Bumblebee - movie review

Bumblebee is a spin-off of the Transformers series, the protagonist of which is the title Autobot. This time, it was not Michael Bay that took the helm of the production of the space robot series, but the creator of Kubo and two strings, Travis Knight. And it was a change for the better. I rate.

Cybertron, the planet of our title character, is consumed by the war between the Decepticons and the Autobots. Optimus Prime, the leader of the latter, sends Bumblebee, or rather B-127, to Earth in search of new space for their group. Unfortunately, as a result of certain events, our yellow Autobot hibernates for some time in the form of a Volkswagen Beetle. This is how Charlie, a resolute and rebellious teenager, finds him. A real, unique bond will soon forge between the two. Unfortunately, the idyll does not last long, because Bumblebee is wanted by a pair of extremely nasty and demonic Decepticons who find support among the Earthlings. This is how a fresh new hand in the world of Transformers begins.

The cause of this positive surprise for me is none other than Travis Knight, whose directorial talent is visible in virtually every scene of this exceptionally pleasant production. Starting with a light, youth convention lined with the energy of the 80s, with colorful characters and very well-built relationships between them. Thanks to this, the Paramount Pictures film becomes something very fresh in the series soaked up by a Hollywood machine. After all, the screen does not show the next tables and spreadsheets of the producers of Fabryka Dreów, but the director's positive, pure love for the story he tells. Knight deserves a great deal of appreciation for this. His film is something that is a pleasure to watch thanks to, among other things, the fantastic sense of humor it represents. The jokes are not forced (which happened so often in previous productions in the series), and they organically intertwine with the story. In fact, each of the characters, even the main villains, bring a greater or lesser dose of humor. Of course, Bumblebee and Charlie are in the lead here. However, no matter if we observe slapstick moments on the screen, situational gags or jokes resulting from the dynamics between the characters, everyone will find something for themselves and I think they will have a lot of fun. For me, after the screening, the smile stayed on my face for a long time, which is something incomparably better than the humor in the previous films from the series.

The 1980s I mentioned provide a very good background for the events that we observe on the screen. They create an interesting sphere of social mood, and at the same time complement the light nature of the story. A fantastic soundtrack with hits from that period plays an important role. We can find here, among others, Take On Me or Girlfriend In A Coma. All the pieces build a colorful landscape of events, they are their sound interpretations, creating a very coherent image of the emotions on the screen. And there will be plenty of them here, especially in the account of the two main heroes of the story. The dynamics between Bumblebee and Charlie was something that really took me over and I didn't expect to ever witness it in the Transformers series. This relationship is a real cocktail of positive emotions. It can arouse the most honest laughs, build a relaxed atmosphere for pure relaxation, or finally be genuinely moved. There is no dazzling pathos, no falsehoods, or feeding on cheap tricks to arouse emotions in the viewer. It is pure pleasure to watch each scene involving this unusual duo. Hailee Steinfeld is perfect for her role. She is alternately cute, emotional and rebellious when needed. He brings a lot of charisma and aggressiveness to his character, which makes him create a heroine with whom we can fully identify. He's a great human factor in this larger-than-life cosmic conflict.

The background, full of colorful characters, also deserves attention. I would distinguish two heroes here. The first is Agent Burns, played by John Cena. The former wrestler once again feels good in the role of a tough guy who brings a large dose of humor and lightness. Also Jorge Lendeborg Jr. looks good as the main character's winger full of positive energy. The real palette of strange personalities is in the Charlie family and watching this collective on screen is a really interesting experience. In opposition to this, there are rather little complex villains in the stories. They fulfill their task, but they are not some eminently written antagonists. These are just another Decepticons, maybe with more interesting character background, but not bringing anything fresh to the series...