The Transformers as you know them on the big screen are changing. With Michael Bay’s exit from the franchise and a future that is uncertain, Bumblebee is the last movie on the radar and it is about as far away from the giant blockbuster action movies we’ve been seeing since 2007. With Laika chief Travis Knight behind the camera and a story set firmly in the 1980s, the spinoff most closely resembles the sweet and tender Amblin films most of us remember growing up with.
The first trailer for Bumblebee bears a striking resemblance to E.T. in both tone and style, although a handful of Decepticons appear (including G1 Starscream!) to remind us the Cybertronian war isn’t so far away. Hailee Steinfeld stars a Charlie, a teenage girl who befriends the damaged Bumblebee and they set off on an adventure together. The plot details are slim and this footage doesn’t reveal much other than the Autobot’s cosmetic changes. Gone is the sleek Camaro of his modern look, replaced by the classic Volkswagon Beetle.
Am I crazy for thinking this looks like the best Transformers movie so far? I love that it doesn’t seem to be about earth-shattering consequences but is instead a more personal story about the bond between Charlie and Bumblebee. And of course the return to the classic models is going to be a plus. There won’t be a ton of Transformers who show up but I can’t wait to see which ones do and if they also stick to the G1 model. Finally, it’s got John Cena and he looks to be playing a bad guy. Us WWE fans have been waiting a decade for that.
Also starring Rachel Crow, John Cena, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., Abby Quinn, Jason Drucker, and Kenneth Choi, Bumblebee opens December 21st.
