His character Burns truly believes that he’s doing the right thing – and so he does things with the best intentions. I mean, what would you be doing if a gigantic talking car was walking around your camp base.

As I mentioned above, Bumblebee works so tremendously well because it is a film with a big heart. That this heart can be felt so strongly is mainly because of the acting of Hailee Steinfeld and the bond she has with the lovable robot Bumblebee. As a viewer, you feel the connection they have with each other. You understand the pain Steinfeld‘s Charlie has from losing her father and so you mourn with her. You understand the pain that Bumblebee has for losing his memory and voice. And you feel how these two characters connect as peers and learn to let go of the past.

The strength in the film has a lot to do with the theme of “family” in addition to the theme of letting go. Thus, the filmmakers offer their unique take on how you can become estranged from your own family and yet find support from others. These other individuals (or robots) can form a new family with you and learn to restore the connection to your blood family. That such a theme can occur in a film, from a franchise that is mostly known for meaningless action, is worthy of applause.

Conclusion

Travis Knight‘s Bumblebee managed to completely surprise me. Not only is the film actually pretty great, but even John Cena is awesome in his exaggerated 80’s anti-hero role. However, the real star of Bumblebee is Hailee Steinfeld. I’m starting to become a real fan of her work. The film also doesn’t use meaningless action and discusses great themes like loss, family, and friendship.

Would you like a sequel to this spin-off Transformers film? If so, would you like to see Hailee Steinfeld and John Cena return? Let us know in the comments.

Watch Bumblebee

Does content like this matter to you?

Become a Member and support film journalism. Unlock access to all of Film Inquiry`s great articles. Join a community of like-minded readers who are passionate about cinema – get access to our private members Network, give back to independent filmmakers, and more.

Join now!