The “Transformers” franchise is not exactly beloved in the vein of, say, “Star Wars” or “Lord of the Rings” or even “Fast & the Furious.” But producers keep trying.
Lucky for Paramount Pictures, the latest and sixth iteration “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” balanced enough heart, humor and action to garner some of the best reactions for a “Transformers” film in its 16-year history. (A spinoff “Bumblebee” in 2018 was a critical success but box office disappointment.)
The opening box office results for “Rise of the Beasts” was a solid $60 million this weekend, beating the second weekend for “Spider-Man: Across the Spidey-Verse.” And viewers liked it, too: the average CinemaScore was A-minus, and 91% of viewers on Rotten Tomatoes gave it a thumbs up.
Director Steven Caple Jr. (”Creed II”), tackling his first “Transformers” film, was actually not that excited by the script when he first looked at it.
“I’m known for diving into projects and making them my own,” said Caple in an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution at the Porsche Experience. (The film features a new film character in Mirage voiced by Pete Davidson, a silver-colored 964-Gen Porsche 911 and buds with lead character Noah, played by Anthony Ramos.) “But the elements were there.”
The producers wanted the newest film to be set in the 1990s, based out of New York and introduce the Maximals, animal-like Transformers voiced by the likes of Ron Pearlman and Michelle Yeoh.
Caple said he was a long-time Transformers fan but more of an “OG” fan going back to the 1986 animated series, which features some of the new characters in “Rise of the Beasts.”
“For me ― cliché line ― it’s a dream come true,” he said.
Hip hop star Tobe Nwigwe, in his film debut, brings a dose of humor as Noah’s amusingly zen-like criminal sidekick Reek early in the film. He came in only knowing Optimus Prime, the super serious leader of the Autobot forces voiced by Peter Cullen. “I have the same types of beliefs as Reek brings to the movie,” he said. “It was fun to bring that out on the big screen.”
Domnique Fishback (”Judas and the Black Messiah”), plays Elena, a smart artifact researcher at a local museum and figures out the entire secret Transformer world with Noah. She said she loved Shia LaBeouf in the first film and was inspired to follow in his footsteps. “It blows my mind to be here,” she said.
Her character transforms from a bit of a lost soul into a gutsy woman with purpose when she runs into Noah and the Autobots, she said.
Fishback said this type of film is challenging because when she is technically interacting with the Autobots, she has to react to nothing but blank space. (CGI wizards fill in the Autobots later.)
“You had to remember how tall Prime was compared to Bee or when Airazor [voiced by Yeoh] was flying,” she said. “Anthony and I couldn’t look at each other to make sure we were looking at the same spot. You’re trying to remember everything at the same time.”
Caple acknowledged the challenges from his perspective as a director: “It was tough to try to go look at a reference pole and then emote to something that isn’t there. The first week was a complete failure because I was trying to figure it out.”
During filming, the actors didn’t know who would be the actual voice of Mirage. “He (Davidson) wasn’t cast before hand,” Caple said. “We knew the general idea of the comedy, but it didn’t really land until Pete did it in post.”
The film, being set in 1994, features hip-hop songs by the likes of A Tribe Called Quest, Nas and Wu-Tang Clan. Fishback’s character also sings a snippet of the chorus of TLC’s “Waterfalls.”
In the interview, she showed off rap skills by doing Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes’ entire rap interlude in the song. (On the podcast below, you can hear her at the 26 minute point.)
Caple said the toughest song to do was the original featuring Nas and Nwigwe called “On My Soul.”
“We were trying to balance out the ‘90s flair to it,” Caple said. “And Nas was busy with the tour he was having.”
“We got one of the hardest rappers from the ‘90s on that song with Nas going crazy on the track,” Nwigwe added. “Immaculate level talent.”
IF YOU GO
“Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,” available in metro area theaters
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Only the “Transformers” spin-off film “Bumblebee” in 2018 exceeded a 60% positive rating among critics on Rotten Tomatoes, which garners an actual tomato. The latest movie did surpass 50%.
The Rotten Tomatoes review gauge for each Transformers movie.
“Transformers” (2007): 56%
“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” (2009): 20%
“Transformers: Dark of the Moon) (2011): 35%
“Transformers: Age of Extinction” (2014): 18%
“Transformers: The Last Knight” (2017): 16%
“Bumblebee” (2018): 91% (counted more as a spin-off than a sequel)
“Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” (2023): 52%
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