Film Review: Bumblebee

As I mentioned in my review of A-X-L, I’ve come to realize that the whole “young kid and their dog/metaphor for a dog” is a subgenre that I have a soft spot for. So, it should not be that surprising that I kind of loved Bumblebee. It should be noted that I have zero attachment to this franchise, the original show was before my time, I never played with the toys, and my only significant exposure has been through the Michael Bay films. Admittedly, my fascination with Bay as a filmmaker made those films compelling curiosities. I mean, how weird is it that for a decade, a franchise meant for kids has been made by a director that shows active contempt for the property and its audience, instead uses up hundreds of millions of dollars to essentially satisfy his personal fetishes? Pretty damn weird if you ask me.

But for the first time, a new creative team is involved, and the results are night and day. Bumblebee is written by Christina Hodson, and directed by Travis Knight, of Laika fame (and his short-lived early rap career). It opens on the tail end of a sprawling battle on the planet, Cybertron. The Autobots are losing the fight against the Decepticons, so they decide evacuate the planet and separate. One of them, B-127 (or as he’ll later be known as – Bumblebee), takes refuge on Earth to set up a base, but a fight with a Decepticon ends with him losing both his voice and his memory. He transforms into a Beetle, which is later taken by Charlie (Hailee Steinfeld) for her 18th birthday. She soon finds out about Bumblebee, and an adventure ensues as they try to keep each other safe from Decepticons tracking them down, and the military.

The film is simple enough, working on a standard framework that’s been used effectively plenty of times before. I never felt lost by all the lore, for which the only thing you need to know is Decepticon bad and Autobot good. The action is presented with clarity, and while the opening might suggest otherwise, the scope of the film is kept rather small. It really does take the opposite approach to nearly every aspect of the previous films.

However, the simplicity never feels like a crutch. There’s a strong focus on the relationship between Charlie and Bumblebee. While the plot drives the story for much of the time, Charlie is given a lot of agency, and a very emotionally resonating arc about coping with the loss of her father, which is something she has long struggled with while most of her family have since moved past. Elements of Hailee Steinfeld’s performance echoes that of her role in The Edge of Seventeen, which also dealt with her character struggling to deal with the loss of her father, but filtered for the family friendly audience. Still, I consider her to be one of the best – and most criminally underused – actors of her generation, and she’s great here. She brings a warmth, kindness, and relatability that the franchise has lacked up to this point.

She’s also surrounded by a wonderful collection of supporting players. Pamela Adlon is a delight as Charlie’s mother. John Cena brings a welcomed sense of humor to a stock character as the government agent who wants the Transformers gone. Jorge Lendeborg Jr. is charming as the awkward neighbor who has a crush on Charlie. Plus, you got Angela Bassett and Justin Theroux voicing Shatter and Dropkick, respectively, who are the two Decepticons that travel to Earth looking for Bumblebee.

Pretty much everything about the film, aside from look and general aesthetics, captures the spirit and tone of an 80s movie, evoking John Hughes and Steven Spielberg. But to my surprise, the 80s-ness of it is actually low key, from the costumes to background details. The song choices, aside from maybe two, are not the obvious ones you’ve probably heard a million times before. References are dropped at appropriate moments, and the film doesn’t play up irony or self-awareness about the genre or the time period. It simply plays things very sincerely, and while it might result in having some of the same sort of issues that these kinds of movies from that era would have, the choices made here are ultimately for the best.

It honestly would’ve been just enough that Bumblebee fixes all the issues that people have had with the previous five films in this franchise, but the film goes the extra mile in creating a relationship that is effortlessly endearing and worth rooting for. By the time the film was over, I was a total wreck. Hailee Steinfeld is excellent, both in crafting a believable bond with a giant robot, and carrying the film when the action isn’t the focus. The film has tons charm, wit, and heart, while also being a satisfying blockbuster. If this franchise is to continue, then you couldn’t ask for a better fresh start.