Transformers are back in action, yes, with a new movie, powerful characters and a better origin story. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is the seventh instalment in the live-action movie series.

If Autobots and Decepticons were not enough, there is a new breed, Maximals in the latest flick.

Maximals hailed from a Cybertronian colony populated by beast-mode Transformers. They possess the Transwarp Key, a device that allows them to travel anywhere. Mostly, the key is used to nurture developing civilisations, but it drew the attention of Unicron, who wants to use it to quickly traverse intergalactic distances. The Key escapes the hands of Unicron and travels to Earth for safekeeping.

Maximals, whom we see as a falcon, a cheetah and a gorilla, take good care of it. In the year 1994, it accidentally gets activated by a museum intern Elena Wallace (Dominique Fishback). The signal attracts the Autobots (good robots) and Terrorcons (bad robots) and while the former hope to return to Cybertron through it, the latter saw it as a chance to summon Unicron to Earth, so that he could eat out the whole planet (yes, that’s what he does).

However, when it is revealed that another piece of Key is required to make it work, a new search begins. On the way, we see examples of sacrifice, shades of friendship and lessons of unity.

The film concludes with Autobots finally deciding to stay back on Earth, making it their home. Anthony Ramos stars as an Electronics wiz Noah Diaz becomes the Autobots’ human correspondent, after initial confusion including Autobot Mirage. After joining hands with Elena, they become the only humans who are part of the fight between the good robots and the mean ones. Peter Cullen reprises his role as Autobots leader Optimus Prime, while Ron Perlman stars as Maximal leader Optimus Primal. Michelle Yeoh is the voice of Maximal warrior Airazor and Peter Dinklage is Scourge, leader of Terrorcons.

The highlight of the film is the non-speaking Bumblebee, who mostly uses pre-recorded film quotes for communication. Watch it, to find out what’s next for the Autobots and their leader Optimus Prime!

Published in Dawn, Young World, Aug 26th, 2023