The live-actionTransformersfranchise has only shown the real titular robots for a matter of minutes in seven movies. Thelive-actionTransformerstimelinebegan back in 2007 with the release of the film of the same name. This movie spawned two direct sequels and two indirect continuations, with the five movies containing both thebest and worst of theTransformersfranchise. Since then, several spin-offs of the live-action movies have been crafted, includingBumblebeeandTransformers: Rise of the Beasts.
These spin-offs have caused thechronological order of theTransformersmoviesto become increasingly confusing, yet each installment continues to resonate with audiences around the world. The franchise is worth over $5.2 billion at the global box office, proving how bigTransformerstruly is. Despite this success, however, one could argue that the real versions of the robots are yet to be explored to their fullest in the live-action series, whichupcomingTransformersmoviescould fix. In fact, across these seven movies, only a few minutes of one showcase the true world of the Transformers.
Bumblebee’s Opening Scene Is The Only Time That The Live-Action Movies Felt Like Transformers
Thanks To Its Otherworldy Setting
The few minutes in question came in the opening scene ofBumblebee. The film began by outlining the fall of Cybertron, showcasing the war between the Decepticons and the Autobots more thoroughly than it had been in anyTransformersmovies before it. Despite only lasting just over two minutes, the scene included everythingTransformersfans have wanted from a live-action version of the franchise and, as such, is the only time the seven movies have actually felt like the source material they were trying to emulate.
The scene felt like the classicTransformerscartoons had come to life…
Everything inBumblebee’s opening two minutes worked to perfection. Be it the depiction of Cybertron at war or the visual designs for the Transformers that emulated their G1 appearances, the scene felt like the classicTransformerscartoons had come to life. This was furthered by the voice acting and storytelling elements implemented, from Shockwave’s menacing leadership of the Decepticons to Bumblebee’s depiction as a charismatic, talking scout of the Autobots.All of this imbuedBumblebee’s opening two to three minutes with the purestTransformersfeeling the entire franchise has ever had.
They Just Weren’t True Transformers
After the opening scene ofBumblebee, the film reverts to the visual style of the Michael BayTransformersmovies, despite differentiating itself regarding continuity. It is worth exploring that Michael Bay’sTransformersmovies had their own identity, and that the movies mostly worked because of this. While it remains true thatBumblebee’s opening felt the most like classicTransformers,Bay’s movies struck their own tone and design that worked to, well, transform the original franchise into a big-budget, high-octane, thrill-centric Hollywood blockbuster series.
In many ways, the general perception of theTransformersfranchise has been driven by Bay’s movies in recent decades. The reason for this is the sheer commercial success the movies garnered, with Bay’s modern take on the Autobots and Decepticons becoming almost a staple of blockbuster filmmaking in the late 2000s and early 2010s. The fluctuating quality of the movies aside, Bay’sTransformersseries proved incredibly popular with its own identity, differentiating itself from the opening minutes ofBumblebee. However, while the former identity still worked, no one can deny that the latter felt more like the franchise at its heart.
Transformers Is Still Not Sure What It Wants To Be After The Bayverse
The Recent Movies Have Been A Blend Of Both Styles
Thanks to the conflicting, yet equally effective, styles of the BayverseTransformersmovies and the likes ofBumblebee’s opening sequence, the franchise is unsure of what it wants to be of late.Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,released in 2023, somewhat typified this. The film included elements synonymous with Bay’s movies, such as human characters, their relationships with the Autobots, and the big-budget, loud action sequences, and those ofBumblebee’s opening scenes, such as more classic designs and visual locations.
While the movie mostly worked, it proved that the franchise does not know what direction it wants to go in. The upcoming slate ofTransformersmovies proves this also, be it the Bay-likeTransformersandGI Joecrossover, a more direct sequel toRise of the Beasts,or a focus on the animated,Bumblebee-like section of the series established inTransformers One. One way or another, theTransformersseries needs to solidify its future in order to keep making movies that evidently resonate with worldwide audiences.
