Transformers:
Rise of the Beasts
Came
out; 2023
Time;
2 hours 7 minutes
Watched:
Amazon
Rated:
PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action, violence and language
IMDB
Rating; 6.1/10
Caution;
Spoiler Alert
Staring;
Anthony
Ramos as Noah Diaz
Dominique
Fishback as Elena Wallace
Peter
Cullen as Optimus Prime (Voice)
Ron
Perlman as Optimus Primal (Voice)
Peter
Dinklage as Scourge (Voice)
Michelle
Yeoh as Airazor (Voice)
Pete
Davidson as Mirage (Voice)
Liza
Koshy as Arcee (Voice)
Story
Line;
Returning
to the action and spectacle that have captured moviegoers around the
world, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will take audiences on a '90s
globetrotting adventure with the Autobots and introduce a whole new
faction of Transformers - the Maximals - to join them as allies in
the existing battle for earth. Directed by Steven Caple Jr. and
starring Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback
Thoughts:
Unless
you're the type to get high and watch movies, don't watch this. Or
watch it for the effects which are still pretty amazing. The story
line is non-existant and the acting is sub-par.
Really,
I was bored out of my mind watching this and I was begged to. I can't
even pretend this was decent because it wasn't
Scourge
is a character from Thor: Ragnarok and he looks like Ultron,
coincidence, I doubt it. Oh and somehow at the end there is a tie in
to G.I. Joe.
You
have been warned to not watch this!
CAUTION;
Major Spoiler Alert
The
film starts on the planet of the Maximals, where the maniacal
Transformer god Unicron (Colman Domingo) is preparing to make his
descent and consume the planet for power. Unicron sends his minions,
the Terrorcons, led by Scourge (Peter Dinklage), to retrieve for him
the Transwarp Key, which would give Unicron the power to access
unlimited worlds to consume. The Maximals - Apelinq (David Sobolov),
Primal (Ron Perlman), Airazor (Michelle Yeoh), Rhinox (also David
Sobolov), and Cheetor (Tongayi Chirisa) - prepare their leave from
the planet, but Apelinq stays behind to fight back while bestowing
Primal with the name "Optimus Primal". Scourge, a trophy
hunter, arrives and battles Apelinq alongside his Freezer drones.
While Apelinq demolishes the Freezers, Scourge mortally wounds
Apelinq but realizes too late that the Maximals have already escaped
with the key. Unicron then proceeds to devour the planet.
1994,
Brooklyn - Former soldier/electronics expert Noah Diaz (Anthony
Ramos) lives with his mother Breanna (Luna Lauren Velez) and little
brother Kris (Dean Scott Vasquez). Kris suffers from a sickness, and
the family is struggling to earn money for his medication. Noah goes
to the hospital and has no insurance for his brother to get help, and
when he goes in for a job interview, he is told by the manager of the
company that he has canceled the interview after speaking to Noah's
former commanding officer, who says he is brave but cannot work in a
team.
Elena Wallace (Dominique Fishback) works as an intern
for a snooty gallery owner named Jillian (Sarah Stiles). Detectives
are at the workplace because an art director got busted and might
have been keeping fakes. Elena confirms for Jillian what is authentic
and what is fake, but Jillian takes credit for the findings. Elena
then finds a statuette resembling Airazor, complete with the
Transformers insignia etched onto it. Jillian thinks it's ancient
Sumerian but Elena does her research.
Noah goes to his friend
Reek (Tobe Nwigwe), who convinces him to steal a Porsche being kept
in the garage of another company so that he can sell it. Noah manages
to sneak in and finds the Porsche, breaking into it. At the same
time, Elena uses a device to look further into the statuette, but
ends up breaking it and finding part of the Transwarp Key inside.
This sends out a signal that awakens the Autobots, and Optimus Prime
(Peter Cullen) calls upon Bumblebee, Arcee (Liza Koshy), and Mirage
(Pete Davidson), the latter being the car that Noah is currently
inside. A security guard catches Noah, which prompts Mirage to start
driving himself out of there. A chase across the city ensues, where
Noah realizes the car is driving itself. As the cops get closer,
Mirage demonstrates his powers by creating illusions of himself to
distract the cops, allowing him and Noah to get away.
Mirage
brings Noah to a facility where he morphs into his Autobot form,
which freaks Noah out. Optimus and Arcee are none too pleased to find
a human among them, but Bee is more trusting, and Mirage thinks Noah
is fine. Optimus mentions that the key has sent out a signal and that
they need to go after it so they can return to Cybertron. Noah joins
Mirage as they make their way toward the art museum to get the key,
but Scourge and his Terrorcon cronies Battletrap (also David Sobolov)
and Nightbird (Michaela Jae Rodriguez) are already on Earth and are
going after the key as well.
Noah enters the museum and
startles Elena, who thinks he's an intruder. After a struggle, Noah
tries to explain that he needs the key (which Elena still doesn't
know that's what she's holding), and Elena only believes him when
Scourge blasts a hole through the wall and kills a security guard. As
the Terrorcons attempt to attack, the Autobots show up for battle.
While Optimus and Bumblebee attempt to go after Scourge, the deadly
Terrorcon impales Bee and blasts him in the chest, killing him while
Optimus can only watch in horror. Before Scourge can take Optimus
too, Airazor flies in and drives Scourge and the others away, though
he has taken the key half with him.
Scourge returns to Unicron
and discovers that it's only half of the key, which makes the god
violently punish his disciple. Airazor explains the situation to the
Autobots (plus Noah and Elena), and Elena determines that the other
half of the key must be in Peru, based on the readings she looked up.
Before leaving, Noah returns home to see Kris, but Mirage shows up
and makes his presence obvious. Noah explains his mission to Kris and
tells Mirage to promise to keep his brother safe.
To get to
Peru, the gang travels inside Stratosphere (John DiMaggio), an
Autobot that morphs into a rickety old plane. On the way, Noah tells
Elena that they should destroy the key to prevent Unicron's arrival,
even if it means the Autobots will be stuck on Earth. Once they
arrive, they meet with a local Autobot named Wheeljack (Cristo
Fernandez) who guides them to their location. Mirage also gives Noah
a device that wraps around his wrist in case he needs to defend
himself.
Noah and Elena enter an underground cavern after
finding Transformers symbols and make their way down. Unfortunately,
the Terrorcons have arrived as well, and Scourge sends more Freezers
to go after Noah and Elena. The two find a crypt where the key ought
to be, but find it empty except for some inscriptions that Elena
writes down. When they are spotted, they make a run for it, and the
Autobots follow. During the chase, Optimus vows revenge for Bumblebee
by trying to go after Scourge, while the others take on Battletrap
and Nightbird. Airazor joins the fight but she gets marked by Scourge
with one of his weapons. The others just barely escape.
Noah
and Elena exit the caverns and end up in a jungle where they are
confronted by Primal and the other Maximals. The Autobots show up to
defend the humans until Airazor tells Primal that they are allies. He
tells the others that he and the Maximals moved the other key half
away to keep it safe. The Maximals guide everyone to a nearby village
that they protect and share an alliance with the humans that live
there, as they are the ones keeping the other key half safe. Later,
Primal shows Optimus raw energy that can be used to revive Bee, but
it requires a large surge of energy. Meanwhile, Elena tells Noah
maybe they shouldn't destroy the key and compares him to Optimus, as
they are both big brothers looking out for their families.
In
the morning, Airazor has become fully corrupted by the dark energy
that Scourge infected her with. She begins to attack until the other
Maximals try to subdue her. Primal tries to hold her down, but
Airazor tells him to do what he has to do, so he squeezes her until
she breaks down and dies. Noah also seizes an opportunity to destroy
the key with the wrist device, but Optimus pleads with him not to do
so until he relents. Unfortunately, this gives Scourge an opportunity
to seize the key and make his way back to Unicron.
Scourge and
the Terrorcons fuse both halves of the key together and create a
platform over a volcano to summon Unicron. After Optimus and Noah
realize their actions have made things worse, the Autobots and
Maximals (and Noah and Elena) join forces to stop the villains once
and for all. Elena uses the markings she found to come up with a code
that can disable the key. The heroes then charge into battle, with
Primal commanding Rhinox and Cheetor to morph into their Transformers
bodies to fight against the incoming horde of Scorponoks. Mirage
helps Noah and Elena find an entry point to get up to the platform to
enter the code. Optimus and Primal then team up with rip Battletrap
apart before Primal smashes his head with his own wrecking
ball.
Unicron starts getting closer to Earth, with his
presence reaching other cities like back in New York. When Noah gets
closer, Scourge attempts to kill him, but Mirage uses his body to
shield Noah before he is also killed. However, Mirage is able to
transfer part of his body to the wrist device to create a suit for
Noah to utilize in battle after hearing Kris talking to him over
Mirage's radio. The energy waves from the key also manage to charge
the energy, bringing Bee back to life. He enters the battle and
proceeds to help turn things around, including him flying into the
sky with Nightbird and tearing her to pieces. Optimus battles
Scourge, nearly winning until Scourge blasts the computer being used
for Elena to enter the key, rendering it useless. Optimus dismembers
Scourge before ripping his head off and then resolving to destroy the
key himself to prevent Unicron from getting closer. The key explodes,
causing a vortex that sends Unicron away but nearly pulls Optimus
with it until Primal and Noah help pull him back.
While
Unicron may still be out there, the Autobots and Maximals acknowledge
their victory and part ways. Noah and Elena fly home in Stratosphere,
and he returns home to Kris and their mom.
Later on, Noah is
up for another job interview. He meets a man named Agent Burke
(Michael Kelly), who knows about Noah being in Peru and working with
the Autobots, though Noah tries to deny it. Burke offers Noah a
chance to join a secret government organization, even guaranteeing
that Kris's medical expenses will be covered. Noah is incredibly
thankful and watches as Burke enters a secret room filled with
vehicles, gadgets, and other top secret things. Noah then looks at
Burke's business card and learns the name of the organization - G.I.
JOE.
During the credits, Noah is with Reek as he is fixing up
Mirage. Reek thinks it's pointless until Noah calls upon Mirage to
turn on, and the Autobot comes back to life proudly.
