Bumblebee

John Cena is top billed, and though his brick-jawed military man doesn’t actually get many scenes, he does get a disproportionate share of the script’s best lines. He gives good muscle, but Bumblebee brings something even more important — and actually transforming — to the series: a sense of humor, and a heart.

There’s a lot to like here, particularly Steinfeld’s performance.

It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but Bumblebee feels revolutionary within the confines of a long-running franchise like Transformers.

To put it in terms Charlie would dig, “Bumblebee” is like an 80s mixtape that’s all hits, no deep cuts. Nothing here surprises save the perspective. But that’s enough to save it.

Knight, coming from a born animator’s background, retrofits the intergalactic Sturm und Drang for a more humanistic tone that manages to be both more entertaining overall and moderately Spielbergian (he continues to executive produce the franchise) in this tale of a girl and her big, lovable, lemon-colored E.T. It’s a kinder, gentler Transformers movie for the holidays. Go figure.

Thematic muddles would matter less if Bumblebee delivered more as an action movie, but despite some neat car-chase complications, this series remains stubbornly averse to shaping its action barrages into satisfying set pieces.

There's not only nothing new here, there's nothing convincing either. And if I'm supposed to judge Bumblebee based on how well it succeeds at what it tries to do (rather than what came before it), it's still not very good.

Bumblebee. A completely new take on Transformers. A sweet and kind family film in which there is practically no such drive as in the entire previous series of films. Special praise for the amazing soundtrack. As well as beautiful views of California.

I think Iron Giant did this kind of story better? This film set before the others makes no sense continuity wise? In isolation it's fine, but nothing special. The little kids seem to like it.

Bumblebee was for me a movie that goes from good, to ok, to just super cheesy, the first 30 minutes was good, the next 30 minutes was ok, and the rest hour was meh, to have a real drama story in a Transformers movie or at least in a movie set in Transformers world is what many people wanted to, but when it's too much drama and especially it fills with uninteresting characters like Memo that his chemistry and relationship with Charlie i didn't buy at all, cheesy dialogue and scene that they didn't have in the first hour, and unused character like John Cena where i felt they supposed to make him more villainous and menacing as the two Decepticons, that's basically my whole problem with the movie, also too few action, but when it was on it was great, i like it, Hailee character was likeable enough, Bumblebee was cute, the two Decepticons was menacing, i like the first hour, i was entertained mostly, and the most importantly i was not bored at all and that was a major pros, overall i didn't hate Bumblebee but it still a very flawed film, it's basically for me a too few action and too much drama movie, the two didn't balanced perfectly, but it's still nice to feel a new atmosphere with the new director and the reboot of the franchise, hopefully it's getting better.

Didn't really feel like a Transformers movie... Weren't that complex and the the action were, meh and the plot were just okay. Still better then The Last Knight but nowhere near as good as the other Transformers movies!

all the previous transformer movies were horrible, but they were filled with action filled scenes and CGI. this movie lacks everything. very boring story line. very predictable story line and everything else is also lackluster...even my kids said the movie is boring. not sure why it got some much hype, glad i did not waste money at the theater and waited for the DVD. even renting a DVD is waste.