Bumblebee is Not Your Typical Transformers Movie: It's Being Me Again

The photo shows a movie director's clapboard at nine o'clock, and a serving of popcorn in a red and white bucket at eight o'clock, all against a white background, with a sign that reads "MOVIE TIME" in red letters across the top;"with" in yellow near the middle; and "Jon Ochiai" in red from the center out to three o'clock. Altogether: "Movie Time with Jon Ochiai." At four o'clock, there are five golden colored stars under the name, and at six o'clock, two golden colored movie tickets that read Admit One. Jon Ochiai is the author of the movie review associated with this branded image.

In Director Travis Knight’s “Bumblebee” it’s 1987: Hailee Steinfeld’s 18 year-old Charlie stands as her beloved “Bee” readies to thrash the Special Forces soldiers led by John Cena’s Jack Burns, who dared harm his dear friend Charlie. With tears in her eyes Charlie raises her and says, “Stop.”

There’s an old movie adage: Never act with children or animals. These days that might apply to sentient scene-stealing towering metallic yellow robots, albeit entirely CGI. Yet, like her Charlie, Hailee is fearless, reminiscent of her Nadine in “The Edge of Seventeen”, in her humanizing vulnerability. Bee’s luminescent blue circle eyes do help, too. Director Travis of the stop action masterpiece “Kubo and the Two Strings”, creates the authentically poignant bond with Bee and Hailee, which gifts this “Transformers” movie something unique: A heart.

“Bumblebee” is “Transformers” prequel humorously written by Christina Hodson that reinvents the exhausted “Transformers” franchise created by previous Director Michael Bay. No doubt Michael pushed the envelope in inventing the mesmerizing shiny objects of Autobots battling their mortal enemies, the Decepticons. But sacrificing humanistic storytelling in lieu of the “blowing stuff up” visually dependent narrative got old. Honestly, I stopped watching “Transformers” at “Dark Side of the Moon”.

The visual effects of “Bumblebee” are stunning like the opening battle sequence on the Transformers Home World – Cybertron. In the losing cause Autobot Leader Optimus Prime, voiced by noble Peter Cullen, instructs his charge – yellow warrior robot B-127, voiced by innocent Dylan O’Brien, to go to Earth and await for his return. And so it begins.

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Refreshingly, Travis and Hailee’s distinct gift is their resonant emotional impact in the midst of the commercially driven special effects noise. Really, “Bumblebee” works, because Travis makes us cheer for the touching relationship of Charlie and Bee. “Bumblebee” is Hailee’s movie. Her beautiful face and gentle eyes enroll us in the story of the lonely 18 year-old girl, who suffers from missing her Father, who passed away.

Charlie’s Dad taught her to fix cars and gave her his love of them. Charlie believes that if she can somehow restore her Dad’s classic Corvette, she can have her Dad back. She can get herself back. In one scene Charlie stops repairing the Corvette in her garage. She cries, “I can’t do this anymore.” She just wants her suffering to end. Now that is way more captivating than a bunch of shining robots kicking the crap out of each other. Just saying.

The memory and speech damaged B-127 lands on Earth disrupting the military exercise of Col. Jack Burns, played by strong funny John Cena. Fortunately, B-127 escapes capture; thus, embarrassing Jack. B-127 assumes the shape of a yellow Volkswagen Bug. Obviously.

Charlie, played by Haile, is the loner high school gear-head only interested in cars, let alone boys. Charlie’s Mom Sally, played by funny scattered Pamela Adlon, remarried Ron, played by comically well intentioned Stephen Schneider. Comfortably geeky Jason Drucker plays her karate nerd younger brother Otis. Insecurely charming Jorge Lendeborg Jr., of “Love, Simon”, is Charlie’s neighbor, who has the biggest crush on her. Finally summoning his courage to possibly ask Charlie out on date, he witnesses Bumblebee in full transformation. Charlie gives B-127 the name Bumblebee after recovering him from her Uncle’s junkyard.

Evil Decepitcons Shatter, voiced by frightening Angela Bassett, and Blitzwing, voiced by tough David Sobolov, land on Earth in search of Bee. They convince Jack and his superiors that they are the “good guys”: That Bumblebee poses the gravest global threat. Actually, the Deceptions scheme to destroy the humans for their own strategic gain. So Jack must locate Bumblebee.

Surprisingly, my favorite scene in “Bumblebee” is Charlie and Memo standing through the sunroof of the yellow Volkswagen, hands raised in the air with Tears for Fears singing “Shout” on the radio. That captured 1987, and the spirit of youth – being free to be yourself. You just didn’t care what anyone else thought. That’s also the distinct charm of Travis and Hailee’s “Bumblebee”. We see that sense of innocent wonder in Hailee’s gaze. We all just want to be free to be ourselves.