Even thoughBumblebeeis the highest-rated live-actionTransformersmovie, it was the wrong film to make afterThe Last Knight. Before Michael Bay made his firstTransformersmovie, which was released in 2007, it was already a beloved franchise. SeveralTransformersanimated serieswere released in the 80s and 90s, and showcased how many amazing characters there are in the franchise. A lot of these shows took place on Cybertron, the home planet of the Transformers. However, Bay decided to set his live-action film on Earth.
In fact, all ofBay’sTransformersmovieswere set primarily on Earth. This made sense, since a live-actionTransformersmovie set entirely on Cybertron would require a massive budget. Additionally, Bay wanted to include human characters that audiences could connect to. However, it is still disappointing that none of the live-actionTransformersmovies have done the franchise’s massive scale justice. The live-action films now seem like they have to be set on Earth, which is whyBumblebeewas the wrong movie to make afterTransformers: The Last Knight.
Transformers' First Live-Action Movie After Michael Bay Should’ve Been A Full Reboot
Bumblebee & Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts Are Both Connected To The Bayverse
After 2017’sTransformers: The Last Knight, Bay decided he would not direct any more films in the franchise. Since he had directed the five previous live-actionTransformersfilms, this was a big deal. AfterThe Last Knight, the future of the franchise could have aligned with Bay’s vision and visual style, or diverted and gone in a new direction. Ultimately,the two live-actionTransformersmovies sinceThe Last Knighthave felt very similar in style and tone to Bay’s films. This is disappointing, since the franchise desperately needs a change.
$5,849,647
62%
$708,272,592
57%
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
$836,519,699
19%
Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)
$1,123,794,079
35%
$1,104,054,072
18%
$602,893,340
16%
$464,731,819
91%
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023)
$439,241,749
51%
$128,317,666
89%
This is not to say that all of Bay’sTransformersmovies are bad. However, Bay exiting the franchise as a director afterThe Last Knightpresented the perfect opportunity for it to start over. BothBumblebeeandTransformers: Rise of the Beasts, which is the most recent live-action film in the franchise, are loosely connected to Bay’s movies. Instead of proceeding this way,the first live-actionTransformersmovie afterThe Last Knightshould have been a full reboot, and introduced new versions of beloved characters like Optimus Prime, Megatron, and Bumblebee.
Bumblebee’s Opening Sequence Teased What A Transformers Reboot Could’ve Been
Bumblebee’s Opening Sequence Is Set On Cybertron
BumblebeeandTransformers: Rise of the Beastsare both primarily set on Earth, just like all of Bay’s films.Bumblebeetakes place in the 80s andRise of the Beastsin the 90s. Because of this, they present a somewhat fresh take on the franchise, but they are still too similar in style and tone to Bay’s movies. Instead of trying to remain connected to Bay’s movies and staying on Earth, a full reboot would have started from scratch, and could have seenTransformerscharacters on Cybertron.
Even thoughBumblebee’sopening scene only lasts a couple of minutes, it showcases a battle between the Autobots and Decepticons on Cybertron.
The opening ofBumblebeeactually showed us what a live-actionTransformersmovie set on Cybertron would look like, and it is fantastic. Even thoughBumblebee’sopening scene only lasts a couple of minutes, it showcases a battle between the Autobots and Decepticons on Cybertron. This battle scene is epic and the scale of the planet is massive. This opening scene is actually possibly the most impressed I’ve ever been watching a live-actionTransformersmovie. However, unfortunately, Bumblebee is quickly sent to Earth in this sequence, completely changing the vibe of the movie.
Bumblebee & Rise Of The Beasts' Half-Measure Changes Have Made Things More Complicated
The Transformers Franchise Refuses To Leave The Bayverse Behind
Even though Bay’sTransformersfilms were not all hits with critics, they were all massive successes at the box office. As seen in the above table, two of Bay’sTransformersmovies,Dark of the MoonandAge of Extinction, made well over $1 billion at the box office (viaThe Numbers). Because of the massive box office success they experienced,the producers of the franchise do not want to fully let go of Bay’sTransformersmovies. This is precisely whyBumblebeeandRise of the Beastsare both connected to the Bayverse.
However, whileBumblebeeandRise of the Beastsgo out of their way to remain part of the same canon, they also both break the canon of the Bayverse and go against things that were established in previousTransformersmovies. This proves that the writers, directors, and producers of these films are only half committed to connecting to Bay’s movies, which has made the entire franchise look slightly worse. At this point, thelive-actionTransformerstimelineis so confusing, which is why it would have been better to reboot the franchise afterThe Last Knight.
Transformers One Is Another Important Reminder Of What The Franchise Can Be
Transformers One Shows How Epic The Franchise Can Be
In addition to the incredible opening sequence ofBumblebee, the entirety ofTransformers Oneis a reminder of what the franchise could be. UnlikeBumblebeeandRise of the Beasts,Transformers One is part of a standalone continuity and is not connected to any of the Bayverse movies. Because of this, the writers ofTransformers Onehad the creative freedom to make bold decisions with its story and characters.
Unlike all the live-action movies,Transformers Oneis set entirely on Cybertron. Showcasing Cybertron is easier since the film is animated, but I still wish a live-actionTransformersmovie would try to show more of the awe-inspiring planet. The story ofTransformers Onefollows Orion Pax and D-16, who will eventually become known as Optimus Prime and Megatron, respectively, as they start a rebellion against the corrupt leader of Iacon City. Throughout the movie, Orion Pax becomes a better leader while D-16 tragically embraces his darker side, which leads to them being enemies.
Transformers Onehonors the classic animated showsand proves how grand and epic the franchise could be. Ever since watching the film, I have desperately wanted asequel toTransformers Onebecause of its complex story and characters. In comparison, all the live-actionTransformersmovies feel so underwhelming, since they do not successfully capture the scale of the franchise. Rebooting the series could have allowed for some positive changes, but unfortunately, recent live-actionTransformersmovies are still connected to Bay’s films.
