HCA Gradebook: “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts”

Movie: Transformers: Rise of the Beasts
Plot: 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.
Cast: Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback.
Director: Steven Caple Jr.
Release Date: June 9, 2023
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Number of Graders: 25
Overall Grade: B

Kit Stone says, “Put some respect on their name! Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is so much fun! The snappy dialogue, colossal fight scenes and tender moments — it has all the ingredients of a summer blockbuster. I can’t wait to double back with my nephews this weekend. That’s how you roll out!”
Grade: A

Nancy Tapia says, “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts takes the wheel as a great summer movie. I was happy to see the Transformers take the lead in the film versus to the humans story line.”
Grade: A-

DarkSkyLady says, “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is futuristic meets blast from the past, tapping that 90s nostalgic sweet spot. The effects are impressive and with the relationship between Noah and Mirage and Noah and Elena, there’s plenty of fun. On top of a soundtrack with outstanding tracks from the decade, this is a sit back and enjoy picture that delivers.”
Grade: B+

Maggie Ma says, “I always thought the previous Transformers movie had too many human and dialogues were cheesy but this time they finally fixed it. I am glad there are only two main human characters and they did their jobs perfectly. The Maximals are so cool.”
Grade: B+

Jana N Nagase says, “Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts is action-packed, insanely cool filled with surprises! Anthony Ramos & Dominique Fishback are great! Love the soundtrack. Fans’ll go crazy with this film & will be a summer hit!”
Grade: B+

Mike Manalo says, “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts follows in the footsteps of the excellent Bumblebee by showing us there’s still a lot of spark left in the Transformers franchise. It’s not perfect, but this is a fun movie with great characters and a game changing finale that levels up the franchise in a whole new way! Pete Davidson is great as Mirage. And in the tradition of Hailee Steinfeld’s Charlie, Anthony Ramos shines as Noah Diaz, who is a lot more interesting than any human characters in this franchise have any business being. This chapter may also feature some of the best Transformers fights in the franchise with Caple ably showing his skills as a fan and a director with well shot sequences of pop color energy, making great use of both the Autobots and the Maximals. With these terrifically fun moments, plus a human story that actually is interesting and compelling, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts proves to be the second best installment in the franchise, and proof that we need more POCs behind big budget blockbusters!”
Grade: B

Stacey Yvonne says, “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is a bit confusing for those not familiar with the entire franchise, but it’s super fun! Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback make such an engaging pair and the introduction of the beasts is compelling if not a little overwhelming. A solid B.”
Grade: B

Francisco Cangiano says, “Pure popcorn summer blockbuster fun. Delivers on cool action you can appreciate, characters you can root for, cheeky humor and heart. It’s now up there with Bumblebee (2018) and Transformers (2007), as the best of the franchise.”
Grade: B

Peggy Marie says, “Transformers has all the ingredients of a summer blockbuster. Robots, Humour, Lead character chemistry and possibly the best 90’s soundtrack of the year. While it has its problems, it’s also fun and highly entertaining. A good blend for a summer cup of tea.”
Grade: B

Scott Mendelson says, “Rise of the Beasts 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. Steve Caple Jr. once again shows that he is very good at directing “line drive to second base” studio pictures, but there is a certain “Don’t f*** this up” mentality that holds the film back from embracing its goofiness.”
Grade: B

Tony Toscano says, “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is surprisingly good revisit to the Transformer franchise. The film offers a well-written balance of action and comedy and better than expected special effects. It gets a B.”
Grade: B

Alexander Robinson says, “The Transformers movies and I have certainly not been on the best terms. That all changed however with 2018’s Bumblebee. It was the first of the live-action films that I legitimately liked, and Rise of the Beasts continues this trend with admittedly some mixed results. What this movie gets right is a short runtime, great character designs, action scenes with clarity, and equal time given to both the human characters and the Transformers. The Autobots are finally allowed to be characters rather than talking special effects, with Optimus Prime being the main focus. The human characters played by Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback are likable enough to keep you engaged when the Transformers aren’t on screen, and both have a good reason to be on this journey. What this movie doesn’t get right though is a slow first act, several script inconsistencies, a generic villain in Scourge voiced by Peter Dinklage, and a very questionable and desperate ending. While it doesn’t revolutionize this series in anyway, Rise of the Beasts is entertaining and a step in the right direction for what these live-action movies have the potential to be. Not recommended who those who aren’t long time Transformers fans, but it will certainly please those who are.”
Grade: B

Nicholas Spake says, “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is the franchise’s most middle-of-the-road entry. Considering how off-road this series has gone, though, it’s a masterpiece compared to Revenge of the Fallen, Dark of the Moon, Age of Extinction, or… the fifth one. It lacks the fresh factor of Michael Bay’s first film, which remains visually innovative for a 2007 release. 2018’s Bumblebee is probably the best Transformers movie in terms of character and story. Rise of the Beasts tries to find a happy medium between the spectacle of a Bay movie and the emotion of a Travis Knight picture. It may not revolutionize the franchise, but the film’s heart/spark is in the right place.”
Grade: B-

Rick Hong says, “Rise of the Beasts takes a change of direction from the Michael Bay franchise films, with the introduction of new characters and mythology. At two hours, the film does seem long at some points, but plenty of action.”
Grade: B-

Zaki Hasan says, “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is noisy nonsense, but it’s slightly less noisy and nonsensical than the five Michael Bay Transformers flicks. It won’t lure over any new fans, but as someone who grew up with Generation 1 in the ’80s and Beast Wars in the ’90s, I liked seeing both batches together on the big screen. The undefeated best Transformers movie remains the ’86 animated one, however.”
Grade: B-

Kolby Mac says, “There’s something truly DOPE about seeing someone on screen that looks and talks like you leading a summer blockbuster. Even DOPER when it’s steeped in 90’s music, BIG Action and even BIGGER Robot Aliens. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is CORNY in parts but COOL where it counts!”
Grade: B-

Aaron Neuwirth says, “With a choice to, dare I say, ground the characters in a meaningful way, I found myself fairly engaged with the humans and robots forced to band together in an effort to stop a planet-sized toy…er… robot. Plus, this one has a bunch of Transformers that take the shape of animals for reasons the movie doesn’t even try to explain because sometimes you just have to deal with silly fun.”
Grade: B-

Dan Murrell says, “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is the best live action Transformers film (not including Bumblebee), which admittedly isn’t saying much. With a manageable runtime and human characters who aren’t too annoying, this Transformers film allows the Transformers more time to shine, and finally delivers action scenes that do justice to the premise of big metal machines punching each other. It’s not the best movie of the year, or even the summer, but Rise of the Beasts delivers on what it promises, which can’t be said of most of the other films in this franchise.”
Grade: B-

Sari Cohen says, “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is entertaining. It’s a treat for fans who loved the ’80s cartoon and even features Maximals from the Transformers: Beast Wars TV series. The soundtrack highlights some of the best hip-hop tracks from the ’90s, adding to the overall feeling of nostalgia. The movie takes place in 1994 New York City, where Anthony Ramos (Noah Diaz) and Dominique Fishback (Elena Wallace) must team up with the Autobots to save humanity. The traditional good vs. evil plot is showcased here, but the interactions with the characters and top-notch CGI make this installment a fun watch. In the world of Transformers, Rise of the Beasts rates at the top, along with 2018’s Bumblebee.”
Grade: B-

Zachary Pope says, “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is the equivalent of looking back at your childhood when you would grab your action figures! 

Fun, Amusing, & enjoyable BUT that’s about it. The 3rd act’s Action set piece is up there with Bumblebee’s Opening Scene though! Mixed Bag with the story though as the Transformers get a lot of good themes but the exposition heavy dialogue in every scene nearly kills any momentum…. We don’t need everything explained to us 

What I will give massive credit to in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is they find the PERFECT balance between Humans & Transformers.”
Grade: C+

James White says, “The latest Transformers movie feels like it falls between two stools – the heartwarming likes of Bumblebee and the overly bombastic offerings brought to screens by Michael Bay (at least the ones following his decent first effort). It’s weighed down by franchise expectations and falls too frequently into robots punching each other over the latest technological doohickey. Yet the human characters, played by Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback, do at least get moments to peek out from under the CG carnage and it has more heart than your average Bayformers installment. Still not the big win Paramount and Hasbro were likely hoping for, though.”
Grade: C

Rick Bentley says, “It is saying nothing new that Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is a movie heavy on action and light on story and acting. That has been the general format through most of the seven offerings in the franchise except for the first and the most recent, Bumblebee. The Autobots are on autopilot as they once again go from lamenting about not being able to get home and saving their adopted planet.”
Grade: C

Connor Petrey says, “It’s mindless at times, simple to follow and just so damn cool to look at, but it’ll give you considerable déjà vu as the entire run you’ll be thinking to yourself, “Haven’t we seen this before?”
Grade: C-

Jami Philbrick says, “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’ is a completely irresponsible movie void of any humor, heart or intelligence.”
Grade: D

Nate Adams says, “A flailing series that peaked in the mid-to-late 2000s is now seemingly on life support in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, the seventh entry in the elongated franchise that has zero cultural relevance. 2007’s Transformers, helmed with a steady but frantic hand by Michael Bay, and even the recent Bumblebee, had endearing human qualities and elements that kept up with the action. In Rise of the Beasts any indication of real characters with real attributes are lost after about the 30 minute mark when a Pete Davidson-voiced AutoBot starts making nauseating innuendos.”
Grade: D