First ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’ reactions have faint praise for a perfectly acceptable blockbuster

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via Paramount

The Transformers franchise is now 16 years old, and has seen some major ups and downs during that time. The series has never been a critical smash, but it’s almost always been box office gold, and Paramount will be hoping that Transformers: Rise of the Beasts continues that lucrative streak.

We’re still awaiting the Rotten Tomatoes score, but the first reactions from those that have seen it are now in. As is typical with this franchise, it appears that Rise of the Beasts is silly fun that delivers what you expect in a movie about a truck robot teaming up with a gorilla robot. It also seems to be a substantial improvement on the last mainline entry The Last Knight, in which not even the scenery-chewing presence of Anthony Hopkins could save it from being a deeply confusing and dull blockbuster.

At least it’s not a disaster:

#TransformersRiseoftheBeasts is a perfectly solid three-star tentpole. Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback are terrific and the action scenes have a fluid choreography amid vast (if underpopulated) landscapes. The opening 30 minutes are better than the rest, but it works fine. pic.twitter.com/01buI7Uih3

— Scott Mendelson (@ScottMendelson) June 5, 2023

Another positive early impression praises the humor:

Is this finally the movie Transformers fans have been demanding?

Watching all the reviews for rise of the beasts and so far all of them are positive and that actual transformers themselves get all the screen time they deserve 😭 pic.twitter.com/uBb0yaJJ0d

— buffalowing (@grilledshrimp21) May 25, 2023

But things aren’t universally positive:

Every time a big moment happens, it’s executed in the dullest way possible making for an especially underwhelming climax & overly corny melodrama. There’s also just an absurdly needless amount of exposition that adds to it all w/poor Dominique as the mouthpiece #RiseOfTheBeasts pic.twitter.com/XUGFmWYLN6

— Griffin Schiller (@griffschiller) June 5, 2023

So, predictably, it looks as though Rise of the Beasts is great if you’re a Transformers fan, but perhaps less enjoyable if you didn’t enjoy any previous films in the series. The real test will be at the box office, where it faces some stiff competition. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is currently cleaning house, with The Flash arriving next week. Can Rise of the Beasts crowbar out some space between these juggernauts?

We’ll find out very soon, as Transformers: Rise of the Beasts hits theaters on June 9.

About the author

David James

London-based writer about everything and anything. Willing to crawl over rusty nails to write about Metal Gear Solid or Resident Evil.