“Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” is a loud, fast, and mostly forgettable entry in a franchise that has spent years chasing spectacle over substance. The 2023 film brings back the Autobots and adds a new set of Cybertronian warriors called the Maximals, but it fails to make either side feel urgent or interesting. This is a movie built on noise, not ideas, and by the end it leaves you wondering why anyone bothered.
Trailer, via Paramount Pictures.
The New Warriors
The Maximals are the main draw here. They are smaller, more agile, and meant to be the future of the Transformers line. On paper, that sounds promising. In practice, they are mostly a visual gimmick. Each Maximal transforms into an animal, and the film spends a lot of time showing them shift from robot to jaguar or lion or eagle. The problem is that none of them get enough screen time to become characters. They are ciphers with cool shapes, not people you care about.
The Autobots fare little better. Optimus Prime returns, and the film treats him as a prop rather than an actor. He is joined by a few returning faces, but the film treats them as props rather than actors. None of them get a moment to breathe or say something that feels earned.
A Familiar Pattern
The plot follows a standard Transformers formula. Humans get caught in a war they did not start, giant robots fight in cities, and the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. There is a teenage human character, played by Soleil Moon Frye, who is supposed to be the heart of the story. She is given a few lines about loss and family, but the script never lets her grow beyond a plot device.
The villain, voiced by James Hong, is a classic megalomaniac. He wants power, he talks in grandiose terms, and he gets destroyed by the end. There is nothing original here, and the film does not even bother dressing it up.
The Action
The action sequences are the film’s strongest feature, and even then they are a mixed bag. The effects are competent, the scale is huge, and the fights move fast. But the choreography is often chaotic, with robots sliding past each other and explosions filling the frame without any sense of weight or danger. The result is a sensory overload that numbs the mind rather than thrilling it.
There are a few moments that stand out. A chase through a jungle setting shows off the Maximals’ agility, and a city-wide brawl gives the Autobots room to stretch. But these are brief flashes in a film that runs long and repeats itself.
The Soundtrack
The score is bombastic, which is fitting for a film this loud. It swells during the big battles and drops to a murmur during the quieter scenes. It is functional, but it never becomes memorable. The film also leans on licensed pop songs, a trend that has defined recent Transformers installments. These tracks are placed over shots of destruction and heroics, and they do the job of making the audience feel something. But they are not the reason anyone will remember this movie.
What Works
- The Maximals’ animal transformations are visually striking
- The action sequences are technically polished
- The villain is easy to hate
- The teenage human character is a familiar type
What Does Not Work
- The Maximals are never given enough time to develop
- The Autobots are treated as background noise
- The plot is a retread of everything that came before
- The dialogue is thin and often cringe-worthy
The Verdict
“Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” is a failure of ambition. It has the tools to be a great summer blockbuster: a fresh angle, a strong cast, and a built-in fan base. Instead, it settles for being a cash grab, a film that exists to sell toys and fill theaters without giving the audience anything to hold onto. The Maximals are a missed opportunity, and the Autobots are a disappointment.
This is not a bad film by accident. It is a bad film by design, a product of a studio that has lost sight of why people love these characters in the first place. The result is a movie that is entertaining in the moment but empty in memory. It is the kind of film that you watch, walk out of, and immediately forget.
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